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How Are Small and Midsize Companies Using this Marketing Strategy to Amplify Messaging?

Thu, 30 Sep 2021 18:42:00 GMT

Imagine you’re on stage in front of a crowd of industry peers and prospects to share your latest product launch. You’ve identified a unique angle and crafted a speech that’ll boost sales. The only problem is your microphone is broken.

Now, all the audience sees is your mouth moving with no sound. You can’t get your voice loud enough to overpower the chatter in the seats. You feel defeated. All that work for nothing.

Can you feel the frustration welling up inside of you just thinking about this?

That’s what it feels like when you can’t break through the noise of the internet. And that’s exactly the problem we solve with our press release distribution services at Newswire.

“Think of strategic press release distribution like a microphone that amplifies your voice,” said Charlie Terenzio, CMO and SVP of Media and Marketing Communications at Newswire. “Our team works with our clients to create and distribute newsworthy press releases their target audience and media want to read.”

Though every client and industry is unique, as an award-winning technology company that focuses on press release distribution services, we know what’s required to create and implement a successful strategy.

And that’s why we combined our knowledge, expertise, and innovative technology to create the Media Advantage Plan (MAP) , a program that helps small and midsize companies distribute the right message to the right audience at the right time.

“It’s no shock when I say small businesses have their fair share of challenges when it comes to their marketing efforts,” Terenzio added. “But, with MAP, we’re helping our clients build brand awareness, attract website visitors, generate leads, and increase revenue at a fraction of the cost of working with a traditional ad agency.”

The earned media mentions we’ve secured for our clients in top-tier publications, such as Business Insider , Entrepreneur , Forbes , TIME, and more, have helped our clients garner the attention they need to stand out from their competition and capture their audience’s attention.

Your mic is on and your target audience is waiting to hear from you. Contact us today to speak with one of our PR strategists.

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Here’s How We Helped a Health Tech Company Earn Multiple Media Mentions in its Hometown Market

Thu, 23 Sep 2021 18:03:00 GMT

The post Here’s How We Helped a Health Tech Company Earn Multiple Media Mentions in its Hometown Market appeared first on PressRelease .

You Talked. We Listened.

Sun, 19 Sep 2021 22:09:00 GMT

Customers are the axis on which every business revolves around. Without them, companies of all sizes and industries wouldn’t succeed.

But, in order to better serve your customers, you have to understand them.

You have to be in tune with their pain points, questions, interests, and ideas. The line of communication between your business and your target audience has to be a 24/7/365 initiative.

At Newswire, we consider customer feedback the lifeblood of our organization. From reviews to customer service conversations and meetings to daily interactions with our clients, we’re listening.

With our ears to the market and our willingness to adjust, we’ve made great strides over the years to grow our business and evolve with the market to help our clients distribute the right message to the right audience at the right time.

That’s why we’re pleased to announce that we’ve made major press release distribution network enrichments and upgrades to our SaaS platform .

This enrichment will amplify our commitment to the customer by giving them access to the best, most notable media outlets that generate maximum value from consistent and strategic press release distribution.

The innumerable benefits of these upgrades for current and future clients include but aren’t limited to:

As we begin this next chapter of our business, we’re confident our improved wire distribution technology and the platform upgrades we’ve made will continue to give our customers a competitive edge to stand out in an overcrowded, 24/7 news cycle.

The post You Talked. We Listened. appeared first on Newswire .

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Newswire Helps Land Wall Street Journal Feature for Fitness App Client

Thu, 16 Sep 2021 20:37:00 GMT

Brand awareness generated by earned media mentions is a key component of securing and maintaining market share.

Earned media mentions in relevant industry publications can help tech companies build brand awareness, generate website traffic, improve search engine optimization (SEO) performance, and more.

This was the case for Newswire’s Media Advantage Program (MAP) client in the fitness app space that landed a feature in The Wall Street Journal .

As a community-driven fitness app that’s rooted in being social, creating a lifestyle, and potentially finding “the one,” this particular earned media mention positioned Newswire’s client as a leader in its niche and described the app as “matchmakers for fitness buffs.”

“This feature in The Wall Street Journal was a direct result of our team’s ability to pinpoint and create opportunities on our client’s behalf,” said Charlie Terenzio, CMO and SVP of Media and Marketing Communications at Newswire. “The brand amplification this feature created for our client has continued to help them build a name for themselves in the industry and generate more awareness.”

Through its innovative app, Newswire’s client is helping fitness enthusiasts from all over the world build and nurture relationships on their platform.

And, by leaning on Newswire’s enriched press release distribution network and its SaaS platform, the tech company has been able to better identify media opportunities, craft compelling stories, launch targeted campaigns, and more to connect with people who would be interested in using their platform.

“When executed correctly, valuable earned media mentions should trigger a snowball effect of positive press coverage,” Terenzio added. “This is exactly what happened for our client in the fitness app space, as it’s continued to lead to new opportunities.”

The Wall Street Journal attracts more than 41 million visitors a month and this exposure has enabled Newswire’s client to earn additional coverage in publications such as Yahoo! Entertainment, and FitDay, both of which collectively attract more than 3 million website visitors a month.

Visit Newswire.com today and learn more about how its integrated press release distribution solutions are helping organizations grow their audience, expand their reach, and implement an effective go-to-market strategy.

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Newswire Helps Tech CEOs Drive Business from Media in Entrepreneur, Business Journals

Thu, 09 Sep 2021 22:59:00 GMT

Media placements, when executed correctly can generate leads, drive revenue, and promote business growth, objectives all tech CEOs care about.

Have you ever found yourself clicking through Entrepreneur and Business Journals and thinking how great it’d be to have an article about your company on these sites?

Imagine putting a snapshot of that article on your website or sharing it on social media. You might even dream of framing a print version for your office.

Why would you be so thrilled about landing that article? Product launches, new rounds of funding, or other company news are exciting, but having your story covered in a respected, widely-read publication would mean even more.

It’s not just a dream – it’s something you could make happen for yourself and your company, and we have the tools to help you land your dream article.

Now, look at your arms. Those are chills. We get those too when we earn media mentions in big-name publications for our clients through press release distribution.

Tech CEOs can’t afford to miss opportunities to promote their brand on top-tier publications like Entrepreneur and Business Journals .

These placements strengthen credibility, create authority, build brand awareness, and position companies as thought leaders in their industries. All these benefits work together to help them attract website traffic, generate leads, and most importantly, improve sales.

“Many tech CEOs think these opportunities are out of reach for their business,” said Charlie Terenzio, CMO and SVP of Media and Marketing Communications at Newswire. “But through our Media Advantage Plan (MAP), we’re showing our clients these earned media mentions are attainable.”

Clients that are part of Newswire’s MAP have direct access to its enriched press release distribution network and upgraded SaaS platform that empowers them to create newsworthy stories, launch targeted campaigns, and dig into detailed data to continually refine messaging and strategies to meet and exceed their marketing goals.

“Press releases are the bridge that connects our clients to big-name publications,” Terenzio added. “We’re practitioners, not preachers, and that’s why we leverage our industry-leading solutions for ourselves to better the results for our clients.”

In fact, we’ve put our process in action and landed an article in Entrepreneur that highlighted the badges we recently earned from G2.com’s Fall 2021 Report.

If this sounds like something you’d like for your business, we’re offering free Media and Marketing Assessments along with 10% off your next press release.

We’re here to help CEOs like you unlock real value and create a strategy for driving growth and earning media mentions in major networks. Let’s get started.

The post Newswire Helps Tech CEOs Drive Business from Media in Entrepreneur, Business Journals appeared first on Newswire .

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FeatherPay Joins Our Guided Tour to Bring the Future of Healthcare Payments to the Present

Thu, 09 Sep 2021 21:32:00 GMT

Building brand awareness, improving search engine optimization (SEO) performance, and earning valuable media mentions are a few of the contributing factors behind FeatherPay joining Newswire’s Media and Marketing Guided Tour.

FeatherPay , an Atlanta-based fintech focused on healthcare, has joined Newswire’s Media and Marketing Guided Tour program.

As part of the Guided Tour, Newswire will help create high-impact stories, launch targeted outreach, analyze press release campaign data, and more to position FeatherPay as thought leaders in the healthcare payments space.

According to a 2019 Healthcare Consumer Experience study, 41% of patients say that they would change providers due to a poor experience in the payment process, and 20% of patients have already done so.

FeatherPay understands this pain point and has created a solution that centralizes payment options, enabling healthcare practices to give their patients transparency and flexibility in how, when, where and on what device they can pay for care.

“Healthcare payment options have historically been confusing and limited, which makes it difficult for patients to understand and ultimately make payment,” said Craig Haynor, CEO and co-founder of FeatherPay. “We’re driving change through technology by adding transparency to the healthcare payment experience, which helps patients get the care they need while enabling improved financial results for practices.”

Through this partnership, Newswire will leverage its experience and the expertise of its Media and Marketing team to help FeatherPay meet and exceed its defined goals.

In fact, through its press release distribution efforts, Newswire has already earned FeatherPay a feature in the Atlanta Business Chronicle ’s weekly newsletter .

“FeatherPay is bringing its vision of delivering results, winning together, and raising the bar to life,” said Charlie Terenzio, CMO and SVP of Media and Marketing Communications at Newswire. “We’re confident our partnership will put them in a position to become the leading healthcare payments platform for years to come.”

The post FeatherPay Joins Our Guided Tour to Bring the Future of Healthcare Payments to the Present appeared first on Newswire .

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CMOs Use Press Releases to Drive Website Traffic, Leads, and True Value?

Mon, 06 Sep 2021 19:03:00 GMT

You read that right.

For the longest time, press releases were a piece of content companies hoped would make the phone ring and lead to media opportunities.

Usually, the process went something like this.

A company would have an announcement. They’d write a press release and the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) would round up their team and encourage them to call and/or email their usual contacts and tell them they had a story.

Sure, they’d get some pick-ups here and there, but were they impactful?

Did they build brand awareness? Leads? True value the CEO would be impressed with?

“Many companies think press releases can only be used when they have a big announcement,” said Charlie Terenzio, CMO and SVP of Media and Marketing Communications at Newswire. “That couldn’t be further from the truth. At Newswire, we use press releases as a marketing vehicle that delivers our clients’ messaging whether it’s a thought leader piece, a recent award, or anything in between, directly to their target audiences and relevant media publications.”

As an industry leader in press release distribution , Newswire helps small and midsize companies earn media mentions and make a name for themselves in their respective industries through its Media Advantage Program (MAP) and its enriched press release distribution network .

In fact, this year alone, companies that are part of Newswire’s MAP have collectively earned hundred of media mentions in publications such as Forbes , The Wall Street Journal , Business Insider , CNBC , and USA Today, to name a few.

This disruptive program for all the right reasons is helping companies create newsworthy stories, launch targeted campaigns, provide reports on overall performance, and continually refine messaging and strategies to meet and exceed their clients’ marketing goals.

“The actual press release is only one part of the MAP,” Terenzio explained. “We’re helping our clients pinpoint and expound on topics their target audiences actually care about to generate earned media opportunities and additional content pieces that can be used on their website, social media, email campaigns, and more.”

Newswire’s approach combines its SaaS technology and the expertise of its Media and Marketing team to help CMOs earn the results they need to succeed in their position. Results like increased website traffic, improved search engine rankings, and attracting more marketing qualified and sales qualified leads, are some of the positive outcomes companies that are part of Newswire’s MAP can expect to achieve.

If you’re a CMO and have read this far, we want to help you unlock real value and create a strategy that not only makes you look good but gets your press releases picked up by major publications like Time , Entrepreneur , US News & World Report , and more, and drives growth for your business. We’re offering free Media and Marketing assessments and 10% off your next press release.

The post CMOs Use Press Releases to Drive Website Traffic, Leads, and True Value? appeared first on Newswire .

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Revenue Refresh: Newswire Offers Cutting-Edge PR and Media Strategies for CROs

Mon, 06 Sep 2021 17:24:00 GMT

There’s an unsuspecting, underutilized weapon already lurking in each company’s media, marketing and communications toolkit, and Newswire is helping clients brush the dust off.

Stale, outdated, and boring: the least attractive and sadly common attributes that are often found in modern press releases.

But rules are made to be broken, right? Newswire aims to disrupt the traditional notion of not only what press release distribution is, but what it can accomplish.

“We know that earning media coverage, whether in local newspapers or major trade publications, can not only provide temporary buzz around a growing company but can add tremendous value to their brand,” said Newswire CMO, Charlie Terenzio. “The benefits of press release distribution are endless, from SEO backlinks to increased sales funnel leads and beyond.”

Still don’t believe it? Our results for clients in a variety of industries say otherwise.

One client recently reported $5 million in additional revenue due to the press coverage Newswire has generated for them on the Media Advantage Plan (MAP) , a full-service media and marketing communications program.

Aside from direct sales and revenue-building benefits, they also earned multiple stories in major trade publications and coverage in notable outlets like Business Insider , Forbes , Cheddar , Tech Crunch , and The Wall Street Journal , just to name a few.

Creating excitement about your brand helps more than your bottom line, too. Clients have had notable public figures share their stories on social media and comment on their products and services.

For a small or midsize company still growing, this type of recognition can completely revolutionize how they are seen within their own industry.

Terenzio added, “We know there’s a ton of untapped potential in press release distribution and we’re here to help businesses seize these opportunities. And honestly, we’re the only company in our industry doing things this way.”

So what are you waiting for? Find out what Newswire could offer YOU!

Try distributing a press release today with this 10% off coupon . And if you need help with writing your release, we’ve got you covered – speak with our staff today.

The post Revenue Refresh: Newswire Offers Cutting-Edge PR and Media Strategies for CROs appeared first on Newswire .

The post Revenue Refresh: Newswire Offers Cutting-Edge PR and Media Strategies for CROs appeared first on PressRelease .

Are Press Releases Driving Business Growth for CEOs?

Fri, 03 Sep 2021 00:42:00 GMT

No, they aren’t.

Historically, Press Releases are sent by companies to announce news and ( hopefully ) generate awareness that leads to sales. Companies who put out their PR and marketing teams point to vanity metrics like reach, impressions, and awareness. But, do impressions translate to sales?

“No,” said Newswire’s CRO Kyle Metcalf.

So, how can sales teams use press releases to drive true value and business growth?

“At Newswire, for ourselves and our customers, we use Press Releases as a marketing channel as part of our Media Advantage Plan (MAP). Coupled with media outreach, email marketing, and SEO optimization, we’ve achieved resulted in a surplus of sales leads upwards of 2,700 this year and has led to massive growth for our company and the clients we work with,” Metcalf said.

Good for you, Kyle Metcalf. But does that work for all companies or just yours?

“Great question,” Metcalf exclaimed. “As part of Newswire’s Media Advantage Plan, we’ve helped many clients across all industries leverage a consistent cadence of press release distribution campaigns to land media coverage in outlets like Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, Business Insider, CNBC, USA Today, and an average of 30 leads per month.”

Since the start of the year, Newswire has used the Media Advantage Plan to drive hundreds of media mentions, thousands of marketing qualified and sales qualified leads, and more search traffic for top keywords.

“We had a client share with us recently that by using Newswire’s press released distribution and MAP, they have secured over $100 million in new deals this year alone with no other paid advertising,” Metcalf said. “For CEOs and sales leaders, that is the metric that demonstrates value, not impressions or reach.”

To help other CEOs unlock real value and create a strategy for driving growth with press release distribution, Newswire is offering free Media and Marketing Assessments along with 10% off your next press release.

So, if you are a CEO who likes revenue and discounted products and services, click here .

The post Are Press Releases Driving Business Growth for CEOs? appeared first on Newswire .

The post Are Press Releases Driving Business Growth for CEOs? appeared first on PressRelease .

What’s the Difference Between a Press Release and a Media Advisory?

Wed, 25 Aug 2021 00:02:00 GMT

Whether it’s through social media marketing, email campaigns, pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, press releases, or a media advisory, there are a variety of ways for companies to promote their business in the digital world.

In this blog post, we’re focusing on press releases and media advisories, in particular, as they’re two options companies can use to build brand awareness, drive website traffic, generate leads, and more.

What’s a press release?

A press release is a compelling and concise news story that’s typically written by a public relations professional and distributed to targeted media sources to announce something newsworthy.

The goal of a press release is to secure coverage from relevant publications and stay in front of a company’s target audience.

Press releases can cover important news such as:

No matter the announcement, when written correctly, press releases should address the who, what, where, when, why, and how.

These are commonly referred to as the 5 W’s + How , which make up the foundation of the inverted pyramid .

The inverted pyramid is an integral piece in the overall press release format puzzle, which works together to maximize the effectiveness of a company’s ability to not only reach their target audience, but the media as well.

What’s a media advisory?

A media advisory isn’t a full story. It’s a one-page description, an invitation to the press to attend an event you’re hosting, and includes the most important details of the event.

The event could be a press conference, grand opening, book signing, live demonstration, and so on.

Creating and distributing a media advisory is a great way to generate a buzz around your event and encourage the media and journalists from relevant publications to attend as well.

As mentioned before, a media advisory includes only the most important details. If you’ve never created a media advisory before, here are some tips to consider:

Media Advisory Must-Haves

At the top of the page, type MEDIA ADVISORY in a large, bold font.

On the left-hand side, include the date of the alert and the following contact information:

Just as you would format a press release, use the 5 W’s to address the most important details.

When you put these elements together, your media advisory should look something like this:

4 Main Differences Between a Press Release and Media Advisory

Now that we have an understanding of what a press release and a media advisory are, let’s take a look at four main differences between the two to help you leverage the right approach for your next campaign.

Purpose

A media advisory is a quick and concise overview that’s designed to encourage attendance at an upcoming event.

Press releases, on the other hand, can promote or recap an event, or as mentioned before, share a newsworthy company update. Press releases highlight the most important details and provide information about the business, as well.

Length

A press release should be between 400 to 500 words, while a media advisory is typically around 100 to 150 words.

Timing

When you send an invitation to a birthday party, for example, you want to do so with enough time for people to check their schedules and save the date for your event. The same notion applies to a media advisory, which should be sent to media outlets well before the date and time of your business’ event.

Media advisories should be sent twice. The first should be sent 5 – 7 days before the event and the second should be sent the day before the event to serve as a reminder.

Press releases, on the other hand, don’t have to be tied to a specific event, which creates room for the timing of distribution.

To that point, the number of press releases a business sends is contingent on its unique marketing goals.

It takes consistency and analysis of data to uncover the best days, times, and the frequency to effectively distribute press releases for your company.

Audience

Press releases are distributed widely via press release distribution services on the wire. But because media advisories act like an invitation, they’re distributed to relevant reporters and journalists in the local media.

If you’d like to learn more about the value of press release distribution and the creation of media advisories, contact us today to speak with one of our PR Strategists.

The post What’s the Difference Between a Press Release and a Media Advisory? appeared first on Newswire .

The post What’s the Difference Between a Press Release and a Media Advisory? appeared first on PressRelease .

The post What’s the Difference Between a Press Release and a Media Advisory? appeared first on Newswire .

The post What’s the Difference Between a Press Release and a Media Advisory? appeared first on PressRelease .

How COVID-19 is Affecting Communications

Mon, 04 May 2020 12:00:00 GMT

COVID-19 has changed the way people communicate.

People are glued to their screens, now more than ever. The effects of quarantine and isolation are driving people up the wall with boredom and frustration, and the need to express one’s self has largely remained unchanged.

Digital Communication

Even though the mysterious nature of the virus is compelling people to stay home in an effort to slow the spread, social distancing does not equate to being socially distant.

Zoom, Slack, FaceTime, Skype, and a plethora of other video conferencing apps are becoming part of the everyday conversation in a way they never have been in the past. People are adaptable, if nothing else, and those that are doing their part and staying home to flatten the curve have turned to digital solutions to address these new challenges.

Face-to-Face Communication

But what about those that don’t, or are unable to stay at home? In-person communication has also been affected by COVID-19 in an unprecedented way.

Research is proving that the use of masks is of greater importance than once thought, but many people are slow to accept the change. While science suggests that the use of masks is essential in slowing the spread of the virus, the social signals it sends are something as a society we are largely not used to. A large part of in-person communication is non-verbal, and at first glance, the perception is that it creates a wall between people. A lot of people are uncomfortable at the idea of being unable to read the expressions on others’ faces.

This is uncharted territory for everyone, and miscommunication is inevitable, and this is another challenge that needs to be overcome. It’s difficult for many people to overcome the stigma that comes with wearing masks; the truth is that the use of masks is an outward, subtle show of concern for your neighbors and community, a way of communicating to people that: “I care about you.”

Business Communication

Businesses also have to learn quickly and realize that even during this pause in the economy, communication to consumers and media is as important now as it’s ever been.

Consistent communication to consumers lets them know that you’re still in business, and that the gears are still turning behind the scenes despite the changes to daily life. Most people are ready to get back to the way things were, so letting them know that your business is just as ready gives people a reason to come back out.

Communication with the media is also key, as getting the right coverage can let a greater number of people know what’s going on with your business and what you’re doing during these challenging times. Showing that your business is proactive in doing what it can to stay in business and take care of employees sends strong signals of confidence and strong business ethics, something regularly comes into question for many big conglomerates.

Reminding people that we are all weathering the storm together brings people closer together, and that goes back to relatability. The more relatable your business is for people, the better the communication, and clear communication with media and consumers is just good business sense.

The post How COVID-19 is Affecting Communications appeared first on PressRelease .

ONLY 1.5% of Pitches are Working. Here’s Why:

Fri, 08 Nov 2019 11:20:00 GMT

Pitching to media has become increasingly difficult over the years. With new technologies and the decreased number of newsroom staff has changed the chances of pitches being picked-up, let alone read.

It is no surprise that time is of the essence for the media. The turnaround time for news has become shorter in the age of social media. What was considered news 10 minutes ago is no longer “current news”. Sending the right pitch at the right time is essential when trying to get picked up. But, how does this work when the media’s too busy to open all the pitches sent to them on a daily basis?

One out of every 65 pitches are getting coverage, which is 1.5% of pitches in general, but even that can be deemed as deceiving. Coverage does not refer back to a classic article written about the company’s release, but can also mean “feature” or “mention”. –These things are still great in terms of receiving earned media, but businesses expect more .

It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Spam…

People have been pitching to journalists, producers, bloggers, etc. for years now via email, and while it is a great thing to do, the media is starting to filter out the noise. Whenever a media contact sees “PRESS RELEASE” or “FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE”, the email is sent to spam or weaved out of their main inbox. Businesses and PR agencies are lacking the interest the media is looking for.

It is important for people to properly pitch to journalists. Sending out PR blasts to a list of 1,000 is not helping anyone. Wouldn’t you rather get 1 pick-up from a list of 10 journalists v. receive 100 opens, but no traction from a list of 1,000+? Plus, there is the chance of being blacklisted by a media contact for sending them too many spam-like emails.

What if your story was just what a journalist was looking for, but your email actions have caused you to be blacklisted? You have missed out on a great opportunity. The best way to send an email to a media contact is to personalize it. Why ? Because you are showing interest and taking your time to learn about that contact. Show them your interest in their previous work and why you chose them. Explain why your news can benefit them and their audience. Be personable and play in their best interests.

Releases that have personalized pitches, with a in-depth understanding of the person’s professional background, work, and publication are the ones that receive the media’s attention. You want to be part of that 1.5%, the one out of 65. Make your pitch stand out in the midst of jargon emails. Remember, you are creating potential relationships with these contacts, let your first impression be memorable.

The post ONLY 1.5% of Pitches are Working. Here’s Why: appeared first on PressRelease .

What is the Earned Media Advantage?

Wed, 06 Nov 2019 12:00:00 GMT

If you haven’t noticed, we’ve been “EMA” everything for the past few weeks here at Newswire. The Earned Media Advantage (EMA) is a term that encompasses a lot of different benefits that Newswire has to offer.

Let’s learn a little bit more about the what the Earned Media Advantage is and how it is helping small to mid-sized brands compete with larger players in their respective industries.

Defining The Earned Media Advantage:

The Earned Media Advantage is the set of benefits that a business can gain by executing a comprehensive media and marketing communications strategy.

Because the EMA offers a set of benefits, there are many different ways in which businesses can gain leg-up on the competition.

The main benefits are:

Let’s explore these benefits and find out how Newswire helps you gain them :

Greater Brand Awareness :

Press releases are great for Search Engine Optimization, also known as SEO. A steady flow of engaging press releases can increase your overall presence on the web, as your brand will rank higher in search results when it is typed into engines such as Google and Bing. This means that every time you distribute a press release with your brand’s name in the headline, you increase your company’s online notoriety.

Increased Traffic :

If you are looking to compete with larger brands in your industry, you need to drive traffic to your online site. By consistently sharing your company news with effective press release distribution campaigns, you can reach multiple audiences across Newswire’s comprehensive network.

Your stories can increase consumer interest in your brand, and in turn bring more visitors to your site and more customers to your business.

Greater Return on Media and Marketing Communications Spend :

To be transparent, most of the modern media, marketing, communications, and PR services are very expensive. Plus, most PR firms and similar agencies only specialize in one kind of service. Some might do social media management only, whereas others specialize in brand messaging, etc.

With Newswire’s services, there are multiple opportunities to use great software and receive dedicated assistance from out team at a fraction of the cost that today’s leading PR firms will charge.

