You have an awesome idea for a business venture and you’re finally putting a plan into action. Or, you already own a successful business that you’re adding a new product or service to. Whatever your situation may be, you want to make sure that you get as much attention as possible.
5 Simple Ways
Write with the Search in Mind
Sure, you can post an awesome post on your blog, or share posts on social media announcing your grand ideas or new products and/or services. But, while these methods of getting exposure may be effective, they don’t hold a candle to the exposure you will get when you take advantage of press releases. They give you instant exposure, increase your sales potential, boost your reputation and your brand exposure, and a whole lot more.
While press releases can definitely be a powerful marketing tool, in order for them to be successful, you have to make the most of them. Unfortunately, too many people aren’t achieving the results that they hope for with their press releases. Why? – Because they aren’t adding the right elements in order to make them pop, garner viewers, and thus, effectively make the public aware of whatever it that the press release is aiming to market.
Fortunately, making a great press release that yields results isn’t as challenging as one might think. Here’s a look at five simple ways that you can get the most out of all of your future press releases.
In the past, it might have been enough to create press releases that contained copy that painted a clear and attention-grabbing story. Things have changed. Today, not only do you have to write easy-to-follow, relatable copy, but you also have to make sure that your press release is written in such a way that it will help searchers find your release online. Reporters turn to the Internet to locate great story ideas and sources, which means that you have to write content that will allow searchers to actually find you.
There are a number of things that you can do to write press release copy that can be located online:
- Make a list of keywords and keyword phrases. Make sure they are relevant to your business, your product or service, and your brand. Cross-check any keywords or phrases that you come up with on Google’s keyword too. This will allow you to review the monthly search volume and competition for your keywords, as well as give you suggestions for related keywords.
- Use your keywords in the headlines and subheads of your press releases, and throughout the body, too. Don’t keyword “stuff” your releases; make sure that you make them sound natural.
- Incorporate links to keyword phrases, not the actual products themselves to make your press releases more visible
Include Search-optimized Images
Adding images to your press releases will make a huge difference. Journalists and bloggers are more inclined to cover news pieces that feature images. Use images that really showcase the type of news you are sharing in your releases. For instance, include images of the product, as well as pictures of people using it.
Optimize your images by using keywords to name and tag them. Doing so will boost the chances of having your press release found.
Incorporate Videos
Make sure your videos are professional, attention-grabbing, relatable, and serve a purpose. Use attractive backgrounds, eye-catching illustrations and graphics, and make sure that speech is easy to understand. Don’t go over two minutes, otherwise you will run the risk of losing the attention of your audience. Also, don’t forget to optimize the titles and tags of your videos with your most pertinent keywords.
Lastly, don’t simply add a link to videos; embed them right into the press release. You might also want to include a transcript that search engines can use to index the content.
Make Use of Social Media
The more backlinks your press release has, the more value search engines will apply to it. As such, you should consider making use of a ‘blitz’ on social media immediately after your press release is, well, release. Some ways that you can utilize social media to its fullest advantage include:
Posting the news of your press release directly on your website
- Asking other people to tweet your press release, complete with a link to the release on your website
- Post the news of your press release, and a link, on Facebook
- Create and share a video announcing your press release on YouTube, complete with a link to the announcement you made on your website.
Execute a Distribution Plan
One press release might be able to offer a boost in visibility on search engines and the traffic to your websites. It might also get the attention of a well-known blogger or reporter. However, over time, the attention to the press release will start to wane. Eventually, that one press release won’t get you much exposure, links, or sales.
To ensure you get the most out of your press release, create a plan. Your plan should incorporate a distribution calendar that accounts for upcoming events related to your business. For instance, a promotion you have planned for the holidays, or a new product that you plan on launching in the near future.
A lot of marketers are under the impression that the value of press releases has depleted; however, if they are done properly, they can serve as highly valuable tools for increasing your exposure, attracting attention to your business, and boosting your sales and success.
