Für For many small business owners, business is still sluggish these days, which makes marketing more important than usual. With so much attention to social media marketing, some of the more traditional marketing tactics are overlooked – like press releases.
Are Press Releases Still an Effective Marketing Tool for a Small Business? Yes, if you know how to follow today's rules to get attention.
Press releases are today mostly published online via news services or press release services. This means that not only will they be seen by journalists, writers, podcasters and bloggers, they will also appear in search results when your potential customers are online.
Here are the key elements every press release should have:
Make your headline eye-catching and immediately convey what the publication is about. Using keywords in your heading can help make them appear in search results. Your headline should be a maximum of 100 characters so that more of it appears in the search results. Shorter headings are also easier to share on social media and the entire headline is still displayed.
This is a short subheading that contains additional information about expanding the heading.
The city and state in which your company is located and the date of publication ("San Francisco, CA, July 15, 2020"). Journalists looking for local news benefit from knowing where your business is, and the date ensures that they don't use outdated publications.
In a few sentences, this paragraph should briefly explain the key information in your publication, including the five Ws (who, what, when, where, and why). Also enter your company name. Most people don't read beyond the first paragraph, so don't skip important information.
Explain in more detail the information you share. Break it up into short paragraphs. Your body copy should sound natural (not full of technical jargon) and contain relevant keywords without being “stuffed” with too many keywords.
Add one or two quotes from your company president or CEO (in other words, you) that journalists can use to bring your articles to the end of your copy. Provide your full name and title ("Samantha Smith, CEO of XYZ Corp. says …"). You can also add an offer from a satisfied customer or customer to reinforce your opinion. But remember, keep it short.
If you offer journalists photos, infographics, videos, and other visual elements that they can use, you can differentiate your publication from the others. When you share news about a product, person, or event, you can include photos in your version. However, you should also provide high-resolution photos for those who request them.
To avoid problems that can occur when sending photos, graphics, or videos as attachments, you should include these elements in the version of the version that you are publishing on your website. Create a newsroom or press room area for your press releases and announcements. Then include links to the press release on your website in the press release that you send to journalists. (Make the links trackable and you can even see how much traffic your press releases are driving to your website.)
Add a call-to-action (CTA) to the end of your publication – something the reader should do. This can be as simple as "For more information about XYZ Co.'s upcoming fundraiser for the summer, visit XYZwebsite.com or call (xxx) xxx-xxxx." Make it as easy as possible for the reader to know what you expect from him.
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Boilerplate is a short paragraph about your company that you insert at the end of each press release. Include the company name, the activities of your company when it was founded and any other information that the recipients should know.
List a spokesperson for your company who is available to answer queries quickly. Provide several ways to get in touch with them (phone, email, social contacts, etc.) as journalists may want to contact you in different ways.
Press releases should be one to two pages long. Add links if necessary (e.g. for more information), but do not go overboard. Too many links can cause your publication and websites to be marked as spam for press releases.
Do you need further help? PRLog suggests looking up the most viewed press releases for how successful press releases are written. You can find press release templates online and use websites such as PR Distribution, PR Web and PR.com to distribute your publications.
The reason why you're writing a press release is, of course, to advertise the media. Here are some tips on how to present your product or company to the media:
Do your homework. Before you pitch, find out the person and publication you are contacting. Most of the pitches I reject are because they are irrelevant to my beat (what I'm writing about).
It's not just about you. Concentrate on adding value to readers, viewers, or listeners to the recipient, such as: B. interesting statistics, news or instructions. If your pitch is too promotional and sounds like an ad, it will likely be rejected or ignored.
Timing is everything. Generally, the best time of day to send parking spaces is early morning to noon; The best time of the week is Monday through Wednesday.
Respond quickly. If someone responds to your pitch, respond as soon as possible. Journalists, bloggers, podcasters, etc. are busy. If you do not answer them, they will be directed to someone who will respond quickly.
Create great email subject lines. The subject line of an email makes the difference whether your email is opened or ignored. Make your subject line fascinating, but not hyperbolic.
Be brief. Most people prefer pitches between 100 and 200 words. Take it from me – if you wade through 500 parking spaces per week, shorter is better.
CONNECTION: 16 creative ways to get press coverage for your small business