Increase Sales :

With increased traffic and brand awareness, your business has the opportunity to increase the amount of customers coming to your door or to your online marketplace. This in turn can potentially increase your overall sales – making you a true disruptor in the industry.

But Wait, There’s More!

What other benefits are included in Earned Media Advantage?

Relationships with Key Media Members of YOUR Industry: With strategic outreach efforts, the Newswire Earned Media Advantage can provide you with the opportunity to connect and foster meaningful relationships with the key members of your industry’s media.

How Can I Gain the EMA?

All of Newswire’s services can give your business an Earned Media Advantage – whether that be our Media Database, Customer Success, press release distribution, Media Room, Media Watch, or Analytics features.

But if you wanted the BEST way to achieve an Earned Media Advantage … a program that combines ALL of these elements into one year-long experience … we do have something in store for you!

Earned Media Advantage Guided Tour

Newswire’s Earned Media Advantage Guided Tour (EMA GT) is a High-Tech Software Delivered as a High-Touch Service that helps customers deliver the right message , to the right audience , at the right time , through the right mediums .

The integrated media and marketing communications utility on-demand combines Newswire’s industry experts, award-winning software platform and proven processes to complement the mission-critical tasks associated with increasing sales through multiple channels of distribution.

As a part of the EMA GT, Newswire’s Earned Media Advantage Strategists (EMAS) work closely with customers to help develop a comprehensive media and marketing communications plan that is based on a media communications survey that defines press release content value and distribution.

Customers are also provided a comprehensive media and marketing communications calendar, services to set up, operate and manage media databases, media monitoring alerts, statistical analysis, reporting and media room news collection and sharing to ensure Customer Success.

Interested in achieving the Earned Media Advantage? Learn more about the EMA GT here .

The post What is the Earned Media Advantage? appeared first on PressRelease .

How to Newsjack a Story

Mon, 04 Nov 2019 12:00:00 GMT

There’s a trending topic that everyone is talking about, now it’s time for you to jump on the bandwagon and put your business on the spot. How do you connect your business to the conversation? Newsjacking . By newsjacking a story, you are putting your company in the forefront of this relatable trend.

The tactical use of newsjacking has proven to be successful for businesses. It is important to only do so when your company has news to add to the ongoing topic. With the right approach, you can leverage this strategy to significantly grow your business, increase brand awareness, engagement, website traffic, and ultimately, increase profits. Who wouldn’t want that? Using newsjacking to the best of your company’s advantage can prove to be a powerful move.

Find out How to Newsjack a Story:

Step 1: Discover the News

What news are you supposed to be talking about if you don’t know what it is in the first place?

It is important to note what the trending/breaking news is. Learn about the story when it breaks or as it begins to escalate in your industry. Yesterday’s news won’t help you out. You have to be in the “ now “, especially with the consistently changing news cycle.

How do you stay on top of any trending/upcoming topics? By tracking them via monitoring. For this, you can use a media monitoring platform or Google Alerts. Using monitoring platforms as such will allow you to be notified of the trend before or during it happens. You will be able to jump on the trend and input your company’s perspective or take on the topic. Who knows? Your company could be one of the first in the industry to start the buzz, positioning itself as a thought-leader in the space.

Step 2: Is it Relevant ?

You’ve received an alert that has become trending in your industry. What’s your first instinct? To jump on it and insert your company into the conversation. But, wait …is the topic relevant ?

Before you jump the gun on newjacking a trend or story, think about tactical ways you can easy insert your business into the conversation. Does it make sense? How beneficial would it be? You should never give input on a subject that is not relevant to your company.

The trending topic needs to add value to your company. How? Here are some reasons why newsjacking a story can be relevant to your business:

These are just a few examples of how you would determine whether or not a trending topic/story is worth newsjacking.

Step 3: Act Fast

“That was so 5 minutes ago…” –Is a phrase you hear more often, especially in the age of the internet. Everyone’s attention span and patience has significantly shortened. Why? Because people want answers “now” and are constantly looking for the next best thing.

When you see a trend rising in your industry and have something relevant to say, make sure to act on it. News does not wait for anybody, it is important to get the word out as soon as possible. If you see a topic beginning to trend, have ideas ready to go for when you see a spike in everyone talking about it. That way, you will have something ready to go to insert yourself in the conversation.

Step 4: Social Media

How does news travel so quickly? Social media.

The power of social media has proved to be unmatched over the years. When an industry trend is occurring, most likely 9/10 you can find people talking about it on social media. So why not be part of the conversation? Publicly talking about your company’s stance on the topic is an important part of newsjacking. When you become part of the conversation at the right time, your company is seen as one of the leaders in the space. People may begin asking you questions online, partaking in your thread, etc. It places your business ahead of others in the industry.

Start with your strongest social media channel. Why? Because this is where you should be getting the most responses. It is difficult to dominate all social media channels, but definitely possible. Starting with the one that you will get the most engagement on. This helps you dominate that social media platform, in regards to the trending topic.

How do you begin engaging about a trending topic?:

Make sure you are putting out knowledgable content on social media. Anything on the internet is public and stays on there forever! Align your posts with your brand to maximize the effect of your social media work. Stay engaged for as long as possible and reply to ask many people as you can. This should help boost your business’s credibility when newsjacking a story.

Newsjacking has definitely taken over the world of conversation. It has helped companies become and remain leaders in their industry. Businesses who stay on top of their game and know trending topics before they trend are the ones who have remained successful throughout the years. Track the latest trends in your industry and make sure you never miss out on any of the hype. Engage as much as you can with people and relate the news back to your company. Once you have dominated the news scene, your company will definitely viewed as a leader in the space.

The post How to Newsjack a Story appeared first on PressRelease .

What is a Customer Testimonial? + How to Create One:

Fri, 01 Nov 2019 20:04:00 GMT

Every business, regardless of industry, needs to have some way of proving the effectiveness of their products and services on their website .

Customer testimonials are a great way to accomplish this. They are a great social proofing tool that can show potential customers the success stories of past customers who had similar needs at one point in time.

By definition …

Customer testimonials are quotes or personal anecdotes from past customers that demonstrate how a particular product or service has helped them overcome a challenge.

Typically, customer testimonials are rather brief. They are only a few sentences long in length, and they are right to the point. Short and sweet, problem and solution.

It’s a good idea to get as many customer testimonials as possible in order to develop a trustworthy reputation online. The more the merrier – the more people that promote your product or service’s effectiveness, the more reputable your brand becomes.

How do I get Customer Testimonials?

There are many different ways you can go about getting customer testimonials. Our best advice is to get creative – whenever you can get a customer talking about your brand in a positive light, you should try to convert what they are saying into quotes for customer testimonials.

Here are two ways to recruit these kinds of quotes to get you started:

Remember, these are just a couple of ideas – get creative and try to get your consumer-based involved in other ways as well:

1. Customer Success Stories

Reach out to your clients and set up interviews with them to talk about their successes with your products and services. Feature them on your website and let them know that they will be getting free exposure through the interview — it’s a win-win for both parties involved.

2. Giveaways

Send out a mass email announcing a giveaway sweepstakes for customer feedback. Set up a portal where feedback can be recorded, and then randomly selected one or a few winners from the feedback pool and reward them with a gift of some sort. What kind of gift, you ask? This is another opportunity to get creative. Safe choices can be Amazon gift cards, or gift cards to brands that are universally well-liked like Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts. But there are more opportunities to self-promote with this route – don’t be afraid to capitalize on them! Give out gift cards or discount codes for your own services, or offer a free 30-day trial of your most popular product. The possibilities are truly endless. Just make sure you are offering something that your consumer base will be interested in pursuing!

Where do I place these Customer Testimonials?

The beauty of customer testimonials lies in their versatility. You can use customer testimonials on customer success pages, landing pages, home pages, marketing sheets, whitepapers, as email marketing copy, on print advertisements, and even on billboards. There are probably hundreds of uses for these kinds of quotes – it’s up to you to find the right ones that will get you the results you are seeking.

Great businesses like yours shouldn’t have any problem putting them to good use – you’ve got our word!

The post What is a Customer Testimonial? + How to Create One: appeared first on PressRelease .

What is an Industry List? + How to Create One:

Mon, 28 Oct 2019 11:00:00 GMT

Hurry! You have a last-minute PR announcement that is sure to make ‘Breaking News’ in your industry. Who do you send it to? You are on a time crunch and need it sent to a list of top media professionals…

When opportunity arises you want to be ready and act fast . News is 24/7, 365 days a year, never slowing down for anyone. You have to be able to be your foot in the door and hand over your press release as quick as possible. But, creating that perfect list of media contacts takes time. Wouldn’t be helpful to have a top tier media list readily available at any given moment? Yes .

Introducing: the Industry List

This is a go-to list you send your last-minute PR pitch to. It consists of top-tier media contacts in your industry. Everyone from major publications to niche-industry bloggers are including in this list. An industry list covers all aspects of the industry your company falls under. It does not dismiss any type of media outlet, publication, or role. This list is to as broad, but industry niche as possible. Why ? The versatileness of this list will allow you to pull it up, choose the type of media contact and publication you want your release sent to, and easily create that pitch. It cuts your time in half searching for new journalists, producers, bloggers, etc. in your industry when your time is limited.

How Do You Create One?

Creating an industry list is not a 5-minute task. It takes time . You might be thinking: How do I start ? There are so many media contacts in my industry to choose from!

Start with Existing Connections

The people who you have built a media relationship with, pay attention to your company and have picked-up any of your releases. They should be the first people on your list. Why? Because they have shown interest in your company news! In their eyes, your business is industry newsworthy . Adding them onto your industry list ensures you are constantly keeping them updated on any pertinent news.

Research New Contacts, Outlets, and Publications

What better way to get in front of new media contacts than doing some digging on ones you want your company to be noticed by? Doing research is a necessary part of creating your industry list.

Take a look at where your competitors are being published. Jot down those publications, outlets, journalists, bloggers, etc. that have paid attention to them. This can help you decide who to reach out to. You can offer them something more than what your competition has. Get a better understanding of why they decided to pick-up your competitor’s news. Was it their PR writing? The story? An established relationship? If they were able to break through to that media contact, you should be able to also.

Using a Database Can Help

Manually having to find media contacts online can be a trivial task, especially when trying to create an extensive industry list. By using a media database, you would be able to select specific beats, region, role, publication etc. from the filters to zone in on thousands of contacts. This can help speed up your process of hand-picking the perfect industry media professionals to add to your list.

With a database, organizing your media contacts is made easier . You are able to select media contacts to add to a list, giving you the ability to create multiple industry lists based on their location, publication, etc. This essentially allows you to have different lists to pull from at a given moment.

Industry lists are an important aspect of media outreach, coming in handy when you need a last-minute contact list to send your press release to. Creating industry lists ahead of time can help you reach out to the media quicker. But, keep in mind, there is a lot of work that goes into creating these lists. Starting with listing down all existing media contacts, to finding new ones. There are tools such as a media database that can help accelerate the process, but at the end of the day, it will take time. –Which is 100% worth dedicating time to do.

The post What is an Industry List? + How to Create One: appeared first on PressRelease .

What is a Unique Way to use the Media Room? Our Top 5 List:

Fri, 25 Oct 2019 11:00:00 GMT

If you are looking to establish a new media room on your company’s website, there are many different approaches you can take.

Classic approaches include creating newsrooms or content archives. In this approach, you put all of your company news in chronological order. This allows visitors of the site to easily scroll through your company’s past in a matter of seconds.

Just to be clear – there is NOTHING wrong with this approach. It’s a great way to organize your content and present it in a professional way.

However, if you are looking to spice up your media room and present your company news in a unique fashion – we’ve got you covered.

Here are five tricks to make your media room stand out among the rest:

1. Only The Best of The Best

Instead of putting all of your content in your media room, make the room itself special by only including the highlights of your media-related campaigns.

Local and national pickups? Include those! Retweets from popular industry accounts? Keep those in the room. Video interviews with freelancers, bloggers, and influencers that are well-known in your industry? Make sure they are in your newsroom!

Those press releases that didn’t get a whole lot of love? Maybe keep those archived elsewhere. Have them on your site somewhere in case someone is looking for them, but in this strategy, it’s important to keep the media room exclusive – think of it like a VIP club for your best news.

2. Staff Only!

Create an employee-only or staff-only media room for those on the inside of the company to view and edit.

This is a bit of a different one for sure. It can be a fun one, and while it might not directly help your customers, it can be used as a useful tool internally.

This kind of media room can be used in a lot of different ways.

3. Who We Are

This is another staff-friendly approach, but it is live for all to see on the company website.

Use the media room as a way to showcase those who power your company – your employees! Providing a feed of feature stories on your employees gives visitors of the site a unique way to learn about the people behind the brand.

Additionally, your employees will appreciate the recognition if you take the time to interview them and learn more about who they are and what they strive to achieve in the workplace.

Don’t limit yourself to just including stories! Ask your employees to provide media assets for the feed so that they can truly express themselves.

Keep it professional, but let your employees get creative! This is a great way to bring a more personable vibe to your brand. Take advantage of it!

4. Brand Journalism

Your brand matters to you. We know that! You want it to matter to your customers. We also know this.

What content will be the bridge between your brand and your audience? How will you get them to care?

Brand journalism can be a huge help. In addition to writing stories about things going on within your firm, take the time to do some research and write some stories about trends in your industry. Tie them back to your company in some way .

These kinds of articles are great for a few reasons:

Let your content empower your brand!

5. The Social Room

A social media-focused media room can transform a traditional corporate feed into an interactive social hub in a matter of minutes:

Not every business may find value in these approaches, and that’s totally okay! Your media room is supposed to represent YOU and your brand – you make the call as to how that is supposed to look.

But, if you are looking to get creative and try a new approach, these concepts might come in handy. Try them out!

The post What is a Unique Way to use the Media Room? Our Top 5 List: appeared first on PressRelease .

Newswire’s Media and Marketing Communications Utility is Available to Small-Midsize Companies On Demand

Wed, 23 Oct 2019 19:52:00 GMT

Newswire provides a full service media and marketing communications utility to all small to midsized customers. What does that entail? A team of experts, best in class platform, delivering a “customerized” plan, assuring rapid production and performance. By incorporating a high tech, high touch service with best in class assets, Newswire customers are able to compete against larger competitors in their respective industries.

“We become part of our customers’ Going to Market and Whole Product teams. It’s all about the customer,” said Patrick Santiago, VP of Customer Success at Newswire, “That’s why we want to help all our customers, regardless of size, compete on the biggest stages.”

Through every step of the way, Newswire provides customers with the best practices, process, people , platform and plans to put campaigns into production that lead to outstanding performances .

Santiago said, “CEOs and Marketing Executives alike appreciate the rapid time to market and value: increased brand awareness, increased traffic, greater return on spend and more sales,” in regards to how Newswire delivers the Earned Media Advantage through the on-demand needs of companies.

The Earned Media Advantage Guided Tour is the ideal answer for small to midsize businesses who face the challenge of trying to make a name for themselves and compete against larger competitors. Being on the Guided Tour eliminates the risks and hidden costs associated with software selection, procurement, implementation, training, production, performance, and measurement.

The post Newswire’s Media and Marketing Communications Utility is Available to Small-Midsize Companies On Demand appeared first on PressRelease .

How Newswire Helps Customers Through Effective Media and Marketing Communications Campaigns

Wed, 23 Oct 2019 16:28:00 GMT

Newswire’s high-tech, high-touch Earned Media Advantage Guided Tour software delivered as a service compliments small to midsized businesses going-to-market strategies, allowing them to compete more effectively against larget competitors in their industries. The approach used by Newswire’s Earned Media Advantage Guided Tour maximizes media and marketing communications to effectively execute any strategy.

Why have chief and marketing executives adopted this approach? Because Newswire provides the people, platform, plan, production, and performance at a fraction of the cost of a full-time equivalent. The Earned Media Advantage Guided Tour does not require any additional time nor effort by a company’s existing staff. Customers embrace the high-tech, high-touch service across industry segments and have been featured in print and online publications such as GQ, Times Telegram, and WWD.com, just to name a few.

Erik Rohrmann, COO and SVP at Newswire said, “There were a lot of customers that lacked many of the essential components of what we feel are key ingredients to a successful PR and going-to-market strategy.”

He continued to explain how Newswire capitalizes on data and software to reduce the time to market value as short as 30 days, “Our goal was to take something complicated and boil it down into something simpler and easier to execute for reduced time to market and value creation.”

The Guided Tour was created with the goal of ensuring all customers are able to conduct a comprehensive media communications strategy with ease and efficiency. Newswire directly addresses the concerns businesses face when undertaking PR/marketing campaigns by placing customers first. The hands-on guidance of Newswire’s Guided Tour helps equip customers with a media communications calendar and the confidence to tackle media communications from a new perspective.

The post How Newswire Helps Customers Through Effective Media and Marketing Communications Campaigns appeared first on PressRelease .

What Did We Just Do?? · How to Define Success in PR

Wed, 23 Oct 2019 11:00:00 GMT

Growing up, I can remember grownups all around me asking:

“Don’t you want to grow up to be successful?”

“Sure,” I thought to myself. But what does that really mean? One thing I can say for sure is that success means different things to different people, just as different businesses need to look at varying KPIs to monitor how well they’re performing. But if you don’t know where to start or what to look for, how can you determine if a PR campaign is a success?

So, what does success really mean when it comes to PR? Here are a couple KPIs that can help you decide if your latest campaign was worth it:

Increased Website Traffic

There are no coincidences.

Notice a spike in website visits after some recently published news? A bump in website traffic is a pretty good indicator on whether or not your latest PR campaign has had an impact.

Look at the date your press release was released, and compare that to your website’s daily traffic stats. Was it a minor spike? A huge spike? You can make plenty of determinations based on what you see in the data.

A big spike may mean that your news resonated with the audience you were targeting. Now you have a sense of direction on the messaging and types of news announcements are making an impact on your audience.

There are a lot of businesses looking to increase traffic to their website, promote brand awareness, and all that good stuff. So a smaller or no spike can be discouraging. But it’s good in a way that at least you have a starting point on how you can tweak and fine tune your wording in order to discover the right message to the right audience at the right time.

Increased Downloads

Perhaps your company just released a new app. Or maybe a thought leadership article in the form of a PDF.

It’s super critical to make sure the messaging is on point to get people to be open to download something. A lag in downloads shows areas that may need improving:

Data points like these are invaluable for businesses. A PR campaign that coincides with an increase in downloads is good evidence that you’re doing something right.

Increased Social Media Engagement

No matter what business you’re in, a bump in social media engagement following a news release should be considered a success.

Big corporations shell out millions of dollars to influencers for the sole purpose of their engagement levels. If you’re able to achieve that, even on a smaller scale with owned media: that’s a win in my book.

Again, you’ll have a good starting point on which to model future posts, narrow your demographics, and get a better understanding of what your audience cares about.

Increased Sales

The most glaringly obvious KPI to determine if your PR campaign was a success? You guessed it:

Increased sales.

There’s no denying that if you can prove your PR campaign had a significant impact on your company’s bottom line, you’ve hit a home run.

The increase in sales is a benefit in itself, but the revelations from the data acquired is icing on the cake:

Now it’s just a matter of maintaining the same level quality of content across different mediums to see what sticks and what doesn’t.

To Sum it All Up

The short answer is that success is really determined by you , the business owner. Every business is unique and has a different set of parameters that determine its success. But remember —the key is managing expectations.

Just like there’s no such thing as a ‘get rich quick’ scheme, going for a home run right off of the bat often leads to dashed hopes and discouragement.

It’s important to remember that a lot of the time, success comes from hard work, and smaller, consistent wins that help to build the confidence to achieve more lofty goals.

The post What Did We Just Do?? · How to Define Success in PR appeared first on PressRelease .

5 Different Types of Press Releases

Mon, 21 Oct 2019 11:00:00 GMT

Ever wondered what kind of press releases are submitted and published every day? Everything from business announcements to general news, there is something that covers every industry’s aspect.

5 of the most common press releases are: product launch announcement, event hosting/attendance announcements, rebranding, new hire, and partnership announcements. 9/10 press releases will fall into these five categories.

Let’s take a look at what each one entails:

1. Product Launch Announcement :

Product launches are definitely press release worthy. They announce the launch of a new product hitting the market. Wouldn’t you want to know if a company you follow had an exciting launch coming up?

When a company is getting ready to launch a new product, they tease it in a press release. A product launch press release helps build excitement and talk about the product. These releases are always timed out depending on the day and time of the product launch. Businesses cannot send out a product launch release the day after the product has been launched. It doesn’t make sense. The release is supposed to build anticipation, hence why doing it a significant amount of time beforehand is ideal.

When creating a product launch PR announcement, cover all the basics of what you think people would want to know: What does the product do ? How is this different from other products on the market ? Where can they buy it ?

2. Event Hosting/Attendance :

Event press releases let the media know when a company is attending or hosting events. This is a great way to inform people about a company’s activities.

These releases have all the information necessary in case someone wants to attend the event. The media finds these events helpful to cover, especially local media. It’s a great way for industries to know what is going on in their space.

If you are hosting the event, congrats! Let everyone know of any necessary information: date, time, location, parking/transportation, ticket prices, dress code ( if there is one ), etc. There is a ton of information you can pack into the release itself or link to a website for more information. Make sure you address the necessary questions, The 5Ws, as well as the general date, time, and location of the event. This information is helpful for people to glimpse at and decide whether or not they will be of attendance or cover the event.

Is your company attending an event? That’s awesome! Sending out a press release about attending an exciting event is a great idea. It shows people how active you are in your industry/community. Include the basics: why, when, and where, with a bit more emphasis on the ‘ Why ?’. Give them a reason why they should pay attention to your attendance at the event. You never know, by the time your company shows up at the event, you might have some people who noticed your release come up to you!

3. Rebranding :

Every once in a while you personally look to change your appearance. Getting a new haircut or wardrobe can make a big impact on a person’s outer appearance, but they are still the same person within. When a company rebrands itself, it often changes its appearance on the outside, updates it slogan, but remains true to its core values .

Wouldn’t you want to warn customers and announce to the world about this new chapter? Of course! That’s where a rebranding press release comes in handy.

It’s time to announce and define your new brand story. There are so many touchpoints to integrate in a rebranding press release.

Here are some key points to highlight:

Rebranding is an important part of your business. It shows customers and people in your industry that your company is constantly evolving, bettering itself. It is a new chapter in your life, and you should be proud and ready to take it on. Using a press release to announce a rebranding process is a great way to get the word out. Fire the warning sign that something big is coming and begin building the buzz. Sending out a press release is the best way to make the announcement and gain some traction before the big launch.

4. New Hire :

Did Jim just join the marketing team? Does he have an interesting background in your industry that’s worth sharing? He might be a great candidate for a new hire press release!

Often times, companies are excited to announce an addition to their team, as they should be! But, like all press releases, the announcement needs to be newsworthy .

How do you determine that? Take a look at the person’s background. Think about why you chose to add him/her to your team. If your company hired that person, there was a reason why he/she stood out. Ask your new hire to explain their background for you and how they were led to the company. If they come from a well-known company in your space, you can definitely write about that. Ask about his/her accomplishments throughout his/her career. Highlighting their previous accomplishments is a great way to show why you have added this person to your team. Remember, only write the story when you have found a newsworthy aspect to their hiring.

5. Partnership Announcement :

Congratulations ! Your company has confirmed a partnership with another company! That’s great news. Now it’s time to tell the world about this exciting new partnership via a press release.

The main objective of this press release is to tell the world why you have decided to begin this partnership. You don’t have to go into minute detail about the partnership but give a generalized summary.

Here are some question you can answer in a partnership announcement press release:

Answering these basic questions will help you write your release. All eyes are on your company during these announcements. Industry competitors are very particular about announcements as such. Why? They are always on top of what’s trending and how they can stay ahead. Partnerships usually showcase strength in a relationship between two companies collaborating for better, efficient efforts. Make sure to write a riveting press release that people will not pass up!

These are just 5 examples of the most common press releases that typically hit wire distributions on the daily. Companies are always coming up with new innovations, hence why a product launch press release is very common. Another common PR? Hosting/attending event announcements. Businesses like to stay current in their field, hence why a release about hosting or attending a particular industry event is important. Rebranding is also another significant time in a company’s lifetime. It shows people in the industry that a company is up-to-date and changing for the better. In speaking of change, hiring a new person to the team also call for celebration and another great press release. Finally, a partnership announcement showcases the partnership between two companies coming together to become disruptors in the space. These different types of PRs are always released daily. What and how you choose to write yours will be the unique factor that makes it standout.

The post 5 Different Types of Press Releases appeared first on PressRelease .

Pro Tips: Writing a Riveting Press Release Headline

Fri, 18 Oct 2019 11:00:00 GMT

On an average day, would you pick up a school book and read it for fun? Most likely not. But, what about a book with the title, “How to Become a Millionaire in 5 days”? Consider it a top reading priority!

Press releases are the same way. Anyone who comes across a press release is looking for something that catches their eye. How does that happen? Through a powerful headline.

Headlines are the first thing that people come across when reading your release. It’s the hook that reels them in to keep on reading. The invitation that says, “Hey, you’re invited to this cool party.” So, how do you get people to accept your invite and keep reading? By writing a powerful and impactful headline they can’t resist!

