The Power of the Press Release

In the past, press releases were mostly used by big businesses that were trying to get news coverage for their company events or announcements. Today, however, press releases are more accessible, more affordable, and a lot more powerful, making them a great addition to any small business marketing strategy.

The biggest reason for the change is of course the web and its many low-cost or no-cost media outlets that accept press releases from businesses of all sizes. Using web outlets for press releases means that once your company’s news is published to a web outlet, it creates inbound links to your site in several places. First, the news outlet site will post your release, creating inbound links to your site. But then, any other sites that decide to “pick up” your release and report on it creates even more inbound links. It’s like ripples in a pond; the more exposure your press release gets, the farther your links carry out onto the web.

What About the Wire Services?

Traditional wire services are still one of the most effective methods for sending press releases, but these services are often focused on the major players – big companies with big brands – and unless your press release is particularly newsworthy, chances are it will not be picked up or distributed on the web (or in other traditional publications like newspapers, either). That’s not to say you shouldn’t ever use the wire services for your press releases – it’s the first choice for many businesses when they have important news to share. But for many small businesses, the cost of wire service distribution can be prohibitive, and the results can be pretty disappointing.

The Web Has Changed Everything

Distributing press releases to web outlets has many advantages for small businesses, especially the lower cost and better accessibility. Chances are good that if you submit to web outlets, they will publish your press release on their sites, even if it doesn’t spread any further than that. But the big benefits of submitting to web outlets are realized when your press release is picked up by other sources on the web, creating additional inbound links to your web site and improving overall web exposure for your business. So how can you improve the chances that your press release will be picked up by the web outlets and spread like a ripple in the pond?

1. Be interesting and newsworthy – you can write a press release on employee promotions, client wins, or local events you business is involved with – but don’t write a sales pitch or use it as an advertisement for your business!

    

2. Include links in the body of your press release – this makes it easy for readers (and journalists) to access further information. Also, make sure that these links lead to a unique landing page specifically designed for your press release readers – don’t just send them to your home page.

    

3. Use current journalistic standards and formats – nothing screams “amateur” louder than a press release that’s in the wrong format or that isn’t well written. If you don’t know how to write and format a professional press release, hire someone who does.

    

4. Optimize for the search engines – since your press release will “live” on the web in possibly dozens of places, make sure it is optimized properly for your keywords and phrases, especially in the headline and sub-heads.

    

5. Publish it on your own web site – if you don’t already have an online press room or “In the News” section on your web site, now is the time to get one. Your press release can be re-used as fresh content for your site, and can continue to bring you additional benefits long after the news cycle is over.