Essential Things to Consider When Using Press Releases
An unchangeable fact is a desire for people to keep up with the news. According to Pew Research, 89% of Americans receive at least some of their news online. Even though press release is becoming rare a tool to transmit news, some companies still prefer them to others. If a press release is engaging enough, it can create journalistic interest abroad, generate social signals, direct targeted and organic traffic, and drive shares. Check out the things to consider when using press releases.
KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE
Writing for your audience is essential when creating any content piece. Demographical and customer research will help you accomplish that goal. It would help if you understood the different age groups that make up your intended audience. That way, you will be able to articulate words or content that resonates with their understanding and doesn’t portray the wrong information.
YOUR GOALS AND TARGET
Proper targeting can mean the difference between plenty of traffic streaming back to your site or none of it. Therefore, you need to consider your goals and set the appropriate target. The different goals that a press release can help you accomplish include;
· Number of Readers
The more reads you have on your press release, the more people you are reaching. However, if you have substantial reader numbers and only a handful of them exist in your target audience, then perhaps you are not making good use of your distribution, targeting, and keywords.
· Clicks
This is the number of people who will click on any link placed in the release after interacting with your press release. These links are usually placed in the release with different intentions. You could put a link to a product or service you are selling. The link could also be used to build a list and generate separate engagement. Regardless, the goal of the press release is to increase your click-through-rate.
· Conversion
Conversion allows you to assess the number of users who clicked on the links and took action where you asked them to. It gives you an insight into where you might have gone wrong and a chance to do it differently the next time.
BRAND AWARENESS
Press releases allow you to use strategic messaging to positively place your brand to journalists, who will pass the message to your target audience in the form of a story. A press release allows you to design a platform that journalists can build upon. As such, press releases can help you increase your brand awareness if used correctly.
SEO AND CONTENT MARKETING
Search Engine Optimization is a crucial element of helping your brand to rank high on SERPs. If your goal includes increasing SEO, you should consider learning how to implement a strategy that includes sharing press releases via newswires.
News reporters will search newswires sites for information relevant to their coverage areas and publish press releases relevant to their audience. Search engines crawl these sites for relevant content compared to the regular sites. As such, you need to write press releases that are attractive to the search engines.
As a quality SEO expert, you should write in a clear format, create quality functioning links to your sites, and use keywords that search engines prefer.
PREPARATION OF A PRESS RELEASE
A press release is more than an article or story. It is intended to convey a message in the most comprehensive ways without the fluff. It would be best if you considered some general guidelines when preparing a press release. These include;
· They should read like news articles. News articles will always have the lead, where all the possible questions are asked and answers provided. These would include
- What happened
- Who did it
- Why it happened
- Where it happened
- When it happened
- How it happened
· Emphasize what makes the press release important. What could grab your readers’ attention? Why does it matter to the community? Why should they care? You need to emphasize either of the above basic elements.
BOTTOM LINE
Using a press release has many benefits to your brand. It increases your awareness and increases reader numbers. The result is increased traffic, clicks, and conversion rates that allow you to sell products and services. Ensure you have smart press release goals that are specific, measurable, relevant, and attainable if you want to enjoy its benefits.