There are many strategies professional PR writers use to write an irresistible headline. Their years of practice has molded to become PR writing pros, so how do you get on their level of expertise? Keep reading to find out how to write an alluring headline…

Tips to Become a Headline Writing Pro:

Power Words + How to Use Them :

Power words inspire action, elicit emotion, and influence behavior. They are the words that entice someone to do something because of the impact they make. Want people to read your press release? Use power words.

Adjectives are the most common power words used in a press release headline. Nouns and verbs can also be power words if used carefully.

For example : The word “ free ” is an adjective, and quite enticing for people who come across this in a headline. It often describes something that does not cost money. It can also mean something is being or has been released, which also has a good connotation.

Using power words in a press release headline can be very effective. Looking for a good list of power words to use in your headline? There are tons of articles such as those on OptinMonster , Sumo , and NinjaOutreach that list some of the best power words to use in headlines. Keep in mind that using these power words will influence your audience’s behavior. Take a look and split test some of the words to see what responses it elicits. This helps you get to know your audience better by understanding what they respond to best.

Do You Know Your Audience? :

As mentioned at the end of the last section, having a better understanding of your audience will truly help you write the best captions for your press release. What emotion do they respond to best? Fear of missing out? A calm approach? Curiosity? –Knowing the answer will help you determine what type of headline you should be writing.

Take a look at your press release stats. What words did you use in the past press releases? How many views/clicks/impressions did your PR get? Determine which headline garnered the best response. The words used in that headline can help you write future headlines.

Checking out the other press releases your audience is paying attention to can also give you a better understanding of what they respond to. Take a look at what they’re sharing on social media. This gives you a clear indication of the type of content they find most interesting. Check for PRs or articles that they have interesting. The words used in those headlines drew them in, write them down. Try to integrate some of these words into your next PR headlines.

Think Like the Media :

The goal of your press release? Increase exposure and awareness about your announcement. What better way to get in front of a larger audience than through the media?

With the media in mind, think the way they would. Sorting through hundreds of pitches a day is tiring, but there are a few that catch their eye. When writing your press release headline, take a look at similar industry news stories they have been written and find the original press release. Those headlines can help you dive into the media’s mindset and understand what attracted them to it. Jot down a couple of these headlines and pull some words from each to create your own.

Having endless years of PR copywriting experience can definitely help you write a captivating press release headline, but that takes time. You need a riveting headline now! Take a few minutes, or an hour to follow these steps to become a PR headline pro. Check out the list of power words in those articles. Take some time to get to know your audience, what they like to read and how to play their emotions. Wanna take it a step ahead? Put your media thinking cap on and get into their mindset. These tips will help you create the best headline for your press release!

The post Pro Tips: Writing a Riveting Press Release Headline appeared first on PressRelease .

How Newswire’s Whitepaper is Transforming Small to Midsized Businesses:

Thu, 17 Oct 2019 18:21:00 GMT

Newswire’s new whitepaper shows how small to midsized businesses can turn data into action, create a newsworthy story, and increase sale opportunities. It illustrates how Newswire’s Earned Media Advantage can help smaller businesses compete against larger corporations by distributing the right message to the right audience at the right time.

“We believe every company has its own unique story to tell,” said Anthony Santiago, VP of Marketing at Newswire, “Our goal with this whitepaper is to show our customers what they’re capable of by working with Newswire.”

Through Newswire’s high touch, high tech solution saves customers money, alleviates staffing burdens, and promotes success. What is the high touch, high tech solution> It is a combination of people, process, and technology. This allows Newswire to aid each customer obtain the Earned Media Advantage.

“Driven by Newswire’s people, platform, and planning, customers can make the most of their budget by not having to undertake the costs of building out their own dedicated teams and systems in-house,” said Santiago. The whitepaper also indicates the steep costs that may be incurred during the process, but Newswire is optimistic that the Earned Media Advantage can help offset those costs.

Santiago adds, “We know not every business has the time or resources to establish its own media and marketing team. We hope that people will take a look at the whitepaper and visualize the goals that can be achieved together.”

To download Newswire’s whitepaper, How the Earned Media Advantage is Transforming Business , click here .

The post How Newswire’s Whitepaper is Transforming Small to Midsized Businesses: appeared first on PressRelease .

Newswire Grows Distribution Network with Bezinga

Thu, 17 Oct 2019 15:57:00 GMT

Newswire is at it again, this time partnering with Bezinga , one of the largest news vendors to North American brokerages, to enrich its comprehensive distribution networks. As an industry leader in press release distribution , Newswire’s power move to include Bezinga, a veteran playing in the financial data space, shows how versatile and prosperous the company is amongst bohemians in the space.

“Both Newswire and Benzinga espouse the philosophy of serving customers at the highest level by providing unmatched service in our respective industries,” said Anthony Santiago, VP of Marketing at Newswire. Having two leaders in their respective industries collaborating is a great way to further strengthen each other’s business efforts. As Santiago says, the agreement between the two is a “perfect fit” to help customers expand their reach in business and financial news.

Since its launch in 2010, Bezinga has developed into a hub for actionable information on capital markets. Bezinga empowers new generations of investors, reaching nearly 2 million readers each month. How? By connecting readers with the latest news, data, and education, paving the path to financial prosperity for everyone.

Incorporating Bezinga’s extensive market-motivating network will add even more value to Newswire’s distribution and its latest offering, The Earned Media Advantage Guided Tour .

When customers sign on to take the Earned Media Advantage Guided Tour, they being the journey of transforming their owned media (press releases) into the Earned Media Advantage: increase brand awareness, drive more traffic and generate greater return on marketing spend. By utilizing the right strategies, the service helps customers lower their PR costs, and increase the value of each release.

The agreement with Bezinga will help customers in the financial data space increase their Earned Media Advantage potential by potentially reaching the extensive amount of readers the outlet has.

The post Newswire Grows Distribution Network with Bezinga appeared first on PressRelease .

5 Minute Guide to Media Outreach

Wed, 16 Oct 2019 12:00:00 GMT

Reaching out to the media can be a strenuous, drawn-out task most people need to plan for weeks, or days ahead of time. What happens when you’re on a time crunch and need to reach out to the media immediately? Where do you start? More importantly, how do you start?

In this blog post, we will go through the basics of media outreach that will cover everything from who to pitch to, to writing your pitch for a specific person.

Keep in mind , media contacts are also on a deadline, so every minute counts . Make sure your press release is good to go before reaching out to them. Why? Because you’ll be linking/sending your PR to them! Without your PR being done, what other tangible items can you send them? Having your press release finished and ready-to-go gives them the extra information they would need to determine whether or not to pick-up your story.

Is your PR ready? Let’s dive in…

Here’s your 5-minute guide to media outreach:

Determine Who to Pitch To :

With your PR queued up and ready to be shared, it is time to determine who is worthy enough to receive it. Put on your sorting hat and get ready to find the best media contacts to pitch to…

Here are some questions to ask yourself when determining who the best media contacts to share your PR with are:

Asking yourself these three basic questions will help determine if the right contact fits your PR campaign needs. Creating the perfect media list is an essential part in your campaign. These people can make or break the traction your press release receives. You wouldn’t reach out to someone who covers sports and horticulture when your release is about winning a high technology award, right? No. It is crucial that you find the right person to reach out to.

Pro Tip : When you do find a perfect contact, write down a little info about him/her: What publication do they work for? How long have they been with that publication/media outlet? What beats do they write about? What was their most recent story –All this information will help you create a customized pitch.

Outline Your Message :

Your press release has been edited to perfection. Now it’s time to outline the most important aspects of your release to write your pitch.

What is the most important aspect of your release? This is usually the most newsworthy aspect. Jot them down and sort through them.

Here are some questions you can ask yourself as you outline your release and create your pitch:

Once you determine what the most important aspect of your release and surrounding facts and/or information the media might find helpful, write it all down. Organize your thoughts. You might have found yourself including everything in your release. That’s ok ! Now is the time to nitpick and narrow it down to the Top 5 Facts that support your main idea. Remember : this needs to draw the attention of the media. Make it worth their while.

Pro Tip : Use pyramid style writing journalists use when jotting down information to write in your pitch. The most important aspect on top, with supporting information towards the end. You have to hook them in before they read the rest.

Customize Your Pitch :

You’re almost at the media outreach finish line! It’s time for you to write your pitch. Are you nervous? Shake it off and get ready to write an irresistible pitch!

Let’s take a few steps back first…Remember those facts of the media contacts you have chosen? It’s time to put that in good use. Those fun facts will help you customize each media contact’s pitch.

How? Here’s some tips you can use:

These are just a few pitch ideas you can integrate into your media pitches. Remember: each media contact is different . Not everyone may fit into these categories. It is up to you to determine how you should pitch to them.

Pro Tip : Keep your pitch under 200 words. Why ? The media only have a few moments to read your pitch. If you don’t interest them with the first 1-2 lines, they move onto the next. Keep your pitch short, sweet, and impactful. Including the link to your release will let them read any extra information they may need.

There you have it! Your 5-minute guide to mastering media outreach. Every second counts . It is important that you do all your research and writing in a timely matter. Make sure to find media contacts who are relevant to your press release. Pitch the most important facts and write customized pitches that grabs the media’s attention. Following this 5-minute guide will help improve your media outreach skills, especially during crunch time.

What are you waiting for? Start your media outreach campaign now!

The post 5 Minute Guide to Media Outreach appeared first on PressRelease .

The Importance of Media Monitoring

Tue, 15 Oct 2019 12:00:00 GMT

Have you ever wanted to know what people are saying about your business? Wouldn’t being a fly-on-the-wall help improve your customer satisfaction rating? Well, there is a way you can stay in the loop .

Media Monitoring is an essential tool for businesses to stay afloat and gain a competitive edge. It allows you to keep track of your business, competitors, industry trends, etc. across print, radio, broadcast, and social media. Aside from tracking important news, a comprehensive monitoring platform will also give you analytical reports that help you digest the news/mentions for each alert you create. Sounds like a tempting PR tool, right?

Let’s take a look at the importance of this PR tool…

What is Media Monitoring?

Scoping the internet for any essential mentions, trends, or keywords you want to track all falls into Media Monitoring. You are monitoring important business trends: keeping track of anything necessary. Whether it be products, competitors, or key factors, you will have the ability to shift through the noise online.

Certain Media Monitoring platforms offer different services. What does that mean? On one platform, you may be able to search print, online, and social media mentions, while another platform may offer print, online, and broadcast. Depending on your needs, it is good to take a look at what’s available. Speaking to your team is a good way to gauge what is necessary to track.

What’s Included?

Everything from alerts to stat reports should be included in your Media Monitoring platform. The amount of alerts you are allowed to set depends on the service you are using. Typically, every company that offers a Media Monitoring platform includes stats. But, keep in mind different services offer different means of monitoring: broadcast, print, radio, blog posts, social media, etc.

Let’s take a look at what a typical Media Monitoring platform should include:

Alerts :

Alerts are standard to have in any Media Monitoring platform! Without it, there would be no platform to begin with.

The filters included when setting up an alert differ depending on the monitoring service provider. Typically, there are included keywords, excluded keywords, the ability to filter different media types, outlets, and much more. Some providers will also allow you to filter by the media type they offer.

Certain platforms will also allow you to set an Alert Frequency: how often you would like to receive your alert. Typically, alerts can be set hourly , daily , weekly , or in real – time .

Statistics Page :

With every alert that you set, a statistics page per each alert is usually included. The stats page gives you a comprehensive understanding and breakdown of what your alert entails. It usually tells you how many mentions you have received, sentiment of those mentions, ad cost, etc. The information displayed on the stats page depends on what the service provider can supply.

As part of stats, a PDF report can be downloaded to be shared with your team or other co-workers. Some providers allow for further customization of your stats page, allowing you to include and exclude certain elements to create the best report possible.

Archive of Mentions :

When you create an alert, you begin monitoring any online mentions about the alert you created. This begins your archive history, allowing you to go through any previous and future mentions as they come in.

Mentions typically date back for a while depending on the service provider you are using and what the terms of the agreement are. Some providers may allow you to archive mentions from 12 months-10 years ago, while others may begin your archive of mentions from the day you sign-up or created the alert. Although the older option can be more useful, the later will also help with monitoring your alerts.

Having access to a Media Monitoring service can tremendously help grow your business. Not only do you get to keep track of industry trends and your competitors, you will have data to back up any information you need to make informative decisions via a statistics page. Plus, you get to stay ahead of the game, with the ability to receive alerts based on your set alert frequency. Once you have those alerts, you can backtrack on any mentions. This feature will allow you to use an alert history to make a roadmap for the future. So why not start your Media Monitoring journey now?

The post The Importance of Media Monitoring appeared first on PressRelease .

What are the different media types? Owned vs. Paid vs. Earned – a Breakdown

Fri, 11 Oct 2019 12:00:00 GMT

The differences in types of media can be confusing, but they are crucial to understand. This is especially true if you are looking to revamp your media communications strategy.

Each of these types of media can be leveraged to drive traffic to your business and increase overall brand awareness.

Let’s dive into each one and find out how you can use it to benefit your business:

Owned Media :

It’s all yours!

No – literally , owned media is all yours .

Owned media is all of the content that you create and promote in-house. This includes news stories, blog posts, social media, articles on your brand’s official website, and more.

This kind of media is great because you have full creative and technical control over the content. You get to create the story angles, include the media assets you want to include, and get to choose which medium to use to promote the final product(s).

In much simpler terms, you get to choose what gets said and where it is said.

The benefits of owned media lie in the ability to control all of the aspects surrounding it. The difficulties come in getting this content noticed by the audiences whose attention you seek.

Paid Media :

This one is pretty straightforward. Paid media is a media mention for which you pay an outlet, writer, or influencer a specific amount.

There are different ways in which paid media is presented.

Some sites will place your story on their feeds or homepage if you pay them. Other major outlets will promote your content on their social media feeds, or they will distribute it through another channel. Popular influencers on Instagram or Twitter will create a custom post to promote your content on their accounts.

The benefits of paid media are that you don’t have to worry about figuring out how to get an audience for your content – that’s why you are paying the outlet or influencer. However, having to pay for an established audience can be a hindrance if you have a limited media or marketing budget.

Earned Media :

Earned media is what every business should strive for when they are executing their media communications strategy. Instances of earned media occur when a journalist, outlet, influencer, or external media entity creates content covering your business or story without any form of payment. In other words, you have earned the placement on their platform by creating solid content and distributing it properly.

The advantages of earned media are by far the best . You get the best of both worlds: your story receives coverage or a placement on a platform with an existing audience, and you don’t have to pay a single dime for it!

Of course, getting earned media mentions isn’t exactly easy.

So, how do I get Earned Media Mentions ?

There isn’t a one-size-fits all plan that will help you land earned media mentions.

However , with Newswire’s Earned Media Advantage Guided Tour, you can revamp your media communications strategy to increase your chances for media opportunities within your industry.

With the help of an Earned Media Advantage Strategist working with you every step of the way, you can transform owned media in the form of press releases into the Earned Media Advantage . Using the right strategies, customers can lower their costs of press releases , increase the value of each release and lower paid-media costs while shortening the journey to achieve earned media mentions.

Want to drive traffic to your brand? Looking for increased brand awareness ? Interested in increasing sales and receiving greater return on media spend?

If the answer to any of those questions is “ Yes ,” click here to learn more.

The post What are the different media types? Owned vs. Paid vs. Earned – a Breakdown appeared first on PressRelease .

How Many Press Releases Should Your Company Send Out In a Year?

Fri, 11 Oct 2019 12:00:00 GMT

People like to have rules to follow and when it comes to marketing, press, and public relations that’s the case for many businesses. They want to know the best time to send a release out, the day that garners the most attention, and of course how many releases to send out in a year.

By rule of thumb, there is no minimum or maximum amount of releases a company should send out. It depends on your company’s needs. We have seen companies send out releases daily, while some only send one out once a month or every year. It depends on the needs of your business. But, keep in mind, press releases are not to be abused. Creating PRs on every little thing your company does may not be as effective as you think.

What Impacts The Number of Press Releases You Should Send?

Have some news you would like to share? Your first thought might be to send out a press release, but is that the right way to reach your audience? There are many factors that go into sending out a release.

That depends on the amount of news/announcements your company is planning on releasing. What information is most pertinent to your audience? What is truly considered to be newsworthy ?

The amount of press releases your company sense in a week, month, or year is dependent on many factors that include :

Industry News :

Every industry is different. The amount of news on a given day is unpredictable. From breaking news to follow-ups, it all depends on what is pertinent in that moment.

How does this relate to sending out a press release? If there is a “ hot topic ” amongst your industry, and your competitors are on it, you should be on it too, with your own unique spin. It is important to stay on top of industry news before, during, and after a hot topic hits. If the topic relates to your upcoming news or something you have done in the past, mention it in a press release. Trending topics are great , relatable opportunities to urge you to send out a release. It shows everyone in your industry how on top of everything your business is.

Activity :

How many events does your company go to or hold? Are you a startup that just had a grand opening? Or an enterprise business that just held their first conference?

Your business’s activity plays a vital role in how many press releases you should be sending out in any given time period. The more activities your business is participating in, will determine the number of releases you send out. Of course, for every event that your company attends, you should write a release for. It shows others how involved you are in your industry or community. But, if all your releases are appearances/attendances, you might want to put things at a halt.

A company that attends 10 events within a month should out 10 releases right? Maybe. Depending on how important those events are, consider maybe picking the most important ones to write a release on. This way, your company is not overdoing attendance/appearance PRs.

Financial Situation :

Yes, sending out a press release on the wire can be free, but sending out a press release on a reliable, heavy-hitting distribution platform is far from cheap. If you want the best quality of something, you should be willing to pay more for it.

The cost of a good press release distribution may vary. According to FitSmallBusiness.com , a distribution service can cost anywhere from $99-$749. For businesses who are on a tight budget, a press release might not be on their financial radar. Should it? Yes, but not if it will cost something more important. Press releases are an important factor in marketing and PR, but it can be delayed for more pressing financial issues.

Your Press Release Plan

A newsworthy story is a key reason you should send out a release. Whether its newsjacking industry news or announcing your company’s attendance at a conference, it should excite people to read your release. Which poses the question, “ What is considered to be newsworthy ?”

Newsworthy Announcement Ideas :

Look for Opportunities and Plan for Press Releases

It is almost impossible to truly plan for something a year in advance. Things happen, time changes. But creating a strategic press release campaign for an upcoming opportunity can be mapped out in advance. Have a content calendar? Then you’re already ahead of the game! You already know how many releases you might be writing for the week, month, or year.

So, how many press releases should your company be sending out in a year? The answer depends on you and your business. There is no required amount of press releases. But, they are valuable. Depending on the newsworthy content of your release, people should be interested in what your company has to say. Make sure to think about all the factors of the release: content, timing, and price. Once you have thought about it, and agreed with your team members that sending out a release is necessary, sit back and watch your news go viral.

The post How Many Press Releases Should Your Company Send Out In a Year? appeared first on PressRelease .

IDTechEx Utilizes Newswire’s Media Database to Target the Right Audience

Thu, 10 Oct 2019 13:01:00 GMT

In order to target the right audience via the right media outlet for outreach campaigns, IDTechEX has chosen to use Newswire’s Media Database to develop their media relationships. With an already existing pool of connections, IDTechEx achieves the Earned Media Advantage by distributing the right message to the right audience, at the right time.

The Newswire Media Database empowers the Earned MEdia Advantage by providing all users the opportunity to connect with key media contacts for better coverage. Selecting the right journalists and engaging in conversations, builds strong relationships which can be utilized to help grow the company’s media exposure.

Simon Kirk, Product Marketing Manager for IDTechEx said, “The media database has yielded good results for us. We aim to find the right people to influence them directly with insight and information that is meaningful and relevant.”

Through the database, IDTechEx has access to over 1.7 million media contacts to select from. With the new updates and features, sorting through contacts has been made easier and more impactful. They are able to target key contacts who have covered similar stories in their industry, demonstrating their understanding of the space.

The post IDTechEx Utilizes Newswire’s Media Database to Target the Right Audience appeared first on PressRelease .

3 Tips to Convert AP style into Social Media Copy

Wed, 09 Oct 2019 12:00:00 GMT

If you’ve ever tried to create social media copy from a press release or news story, you know how difficult that process can be.

At times, it almost seems as if the press release or news story is working against you. It’s as if the copy on the page resistant – doing anything in its power just to not become easy to write, easy to read social media copy.

There are a couple of reasons as to why this may be the case. Today, I will be outlining three of them, and providing quick tips to show you how to overcome these challenges to be on your way to writing simple-to-read social media copy.

1. Understand the Difference in Audience

The press releases you write for distribution are supposed to be written in AP style. All news stories are to be written in this format. Journalists, reporters, and most other media personalities write in this format, or are at the very least familiar with it.

If a journalist is scanning a press release to evaluate its potential as a news story, they are going to want to see the story written in AP style.

You know who won’t appreciate AP style nearly as much?

Your fans on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.

AP style is great for news stories because it gets right to the point and is entirely structured around delivering the main facts of the story as concisely as possible.

Social media platforms exist so that stories can be told on a more personal level. The most successful social media accounts today are the ones that can convey a story in a casual tone – as if the person running the account is in the room with you, telling you a story face-to-face.

Here’s an example of a story told in an AP style article followed by the same story summarized on Twitter:

Both formats are perfectly fine, because they both serve different audiences.

When promoting an announcement on Twitter, for example, you are limited to 280 characters. Trim down the main points of the story, and then use a unique angle to convey your point.

Does your new product launch help reduce a pain point for customers? Use humor to convey that message.

Is your firm hiring a new CEO that is tasked with fixing problems left behind by previous management? Use brevity to focus on the new figure, not the past issues.

Has a current project helped a community or part of your consumer base in a tremendous way? Write bold copy, maybe with the usage of bullet points, to emphasize your major impact in the space.

Whatever the case, it is crucial that your social media copy sounds more like you are speaking to your audience directly rather than writing a public service announcement for a billboard in the center of town.

2. Looking Good!

Social Media platforms are very visual, and not just in regards to the images and videos that sprawl across our timelines.

The way we format text is important. AP style copy isn’t just awkward to read on social media platforms – it also looks visually awkward as well!

If you are writing Instagram captions that consist of long paragraphs, you are probably harming your chances for higher engagement.

Keep your captions at a 1-3 sentence length so that the entirety of the caption can be viewed from the initial scroll. Anything longer and your caption might get cut off – prompting the viewer to click “more” just to see the whole thing.

This action is known as a friction point – an instance in which a customer or viewer must take some sort of action in order to continue their experience on your site or social media page.

For online order forms on a website, you should try to minimize the amount of friction points as much as you possibly can. On social media, you really shouldn’t have any.

Remember, social media is built for the casual individual that is scrolling through their feed. By adding friction points to your feed through long, clunky captions, you are tarnishing the simplistic nature of the site and making your content hard to digest.

3. Bye-Bye Jargon

Jargon can often be found in corporate press releases and news stories covering specific industries or markets. Long, complicated words are sometimes hard to avoid when the topic of the stories at hand are niche in nature.

However, these words can be avoided in social media copy. The people that are following your business page are most likely casual users of your products or services. There might be a few enthusiasts that truly understand your industry well, but there are far less of these users than there are casual ones.

Make sure your copy appeals to the majority.

Here’s a resource to show you how to reduce and eliminate jargon from your copy:

https://www.plainlanguage.gov/resources/articles/keep-it-jargon-free/

Use these principles to get rid of those hard-to-read words in your social media posts and replace them with phrases that are more commonly understood.

The post 3 Tips to Convert AP style into Social Media Copy appeared first on PressRelease .

Prepping for Preliminary Interviews with Journalists – A Guide

Mon, 07 Oct 2019 12:00:00 GMT

Journalists and reporters are busy by nature. They are always searching for their next story, and businesses are always trying to get their attention to get coverage for their brand.

The relationship between brands and the media is tricky when it comes to earned media pickup. Journalists only want to write about businesses if there is a true story worthy of reporting present.

Sometimes, in an effort to feel out a story’s potential, a journalist will set up an interview over the phone or in person to see if the business is worth covering.

Would you be ready for this kind of interview?

If not, don’t worry – you aren’t alone. Many businesses are unsure as to how much information they should disclose in these types of interviews.

These interviews are considered to be preliminary. In other words, they are NOT the real thing. Because of this, there is still a need to leave some information under wraps in order to pique the interest of the journalist.

Here are three quick tips to guide you through this process to help make sure your story makes it to the next step.

1. Have Your Five W’s Ready

The Five W’s, Who, What, When, Where, & Why, are the most important parts of a story – any reputable journalist would know that these are must-have aspects that are required for their piece.

Before you go into a preliminary interview, be prepared to offer 1-2 sentence responses to these questions.

Who are the people behind your business? What does your business do? When do you work, or when did you begin working in this industry? Where are you located, and where do you offer services? Why does the firm exist, why do you do the work you do?

There are other variations of these questions, so try out different angles and try your best to have short and concise answers prepared for each of them. It’s a great way to start the preparation process.

2. Hook ’em

There needs to be an angle to your story that the journalist can run with for their piece on your business. Ask yourself, why is this story newsworthy?

It’s not just a new product launch, it’s the launch of a product that is the first of its kind! It can do something that the industry has been searching for, and its the first one on the market to be able to do that thing.

You didn’t just hire a new CEO, you appointed a new leader who has a new mission for the company. His/her prior experience is perfect for this role because … (so on and so forth).

The firm’s partnership with company XYZ alone isn’t what’s exciting – it’s what this partnership will produce that could mean something to the reporter that is interviewing you.

