Some people believe that a press release is an old school tactic that has no place in today's PR arsenal. They are convinced is it no longer viable and can't help support your SEO strategy.
However, with the right approach, making the most out of a news release is still possible. A news release is a simple way of publicising a new product or an upcoming event and journalists and bloggers are always searching for unique and compelling information for their audience.
Not only that, a creative and well-written press release can make your content go viral, leading to interviews, articles, stories, and publicity for your brand. To help make it happen, here are some tips to help reinvigorate your next press release:
A press release should be tailored so that it immediately captures the reader's attention. After all, you don't want the readers to see your story and all they can ask is, "Was it meant for me?"
"...you don't want the readers to see your story and all they can ask is, "Was it meant for me?""
Audiences want content that perfectly suits them. And journalists and bloggers are the same, wanting a newsworthy item that adds value to their readers/viewers.
Bearing that in mind, ensure your content is original/unique, interactive (where possible), and tailored to the end-user.
Look for keywords that will get your content discovered via SEO. To do this, you need to ensure your choice of keywords is both relevant to your content and to your target audience.
Research the names of the bloggers and reporters in your related field find out what they're writing about and how their content is structured. Examine high-ranked blogs in your space. What do they write about? What comments do they receive? Borrow a leaf and spice up your content.
"Examine high-ranked blogs in your space. What do they write about?"
You're aiming to capture their attention with your press release so that they want to blog and report on your story.
Headlines make or break a press release.
Remember, the headline is the first thing your audience will see, so it needs to hook the reader and motivate them to keep reading. Aim to capture the reader's full attention straight off the bat, and evoke their curiosity to read on right until the end.
If you're going for longevity, choose a topic that is likely to stay relevant over a long period (as opposed to just seasonal issues).
"Choose a topic that is likely to stay relevant over a long period..."
This flies in the face of what most will tell you, but the reason for it is clear. While subjects on current affairs will most likely trend and get you the numbers today, such topics fade out fast and become irrelevant with time.
Your most valuable resource on social media is your existing audience.
Get your content on the platforms where you've already established your brand. People who follow your content will read, share, and comment, creating the desired traffic.
Make sure to leverage social media platforms, like Pinterest (with dofollow links), and share to communities related to your industry. Naturally, encourage social media influencers with a relevant following to share your content by teasing out the most poignant parts and packaging them into compelling microcontent they'd like to share.
"...teasing out the most poignant parts and packaging them into compelling microcontent they'd like to share."
Content that evokes positive feelings like amusement, awe, and laughter are far more 'likeable' when compared to content that elicits unhappiness or misery.
In fact, a study by social psychologist Jonah Berger discovered that positive news items spread more compared to negative ones. Berger deduced that viral content evoked six feelings: surprise, anger, joy, lust, and anxiety. The secret is to amuse your reader by providing the unexpected.
"The secret is to amuse your reader by providing the unexpected."
Our contemporary society has greatly embraced simplicity, so it's important to ensure your press release is both free from jargon and slang and is clear and straightforward. That way, bloggers, journalists, and other readers will easily understand what you're trying to say.
Note: Even if your writing skills are top-notch, it's probably worthwhile hiring a professional editor to edit your work before releasing it to the public.
The best press releases always include at least one or two quotes —for example, a statement from the company's CEO or founder, or an expert on a topic.
"The best press releases always include at least one or two quotes."
Always ensure the comments both add something of value to the content and are relevant to the topic being discussed. To make it easier to generate the best quotes, always ensure you're asking the right sorts of questions to elicit meaningful responses.
[PRINT DOWNLOAD]: 8 TIPS TO REINVIGORATE A PRESS RELEASE
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