Often, the story is about you, but the angle is about what you can do.

3. Less is More

Yes, you need to prepare for the 5 W’s. Yes, you need to have an interesting angle ready to present to the journalist during the interview. But do you tell them everything? NO!

You need to leave the journalist with just enough information so that they can develop a vision for a story, but don’t overload them with details.

Leave a little on the table – almost like a cliffhanger. Invite the journalist to your place of business (if applicable) to show them how your company operates as well as why your are newsworthy in some way.

If you say too much too soon, the journalist might make the call on your business’s newsworthiness right then and there. Allow them the opportunity to mull it over.

Keep them interested and coming back for more as much as you possibly can.

The post Prepping for Preliminary Interviews with Journalists – A Guide appeared first on PressRelease .

Why Sending a Press Release to Bloggers is Worth It:

Fri, 04 Oct 2019 12:00:00 GMT

You’ve probably sent your press releases to numerous media contacts. Everyone from journalists, producers, radio show hosts, editors, TV show anchors, etc., the list goes on. But, what about bloggers ?

Bloggers are the new age storytellers of today’s world. They predict trends before they rise, and even begin some trends on occasion. How does this relate to business? In order for a blogger to predict or begin a trend, they need to be on the lookout for the next best thing. That is where your business comes in. No matter what industry your business is in, there is definitely a blogger out there who can relate to the news you announce.

The goal of your press release is to have your news covered and shared with your target audience. What better way to do so, than by sending your release to a blogger? But, keep in mind bloggers can be very selective about the pieces they choose to write about. This makes reaching out and sending your press release to them a little tricky….Posing the ultimate question: Is it worth it?

Let’s find out if reaching out to bloggers is worth your PR campaign time:

Why Reach Out to a Blogger?

Bloggers are essentially influencers for nice industries. They predict or start trends, have a loyal and active audience and are honest when it comes to their content.

Sending your press release to a blogger can catch their eye especially if it is relative to something they are looking for. They are often on the lookout for news, products, etc. their followers are curious about or in need of. If you know a blogger who is looking for new content that relates to a recent press release your company has published, send it to them! You have a great chance of your release being picked up or shared with their audience.

Is Your News Relevant to Them?

As mentioned in the last section, bloggers are always on the lookout for the upcoming industry trend or newsworthy content to write about.

The news that you have released must somehow relate to what they are looking for, something they have written/spoken out about, or in demand with their audience. This way, the press release you are sending them is relevant . That way they will open the release, have a reason to read it. The blogger you are reaching out to already covers news/topics in your industry, so there is already a slight connection there.

If somehow, your release does not relate to them in any of the given ways in the paragraph above, try relating it to them somehow . This is a good way to “newsjack” a story they have recently written about. Make your press release relevant to them, entice them to take a look at it.

Reaching Out to a Blogger

If you think sending your press release to a blogger with the message: Hey check out this press release! –is a good way to reach out, try again.

Before you reach out to a blogger, get to know a little about their blog, why they started it, why they are successful at doing it, and reach a couple of posts they have written. Don’t go in blind. They’ll know by your pitch if you have researched them. Mention an article they have written or a collaboration they have done with someone.

As someone reaching out, essentially asking for a favor, you have to give them a reason or purpose to pay attention to you . Give them a reason to find your story appealing. Write a pitch about your release, that leads them into opening it to read more. Propose a collaboration or the idea of being a guest on the blog. Try to give them different helpful and informative scenarios that they can use and benefits you.

Is reaching out to a blogger worth it? Yes.

Bloggers can put your business on the map. they make your news relevant or showcase what you have to say. Reaching out to these industry trendsetters is a great way to get the Earned Media Advantage , as long as the message is sent at the right time and to the right blogger (s). You have the ability to pick and choose which blogger relates the best to your company’s branding. Which has the most relevant audience that you want to get in front of. Remember to always research a blogger before reaching out to him/her. This will help you pitch to that person and potentially get the earned media your press release deserves.

The post Why Sending a Press Release to Bloggers is Worth It: appeared first on PressRelease .

How a Minority Business Organization is Getting the Earned Media Advantage to Increase Brand Awareness

Thu, 03 Oct 2019 17:23:00 GMT

Newswire’s Earned Media Advantage Guided Tour has been selected by a minority business to leverage media more efficiently and cost-effectively. The organization provides advocacy and business development to minority-owned businesses in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. They bring Fortune 5000 companies to network, share and connect with minority businesses in the area to meet demands and grow within their respective industries.

The Earned Media Advantage Guided Tour will help the organization increase visibility and brand awareness to meet their mission. The guided tour sets them on the track of success to leverage the Earned Media Advantage more effectively.

Erik Rohrmann, COO and SVP at Newswire, said, “Creating strong brand awareness and visibility is a crucial focal point and benefit of our Earned Media Advantage.”

Utilizing the guided tour ensures the organization’s press releases are targeted, sent to the right audience at the right time, increasing the value of each release. Expanding the organization’s visibility and awareness will help connect more minority businesses with larger companies to network.

The post How a Minority Business Organization is Getting the Earned Media Advantage to Increase Brand Awareness appeared first on PressRelease .

MarTech Series Showcases Newswire’s Associated Press Distribution Agreement

Wed, 02 Oct 2019 18:06:00 GMT

MarTech Series has been recently showcased Newswire’s distribution agreement with The Associated Press to expand its press release distribution.

Newswire’s second feature on MarTech Series, which covers marketing technology news, editorial insights, and digital marketing trends from around the globe, showcases the ongoing expansion and determination to provide its customers with the Earned Media Advantage .

The Associated Press is one of the largest and most recognizable news organizations. Combined with Newswire’s impressive press release distribution network, customers will be able to reach an additional 16 million unique visitors. This significant increase and exposure enable Newswire’s customers to achieve the Earned Media Advantage with increased brand awareness, traffic, and greater return on media communications spend.

Erik Rohrmann, COO and SVP at Newswire said, “We are grateful for MarTech Series showcasing this new agreement we have with The Associated Press, and the value-added we are bringing to our customers.”

Newswire has focused on company growth to ensure its customers not only have press release distribution but a valuable partner in media communications strategy. The Earned Media Advantage Guided Tour was created to bridge press release distribution to the Earned Media Advantage, giving customers the opportunity to achieve greater success.

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What Does the Media Look for in a Press Release?

Wed, 02 Oct 2019 12:00:00 GMT

Writing a press release isn’t a “one and done” thing. PR agents and business owners go through endless drafts and revisions before coming to terms with “the one”. All that hard work, and what do people expect? Pick-ups, attention, an in increase sales, etc. The information that businesses convey in their releases are newsworthy to them, but are they newsworthy enough for the media?

What if there’s missing content? A missing link, or even a lack of media content, would a journalist or blogger be willing enough to use the given content? What if that deters them from writing about the release?

In this blog post, we will go over the needs and wants the media looks for in order to cover your release. Before sending out your next release, keep the media in mind. Think about what journalists, bloggers, or influencers are looking for in your story and try creating a release that best suits their needs and yours.

“Extra! Extra!” Your Headlines Matter :

Everyone is busy constantly trying to find the next best story. The way your headline and subheadlines are written greatly impacts whether or not your story gets picked-up.

It’s difficult to write a headline that is informative, captivating, but does not give too much away. Time, practice, trial and error are all factors in getting copywriting headlines down. The media takes a quick glance at a headline and subheadline to understand what the story is about and if it’s worth writing. If they have determined they want to write about your release, they will continue reading for more information. But, without a powerful headline and subheadline, the possibility of the release being picked-up would have been slim.

The 5 W’s are a MUST :

In school, when a professor assigns a term paper, wouldn’t you like to know what the subject is about? How long it should be? What information you need in order to correctly write the paper? Yes. The same goes with the media. In order for them to determine whether or not your release/story is worthy enough to write about, they will need additional information. Hence, where the 5 W’s come in: Who, What, When, Where, Why.

The information given in the release should be enough for a journalist, blogger, or any other media contact to use and create a story. They should be able to fully understand the reason for announcing your news and convey that to an audience, with or without contacting you.

The 5 W’s are:

Got Supporting Information ?:

If the media has any further questions regarding your release, how do you expect them to find that information?

Inserting supporting links to your company website, social media accounts, or FAQs page, will help answer their questions. Make their job easier. You have the opportunity for a journalist, blogger, or influencer to get the right information straight from the source: YOU. Don’t miss out. Give them everything they would need without having to contact your business directly. Be as informative as you can by linking additional information in your release, without going overboard.

Where’s Your Contact Information :

If there is a specific question a media contact may have, or if they need to get in contact with you in general, someone’s contact information should be displayed at the end of the release. Usually, the contact person displayed is a company’s PR agent, marketing director, or a business owner.

It is important to include a person of contact (POC) for the media. If a producer reads your release and would like to do a segment on your business, he/she must be able to contact you to schedule the interview for the segment. Without a POC in your release, you might miss out on a media opportunity.

This list of what a journalist wants and needs to write their article may seem simple but they are essential elements. They must be included in your press release if you want your news to get covered. Write a good press release and make it as easy as possible for the journalist to write their article.

The post What Does the Media Look for in a Press Release? appeared first on PressRelease .

Transforming “Owned” Media into the Earned Media Advantage via Newswire’s Media Room

Tue, 01 Oct 2019 18:00:00 GMT

What if there was a way to organize blogs, Tweets, e-books, whitepapers, presentations, etc. into one organized section and gain the Earned Media Advantage? With Newswire’s Media Room, that is possible!

Customers are able to convert their owned media into the Earned Media Advantage through a cloud-based Media Room service. It is a secure, comprehensive content management system that gives customers the authority to convert their content and multimedia assets into a fully-customizable newsroom.

“In an effort to provide a service that was simple to understand and simple to use , we dubbed our content management system the Media Room. It’s an all-in-one, all encompassing platform that can act as a hub for businesses written content and multimedia assets for the Earned Media Advantage ,” said Anthony Santiago, VP of Marketing for Newswire.

The user-friendly platform is simple , flexible , and cost – effective , evening the playing field for small businesses to create a striking Media Room on par with enterprise-level companies. This helps any business at any stage have the opportunity to appear presentable to the media. Journalists, producers, bloggers, and other media contacts are constantly scanning company newsrooms for more information. It helps them determine whether or not picking-up their release is worth their time.

Santiago explains, “Journalists and reporters rely on information on businesses and their managed media coverage. The easier information is available the more likely they will cover stories from brands that present their reputable track record with the media in a captivating and professional way.”

Using Newswire’s Media Room can help increase a business’s brand awareness and drive traffic to their website. What better way to organize and display owned media for journalists, potential customers, and investors to look through? A Media Room is an essential component in gaining the Earned Media Advantage. With this, any business owner transforms their owned media into the Earned Media Advantage.

The post Transforming “Owned” Media into the Earned Media Advantage via Newswire’s Media Room appeared first on PressRelease .

What to Highlight on Your Newsroom

Mon, 30 Sep 2019 18:50:00 GMT

“There is no such thing as bad press”

Ever heard of that expression? It’s true! Any press is good press. What you do with it is what really matters. You can take a story highlighting the growth of your company and boast about it all over social media. You can take a bad review about your business and reach out to that person and try to make things better. It all depends on the action steps you take.

All types of earned media are hug wins. Someone took the time to say something about your business, whether good or bad. How you take that information and what you do with it can help you grow as a business. It is your job to convert these mentions into an Earned Media Advantage. Now, if you want to showcase those reviews, articles, mentions, etc., what’s a great way to do so? — Through a newsroom !

A newsroom is a great way to showcase your Earned Media Advantage. Press releases that were picked-up, resolving customer issues, or your most liked social media posts. The opportunities you can display in a newsroom are endless.

Let’s take a look what you should highlight on your newsroom:

What is a Newsroom?

A newsroom is a website created by a business used to properly showcase any earned media. It is a central place where potential customers, investors, media contacts, or anyone who wishes to learn more about the company to be directed to.

Possible Newsroom Posts :

Highlighting Earned Media to Gain the Earned Media Advantage:

A newsroom provides great opportunities to organize your earned media mentions and help boost your chances of future coverage. Here are a few examples of how to highlight your earned media mentions in your newsroom:

1. Awards and Recognitions

If you’ve gained any earned media mentions regarding awards and recognitions, include links to the content or create images of the earned media (screenshots) and add them to the section. Any press releases you have done relating to awards or recognitions your company has obtained can also be highlighted in your newsroom. This helps develop your Earned Media Advantage because it shows visitors that your company is highly acclaimed in your field.

2. Media Mentions

Has a your company been in the news recently? Let everyone know! Add your media mentions into your newsroom. Don’t be afraid to boast about an article your company was mentioned in or a news segment highlighting the work your company does. It is good to share this information with anyone who visits your newsroom, especially other media contacts. They will see the buzz that surrounds your company and most likely reach out to you to create their own story.

3. Press Releases

Your press releases are sent to a multitude of distribution channels. They get hundreds, maybe even thousands of views. Why not increase the stats and add your PRs to your newsroom? It is a great way to update visitors on what your company is up to.

Having your press releases on your newsroom shows how in sync your company is. The second your PR is sent out, it should also be uploaded into your newsroom as well. What if someone stumbled upon your newsroom and not your release? They would never know about the release unless it was highlighted into your newsroom.

Those are just three examples of how and what you can high light in your newsroom to gain the Earned Media Advantage. Of course, as listed previously, there are countless items that you can showcase, all dependent on what you want for your business. Having a newsroom is a great way to highlight any exciting news, display any information that you think is necessary and needed to help your business grow. Think about the people who would be coming across your newsroom: journalists, potential customers, or investors, etc. What information would they need to move forward or write about your business? –Knowing this can help your create an organized and comprehensive newsroom beneficial to visitors.

The post What to Highlight on Your Newsroom appeared first on PressRelease .

G2 Crowd Shines a Spotlight on Newswire

Mon, 30 Sep 2019 13:45:00 GMT

Newswire has recently been featured in a G2Crowd article highlighting the importance of displaying customer reviews and how the Earned Media Advantage Guided Tour came about.

Over the years, Newswire has maintained a proven track record of listening to its customers, ranking No. 1 in Customer Satisfaction for press release distribution according to G2Crowd. Instead of getting caught in a corporate rut, Newswire has proven to be personable and attentive to its customers, taking to heart reviews on G2Crowd. With a customer-centric approach, Newswire was able to create the highly successful Earned Media Advantage Guided Tour .

“We decided to launch the Earned Media Advantage Guided Tour by combining our high-tech platform with a high-touch service and strategy component to help customers deliver the right message to the right audience at the right time through the right mediums. This approach increases brand awareness and web traffic while providing a greater return on media and marketing spend by turning owned media into the Earned Media Advantage,” said Joe Esposito, CEO of Newswire.

Customer feedback on G2Crowd has helped Newswire develop the EMA GT. Real people needed real solutions for their press release needs, and Newswire listened. The EMA GT helps individuals obtain the Earned Media Advantage through more than just a press release. They are connected with an Earned Media Strategist as an extension of their team, to provide support for their PR and marketing at the fraction of the cost.

The post G2 Crowd Shines a Spotlight on Newswire appeared first on PressRelease .

Newswire Expands Press Release Distribution Internationally

Fri, 27 Sep 2019 12:46:00 GMT

Newswire continues to empower its customers with the Earned Media Advantage by enhancing International Distribution options. It can be a challenge for businesses to successfully penetrate new markets on a global scale.

Taking press releases worldwide is another way Newswire continues to enhance its Media Communications Utility that drives the Earned Media Advantage. Newswire customers will now be able to distribute to countries such as Canada, the UK, Latin America, Asia and much more.

“We recently expanded our distribution options to further serve our customers looking to penetrate the global market in their specific regions ,” said Erik Rohrmann, COO and SVP of Newswire.

The enhanced Internation Distribution Newswire offers is simple, flexible, and cost-effective, according to Rohrmann. It will help customers expand their business and media reach.

Anthony Santiago, VP of Marketing for Newswire said, “The expansion of our international press release distribution and the streamlined process is our commitment to provide customers with the Earned Media Advantage and allow them to maximize their efforts.”

Click here to check out Newswire’s International Distribution.

The post Newswire Expands Press Release Distribution Internationally appeared first on PressRelease .

Newswire Gets a New Look!

Fri, 27 Sep 2019 12:00:00 GMT

Hey there!

If you’ve been on our site over the past week or so, you might have noticed that we have undergone some changes. We’ve been online long enough to know that changes of any kind to a website can quickly open the door to confusion – which is why we are here to help.

Don’t worry – all of Newswire’s products and services that you’ve grown to know and love are still here! We’ve just renamed a few things here and there and shifted some things around. We’ve also added an exciting new service that we are thrilled to announce.

Let’s go through these changes together so that you can find what you need with ease:

Brand New Names, Same Great Service

Some of our services have been given new names – check them out below:

Some of our packages have been given new names as well:

Newswire Customer Success Stories

As we were brainstorming ideas for the new site, we reflected on all of the great interactions we have had with customers in the past. We’ve been fortunate enough to work with hundreds of spectacular companies that have achieved their media communications goals with our services.

We’ve heard countless success stories from customers working in fields ranging from business, to public relations, to healthcare, and beyond.

We wanted a way to document these stories of achievement while promoting our customers businesses at the same time.

With that being said, we are proud to introduce the Newswire Customer Success page, which features the stories of real Newswire customers overcoming their media communications challenges.

If you are struggling with any aspect of your media communications strategy, we highly recommend reading through these stories.

You’ll read about the problems these customers ran into along their journey to success, and learn how they were able to use Newswire’s services to create chatter in their industry and become disruptors in the space.

If you think you have a goal that is similar to one featured in a customer success story, reach out to a PR strategist today for more information.

( PSSSSST – if you are are currently a customer that is looking to share your customer success story, email me at neil@newswire.com to set up an interview! )

The Earned Media Advantage Guided Tour (EMA GT)

Almost every business has a unique challenge facing them in some way. With that in mind, there is never a one-size-fits all media communications strategy that will be effective across the board.

Often, the first step in getting an effective strategy in place is getting an expert in the field to learn about your business and create a plan that is custom tailored to your needs and desires.

If only Newswire were to offer such a service …

If you head over to the products tab at the top of the site, you might notice that there is a new service listed at the bottom of the drop-down menu.

The Earned Media Advantage Guided Tour is a one-year, consultation-based service focused on making sure that you are delivering the right message to the right audience at the right time .

With your Earned Media Advantage Strategist (EMAS) guiding you through your press release campaigns, you will take the steps necessary to increase your brand awareness and drive traffic to your business.

The EMAS will create an Earned Media Advantage Plan (EMAP) for you, which includes a press release and multimedia distribution plan that maps the right messages to the right media outlets for delivery at the the right time. No longer will your press release campaigns share boring or repetitive company information – our team will work to highlight the most important aspects of your business when developing your EMAP.

Along the way, EMA GT customers will learn how to use products such as the Newswire Media Database to enhance their media outreach. Our team of Earned Media Advantage Specialists will also help EMA GT customers understand their Newswire Analytics reports – this will help identify which campaigns are succeeding and which areas need improvement.

We highly recommend the EMA GT for ALL of our customers. Whether you are a part of a small business team or an enterprise-level company, an effective media communications strategy is vital for any brand’s success.

Let our Earned Media Advantage Strategists help you improve your strategy today.

If you are interested in learning more about the Earned Media Advantage Guided Tour, click the link below:

Learn and Earn Today!

The post Newswire Gets a New Look! appeared first on PressRelease .

New Key Features Added to Newswire’s Media Database Helps Leverage the Earned Media Advantage

Thu, 26 Sep 2019 15:39:00 GMT

Newswire is a leading press release distribution platform giving customers the Earned Media Advantage. With new improvements to its Media Database , Newswire continues to showcase itself as a powerhouse in the industry.

In order to give its customers the Earned Media Advantage, Newswire’s Media Database serves a key component, connecting customers with millions of media contacts.

What are the New Features?

Bio Card :

When searching through hundreds, thousands, or even millions of contacts, getting to know each individual and weaving through to find the right person is critical. What better way to get to know a media contact than through a bio card?

Twitter Feed:

Newswire has improved the way bio cards display contact information, with a live Twitter feed on the right-hand side (see photo). A person’s most recent Tweets says a lot about them. This allows users to easily sort through their Twitter feed, and gain a better understanding of the media contact’s interests.

Recent Articles:

Another feature added to the bio card is the ability to see the media contact’s most recent articles. This is a surefire way to decide whether or not the person is worth pitching to. Users can easily sort through articles to determine whether or not a contact’s content fits the type of pick-up they are looking for.

Filtering Beats :

The ability to narrow down beats has been seen across all platforms, but what happens when a user wants to exclude certain beats that appear after search? Newswire’s newest filtering feature allows users to “exclude” beats to narrow down search parameters.

Once a beat is eliminated, it will filter through the hundreds or thousands of contacts and eliminate anyone else with the excluded beat. This saves time and energy of having to sift through a multitude of contacts to find the right ones to reach out to.

Newswire is always empowering its customers with the Earned Media Advantage. Rated No. 1 by G2Crowd in customer satisfaction for press release distribution, Newswire consistently provides the best Media Communications Utility. The new Media Database features will allow customers to send the right message to the right people at the right time and gain the Earned Media Advantage.

The post New Key Features Added to Newswire’s Media Database Helps Leverage the Earned Media Advantage appeared first on PressRelease .

What Type of Companies Should Send Out Press Releases?

Wed, 25 Sep 2019 12:00:00 GMT

There’s a wide belief that only certain types of companies should send out press releases. Medium-enterprise businesses are entitled to press releases, right? Wrong. This couldn’t be further from the truth.

What type of companies fit the criteria to send out a press release? Any and all! Whether you are starting out or have been in the game for years, a press release can best fit your needs. If you have a newsworthy story that needs to be heard, you are more than entitled to send out a release.

Let’s take a look at a few types of companies and examples of how each of them can use a press release to grow:

Startups :

One of the most challenging aspects of being a startup is generating press and building awareness for your company. No one knows about your vision, hence why you need to convey it to the world.

A press release can be a great tool to utilize when trying to spread the word about your start-up. People are always looking for something new to discover, specifically investors. Creating buzz around your startup through a press release helps optimize SEO, giving potential investors or customers a look at your company.

Startups have underestimated the power of a traditional press release. They often think press releases are a tool used by larger, more established companies, publishing one would only make their news dwindle at the bottom of the pool. That is not the case. As a startup, the more traction there is about you online, the better of your company becoming known. It’s a great way to share your story, brand, and direction with the world. Introduce your company in your own words to win the business of others.

Small Business :

Have you recently opening up a business? Congrats! Now it’s time to continuously get your story out there.

Whether it’s a grand opening announcement or a new product, a press release is only one click away to help you get the word out! Press releases are great tools for small business to build credibility, gain a following, and increase sales. People who are unaware of your business may look you up before coming in to purchase. Having press releases online helps build that sense of establishment, and encouragement for potential customers to check you out.

Small businesses often feel like they aren’t big enough to benefit from a press release. But small businesses often grow to large businesses thanks in part to the news. One small local news story can capture the attention of the larger networks and go global. Small companies can become “overnight” successes. A press release about a new product or an event you’re hosting, attending, or speaking at can be newsworthy. An influencer loving your products can also be newsworthy.

Enterprise :

Is business booming? Enterprise businesses are constantly churning out new stories, in need for a press release. Whether it’s once a month or once a day, an enterprise sized business almost always budgets room for PRs. It’s important to keep the momentum going.

Building up the momentum of a story is always difficult at first, but after years of being established in the field, an enterprise can come out of the woodworks with a need-it-now story, grabbing everyone’s attention. The best way to put that new story out? A press release.

For an enterprise, a press release is another tool used to build their continuous success. They have already built their credibility and optimized their SEO using press releases. New releases that hit the wire keep driving traffic and sales to the company, as it would any business.

The size of your business doesn’t matter when determining whether or not you should send out a press release. Whether you’re a startup or an enterprise, if you have a story to share, it’s time for you to publish a press release.

The post What Type of Companies Should Send Out Press Releases? appeared first on PressRelease .

5 Things to Look for When Measuring Your PR’s ROI

Mon, 23 Sep 2019 20:53:00 GMT

Measuring return on investment or ROI is a step that should be taken for any marketing initiative. You want to make sure that your marketing efforts are paying off and getting you some degree of return. Now, most organizations do a terrific job of measuring ROI for advertising and even influencer marketing. However, they’re not great for measuring things like ROI for press releases. This is a missed opportunity.

Here are the Top 5 things to look for in your press release’s ROI.

1. View Count

If your press release is going out online via a distribution service, you should be able to track the view count. This tells you how many people read your release.

Why is this important?

It gives you a good understanding of how well your release did. How well it was written, if the information in the release was newsworthy, etc. This information is critical for when you map out your next releases. If a story about a product launch does better than a hiring announcement, it gives you an understanding of what your viewers find to be newsworthy.

Sticking with the idea of a product launch release, if there is more interest in the product’s announcement, creating a follow-up release would be the best practice. You already have proof of people interested in the new product, so why not continue to give updates?

2. Links

Check your links. Whether it’s the link to your release or embedded links in your release, seeing where traffic is coming from is an important aspect in measuring the release’s ROI.

Typically, when a company puts out a press release, there is increased traffic on the company’s main website. Tracking whether it came from organic search or a link through the release is critical. It means people want to learn more about your business or possibly purchase.

Additionally, when people link to your press release and/or your website it improves your traffic, reach, and awareness.

3. Clicks

Include clickable links in your press release. At the very minimum, your website should be linked in your release, but you have the abiity to direct traffic to other sites. Whether it be to your social media pages, an opt-in page, or a landing page, you can include numerous call-to-action links to drive traction where it’s needed.

Tracking these links form your press release establishes your return on investment. It lets you know if people were called or eager enough to click on the link and do what you wanted them to. Conversion rates if these links should increase significantly. If they don’t, you know which links not to include in your next release.

4. Sales/Conversions

Another highly tangible way to measure ROI is to look at your sales or conversion rate. You can measure this by creating a unique URL for the press release or by tracking sales during the 48-72 hours post-release.

Press releases are a great way to generate and increase sale traffic. Being able to track the monetary value of your press release ROI is critical to your release’s value. Having low sales conversion on a release, especially one that is specified to drive sales traffic can help you determine what needs to be fixed. Is it the release’s readability? The call-to-action links?

5. Mentions

Mentions are critical to measure after sending out a release. Whether a journalist wrote about your release, or if people are sharing it online, it is important to track the amount of mentions you receive.

Did your brand mentions increase over night? Are they related to the release? Why and what are they talking about in regards to your company?

You can measure the amount of mentions of your release by setting up a media monitoring alert. Media monitoring is a more accurate and precise way to measure the amount of mentions you receive in a day. This measure the ROI of sending out a release by showing you how many people are talking about you online.

It’s a fairly straightforward process to measure press release ROI. It’s important to establish what you’re striving to accomplish with your press release and then creating systems to measure your success. These 5 top things will help you know what to look for when you’re evaluating your press release ROI.

The post 5 Things to Look for When Measuring Your PR’s ROI appeared first on PressRelease .

Why Press Releases are Effective for Small Businesses

Sat, 21 Sep 2019 12:02:00 GMT

Operating a small business can be difficult. Whether there’s a team behind-the-scenes or a one-man job, running an up-and-coming business is hard work. Thinking about how to grow the business, planning out a marketing strategy, is thrown in the mix. With everything being laid out, using a press release is often overlooked.

We get it . There are a million other things to think of.

But, press releases should not be overlooked…at all. Small businesses can achieve phenomenal growth with the proper use of a press release. Any business is capable of creating a newsworthy story. An up-and-coming small business has a new story to contribute to the news cycle, why not put it out there?

Let’s take a look at some of the advantages press releases have on small businesses:

Increase Brand Awareness + Traffic :

As a small business, getting the word out there is critical. You want everyone to know you are open for business, ready to take in new customers. So , why not do it through a press release?

Brand awareness is an important aspect of seeing a small business succeed. Get the word out and let people know who, what, when, where and why –the basic 5Ws. Tackle all the questions people have in one release. Give people answers and get people in the door!

Once your release is sent out on the wire, you’ll have something tangible on the internet. When people search your business online, your most recent PR will appear, and hopefully news stories. Press releases are a great way of cementing your brand online. It gets the buzz going about your business. Since the information is coming directly from you , people know how reliable it is. Potential customers get to learn about your brand and understand your business better.

Great Return on Marketing Spend :

Are press releases free? Yes .

You can put out a press release for free, no questions asked . But, if you want to get a little extra boost, putting it out on the wire will require some cash.

As mentioned before, small businesses often overlook press releases as part of their marketing strategy. Why? Prices to put out a release can be steep. There are cheaper options, but as always, the better ones come with a higher price. Having a press release on AP , Businesswire , Yahoo ! Business , etc. will cost a lot more than having it on local sites. Where your release is published matters . Would it make sense to have your release blanket published, showing up on a fashion blog if your business is a new grocery store? No.

Yes, small businesses have to adhere to a budget, but including press releases in that budget will greatly impact their ROI.

Investing in a good press release distribution package will get a release published on relevant wires. It’s almost like investing in real estate. Location, location, location is everything. People who visit the websites or look up your business will be redirected to one of your press releases. Seeing your release on big-name sites interests them to learn more or visit your business. It’ll get people talking and in the door!

Competitive Advantage :

As a small business, it’s hard to stay ahead or get in the same waters as the competition. Utilizing the power of a press release can help any small business succeed.

Your business story is unique to any of your competitors. When you put your PR out there, make sure to stand out. Yes, everyone has a story of their own, but how your small business’s story is conveyed impacts people who read it. Make your story the competitive edge you need to place your business ahead of the competition.

Press releases are a great way to convey that story and get it out online and to the press. Once a release is out, it is fair game for anyone to read. If a media contact notices your release or business, they can go through the previous press releases you have published to gain a better understanding of your business.

Press releases can be extremely powerful for small business owners. The key is to include them in your marketing strategy, plan ahead, and create a story that will greatly impact your audience. Every small business can benefit from a press release. Who wouldn’t want to increase brand and traffic awareness, see a greater return on marketing spend, and gain a competitive advantage?

The post Why Press Releases are Effective for Small Businesses appeared first on PressRelease .

How to Recruit Customers via Cold Email

Fri, 20 Sep 2019 12:57:00 GMT

Ask many business experts if cold emailing a prospect is a good idea and they’ll likely shake their head “no.” Why? Because the return on investment, they would say, isn’t worth it. Yet, with a good plan in place and efficient systems, cold emailing customers can be more successful than you might imagine.

Let’s take a look at some tips and steps to recruit customers via cold email.

What is a Cold Email?

You’re coming in cold.

A cold email is sent to an individual you have never interavted with. It is the first form of contact. You are trying to target the individual, connect with them on a personal level. It is best practice to use their first name and begin a business conversation. Once that is started, you can continue to promote your product or service.

Why Use Cold Email?

Wouldn’t it make more sense to send emails to people that you know are interested in your business products or services? WOuldn’t it make more sense to send emails to people that you know? Yes but you can still send those emails AND send cold emails. Why? To bring in potential new leads of course. The cold email, done correctly, can introduce you to people and opportunities you might not otherwise have obtained.

How It’s Done …

1. Research

A cold email isn’t sent to a random name on a list. It’s sent to someone who may be interested in your products or services. Know who you’re sending the email to and why they’d be interested in your business.

Get to know their fears, interests, and a bit more about what their business entails. This helps you integrate your business with theirs in the email. Doing research shows in your emails. It lets them know that you took the time to learn more about them.

2. Be Memorable & Engaging

You want them to remember you, right?

Somehow, you must engrain your business in their minds by telling them how they need you . Don’t make it all about you. Make sure to be personable. Crack a joke, talk about something happening in their industry or give them information they would find helpful.

The product or business you are offering them must solve their problem(s) or aid them in prospering their business. Tell them how you can help and why they should let you help them.

Remember : they want to know what’s in it for them.

3. Personalize it.

You’re going to be more memorable and engaging if you personalize the email. That’s why it’s so important to research them. You might mention a recent social media post or blog post they published. Linke that personalization to the product or service you’re offering.

Insert their name, place of business, or industry that they are in and let them know how your business or product helps t hem . You are reaching out to them to start a business relationship.

4. Leverage Reciprocity

Give them insightful advice to build a better relationship.

Show them how helpful you are and how your business can be. This personal advice can be based on what you have to offer. Tap into the desire to pay you back after giving them advice.

Consider giving free personalized advice based on your offer. This can tap into a desire to pay you back for your amazing advice and it certainly shows that you’re earnest in your desire to help them.

5. Thank Them For Their Time!

They took the time to pay attention to you, thank them!

Being curteous and kind to someone can go a long way. After reading what you have to say, make sure you thank your potential customer for their time. It shows them your appreciation. Let them know that if there are any questions they may have, to reach out to you.

The post How to Recruit Customers via Cold Email appeared first on PressRelease .

A Step-By-Step Guide On Press Release Writing

Wed, 18 Sep 2019 11:31:00 GMT

Many new marketers and business owners have heard of press releases but are not sure how to write one. It’s easier than you think if you follow the suggested template step-by-step. Here are the essentials for each press release:

1. Newsworthy Information

A press release is intended to communicate news about your company to journalists and other media personnel in hopes of getting media pickups. The news must be genuine, don’t make it an advertisement. Genuine newsworthy items would include: launching a new product, hosting a live event, or changing the structure of your company.

2. The Headline

The headline should be brief, command attention, and contain a keyword that signals what niche or industry you are working in. Make it catchy, but not click-baity.

3. The Subheadline

The subheadline gives additional information to clarify the headline and also generates a broader idea of what the release is about. It should also contain keywords related to your niche or industry.

4. Dateline

Include the city where your company is located, and the date you are issuing the press release. The city might trigger local media pickups. The date shows how current the information is when journalists are browsing through all the press release at your site or at the press release distribution service interface.

Example: New York, New York, September 10, 2018

5. The first paragraph

The first paragraph of any good press release will contain what is called the 5Ws:

This is a useful checklist journalists use to make sure they include all the facts of a news story and don’t leave anything important out. If you use the 5Ws you will be giving the journalists all they need to pick up your story.

6. Paragraph 2

In this paragraph, include any of the 5Ws that you weren’t able to fit into the first paragraph. Also include supporting information, such as the context of the story, so readers can understand why it is important. Facts, figures and statistics will usually help.

7. Paragraph 3

In this paragraph, include at least one quotation from people in the know in your niche. It could be the head of your company. Even better, it could be a comment from someone who is a recognized expert in your niche. This will also provide a context and show journalists that you are worth paying attention to, and therefore worth picking up.

8. Media

Include at least one high-quality image to support your press release. It should be of the new product you are launching, for example, if that is why you are writing the press release.

Include video, as well, if available. Good formats include a problem and solution format, with your product helping people in your niche. How-to videos are also very popular. A quick start guide on how to use your product once you buy it will also work well. Upload your content to YouTube, copy the embed code, and paste it in the press release distribution service interface.

Include captions for each image or video and a Creative Commons license so journalists will feel free to use it without worrying about infringing on any copyrights.

9. A Call to Action

Tell readers what you want them to do after reading the press release. For example, send them to an URL where they can learn more, download a free item, and so on.

10. Your Boilerplate

Write a short paragraph giving background information about your company so journalists will know who you are and what you do.

11. The Contact Information for the person who will follow up with Journalists

Provide the name, email, and phone.

12. Add a Signal for the End of the Release

Use the symbol ### to show that readers have reached the end of the release so they don’t look for additional pages.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post A Step-By-Step Guide On Press Release Writing appeared first on PressRelease .

Why Healthcare Companies Choose Newswire’s Earned Media Advantage Guided Tour:

Tue, 17 Sep 2019 16:55:00 GMT

Newswire’s Earned Media Advantage Guided tour has become a hit amongst healthcare companies, providing customers with the media communications utility to gain the full Earned Media Advantage.

Healthcare companies that offer innovative products and services for e-commerce shoppers, medical device markets, and Health & Wellness now have the ability to deliver the right message at the right time to the right audience. This helps maximize their efforts of highlighting the company’s mission and message, giving them a competitive differentiation to accelerate their growth in sales.

Charlie Terenzio, Director of Earned Media Strategy, said, “Instead of turning over the keys to software and letting customers learn for themselves, we are there every step of the way to help guide, plan, implement and execute a comprehensive Earned Media Advantage Strategy . This white-glove approach eliminates the learning curve and reduces the amount of time for customers to see value from their media outreach.”

The post Why Healthcare Companies Choose Newswire’s Earned Media Advantage Guided Tour: appeared first on PressRelease .

Using Psychology to Rebrand Your Company

Tue, 17 Sep 2019 12:29:00 GMT

The challenge of rebranding your company can feel overwhelming. There are many factors to consider if you want the rebranding to be successful. There’s a lot to organize and many pieces need to fall into place.

What’s the best way to start your company’s rebranding journey? Take a look at your customer base. Find out their needs, wants, what they find interesting about your business and what turns them off. You’ll need to do a deep psychological dive into their minds to rebrand your company for the betterment of your customers.

Let’s take a closer look at how psychology coincides with rebranding:

The Role of Psychology in Rebranding :

It’s safe to say that consumers buy based on a number of needs. These needs are psychologically driven.

For example : We buy from people or companies that we trust. Trust is an emotion and a human need. We buy from brands we believe to be credible and based on our hierarchy of needs.

Abraham Maslow first identified the human hierarchy of needs. It begins with our basic needs for food, sleep, breathing and so on. So the most important needs for a human are physiological. But then we get into more psychological needs like safety, belonging, and self-esteem. These needs can be useful when creating your brand.

The goal for a rebrand is the understand the level of “needs” of your target market and develop a marketing communications initiative that follows those needs.

Psychology in the Process of Rebranding :

To rebrand your company in an organized way, you’ll want to evaluate your current brand personality. What do people think about your brand right now? What personality or characteristics do you possess? You can use a survey online or pick up the phone and talk to your top customers.

With this information, you can begin to look for gaps. Where are you lacking? Where is there a disconnect between what people think you are and what you want them to feel and experience?

Using Psychology to Fill In The Gap :

There will be gaps between what people think of your brand and what you want them to think. This is where you can use psychology to fill those gaps. For example, let’s say that your current customers don’t consider you to be a credible authority in your niche. Cialdini identified triggers for buying behavior in his book, “The Psychology of Influence”. Two of those triggers are authority and credibility. This gap gives you a direction for your rebranding. You can create initiatives to become a source of credible information and position yourself as an authority in your industry. These initiatives might include anything from content marketing to also changing the look and feel of your website.

Psychology plays a powerful role in consumer behavior. It only makes sense to leverage it as you work to rebrand your company. Focus on buying behaviors and the human’s hierarchy of needs as you gain an understanding of your audience and their perception of your brand.

The post Using Psychology to Rebrand Your Company appeared first on PressRelease .

Newswire Welcomes PR Veteran Charlie Terenzio to Head Earned Media Advantage Strategy Team

Fri, 13 Sep 2019 12:27:00 GMT

Newswire has selected veteran media and marketing professional Charlie Terenzio to oversee the Earned Media Advantage Guided Tour strategy team.

With years of PR and marketing experience under his belt, the decision to welcome Terenzio onto the team was easy. Terenzio and his team will help customers plan, develop, implement, and execute PR strategies to gain the full Earned Media Advantage.

“I am thrilled to be joining Newswire as they launch the Earned Media Advantage Guided Tour,” said Terenzio, “…The Guided Tour is an incredible resource to help give companies and organizations an advantage in their attempt to earn impactful media coverage that complements their sales efforts.”

Join the journey today and get the Earned Media Advantage!

Click here to learn more about Newswire’s Earned Media Advantage Guided Tour.

The post Newswire Welcomes PR Veteran Charlie Terenzio to Head Earned Media Advantage Strategy Team appeared first on PressRelease .

Newswire’s Earned Media Advantage Guided Tour Featured in MarTech Series

Thu, 12 Sep 2019 20:11:00 GMT

Looking to get the Earned Media Advantage? Don’t look any further! Newswire’s Earned Media Advantage Guided Tour has recently launched and has been featured in PR Week and now, on the MarTech Series.

The Guided Tour service aims to empower and support companies to achieve PR and marketing success by transforming their press releases into a competitive advantage. Through this service, companies can distribute the right message to the right audience at the right time, lowering their paid media costs and shortening the journey to achieving the Earned Media Advantage.

Click here to learn more about Newswire’s highly acclaimed Earned Media Advantage Guided Tour.

The post Newswire’s Earned Media Advantage Guided Tour Featured in MarTech Series appeared first on PressRelease .

3 Easy Steps to Writing Headlines and Subject Lines

Wed, 04 Sep 2019 15:36:00 GMT

What’s the first thing people read when they receive your release? The headline.

What’s the first thing people read when they receive your pitch? The subject line.

Your headline and subject line can be the key to your PR’s success or the reason it fails. Harsh ? A bit, but at least we’re being honest.

Concocting words together to create a captivating headline or subject line can be difficult for most people. But, that’s why we’re giving you 3 easy steps to follow to writing the most riveting headlines and subject lines.

Here are the steps :

1. Look at Past Success

Look at your data.

If you’re writing an email pitch, take a look at your Top 5 most successful subject lines. What words did you use? What do you think caught their eye?

Headlines to press releases can be a little trickier than email pitches. Take a look back at your Top 10 PR headlines. Find out which ones were clicked on the most. What power words were most effective? Is there a connection between the words used in those headlines?

Depending on the content of the release, your headline must align with the most important news the release has to offer. Whether it be an award, product announcement, or conference attendance, pinpoint the most important and interesting aspect and integrate power words you’ve used in the past to enhance your release.

2. Leverage Pain Points

What does your audience want or need to know? What are they searching for? What problem does your content solve for your reader?

Keywords and keyword phrases that you’re using in your content along with a bit of keyword research can help you here. Think about the emotions that your reader is experiencing. Are they angry, frustrated, hopeful? These emotions can be leveraged in your headline. Get them to open your release or email by striking fear.

Using words like “missing out” or “did you know?” can help get you more opens and reads.

3. Leverage “Proven” Formulas

There are a handful of proven headline and subject line formulas that are quite effective. The example headline above contains one of these formulas. Here are some of the more effective proven headline writing formulas:

Use Numbers : For example, “21 tips to lose weight”

Ask Questions: For example, Frustrated by fad diets?

Be Direct: This is particularly effective for subject lines. Example, “FREE limited-time subscription to….”

Use the Words “How-to” : For example, “how to write effective subject lines in 3 easy steps”

Make a Promise: Example, “Double your business in 60 days.”

People want to see proof of concept, it draws them in, turns their head. Try mixing things up and including facts in your headline or subject line.

Follow these steps for the next time you write a release’s headline or an email pitch’s subject line. Try and be versatile with your writing. You want to captivate your audience to keep reading your release or pitch.

The post 3 Easy Steps to Writing Headlines and Subject Lines appeared first on PressRelease .

Why SEO Matters: 2019 Update

Wed, 04 Sep 2019 15:34:00 GMT

There are many ways to market your company online. Years ago, SEO and search engine advertising was pretty much the extent of what was available. Over time more marketing options became popular including social media. As new marketing opportunities demonstrate effectiveness, sometimes older methods are left behind.

This is often the case for SEO.

Many companies have neglected to pay much attention to their search engine optimization. This poses an issue: people still use search engines to find information. True, they use referrals and shared links on social media to find information, but good old google searches are still quite popular.

So, if you’re not focusing some attention on SEO, you’re missing a huge opportunity. SEO is still a significant source of traffic, leads, and sales. Here’s what to consider when looking at the significance of SEO in 2019.

Schema or Structured Markup :

This is a method of identifying data for the search engines and then telling them what it means and what it says. It is a set of code markers that tells the major search engines what to do with the data on your website. Great, right? It improves your search results and people are finding you because they’re looking for your exact information.

So how do you add schema markup?

Continue Creating Exceptional Content :

Google’s algorithms continue to focus on evaluating content quality as it relates to your website and other content. So, yes, quality matters, and so too does the amount of content that you publish.

How do you maintain the flow of material being published on your website? Through an editorial calendar. This helps you publish a consistent flow of quality content, such as blog posts, social media updates, etc. that is relevant to your audience. Make sure that all the details you publish on your website is accurate and helpful for visitors.

Always remember: Content is King.

Focus on Authority, Credibility, and Trust :

Establishing yourself as a credible source of information can take time. There are steps you can take to improve your authority in the industry, through the eyes of Google. Inbound links from other relevant and trustworthy sites is one step. Publish articles with outbound links as well – cite your sources and use the highest quality sources. SEO is still highly significant to your marketing success. Adding these three focuses into your SEO strategy will help you continue to get the search traffic and results that you need to grow and thrive.

The post Why SEO Matters: 2019 Update appeared first on PressRelease .

What is Social Media Newsjacking? – 2019

Mon, 02 Sep 2019 16:03:00 GMT

Has your company embraced the power of newsjacking?

It can be an extremely effective tool to grow your business. Newsjacking and social media newsjacking can increase awareness, engagement, boost traffic, leads, and sales. It’s a great way to keep up with the online trends, showing your customers you understand what is going on in your industry.

Let’s take a look at how you can get in front of potential customers and influencers through social newjacking…

What is Social Media Newsjacking ?

Generally speaking, newsjacking is the practice of creating content that leverages news. News can vary from anything like the Super Bowl or Black Friday. It could be something that happened like a blackout or a celebrity story. If it’s news and people care about the news and are searching for it online, then it’s worth exploring how your brand can leverage it.

An example of newsjacking : A management coach writes a post on how to navigate Black Friday safely, sanely, and save big. He/she is leveraging an event that is known nationally and globally while getting his/her word out. This is a great way to jump onto one new story and create your own spin on it.

Social media newsjacking simply shifts the content format to social media. A commonly used example of perfect social media newsjacking is the 2013 Oreo Tweet that leveraged the #blackout to create an ad that said, “ Power Out? No problem ” with a darkly lit image of an Oreo and the caption, “You can still dunk in the dark.”

Simply speaking, social media newsjacking is creating social media content that leverages news. This news can be a current event, a trending topic, a controversy, or something that’s currently taking place.

Getting Started :

The first step to social media newsjacking is to set up alerts so that you are notified in real-time about what’s going on in the world.

For example : Oreo certainly didn’t plan in advance to create that ad. They saw the hashtag #blackout and jumped on it. Google alerts and social media alerts can help you stay on top of what’s happening in your industry and the world.

The second step is to make sure your profiles are being maintained constantly by a dedicated staff member. The news cycle is rapid, hence why someone attentive needs to be on the account at any given minute. Everything is changing within seconds, hours, and minutes. Finally, make sure your social media newsjacking efforts have a goal and that they fit within the marketing values and goals you’ve created. They need to be aligned for the best results.

The post What is Social Media Newsjacking? – 2019 appeared first on PressRelease .

Create Your Media List in 4 Easy Steps!

Tue, 20 Aug 2019 12:00:00 GMT

Do you have a media list?

If you know and have a few media contacts, consider yourself ahead of the game! A media list can be invaluable for those times when you want to communicate with the media or get your business or story covered. It is essential when striving to increase awareness, rebrand, or manage negative PR. If you already have a public relations strategy in place, learning how to build the perfect media list is the next step.

What is a Media List?

A media list contains key media contacts who could be potentially interested in stories about your business.

These select media contacts write about your industry and have gotten much traction from doing so. A great way to decipher whether a journalist, reporter, blogger producer, etc. is worthy enough to be on your list, is by taking a look at their audience. The people who pay attention to their news are essentially future customers.

The main focus of your media list is to try and target their audience members. Why? Because they are the people who want to know the new and exciting innovations in your industry. Consider your media contacts as the “bridge” that helps you get across to them.

How to Build Your Own

There are different ways your list can be built. You can build it yourself, purchase one online, or even have someone else create it for you.

But, let’s not focus on the latter two. The first option: building it yourself, is the best thing you can do for your company. Who knows your company better than you ?

If you follow these 5 easy steps to creating a media list, you’ll be reaching out to the right media in no time!

Step 1: Create an Organized System

First and foremost, you must create an organized system that can seamlessly be passed to someone else if needed. Having one in place gives you and your co-workers peace-of-mind in case anything happens.

Try using an Excel document or Google Sheets. Use something that can be shared and accessed by people who need to view it.

Make sure you have a consistent Title to your list, the date it was created, and clearly stated categories. Some categories to consider are: First Name, Last Name, Email, Outlet, Position, Phone, & Beats .

Step 2: Research

Onto a very important step in your media list creation: Research .

You will be scouring newspapers, online news publications, blogs, talk shows, radio shows, etc. to identify the right people to reach out to.

Using Google and/or a media database can be very helpful during this process. The preferred PR way to begin creating a list is via a media database, but Google can also be helpful. Simply look up some publications who talk about your industry, or people who have written about your company/competitors in the past. These are the people you should add to your list. Whether it’s a blogger or producer who has recently written a blog or a segment about something in your industry, add them. They are clearly interested in your field and are looking for relevant news.

Tip : Make sure to save your Google searches for the next step!

On the other hand, the use of a media database, along with the help of Google, can accelerate your list curation. After finding out which publications, shows, etc. are best to contact, you can simply plug in the name into a media database, which will list all its contacts from the particular show or publication. From there, you can easily select the best-fit contacts for your list.

Step 3: More Research

Once you have a good list of authors, it’s time to dig a little deeper and see what you can uncover. Read the content by these authors.

Ask yourself these questions when reading through their material:

As mentioned in Step 3, make sure to save the relevant articles . This will later help you pitch to these individuals.

Step 4: Refinement

Sift through the contacts on your list and fine-tune it to perfection. Refining your list is a great way to really narrow down the perfect media contacts.

In this step, going from 100 media contacts to 17 is normal . Do not worry about the size, the most important thing is the relevance of these contacts to your story and industry. After going through everyone’s articles/work, you should be able to decide who are the true winners worthy enough to remain on your list.

So what do you do with the other “X” contacts who did not qualify to the ultimate media contact list? Save them for later! They might not be relevant now, but they might be later on! Saving these contacts will significantly help you down the road when you are looking to expand your media reach.

The post Create Your Media List in 4 Easy Steps! appeared first on PressRelease .

Media Pitching 101: When to Pitch to the Media

Mon, 19 Aug 2019 12:00:00 GMT

The perfect time does exist.

When it comes to pitching to the media, everything must align. The way the pitch is worded, who it is sent to, and at what time it is sent. Sending out your story to the right contact at the right time can make or break your story being picked up. Yes, it’s true, timing can be different for every media contact you are trying to reach out to, but it is up to you to figure out when the perfect time is.

Let’s explore the top tips for pitching at the right time…

Deadlines & Content Calendars :

Reporters, journalists, media reps and industry bloggers all have deadlines and schedules. Based on what you might ask? Content calendars.

Content calendars are used by every major media publication. Whether it be a TV show or newspaper, a content calendar is always utilized. It maps out what needs to be accomplished in the coming days or months. Depending on what is the priorities on the agenda, reporters, producers, and other media contacts will prioritize their work accordingly.

How does this help you? Well, if you have a piece relevant to something they need (found on the content calendar), you can easily pitch your piece to the media contact. This helps them accomplish something off their calendar and puts you on their radar.

The trick is being able to get a hold of a specific media contact’s content calendar. Some media databses offer content calendar views of major publications, TV networks, etc. Another way is by simply looking up the specific calendar of where you are trying to get picked up.

News Has a Lifespan :

The window frame for the perfect news story is very slim.

Let’s say something relevant to your pitch happens today, but your release or pitch is not scheduled to be sent out for another two days. That makes your news, 3 days older than it should be. By the time you pitch your story to the media, your news is old news and has a lower chance of being picked up.

When something relevant happens in your industry, or if you know of an up-and-coming story that will be hitting the cycle, make sure to jump on the opportunity quickly . Waiting around can cause you to miss out.

Busy Days :

Just as you would when you first get into work, journalists sort out their emails received overnight/early that morning.

During this process, a majority of emails are deleted and/or set aside to be looked at later…If they have the time. Otherwise, the most appealing ones are taken a look at right away.

If you have a pitch, the likeliness of it being set aside is pretty high. So, instead of sending a pitch early in the morning, only to have it set aside, what are your other options? Send it at a later time! Typically, anywhere from 10am-12pm works best. Journalists, producers, bloggers, and other media contacts have already sorted through their morning emails and will be notified of anything else sent during that time frame.

You’ve Got Competition :

The media is constantly being bombarded with pitches/story ideas. You need to make yourself stand out. The last thing you need is to get lost in a pile of pitches while your competitor’s story gets picked up.

Coming up with interesting ways to stand out can be difficult. Try and see how your competitors have been able to get picked up. Was their story timely? Relevant? It may all relate back to timing when their pitch was sent out.

Make sure to do everything you can to send your pitches during the off-hours. This adds to you standing out and getting ahead of the competition. Step up your game by newsjacking something your competitor has put out, or offer a follow-up comment. Use their news to get your name out there.

Follow these tips the next time you pitch to the media and watch your open and click rates increase, and hopefully coverage. Timing is everything when it comes to media pitching. Don’t be discouraged if your pitches aren’t a total hit, it’s a bit of trial and error the first couple of times around. But, once you find the perfect sweet spot to send that pitch out, you’re in.

The post Media Pitching 101: When to Pitch to the Media appeared first on PressRelease .

Including Image & Video Assets in Your Press Release

Fri, 16 Aug 2019 16:03:00 GMT

If you look at the statistics, there’s no doubt that we’re a visual society. Content with photos or images gets read more often. Videos and pictures are the most shared type of content. And even press releases have shown that when they contain visual content, they outperform straight text.

But that’s the general public, right? Does your story pitch perform better when you pitch to the media? You bet it does.

Images: Visualizing Your Release

Images are commonly included in stories. They give life to the words on paper. Readers want images to better understand the story, and images help visualize. Having a photo to look at enhances the experience of reading the story/article about your company.

Stories with images are more appealing . Don’t make a journalist scour through your website or online for relevant images to include in their story. Provide them with images off the bat. This helps make the process of writing your story easier. Plus, they are able to use images you approve of.

Videos: Telling and Showing the Story

Would you rather sit and read a 1,000 page book or watch a 2 minute video summary? A majority of people would go with the video, but there are a handful that would be more than willing to sit down and read the book!

Cover your grounds and make sure you appeal to everyone. Try creating a short video snippet that conveys the message of your release or makes the viewer to want to read it. Videos are appealing because of the moving parts it has. It’s easy for people to sit down and watch a video, get lost in it. They make conveying a message better. It gives the journalist a little more freedom to write a shorter piece that will highlight the video.

Including visual assets, such as images and videos in your press release can help enhance your message Getting your message across the right audience at the right time is very important when it comes to your press release. So why not include a couple ofages and a video? They bring life to your story!

The post Including Image & Video Assets in Your Press Release appeared first on PressRelease .

Press Release Strategies for Better Visibility

Thu, 15 Aug 2019 12:00:00 GMT

Getting coverage for your press release isn’t always easy. The stakes are high when it comes to competing for attention, hence why standing out is a must .

The question to ask yourself is: Are you giving your press release the best advantage? There are different ways you can leverage your PR’s exposure by practicing promotional tactics. Finding out which tactics to use at certain times is an important factor in the longevity of your PR campaign’s visibility.

Here are some ways you can get better visibility for your release:

Start with A High-Quality Press Release :

The first step to getting better visibility for your press release is to make sure the release was well written.

Is it newsworthy? –That is one of the main questions you must ask before, during, and after writing the release. Newsworthy releases are interesting , heavy hitters that the media is looking for. Putting the concept of that story into a release can be a bit of a challenge. How do you fit so much information into a release? What else do you need to include?

Some things to consider when creating your press release:

Website :

Take the opportunity to spruce up your website with your latest press release!

Whether it be a new product launch or a company conference, having the latest news about your business on your website is a great way to boost visibility. If 1k+ people visit your website every day, that’s 1k+ people viewing your release! People who visit your website for more information, to purchase, log in, etc. will be up-to-date. Having this easily visible by people who access your site is a great opportunity for your business.

Social Media :

Did you know that 45% of the world’s population uses social media? That’s almost half the planet! Are you using your business’s social media platforms to share your release?

You should be!

Let your followers know that there’s big news being announced! Encourage your followers to share your release to get the most visibility out of social media. You should be able to track how many times your release was shared on social and see an increase in your PR views.

If you have visuals attached or related to your release, make sure to share them online! Pictures and videos make great social media content and attract people to view it. People are constantly refreshing their feed looking for new content posted. Putting your release on social media helps to place you on top of your follower’s feeds. This is a great opportunity for your business to stay on top!

Distribution Services :

Leverage the power of a press release distribution service. Choose media outlets that make sense for your audience and your industry.

It’s also important to think outside the box when trying to increase your press release visibility. Do you have relationships with influencers? Send them your press release. Get people involved in talking about your news on social media and encourage shares and reposts. And when your news gets covered by the media, always promote that coverage on all marketing channels. Leverage your press release as much as you can and then get busy writing the next one.

The post Press Release Strategies for Better Visibility appeared first on PressRelease .

Does Your Press Release’s Readability Score Affect Your SEO?

Wed, 14 Aug 2019 12:00:00 GMT

SEO is an important part of your marketing strategy. One of the main ways prospects find their way to your website is through an organic search . Through this organic search, they hopefully become a paying customer.

How did they come across your website in the first place? Through your online ranking ! When you send out a press release, certain keywords in the release help boost your SEO, increasing your website ranking on search engines. If your press release is full of jargon, causing a low readability score, does it tank your SEO?

Let’s find out…

What is a Readability Score?

The readability of something means how readable it is by your prospect or audience. Now, there are many things that go into making something readable and these components are also what tools use to come up with a readability score.

They look at:

Language

How complicated is the language you use? Does your content have a 5th-grade reading level or a 12th-grade reading level? Do you use jargon and tech-speak or do you speak in layman’s terms?

Sentences & Paragraphs

Online reading can either be easier or more difficult depending on the length of the sentences and paragraphs.

Paragraphs should typically be kept at the standard length of 3-5 sentences. This helps you get your point across in a concise manner, without having any jargon.

Sentences should be kept to no more than ten words. Smaller blocks of content are easier for people to read online.

Subheadings

Using a subheading makes your content more readable , and not to mention appealing! You have the opportunity to really hook in your reader with a great subheading. Consider it to be a continuation of your headline.

Formatting

Formatting is just as important as the content. If your release looks like a block of text, readers will not find it appealing.

Having shorter, informative paragraphs and sentences will allow people to skim through your release and understand the message you are trying to convey.

So How Does Readability Impact SEO?

Google does look deep into your content at a variety of elements. Additionally, they look at how long someone stays on the page, how it’s formatted, and what people do after they read your content. Search engines also look at links coming to the page. The more readable the content is, the more likely you are to have people linking to your content.

Does PR Readability Affect SEO?

Yes. The easier it is to read your press and public relations content, including your press releases, the better your SEO can be. Take the time to check your PR’s readability score. There are different tools you can use such as HemingwayApp and Webfx.com to do so.

It’s worth the extra two minutes! Wouldn’t you want to improve your search engine ranking and get in front of more potential customers?

The post Does Your Press Release’s Readability Score Affect Your SEO? appeared first on PressRelease .

PR Software is Measuring the Once Unmeasurable

Tue, 13 Aug 2019 17:52:00 GMT

Technology, software, and AI are modernizing industries across the board, and PR is no exception.

( Featured Image Photo by Lewis Thomas from Webaroo.com.au )

There are a large number of tools out there that are streamlining the PR process. Some advances are redefining the process altogether. From finding relevant contacts to media outreach to managing a PR crisis, PR software is changing the game in unprecedented ways. Every step of the process can be tracked and analyzed to maximize a company’s ROI.

PR Software is advancing at a staggering rate. As analysis and reporting become more mainstream, it’s becoming a necessity to provide visual results of your PR efforts. Data-backed decision making is defining success. Business owners that are adapting to the change will be expecting data and metrics to justify their ad spend.

As long as a company’s goals are clear, there are tools available to address every task. Some of these include:

Media Databases

A well-maintained media database is an integral part of any PR campaign. A comprehensive repository of influential journalists, editors, bloggers, and publications is an ideal starting point for targeting a specific audience. It’s not enough to create the content, the responsibility is also on you to make sure your content gets distributed to the right people.

More sophisticated tools offer even greater functionality. Some allow users to create custom lists, organize contacts by beats, and even pitch to hundreds of journalists at a time! The ability to search for and target the most relevant contacts gives you an opportunity to get to know who you’re pitching to. Knowing their beats, interests, and what they’ve written in the past allows for more personalization in your outreach. The more detail you can include in your pitch, the better your chances of acquiring earned media.

The more data you have to start with, the better you can fine-tune your pitches. This is precisely how high-quality outreach gets developed.

Analytics Software

It’s not enough to track everything you’re doing. It’s also essential that you benchmark the results. Through key metrics, it’s easy to see how strong your messaging is, and how well it’s resonating with your audience. Based on that data, it’s a matter of trial and error (and more testing). Discovering the perfect message means a stronger connection with the audience you’re targeting.

Analytics also help provide value to the mentions acquired through PR campaigns. Fine-tune your messaging by combining vast data sets with other PR software tools.

When it comes to justifying the ad spend, it’s hard to argue with numbers and facts. The data that analytics software provides gives a definitive, visual representation of the ROI.

The data always has a story to tell. So long as you’re consistently testing, monitoring, and adapting accordingly, you’ll always have a clear goal in sight.

Analytics also help provide value to the mentions acquired through PR campaigns.

And don’t forget! You can fine-tune your messaging by combining vast data sets with other PR software tools.

Media Monitoring Software

The 24 hour news cycle waits for no one.

To add to this, sophisticated content creation tools are readily available for people that are willing to take the time to learn how to use them. Some tools are simple enough that they barely require any knowledge or experience to create some pretty decent stuff.

As more and more people assume the role of content creator, the more the world’s supply of content grows, exponentially . Even with the power of Google, the deluge of content across just about every kind media makes acquiring coverage even more difficult.

In the old days, PR professionals would scour newspapers and articles by hand, looking for mentions about a company just to see if they got coverage — a tiresome and lengthy process.

Media monitoring tools perform (with nearly no human intervention) what used to take days or weeks in just a fraction of the time, finding specific coverage across print, broadcast, and online media.

Not only can you track mentions on your company or brand, but your competitors as well!

More advanced tools will track mentions and coverage, and label them according to tone or sentiment (typically positive or negative). It’s an incredibly powerful feature that helps you determine the right course of action, whether the mentions received were good or bad.

Press Release Distribution

These services help get news out to specific outlets. In other words, helping businesses increase reach and brand awareness.

Each service touts its own unique distribution network. But there’s greater value in services that are able to reach prominent outlets like Associated Press, Google News and Yahoo! News. Getting placement on popular channels help contribute to a business’s clout. It’s useful way of positioning yourself as a thought leader in a specific industry.

And nowadays, many questions regarding accuracy or legitimacy are resolved with the phrase, “Google it.”

There are more benefits to issuing releases than you’d expect.

For instance, there’s a sense of authenticity and authority that comes with online ubiquity. You can’t help but feel an air of ‘corporate authority’ when a company has a strong online presence supplemented by press releases.

In short, press releases are a tool. Its success hinges upon using that tool deftly. Develop an agile strategy that applies a multipronged approach with a few strong, newsworthy releases.

Crisis Communication Software

Sometimes, crises are inevitable.

But by actively utilizing media monitoring software with crisis communication software, you can minimize the damage and help turn the tide quickly.

We mentioned before that media monitoring tools can help track sentiment across coverage. Keeping a keen eye on the data and identifying an increasing trend in negative sentiment can help you identify (and possibly avert) a potential PR nightmare.

Crisis communication software a subset of project management software that aids in streamlining the steps needed for crisis resolution, making it as painless as possible. This type of software gets information into the hands of those that need it, makes priorities clear, aligns your team’s goals, and makes certain public messaging is timely and consistent.

Remember, the best responses are well-informed responses. Having all hands on deck with clear goals to achieve helps to resolve crises in the most quick and efficient way possible.

The post PR Software is Measuring the Once Unmeasurable appeared first on PressRelease .

Why Real Estate Agents Should Write a Blog Post

Mon, 12 Aug 2019 13:25:00 GMT

One of the most important tasks for a real estate agent is to connect with their audience. People buy from and work with, people that they like and trust. As a real estate agent, it can be difficult to create a connection with a complete stranger. In fact, it can be difficult to meet people who may become clients. Blogging can be the tool that helps you gain clients, trust, and those long-standing relationships that can build a career.

Why Blog?

Blogging has developed and matured over the past decade. Today, business blog to share information with their audience. They blog to provide value and add to their engagement. As a real estate agent, you have a wide range of topics to talk about in your expertise.

You can blog about your personal adventures as a real estate agent or offer information on the local housing market. Blog posts are also great to share key listing you are excited about. Write about the property in more detail, specifying the features about the house that are most valuable. You can showcase that blog post on social media, sharing it with your followers.

A Call-to-Action :

A blog offers you the opportunity to promote your business and encourage visitors to take the next step with you by signing up for your email list. Once people read the content, you can and should have some type of contact form. Offer something for free like a downloadable housing market guide or a tips guide for new buyers, something they’ll want to have and email it to them.

You are driving people to your site, building contact lists, and strengthening the connection between you and your customers, and/or potential customers. Which is great! But what about reaching new people ?

Your blog is a great way to reach a new audience through SEO . When people are constantly buzzing around your blog for info, clicking on your site for information, your SEO ranking is boosted. This helps with your position in search listings in your area.

Pro Tip : Always make sure to mention towns/local spots in your area to ensure you get the best ranking.

Blogging Rules of Thumb for Real Estate Agents :

Start your real estate blog today! It’s a great way to get the exposure you deserve and let everyone know how knowledgable you are.

The post Why Real Estate Agents Should Write a Blog Post appeared first on PressRelease .

When to Pitch to Newspapers, Magazines, & TV Show

Fri, 09 Aug 2019 12:55:00 GMT

Pitching to the media, regardless of the channel, can be stressful. One of the most important things you can do is make sure you pitch to them at the right time.

Figuring out the perfect time to pitch your story is a challenge. There are numerous articles telling you when the optimal times are, but in reality, timing is different for every media contact. People who write for newspapers may not have the same pitch timing as a producer of a morning show. You need to learn a bit more about each contact’s business in order to determine the ideal time to reach out.

Let’s take a look at when to typically reach out to various media outlets and talk about tips to help you make sure you are choosing the best time…

Media Contacts at Newspapers :

Newspapers have a general flow to their process. They may go over stories on Monday, for example, that are going to be published on Wednesday. However, reporters can work on stories for weeks before submitting them to their editors for publication.

So when do you pitch your story idea to a newspaper?

As far in advance of the date you want it to be published as possible. If you can give them a week or two notice, that’s always appreciated. If you want the story to go out on a specific date, write an embargoed press release. That way they won’t publish it until the date specified.

Do research on the journalist, editor, columnist, etc. that you are trying to target. Get to know them through social media and their writing. Give them the chance to get to know you and your business. Extending that outreach outside of an email will get you and your company’s name known. Plus, it gives you better insight as to when they publish their pieces.

Media Contacts at Magazines :

Magazines plan far ahead into the future. Typically planning the magazine’s “theme” 12 months ahead. As for content: a full month or two’s notice is ideal to be published.

Magazine editors will plan content ahead of time , but also leave room for new pieces to be inserted ( if needed ). If you have a story that needs to be published sooner than later, don’t be discouraged from reaching out to a magazine. They may be able to insert your story in their next publication .

But, if you have a bigger planned out announcement, make sure to let them know ahead of time. This gives you and the magazine ample time to ensure it fits the month’s specific publication, as well as align with your launch needs. It’s a balancing act between your news and theirs.

How do you find out their editorial needs ahead of time? Through an editorial calendar ! You can request an editorial calendar, or simply find it on their website. If that fails, you might need to rever to a database. Some media databases have access to different editorial calendars: newspapers, TV, and magazines. But, things are not as easy as it seems. Media databases are not free , often have a heavy price tag attached to them.

Media Contacts in TV :

TV moves pretty quick . Producers are constantly looking for the next story to cover, scratching and moving up certain interviews and segments to satisfy ratings. If you’re looking to get on a particular show or segment, start planning ahead now and begin your outreach.

Do research on the show you are trying to be featured on. Find out who calls the shots or books casting. Reach out to casting agents, producers, directors, hosts, etc. to get the best chance of getting your story covered on the show or on a specific segment. Start engaging with them on social media, or let them know you have a great story that fits their needs.

Things are constantly changing TV, most of the time because of how quickly the news changes, and what trending topics are in demand. If your news fits, make it known.

Depending on who you’re aiming to reach, pitch to those contacts accordingly. As convenient as a timed blast pitch seems, getting to know the best times to pitch to each individual contact is more idea. Based on research and engagement you will be able to tell when the perfect time to pitch to each media contact may be. Most newspapers, magazines, and TV shows have guidelines on pitching or their editorial calendars displayed that you may find helpful. Take a look and take them into account when pitching.

The post When to Pitch to Newspapers, Magazines, & TV Show appeared first on PressRelease .

How to Improve Common Press Release Mistakes

Wed, 07 Aug 2019 12:00:00 GMT

It’s not just you. Everyone makes these mistakes. But don’t worry! There is still room for improvement.

People often think their press release writing skills are on point. But does every release you write get picked-up or noticed by the media? If they do, continue and carry on. If they don’t, it’s time to take a look at your writing process.

Still think your press release writing skills are impeccable? Keep reading anyway. Why? Knowing these mistakes now may help you avoid them in the future…

1. Write it Hastily

Looking to run the risk of making a huge mistake? Quickly write a release, send it to your chosen distribution services and media reps. — That’s a trainwreck waiting to happen .

When writing a press release, keep in mind your professional reputation is at stake. Creating a quick press release without revision is sloppy. Media, competitors, and peers will see your work when it hits the wire. They will perceive your work as being “too rushed”.

If you have the opportunity, make sure to set enough time to write your release. Gather all the information you need to include and use the inverted pyramid to write your release. Revise it, and revise it again. Have someone else read it to make sure its readability is solid. Avoid writing a last-minute release, but if you need to, revising it is a must .

2. Don’t Worry About Formatting

Press releases are written in a traditional format, used by all industries.

Yes, you can write press releases in any format, but if you want the media to take your story idea or new seriously, we highly recommend using the traditional format . The traditional format releases are written satisfies the media’s journalistic needs. When writing, you are helping them easily determine whether or not your news/story is worth the interest. Stick with the format, or try it out for the first time and see if you get any earned media traction.

3. No News

You can write a press release about anything, right ?

Not really, but people do.

If you want your release of standing a chance of being picked up by the media, make sure your news is truly newsworthy.

Ask yourself these questions:

There are thousands of potential stories that the media must sort through. The news that you send them must stand out from the rest. Find the top headline of the day and think, “Is my news more important/can compete with this?” Depending on how you answer that question can and will determine whether or not you should create a press release.

4. Use Jargon and Techspeak

Don’t you love reading press releases with a bunch of jargon? Or how about tech companies who do not bother to fully explain acronyms, and industry lingo?

Now imagine your average journalist reading the release, dismissing the opportunity to cover it.

Creating a press release using industry terms makes you look like you know what you’re talking about, and that’s great! But, what about the people who know nothing about your industry? Use your press release as an educational piece and simplify it, allowing the average-Joe to understand what you are talking about.

5. Write Conversationally

Your press release isn’t a text message. Don’t treat it like one.

Conversational copy does not belong in a press release. PRs are more formal pieces of content for the media, not your best friend.

You are trying to create a professional relationship with the media. Writing a conversational press release may seem like a unique way to grab their attention, but this isn’t a pitch. Write a release that encompasses all the pertinent information they need to decide whether or not your news is worth covering. Using the traditional press release writing format will help you do so.

6. Skip the Quotes and Supporting Information

If a journalist was on deadline and could not get in contact with you, what do they do? Pull a quote from the press release.

What happens if you don’t have one? Don’t take that chance. Always include a quote.

Relevant quotes make a press release interesting and add personality. If you have something to say, say it! Rave about your company or expand more about the details of your new product. Your quote must be relevant, support or enhance the information in your release.

It’s better to learn now, than make a mistake and learn from it. The next time you are writing a release, take these points into account. One of them might be the reason why your release isn’t getting the traction you expected. Always make sure you are following press release best practices when writing your release.

The post How to Improve Common Press Release Mistakes appeared first on PressRelease .

Where to Find Relevant Reporters or Media to Pitch Your Story

Tue, 06 Aug 2019 15:37:00 GMT

Writing a pitch or story idea is one thing, finding the right reporter to read your pitch is another. Ideally, you’ll have a nice contact list of reporters and a media outreach program in place before you write that pitch. So let’s address the very first step, how and where to find relevant reporters or media to pitch your story to.

Start Local :

Before we dive into the big tools and services, there is one place that you should start: your local media.

Take a look at local industry newsletters. Learn the names of certain reporters and flag the ones that can potentially be added to your media list. Hometown reporters are a great way to get word-of-mouth out locally. They relate to the people in your area, have a great following, and are a great source for a lot of people. When locals are looking for new places to discover, they often look at what’s being talked about in the media. Having a local journalist highlight your business would increase your exposure significantly.

Online Research :

A simple Google search can help you determine who to reach out to. Simply search “journalists who cover X-industry” and thousands, if not, millions, of suggestions will appear.

To get a broader search going, type in “x-industry publications” to get a list of niche-specific publications who write/talk about your industry. From there, look up media contacts in each of those publications, who you believe is worth reaching out to. Whether they be from big or small publications, any media contact you find relevant can impact your outreach.

Media Database :

Using a Media Database is a great way to find the right journalists– quickly .

Media Databases allow you to filter through millions of contacts. You are able to geotarget specific regions you are trying to reach out to, filter by position, beats, publication, etc. It’s less time-consuming and more efficient than doing extensive searches on Google. The best part? Databases have all the information you need on the media contacts you find: position, publication, phone, email, and social media links. Plus, any media contacts you want to reach out to can easily be saved in a list, straight on the database.

Databases are a bit pricy. Ranging anywhere from monthly to yearly subscriptions that can cost up to $7k. Depending on your company’s size and outreach needs, using a media database might be helpful for you. Otherwise, a Google search should do just fine.

Finding media contacts is a task. Utilizing these three points will significantly help your media search efforts. Start with local media, to get the word out about your business. This helps boost your company’s visibility, and gain local traction. An online Google search can also help you find the right contacts. Simply search industry-nice specific publications or journalists. But, if you have the financial means, the use of a media database is a great way to build a great media contact list. Helps you save time and keep organized. Depending on your business’s needs, utilize one of these three ways to search for your contacts and start building media relationships today!

The post Where to Find Relevant Reporters or Media to Pitch Your Story appeared first on PressRelease .

How Long Should a Press Release’s Headline Be?

Mon, 05 Aug 2019 12:01:00 GMT

Writing headlines is an art and science.

You need to have a clear understanding of your audience and be able to craft the words into a captivating phrase that resonates with them. There are simple strategies that copywriters use again and again to hit a home run, and yes, they can be used by you. Let’s take a look at some copywriting tactics that will improve marketing results, increase CTR, and drive traffic to your website…

Headline Issues

One of the most common problems people have when they write headlines is that they try to cram too much into a headline. They end up with run-on sentences instead of a headline. So how long should a headline be?

Let’s look at some possible answers:

1. No More Than Six Words

One general rule of thumb is that a headline shouldn’t be longer than six words. Now, this is a fantastic rule because it really forces you to be succinct. If you’re new to writing headlines or you’re finding that your headlines aren’t getting the job done, impose this rule on yourself and your writers. Within those six words, you’ll need to use simple but powerful language. Employ emotions, use numbers, make a promise to your readers.

For example,”5 Ways to Love Yourself More”, “37 Secrets to Debt Reduction”, or employ curiosity, “How the 1% erase the debt.”

2. Make it As Short As It Needs to Be

If you feel moderately comfortable with writing headlines, then you can embrace this strategy which is to make your headline as short as it needs to be. You can go over the 6-word rule, but only if necessary. This rule also depends on the situation. If you’re writing an email subject line, you want to stay short and succinct. If you’re writing a blog post, you may want a few keywords in your headline.

For example :

Hyphens can help you separate thoughts, keywords, or main points without using extra words. And, they help the reader because the content is visually separated.

3. Embrace Subheadings

If you’re working with two concepts that you want to get across in your headline, consider using a subheading to separate thoughts.

For example : 37 Secrets to Debt Reduction (how you can get out of debt starting today)

Subheadings often embrace parentheses to separate the ideas and to provide emphasis. By putting your subheading in parentheses you’re hinting that there’s an added bonus to the article. Writing a short headline takes practice but it’s worth the effort. You’ll notice that your click-through rates improve. You’ll get more exposure, more traffic to your website, and more shares on social media.

The post How Long Should a Press Release’s Headline Be? appeared first on PressRelease .

Is Newsjacking Acceptable in 2019?

Fri, 02 Aug 2019 12:00:00 GMT

You want to grab attention for your brand, right? And maybe your content marketing isn’t working as effectively or as quickly as you’d like. Maybe you’re following all of the content marketing “rules” and nothing is really happening. Newsjacking might be an option.

What is NewsJacking?

Before we can talk about whether newsjacking fits your moral or ethical code, and if it’ll be acceptable to your audience, we have to talk about what it is.

Newsjacking is the practice of taking advantage of current events or news stories in such a way as to promote or advertise one’s product or brand.

For example : Charmin created a social media post just before the Oscars, wishing the nominees luck and reminding them to look down and make sure they didn’t leave toilet paper on their shoe before walking onto the red carpet. — This can be considered as newsjacking the Oscars to get attention for their brand .

This was a great strategy on their part. Charmin was not the only brand to utilize a big event like the Oscars to make their brand relevant. But the tactic of using something in the news and integrating yourself is a great way to get exposure, especially if the news is happening now .

Is It Acceptable to Newsjack?

Yes. Provided that you do so in a way that makes sense to your audience, provides value, and isn’t clickbait.

In fact, many marketing experts would likely recommend that you have some strategy in place to newsjack. Let’s look at potential opportunities:

When you can plan your newsjacking content in advance, this helps you get the timing right. Planing ahead poses as one of the biggest challenges when it comes to newsjacking. You can’t predict the news or what’s going to happen. Creating content that hits the news cycle at the right time can be incredibly tricky.

Look for newsjacking opportunities by using tools like Google Alerts to help you stay on top of what’s happening in your industry. When the opportunity presents itself, you want to make sure you completely understand the news before putting anything out there.

Do a quick keyword search related to the news to make sure you include the most searched phrases in your content. Write quickly and accurately and get your content published. Don’t just write a response to the news, be unique and have an original angle. If you can tie your news to a product, service, or information and include a call to action.

Remember that newsjacking, which is acceptable, needs to fit seamlessly into your marketing strategy. This means you need to have a goal. It must match your voice and vision, not to mention provide value to your audience.

The post Is Newsjacking Acceptable in 2019? appeared first on PressRelease .

Formatting a Press Release Video Script

Thu, 01 Aug 2019 13:27:00 GMT

Formatting a press release video script can be a new process for most people. Press release videos can tap into the increasing consumption of visual content. Understanding how to structure your script can help deliver a professional and well-thought-out statement.

The Traditional Press Release Format

The traditional press release format consists of a few basic foundations. The headline is generally the first component of a traditional release. It needs to be succinct and at the same time, grab attention. Keywords can be the make or break detail in your headline.

Your first or introductory paragraph. This paragraph summarizes your news. It’s the place for the 5W’s; who, what, where, when, and why. The remaining three or so paragraphs support your news and add important details. This is where you’ll place facts, quotes, and links.

The conclusion invites people to learn more or take some type of action and includes contact information. This structure is important but it is quite different from a press release video script.

Formatting Your Press Release Video Script

Your headline is the title of your video. This is important to keep in mind because your headline will either entice people to click on your video or not. You can include the words “press release” in your title to keep it 100% transparent, but this isn’t a requirement. Your title should be informative, relevant, and unique. Your title’s message should be centered on the focus of your content and news.

The First Minute:

Your press release video can be as long as you need it to be. However, the first minute or so needs to be much like the first paragraph of a traditional press release. Tell your audience what your news is and give them the details; the who, what, where, when, and why.

Diving Into the News:

After you’ve told them what you’re going to tell them, it’s time to show. Video gives you the opportunity to show your audience your news. Consider creating a storyboard to outline the path and process. For example, if you’re announcing the release of a new product you can include a demonstration using the product. You can also include authoritative testimonials. Like a traditional press release, format your video script with three main sections (or paragraphs). These sections will support your news.

Wrap is Up:

Conclude your press release with a call to action. Give your viewers a way to take action right now. You might include a website link, a free download, or some other step. You have their attention, leverage it. Give them your contact information and a next step to take. VIdeo press releases still need to be fact-based. They’re not sales pitches. Be authentic and transparent. The benefit of a video press release is that you have the opportunity to tap into the power of visuals and use them to tell your story.

The post Formatting a Press Release Video Script appeared first on PressRelease .

Why Your PR Readability Score Matters

Mon, 29 Jul 2019 12:00:00 GMT

How readable is your PR content? In other words, how easy is it for your audience to read and understand what you are publishing? Knowing the ranking of your PR’s readability score is important. It lets you know if your message is being relayed properly.

There are several factors that go into your readability score. Let’s take a look…

What is a Readability Score?

Content that is easy to comprehend is a must when trying to get your point across. Whether it’s your press release or an email blast, it is important that your content is easy to digest.

A readability score is a measurement of how easy or difficult it is for someone to read your content. It is based on the average length of the sentences, working, and a read-ease test. Typically, having a low readability score means your text is not easily comprehensible. Having a high readability score means your text is easily readable.

Readability scores vary on what they look at but in general, they analyze:

Reading Level :

What reading level is your content being written at? Don’t count your content to be too advanced unless your primary goal is to write for a highly educated audience. But still, it’s easier for most people to consume content that is at a lower reading level.

In fact, it is not uncommon to aim to write at a 3rd grade level. Yes, you are reading that correctly. Anything above a 5th or 6th grade reading level may be too much for most readers. It is possible to write everything you need to get across at a lower reading level. Plus, if you publish content that is not easily consumed by the average-Joe, wouldn’t you want to down-play the way it is written? This can help more individuals digest what you are saying.

Sentence & Paragraph Length :

Take a look at how many words are in your sentences. If you are exceeding more than 30 words per sentence, it is time to cut back. Practicing writing sentences to be about 15-30 words/sentence falls in line with best practices. People reading your content should be able to easily skim your sentences to get a gist of what the main objective is.

Paragraph length is also another major readability factor. There should be at least 6 sentences per paragraph to explain your point. If you must elongate your paragraph, do so by breaking into another paragraph.

Formatting :

Do you use formatting to call attention to new ideas and main points? Formatting bold or underlined words, numbers or bulletized lists, can help make your content more readable. This relates back to the reader being able to easily skim through your piece in order to get a general understanding.

Subheadings are also a great way to improve readability scores and deal with formatting. They help divide and organize pieces. Utilizing subheadings will surely improve your readability score.

Why Does a PR Readability Score Matter?

Whether you are writing for a journalist or a customer, it is important that they find your content easy to read. If the content is visually or mentally challenging, the higher the likelihood of retraction. You want to be able to draw the reader in, command attention, and get your point across.

Readability matters because you want your content to be read. Too low a score means you’ll have more bounces – more people will simply click away. Can your score be too high? Potentially. It depends on your audience.

Best Practices ? Use a tool to determine the readability of your PR content. Most tools will give you suggestions to help you tweak the readability to get it to the level you want. Then test your content. DO people respond better to content with a lower readability level? A higher one?

Readability scores help you create content that your audience wants to consume and that’s the ultimate goal, right? If they read your content, enjoy your content, then ideally, hey will take the desired action and engage further with your organization.

The post Why Your PR Readability Score Matters appeared first on PressRelease .

Are Clickbait Subject Lines Acceptable in PR?

Fri, 26 Jul 2019 12:00:00 GMT

Headlines are everything. Horrible headlines will not get your content opened. A good one attracts and motivates readers to open your email and continue on with your call-to-action. The same is true for your press releases and public relations content. You need a captivating headline or subject line that gets your content read. An easy way of doing that? Clickbait… but is it acceptable to use?

What is Clickbait?

Clickbait is essentially a false headline.

It’s a headline or subject line that entices people to click on it but then doesn’t deliver the information promised. The false advertisement may work from time to time in content marketing, but not in your PR. Consistently creating clickbait headlines will annoy people, essentially ruining the chances of your PR being picked up, or even noticed.

The main purpose is to attract and encourage people to click on the link regardless of the truth. Accountability is lost when using clickbait headlines, hence why using it in PR is frowned upon.

Why Avoid Clickbait?

It’s Unprofessional

There are many other ways to write exceptional headlines and subject lines without lying or misleading your audience.

Learn those copywriting tactics.

For example : Inserting a number in your headline or subject line attracts attention. Make a promise, ask a question. Just make sure that the headline matches the content in your press release, article, post or email.

You’ll Harm Your Relationship

It doesn’t matter if you are emailing people on your newsletter list or contacting the media, sending a clickbait subject line will cause you to lose trust with the recipient. And trust is key to building a relationship with the media and your customers.

People buy from businesses they trust. Journalists talk about businesses they trust. So why try and ruin the relationship? You can entice them to open your email without sounding too arrogant by adding a clickbait subject line. Appeal to them through a more personable matter by not lying just to get that open.

It’s Lazy

Again, there are many other ways to write effective subject lines. Do the work. Test and track your audience response and change your approach if needed.

When pitching a story idea to the media, consider being 100% transparent . Clickbait is a very vague, but attractive way to get someone to open your message, or begin reading it. But, once they begin reading, they realize 9 times out of 10 they have been fooled. Creating a catchy headline that has nothing to do with the body of your message is a lot easier than creating a captivating headline that is relevant.

Try it!

This article’s headline could have been called, “EXCLUSIVE PR OFFER TO GET YOUR COMPANY ADVERTISED IN TIMES SQUARE”, but that’d be too good to be true. Not to mention, too easy.

It’s Impersonal

Finally, one of the best ways to get people to open your email and respond positively to your subject line is to make it personal .

If you’re emailing a list of people who are receiving your newsletter, this may not apply. But, if you are emailing the media, you can easily personalize the email by mentioning their name somewhere in the subject line. When people use a clickbait subject line, they often do not bother to personalize the message since they are not taking the time to connect one on one.

If you’re emailing media representatives, you can make it personal by spending some time researching what they write about. You may include how you’re connected or if you’ve had any interactions prior to your email. Personalization can help you get your story covered.

Clickbait is never the answer to your PR goals and efforts. Writing a well-crafted headline or subject line can take some work but it’s worth the effort. Building trust and a professional relationship with the media can be invaluable in getting the PR that you want.

The post Are Clickbait Subject Lines Acceptable in PR? appeared first on PressRelease .

How to Step Up Your Google Ranking

Thu, 25 Jul 2019 15:17:00 GMT

Boosting your Google search engine ranking used to be simple. All you had to do was make sure keywords were in your headline, subheadings and body copy. Publish a few articles, post a few blog posts and you were golden. That’s not really the case anymore. Today, competition for page rankings can be fierce and Google is more careful with their algorithm.

However, you can step up your Google ranking.

Here’s How:

1. Make Sure Your Page Loads Quickly

How quickly? The general rule of thumb is to make sure your page loads in three seconds or less. There are tools online, like Pingdom, that can tell you how fast, or slow, your website is.

2. Write Exceptional Content

One of the rules that will never change is to write and create exceptional content for your audience. Focus on writing for your audience and you can’t go wrong. If you want to make sure you’re using keywords, go for it. Just don’t cram it with keywords and make it difficult to read (you’ll get penalized by Google for this). Provide value first and foremost and you’ll be recognized and rewarded.

3. Optimize Your Images

Make sure they’re formatted so they load quickly and name and tag them with relevant keywords and keyword phrases.

4. Cite Your Sources

People are afraid to include outbound links because they feel like their readers and visitors will click away. When you cute your sources and include the website where you gained the information, it validates your stance. You gain respect, credibility, trust and authority. Google also appreciates it when you write content and share where your facts came from.

5. Fix What’s Broken

Generally speaking, this means to fix those broken links. They’re frustrating for your visitors and they can harm your page rankings. Fix them, prevent them, and get help if you need to.

6. Press, Press, Press, Press

Finally, if you really want to step up your Google ranking, get some press. Make friends with journalists and reporters in your industry and community. Write quality press releases about what your organization is doing and how you’re changing lives. Pitch story ideas, host events, make the news. Building your press and PR efforts will get people linking to you, talking about you, and it will step up your google ranking.

The post How to Step Up Your Google Ranking appeared first on PressRelease .

What is Social Media Burnout? How It’s Affecting Your Business:

Thu, 18 Jul 2019 12:00:00 GMT

Do you run, depend, or use social media for your business? If so, you must know about Social Media Burnout and the harmful effect it has.

Everyone is on their phones 24/7. It’s hard not to stay connected nowadays, especially when you are trying to run a business. Almost every company out there has a social media account to stay in touch with their customers and grow their business. So what happens when you are constantly checking up on your social accounts and worrying about how it’s doing? You get burnt out.

What is Social Media Burnout ?

If you find yourself constantly on social media, refreshing your feed, and seeing a decrease in engagement on your content…take a step back. You’ve got social media burnout.

Over-engaging has a worse effect than under engaging. Why? Because too quick of actions can cause you to be blocked on certain social media websites.

Take Instagram for example. According to an article by Moblivious , you can be shadow or soft banned on the platform for liking more than 350 posts an hour. You might think to yourself, “There’s no way I’m liking more than 350 posts an hour”, but when you get caught up in the funnel, how can you be certain?

Another sure sign of social media burnout is a decrease in stats. If your likes, comments, engagement rate, etc. have decreased over the past few weeks, you need to take a break to assess the situation.

Step back, and look at everything you have done in the past few weeks. When did your engagement rate/likes/comments, etc. decrease? What do your stats look like? Do you think it has to do with the content you’ve been posting? Or the timing you’ve been posting your content? – These are great questions to ask yourself if you have seen a significant decrease in engagement.

Navigating through these questions allows you to fully assess the situation, and realize that social media burnout is affecting the way your company’s account is being run.

How It’s Affecting Your Business :

A decline in social media engagement can be critical, especially if your sales heavily rely on social platforms. Once Instagram has flagged your account or prevented you from engaging, it is a tell-tale sign that you need to slow down or stop.

People are no longer seeing your posts, which means whatever you are saying is not being heard. If you have a new product announcement, maybe 1/4th of your loyal followers are only seeing that post.

It can also be the content you have been posting. Take a look at the content on your account to find out when your engagement began to decline. Identify what it is about those posts that could have been the beginning of your downfall. Once you do so, you need to start creating a new strategy.

Social media burnout is preventable. Avoid overusing social media, reevaluate your social media accounts every week and make sure to check your analytics. Every once in a while, take a step back to see the bigger picture of what you are doing. Make sure everything aligns with your business and is good enough to keep up with your competitors. Talk with your team to make sure everything is aligning properly.

The post What is Social Media Burnout? How It’s Affecting Your Business: appeared first on PressRelease .

Should I Distribute the Same Press Release More Than Once?

Wed, 17 Jul 2019 12:00:00 GMT

Short answer: No.

Long answer: you can share the same story more than once, but not the same press release.

While this quote is powerful, it doesn’t take into consideration the reasons you might be considering distributing the same release twice!

Maybe you have a story that is relevant to your business over a long period of time. Maybe you have a story that you want to emphasize because it didn’t get great pickup the first time on the wire. Or, maybe you just think that your story is so good that it will still generate buzz a second time around.

Here’s the truth of the matter – you need a new spin on an old story to get the buzz you want, no matter what your situation may be. Submitting the same press release on the wire twice is simply a bad look. Editors, journalists, and other writers will think that you are trying to trick them by distributing repeat content.

But hey – we get it! Sometimes a story has untapped potential even after its first time on the wire. However, merely submitting the same release again for distribution is NOT the solution to your problem.

A new headline and unique angle are absolutely necessary for this kind of project. Core elements of the story can remain intact, but ask yourself – what makes this content newsworthy? Why will a journalist want to write about this story? Chances are, if your release didn’t get much attention the first time around, the journalists who read it probably couldn’t answer these very questions.

If your company won an award of some sort, don’t simply state that you won. Emphasize what it took to win that award. Highlight what your company is doing differently than competitors in the space. If your company is promoting the launch of a new product, explain how it can help the common man in the first paragraph. Whatever you do, make sure that the headline reflects the new angle as well.

While jargon-filled releases might be relevant to those in your industry, the likelihood of the journalists reading your story being experts in the field is minimal at best. This is not to say you cannot include these details later in the release. It’s just that the main points of your story should be in plain English so that the masses can understand the basics. This is especially important for those of you who might be in very niche industries.

Again, your story might have value that has yet to have been discovered by the media. With that said, submitting it on the wire again as it currently stands is just a bad idea. With a new spin and a well-developed angle, the story can resonate with more journalists and reach a new audience.

The post Should I Distribute the Same Press Release More Than Once? appeared first on PressRelease .

The Importance of Lead Magnet Content

Tue, 16 Jul 2019 12:00:00 GMT

When I was little, my younger brother and I would always get into trouble around the house. We were often up to no good, and my parents would have to pull every trick in the book to keep us in line.

My brother had my back for the most part. That was until one fateful day, when my mother interrogated him about who had drank the last soda in the fridge, which she had been saving for herself. In exchange for the truth, my mother offered my brother a chocolate chip cookie.

Needless to say, I was grounded shortly thereafter. So much for brotherly love, I suppose.

My mother offered my brother an incentive, and in return, he provided her with crucial information. This is the main function of lead magnets. They are pieces of content that offer some sort of incentive or benefit to the customer. In exchange, the customer provides the business with an email address, phone number, or other form of contact information.

Obviously you can’t offer chocolate chip cookies in return for information. But you can offer downloadable guides, reports, premium videos, and other forms of exclusive content.

These materials should primary serve as educational or instructional tools. They information should bring some sort of value to the customer that puts the expertise of your team on display. This shows that your company is knowledgeable and a trustworthy player in the industry.

Some quick tips when it comes to making lead magnets:

The post The Importance of Lead Magnet Content appeared first on PressRelease .

5 Ways Blogging Can Help Your Business

Mon, 15 Jul 2019 16:07:00 GMT

Easy. Effective. Inexpensive.

Welcome to the world of professional blogging.

If you are looking to increase the amount of content on your company’s website, blogging should be one of the first options you consider. There are plenty of benefits to blogging – some of which are obvious, others not so much.

Here are five key ways in which blogging can make your business better on the web:

1. Set the Tone!

Blogs are usually written in a more informal style than news stories, press releases, or website copy. They provide businesses with an opportunity to establish a more personal tone or voice. This voice should be relatable to customers. It should sound as though the writer is a friend to the readers, while also sounding familiar with the industry of the business.

This tone can be customized based on the nature of the industry, audience demographics, and the topics being discussed on the page.

2. Blogcation Destination

With a great blog, you can make your website a place that people visit in their spare time to learn more about an industry or topic. The key element here is to create engaging content that sparks the interests of readers. Look to write about trending topics or news stories that are relevant to your business.

Try to have unique angles on these stories. Don’t just write about the top new technologies in healthcare, write about the best ways doctors, nurses, and other health practitioners can use them. Instead of writing a story about new trends in the food or restaurant business, research the origins of the trend and provide the inside scoop for your readers.

3. The Good Kind of Traffic

The more content your website has, the more search engines will push new visitors to your site. Search engines like Google will rank your website higher if you have more relevant content in a given space than your competitors.

Make sure that your blog posts are optimized for search! This means that you should write posts that include keywords that are closely related to a topic. For example, a story on press releases should include words such as “news”, “journalists”, and “stories.”

4. Welcome Aboard!

When you drive up traffic by making blog posts, you increase your chances of attracting new customers. Blog posts that are engaging provide enjoyable content for readers, but they also establish your brand as an authority in the space. By developing this reputation of trustworthiness, your audience members are much more likely to feel comfortable buying products/services from your business in the future.

5. Creativity is Key

Blogs give your writers a chance to be creative. They’ve probably just spent hours writing AP style content or advertising copy for the company website. Blogging frees them from the restrictive nature of these other forms of content. They can still write about topics that are related to the company’s services, but they can offer perspective, opinion, and personal expertise in these pieces as well.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post 5 Ways Blogging Can Help Your Business appeared first on PressRelease .

Free Social Media Marketing Tools

Thu, 11 Jul 2019 12:00:00 GMT

For many brands, social media marketing consumes a majority of the marketing budget. That budget is not allocated to content and strategy, it’s consumed by various tools and services need to run an effective campaign. Did you know that there are free social media marketing tools that can help you save money? Let’s take a look at a couple of tools and what they do..

Top Free Social Media Marketing Tools :

1. Hootsuite

Hootsuite has been around almost for as long as Twitter and has evolved over the years. Today, Hootsuite is a social media marketer’s best friend. They offer paid plans that can be helpful to anyone looking to grow their social media.

However, they also offer a powerful free plan. Their free plan is perfect for those who want to manage multiple networks, schedule content and engage with their audience. The free plan is perfect for managing different networks, schedule content, and engage with their audience. With this free plan, you have the ability to manage up to 3 profiles in one place.

2. Buffer

Buffer is a social media management tool that offers a free 14-day trial. Afterward, it will cost you $12-$15/month depending on the selected plan.

With Buffer, you will be able to schedule posts, plan and create content, and utilize their analytics page. Having an analytics portion is essential to knowing how and where you can improve on your posts. These tools will help you become a social media guru by learning the ins and outs.

3. TweetDeck

Tweetdeck is a platform that is specifically for Twitter. If you are looking to manage multiple Twitter accounts, this is your ideal social media marketing tool.

Tweetdeck allows you to customize timelines, create and manage lists and searches, and add team accounts. This platform is free for all Twitter users, which is perfect if you already have an account.

4. SocialOomph

Like the other services, there is a paid and free version of SocialOomph. But, their free version is quite robust, hence why it has made it onto this list.

With their free version, you are able to access basic posting features, schedule unlimited posts (3 max per hour), and receive free support. it is a solid tool for keeping all your content in one place. You can easily make sure everything gets posted in a timely and structured manner.

5. Zoho Social

Zoho Social is a platform that allows managing social media for businesses and agencies.

You will be able to handle different social channels, schedule unlimited posts, monitor keywords, and collaborate with your team! Plus, you can do it all on one dashboard! Their free version supports Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google My Business, and Instagram. You will receive key analytics to make marketing easier.

Find the tool that’s right for you! If in the long run, you need to upgrade to a paid version of what you decide to use, consider it an investment. But, make sure to choose wisely. Figure out what tools you need the most and go from there. Try different platforms and settle on the free version you like the most.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post Free Social Media Marketing Tools appeared first on PressRelease .

Who Has the Upper hand: Corporations or Influencers?

Thu, 11 Jul 2019 12:00:00 GMT

The internet is in a constant state of evolution. 20 years ago, email marketing was cutting edge and a business creating a mailing list was ahead of the curve. Then we entered the golden age of blogging and content marketing. Companies became experts and blogs made brands a lot of money. Today, social media influencers are the ones who hold the power. Who do we have to thank? Social media.

Why Influencers Have the Power :

1. We Trust Our Peers

There are certain “buying triggers” that pushes people to purchase. Trust, credibility, authority, and reciprocity are just some of the things that encourage people to purchase a product. Hearing an influencer’s review is more personable than hearing what a company representative has to say on TV. Once friends and family try the product and verify the raving reviews, an individual is more inclined to make that purchase.

When we think about the difference between a brand and an individual online, we are more likely (as consumers) to trust the advice of an individual. The consumer understands that the brand has to promote themselves, but an individual doesn’t have to promote a brand unless they like it. There’s a higher degree of trust. This gives social media influencers tremendous power. They can say “Buy ABC Cat food” and the sales of ABC will skyrocket.

2. More Interesting Content

Generally speaking, individuals have more interesting content. Individuals are seen as people who are experts in a certain field. A company is perceived as being “for profit”, hence why many companies are partnering with Influencers to get their brand story and products out there.

For example : Betty can share 10 posts a day on Instagram about financial security and her message will be received. If a Financial Security company shares messages, they’re often glossed over. The content an individual shares is more personable and authentic than the voice shared by a publisher.

When someone creates their own content for social media, it shows the work and determination that they have put in. The fact that an individual went through such lengths to orchestrate an Instagram photo/video, caption included, is more appealing than having a company create a post. Why do you think companies hire influencers for their marketing?

3. Better Audience Insight

Typically, companies will post more often than individuals and know less about their audience and followers.

An influencer putting out content on social media knows their audience. They know what type of content resonates with their audience. Why? Because they take the time to engage with them. Influencers take the time to take surveys, ask their followers for their opinion, and most importantly, ask if there is anything else their audience would like to see. — This has proven key to the success of individuals v. corporations .

Most companies do not engage with their audience. They see the massive following as being more prominent in their industry. But, what most companies do not know is that in order to grow their online presence, they too must engage and use their social accounts consistently. Numerous social media sites have changed their algorithm from “give, no take” to “give and take”.

Social media has put the power of content into the hands of the individual. Through consistent content, the power of the peer, and commitment to engage and connect, the individual has the leverage. Does this mean that brands and publishers are going to become obsolete in terms of social content? No, if you commit to the same qualities that the individual does, there’s a chance to make your mark on social.

The post Who Has the Upper hand: Corporations or Influencers? appeared first on PressRelease .

Examples of a Successful PR Marketing Strategy

Wed, 10 Jul 2019 12:00:00 GMT

Public relations is sometimes an oversight. Companies think about their PR when they receive bad press, or when they have exciting news to share but are unsure of when to share it. The general course of action in any case, good or bad, is to issue a press release-which is only part of the process. The best way to approach a PR issue is to create a PR marketing strategy. Having one in place gives a company control of its brand image and be proactive.

What is A PR Marketing Strategy?

A PR Marketing Strategy is a great way to create good press and manage bad press as well. It allows a company to create press and public relations while strengthening its brand image. This PR aspect goes hand-in-hand with the marketing side of the strategy to create overall success. Like any marketing plan, it starts with a measurable goal. The marketing strategy aspect outlines the steps a business must take to achieve that goal. Content creation and timing from the marketing side allows a PR marketing strategy to be born. From relations to ideas, a company with a PR marketing strategy in place is sure to see a drastic improvement in their business.

Ice Bucket Challenge :

One example of a successful PR marketing strategy was the ALS Association’s Ice Bucket Challenge . Their goal was to raise awareness for ALS, otherwise known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease.

It all started with a single video that challenged others to dump a bucket of ice water on themselves and/or donate money to the cause. Millions of people shared and took part of the challenge. From celebrities to politicians, to local community groups, almost everyone did the Ice Bucket Challenge. One video made the cause go viral.

This challenge quickly became a viral sensation. Allowing this challenge to take place in the heat of summer was great timing on the association’s part. Who wouldn’t want a quick relief of ice cold water and ice cubes on a hot summer day? This challenge also did it’s part of creating awareness for ALS. It leveraged the power of social media and the press to raise millions of dollars and a scientific breakthrough .

Target’s 50 States of Target :

Target created “50 States of Target” to build connections in local communities. They wanted to showcase the good they do in the communities close to Target stores across the country.

On their website , they have chosen to showcase a story about how they have been able to help their community. From donations, community events, or environmental impacts, Target talks about little things they try to do to make a good impression. This information was shared via social media and helped connect people to the company and within their community.

Showcasing the work they have done and the impact they have made makes a great story for PR and marketing. They published the 50 States of Target page in 2018 just as they opened a store in Vermont. This entices people to visit their local store and shop there because of the connection they have with the community.

Lyft :

Lyft is a ride-share service that has embraced the power of influencer marketing in their PR Marketing Strategy. They have an “ Undercover ” series that has gone viral online.

One of the videos that Lyft has created showcases Boston Red Sox slugger, David Ortiz going undercover as a Lyft driver. He picks up local people using the app and drives them to their destination. In the car, he talks to them, asks them questions, and in the end, reveals his true identity. Their reactions are candid and authentic, making it more sensational. It gets people thinking, “What if this happens to me when I ride with Lyft?”

This mini “Undercover” series created a great PR marketing strategy for Lyft. It encourages people to use their services in hopes of riding with a celebrity one day. The aspect of using an influencer allows for an instant viral hit to occur. People are always intrigued about what celebrities do and will follow suit. Leveraging the power of influencers in their series is a great way to get instantaneous exposure. — Which also calls for a great marketing strategy.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post Examples of a Successful PR Marketing Strategy appeared first on PressRelease .

How to Promote Properties on Instagram

Tue, 09 Jul 2019 12:00:00 GMT

Real estate agents have many tools at their disposal. Social media channels are one set of those powerful tools. There are of course a number of social channels that you can use, from Facebook to Pinterest. One of the more effective social media sites is Instagram.

Instagram for Real Estate Agents

There are various ways agents can use Instagram. One of the most powerful tactics you can employ is using Instagram to promote your properties. After all, Instagram is a highly visual site – people post photos and videos. And you have high quality images of your properties. You may even have some videos too. It’s the perfect match.

Tips for Promoting Your Properties

1. Share Listings You’re Proud to Show Off

Your Instagram page represents you as a professional. You want to showcase your best listings. You likely have a variety of listings. Choose the top ones, not necessarily the most expensive, but the ones that look the best.

2. High Quality Photos and Videos

If you don’t have a professional photographer shooting your properties, consider hiring one. What is needed to produce a high-quality photo? A great staged photo! That includes getting nice lighting, a perfect background, and conveying what you want to say. Having low-quality photos can harm your image as a professional.

3. Hashtags

Hashtags are tools that people can use on Instagram to search for what they’re interested in. Consider tagging your posts with tags that represent the image.

For example: Hashtag your neighborhood and city to connect to users searching for local properties. Use #RealEstate, #Realtor, and #YourRealEsateName to help people find you and your agency.

And don’t forget #NewListing, #JustListed, #JustSold, and #ForSale.

…And don’t forget: #NewListing, #JustListed, #JustSold, and #Forsale! Other hashtags you can. use are: #OpenHouse, #HouesHunting, #DreamHouse, #DreamHome, #StarterHome, #Flip, and #Investment to help add interest and description to the listing. If you have a brand slogan or common phrase that you use, hashtag it as well!

4. Include a Call to Action

The caption of every listing should include a description of the property! But, don’t give away too much, you want your audience to ask you for more. You might send them to your website, include a contact form, or ask them to DM (direct message) you. Be sure that you respond quickly to anyone who reaches out to you.

5. Consider Instagram Ads

If you have a particularly exciting property, consider using an ad to promote it. Send people to a contact page where they give you their email address and permission to send emails. You can notify them when you have a new listing or reach out to them when you found what they’re looking for. There are many ways to leverage Instagram for your real estate business. The best approach is to create a strategy and a plan to deliver consistent content. Build a strong profile and then let your amazing listings do the work for you.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post How to Promote Properties on Instagram appeared first on PressRelease .

Why Real Estate Agents Should Take Advantage of Instagram

Mon, 08 Jul 2019 12:00:00 GMT

Real estate agents have an ongoing need to market their services. Competition can be tough. You have to stay ahead of the game and make yourself known. One of the best ways to build a community is to leverage the power of social media. Social media marketing is one of the best ways real estate agents can stand out on the forefront. Instagram has become one of the best places real estate agents have found success in making their name known. Let’s take a look at how you can make your real estate skills stand out on Instagram…

Audience 101:

One of the reasons why Instagram is a real estate agent’s social media friend is that it appeals to a large demographic. From new grads to baby boomers, both men and women are active on Instagram.

The demographic is greatly diverse. Your audience is definitely on there! Check out the people who are in the area you sell real estate in. A great way to gain a following is to follow people you have sold properties to. They can follow you back, tag you in posts, etc. Your audience will grow as you interact with them.

Amazing Listings:

Instagram is a visual social channel where people post photos and videos. This makes it an ideal medium for your listings!

Let your creativity run wild. Post attractive photos of listings that entice them to want more. Post snippets of a walk-through video on your feed or in your stories. You can also go live and give them a tour of a newly listed property. Stage the perfect room and show off the potential opportunity buyers have. The ideas are endless.

#Hashtag Importance:

Instagram allows you to use hashtags. These are essentially keywords that people can use to search Instagram for your information.

If you’re appealing to local buyers and sellers, you can use local keywords like your city. For exampl e: #Seattle. You can also be sure to snag attention with keywords like #newlisting, #investmentproperty #dreamhome and so on. You’re allowed up to 30 hashtags so do your research.

Still need a few suggestions? This blog post on Social Buddy gives you the top 15 #hashtags to use for real estate Instagram: https://socialbuddy.com/real-estate-hashtags/

Captivating Captions:

With each image or video you post, you have an opportunity to include a caption. The character length limit is 2200. That’s a lot of room to describe the post or listing, and to give people a way to connect with you if they want to learn more.

Creating a catchy caption or one that is informative and insightful is crucial to your posts. This draws people in. You want to reel them in, so much that they want to click the “Call” or “Email” options in your bio. Get everything you need to say in the caption.

Links, Collaborations, and Much More:

Instagram offers an abundance of opportunities. From leveraging influencer marketing to gain an audience to going live to increase traction on a new product, the opportunities are endless!

Link your real estate website in your bio so people can check your latest listings. This gives you a way to reference anything you post by simply adding on “Click the Link in the Bio!” –A simple CTA that they cannot miss! You can track the link clicks via the Insights tab on Instagram to see how effective your CTA is.

Instagram is a great tool for real estate agents. It offers an abundance of opportunities from marketing to creating new leads to sell properties. Any agent can easily build their client list by interacting with people online. Utilizing the visual aspects of Instagram to show off listings will increase sales and create a growing list of clients.

The post Why Real Estate Agents Should Take Advantage of Instagram appeared first on PressRelease .

Tips on Taking Your Marketing Global

Fri, 05 Jul 2019 12:00:00 GMT

Are you ready to grow your business? One of the least often pursued paths it to take your business and marketing global. There are many reasons why people avoid going global, one of them being the amount of legwork that goes into doing so. However, the benefits may outweigh the work you have to inly do. Let’s explore some of the most beneficial tips on taking your marketing efforts global…

Audience and Cultural Differences

Your marketing message in the United States may not translate the same abroad. How do you make it seamlessly translate across the world?

Before you take your marketing global, make sure you have a clear understanding of your audience, their needs, goals, and how they communicate. Get to know the cultural differences, so you are able to connect and engage, rather than offend and create distance. This helps bond the two of you together, even though you are miles apart.

One Language at a Time

There are many steps to taking your marketing global. They include creating content in the language that your audience speaks. It also means creating a website in that language. One idea is to tackle one country at a time with your global marketing initiatives. However, you might also tackle one language at a time. Spanish is always a good place to start because it’s the official language of 20 countries. Of course, the language or country that you choose to initially focus on depends on your niche and audience.

Test and Track

Test and Track. Just like you would with any new marketing tactic in the United States, you will test your tactic and track the results. It’s no different from any global marketing initiative.

For example: If you’re building an email list for your Spanish speaking audience, you will create a few slightly different opt-in pages or calls to action.

Find Good People

You may want to consider working with someone in the area you’re focusing on.

When starting your global initiative in another country, make sure to have knowledge about their market. You should be familiar with their business and industry. Find someone who is familiar with YOUR industry and can give you insight on that country and your company.

Finding good partners or people to support you can make a huge difference and save you time and money.

Planning Before Going Global

Before you decide to go global with your marketing, there’s a bit of planning to do. Know where you’re marketing, who you’re marketing to, and how that message needs to change to reach your new audience. Start slowly and stay focused on your global marketing efforts.

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Is Traditional Journalism Dying?

Thu, 04 Jul 2019 12:00:00 GMT

A few years ago, there were many articles about the death of traditional journalism. Isn’t it ironic that the death of journalism was being talked about in article form? Traditional journalism, is in fact, what has caused the success of many businesses. Without it, what does that leave us to depend on? Learning how to weave your way through a “dying” notion by making it “new” is a tactic that can impact you and your business in a positive matter.

What is Traditional Journalism?

Ask most people what traditional journalism is and you’ll get different answers. It all depends on their age . For some, traditional journalism means newspapers and news coverage in those newspapers.

It’s true that newspaper publication and subscription has significantly declined over the past few years. People don’t subscribe to or read print newspapers anymore because of the internet.

Other people will say that traditional journalism is the news on the television. Well, viewership amongst millennials and people under the age of 35 is down. Millennials are on tablets, smartphones, and laptops. They opt for the more “modern” versions of television. But, those over 30 and certainly those over 50, still watch their daily news programs.

Younger people will say that traditional journalism is alive and well because they consume their news online. They follow sites like CNN.com, HuffingtonPost, The Washington Post and so on. Instead of receiving news traditionally via newspapers or watching television, they simply search online.

So, is traditional journalism dying? Yes and no – it depends on who you ask.

There are still papers, daily news programs, and online news websites and feeds. The bottom line, there’s still a way to get your daily information – even if it means that you’re following news feeds on Twitter. Journalists are just as busy as ever, probably even more! In this age of digital information, the “Need it Now” stance factors in greatly. They always have to be on the edge of their seat waiting for the latest breaking news around the globe.

What Does This Mean for You?

For the business owner who is looking to create a strong press and public relations strategy, the evolution of news access is important. You want to make sure you:

Traditional journalism isn’t dying, it’s evolving. The old ways are still here and every day new means of accessing news and information are being utilized. Know how to tap into those systems and media outlets and you can connect with your audience and make sure that the news you have to share reaches them.

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Influencer Trends that Have Changed 2019

Wed, 03 Jul 2019 12:00:00 GMT

Influencer marketing and social media influencers have a powerful impact on our culture and the way we do business. Social media influencers range from micro to macro to celebrity influencers. Each type of influencer has a different effect on the world and on how we do business.

Fake Influencers

It should have been expected. With any industry, there are going to be those who have little to no integrity and who fake sponsored content to make themselves look credible. Influencers that engage in dubious behavior are using their fake, sponsored posts to trick brands into believing that they have a proven track record. This is a negative influencer trend that has changed the way influencers are vetted before receiving sponsorship agreements.

Influencer Entrepreneurs

More and more influencers are launching their own product lines.

From beauty influencers launching makeup lines, to fashion influencers launching clothing lines, more influencers are capitalizing on brand awareness. This has had an impact on the power and growth of influencer marketing. Watching someone who shares a specialized knowledge of a product to create their own is a vast shift.

Storytelling

Influencers are leveraging the power of storytelling through podcasts, blogs, vlogs, etc. It’s changing how we share information and how we connect with our audience. Marketers have the ability to partner with influencers and leverage this type of content in a number of ways. And, as a marketer, you can take a cue from influencers and pay attention to the type of content, and stories, your audience is consuming. You can create similar content and increase engagement.

It goes without mentioning that the demand for authenticity and transparency is strong. Some influencers fake sponsorships, others partner with anyone that will write them a check. Social media influencers are becoming skeptical and discerning. Anyone who wants to leverage influencer marketing must be transparent as possible. Influencers will continue to change the social media landscape. Just a short time ago the concept of a social media influencer didn’t even exist, and now brands are collaborating with them to market their business. It’s a rapidly changing environment and marketers are wise to keep tabs on it.

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ROI of TV, Radio, and Billboard Advertisements

Tue, 02 Jul 2019 12:00:00 GMT

When creating your marketing strategy for the upcoming quarter or year, it’s important to make sure you have a few key fundamentals. One of those fundamentals, regardless of the marketing channel, is a goal. What are you striving to accomplish? Another key fundamental is your ROI or return on investment. How much are you going to invest and how much are you going to get out of your efforts? When it comes to traditional mediums like TV, radio, and billboards, it’s easy to lose track.

What’s the ROI of Television Advertising?

Most of us grew up with old school television advertising. Today, TV advertising doesn’t have the same power that it used to. Though millions are still spent for a 30-second spot during the Super Bowl. Before we take a look at the return on investment of television advertising, we should talk about how it’s calculated.

ROI can be simply calculated by dividing the gross sales margin with the ad campaign cost. If the ad costs $1,000 and the gross sales margin is $2,000, there’s a ROI of 200 percent.

Based on data collected by Statista, for each dollar invested in TV advertising, 6.5 dollars was earned. (Source: https://www.statista.com/statistics/629438/ad-spend-roi-medium-usa/ )

What’s the ROI for Radio Advertising?

Radio advertising is even less popular for many brands simply because radio consumption has decreased. Many people now stream their music, ad free, in their cars, on their phones, and from their computers. That said, it’s an exceptional way to reach a local market. The same Statista source reports that for every dollar spent on radio advertising, 4.95 dollars is earned.

What About Billboards?

Billboard advertising generates 5.97 dollars for every dollar spent.

Without context, it’s difficult to compare what type of advertising has the best, and the worst, return on investment. It’s important to note, before we talk about the best and the worst, that there is still a return on investment. If you spend $1 on an ad and you earn $1.01, that’s still a profit. With billboards, television, and radio the return may not feel impressive but it’s still a positive return. The advertisement channel is still effective.

So, What’s the Worst Return? (and What’s the Best?)

Based on the same data collection from Statista, they found that print advertising had the worst return on investment with every dollar spent returning $4.12 and the digital display returning just a little more at $4.83. The best return was a digital search. For every dollar spent, the return was $11.05. You may be tempted to compare these returns, and it is most certainly good information. Also consider, when choosing your advertising mediums, where your audience is and what they’re most likely to respond to.

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Top 3 Business Tips for the Holidays

Tue, 02 Jul 2019 12:00:00 GMT

Do you know what it takes for your business to run smoothly while you’re lying on the beach for the 4th of July or spending time with friends and family on New Year’s Day? Consider this an early holiday gift: Learn what successful businesses must check off of their list before taking a holiday. Following them will make your vacation stress free…

3 Holiday Tips :

1. Schedule ALL Social Media Posts

Don’t wait around for the perfect time to post that picture of a stuffed turkey when dinner’s already on the table! Scheduling your Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram posts takes your mind off of social media and your phone.

Using tools like HopperHQ , TweetDeck , Hootsuite , etc. are great all year round, and especially during the holidays. You already know when your holiday sales/announcements are being sent out, so plan your posts to coincide with them. This gives you more time to do other things. If you have any last minute changes, simply go into the posting tool and make the few tweaks.

Once you’ve set your posts, you don’t have to worry about hitting “Post”, the tool you use does it for you! That’s the beauty of using a social media posting tool. You upload the photo or video, set a date and time, then poof! It’s done.

2. Check Your Inventory & Services

Whether its stock of your best selling items or a service that you offer, make sure they are running smoothly. Now is the time to test all available options and think of the worst case scenario…But, don’t panic. You’re just staying ahead of the game.

Make sure all your best sellers and regular items are stocked pile high and the service you offer that everyone asks for year round is running without any issues. If you are able to look back at last year’s holiday season, find out what hurdles you can avoid this year. Fix the problems you’ve faced in the past and think about the ones you could possibly face now. Cover all the ground you can and make a plan. If you run out of a product, what can you do to make that sale? Possibly order the product online or pre-order it for the customer? If your systems go down temporarily, how fast can you fix it so everyone can use your service again?

Creating a strategy and making sure you have everything in place is essential before you leave for your holiday vacation.

3. Track Sales Seamlessly

It might be smart to keep a laptop and your phone around while you’re basking in the 4th of July heat, or after opening presents with the family. But, you won’t be on it for too long, just to check in on your holiday sales.

Set up alerts to notify you when X amount of people are shopping on your store or check in to see how many people have used your holiday code an hour after you’ve announced it. Let’s face it, you might be yearning to know how well your business is doing while you’re away, so why not check on it every now and then? There are different sales tracking tools you can use to do so: NetSuite , FreshWorks , and Monday.com are a few, but there are many more out there .

You can also check in with one of your employees to make sure everything is going smoothly. Send over a text or simply hop on a 2-minute call to ease your worries, then get on with your day!

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What to Include in a Real Estate Press Release

Mon, 01 Jul 2019 12:00:00 GMT

Press releases are very effective tools for real estate agents. Whether it’s a celebrity listing or buying/selling tips, a press release can help you achieve your business and sale goals. In this blog post, we are going to take a look at what you can include in a real estate press release. From the content of the release to your call to action, let’s discuss what the necessities are…

Here’s What to Include :

1. Your News

Your news needs to be included. You might be surprised how often the news – the important part of your press release – isn’t highlighted. So, in the real estate business, what is news?

2. Contact Information

Make sure that you provide the reader with the opportunity to connect with you! How else do you expect to generate business?

Include a phone number, website, and social media profile page information. Give them every option to engage with you and become part of your community. You will see your online following grow, as well as an increase in volume. Just think about the opportunity you have by simply putting in your contact info!

3. Images

Your career relies on someone seeing a property. So why not implement visuals on your release?

Content with visuals outperforms content without visuals, and that includes press releases. They make your release more appealing to readers. Include photos, charts and graphs, and you can include links to videos and more. Give your readers, and the media, something relevant to look at.

4. Personality

Press releases have a reputation for being dull. And let’s face it, they often are. But they don’t have to be!

You are a real estate agent who works with people every day. Use that personality that you have to engage and connect with your press release audience. Include quotes, share stories that back up your news. Be professional and be personal. People don’t always want to see sales being pushed in their face. Cultivate some interesting content to be repurposed in your release to show others a personable side of you.

5. A Call to Action

Finally, don’t forget to give your audience something to do. Don’t let them simply read your release and click away.

You can direct them to your website, opt-in page, etc. If you’re hosting an event, you can enable them to sign up for the event. Align your call to action with your goal for the press release. Don’t forget to make the most of your release! You have their attention, capitalize on it.

Press releases can be a highly valuable tool for real estate professionals. There are myriad opportunities in your field to write a release and a ton of benefits. Add this tactic to your marketing plan. If you’re not a writer, outsource it. The return on investment for a press release is worth the effort.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post What to Include in a Real Estate Press Release appeared first on PressRelease .

What to Look for in a PR Strategist

Fri, 28 Jun 2019 17:15:00 GMT

Do you need a PR strategist? If you want to leverage the power of press and public relations, you will definitely need a plan in place

A PR strategist is someone who helps you create your PR strategy. The position is often internal, but some businesses prefer to outsource their PR, often hiring an agency. Regardless of how you fill the job, there are some key elements to look for in a PR strategist.

What to Look for in a Strategist :

1. Forward Thinking

Look for someone who is able to look to the future.

PR is about responding in real-time. However, you also want to have someone who is able to anticipate trends, opportunities, and situations. A public relations strategist should be proactive, not reactive. When speaking with candidates, ask them how they’ve approached PR in the past and ask for examples.

2. The Creative

It’s very easy for Public Relations to become routine. This routine, and focusing on the normal PR events and opportunities, may not help you reach the goals that you want to attain with your Press and PR.

Their portfolio or past examples of PR work they’ve done can help you see if they’re creative or traditional. Make sure to ask to see their past campaigns. Have them break down/highlight one of them and guide you through their creative process. This will allow you to see if their work-flow is a good fit to your team.

3. Successful Track Record

Any PR Strategist you hire should have a successful track record.

They should be able to demonstrate to you that they’ve helped companies create PR strategies that reached their goals. This means being able to initiate, implement, and adopt a strategy exemplifying trends, opportunities, and technology changes.

A strategist must be able to show you their past campaigns highlighting everything that occurred. As mentioned in the previous point, ask every strategist you interview go through one of their campaigns from start to finish. You will get a sense of how they accomplish their goals.

4. Someone Who “Gets” YOU

A good PR strategist, one that fits with your organization, means finding someone who probably has experience in your niche. It also means finding someone who can communicate effectively with you and your team.

Communication is an essential part of being a good PR strategist. Why? Because you have to understand the inner workings of a company and be able to work with different departments: sales, marketing, content creators, event planners, etc.

Finding a good PR strategist can take a little time. However, the role is important. A good strategy can increase brand awareness and strengthen your long-term business goals. Not to mention, consistently keeping you ahead of your opponents.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post What to Look for in a PR Strategist appeared first on PressRelease .

Which Social Media Network Is Best for Your Business?

Thu, 27 Jun 2019 12:00:00 GMT

When it comes to social media, you want to know where to focus your time and attention. You want to make sure that your efforts are well placed and are reaching their intended audience. It’s true that your return on investment will be better when you are solely focused on the best platform that meets your needs. When choosing the social media network that best benefits your business, consider these important questions…

1. Where Does My Audience Hang Out?

Make a list of the characteristics of your ideal customer.

What gender are they? What’s their age? What’s their annual income? What do they enjoy doing and what is important to them?

Start with the demographics and then explore the behaviors or psychographics. Then, take a look at the statistics for each social media site. Most sites will show you the demographics of their users. You can also visit sites like Hootsuite, who make it their business to stay on top of social media behavior and statistics. Keep in mind that you want the most recent demographic data because it changes over time.

For example: Facebook used to be used by college kids and now it’s used by middle-aged women.

2. What Information Format Does My Audience Best Respond To?

There are different content formats to consider.

For example : Let’s say that your audience is present on YouTube and LinkedIn. Great. But if you know that your audience responds much better to video than they do to text content, that would make YouTube a better choice.

That said, some social media networks do support different content formats. If you’re not sure what content format your audience best responds to, look to your past blog content or to your direct competition. What formats are they having success with?

3. What’s Your Industry and Business Model?

You’ll find that some social media platforms work better for Business to Consumer, while others work better for Business to Business.

Service-based businesses may have better results from more personalized social channels like Facebook. This is because certain products sell better when visualized.

The best advice, once you choose a social media network to focus on, is to stay focused on one until you’re seeing consistent results. You will be tempted to post and be active on other social channels, but creating a consistent flow can increase your engagement.

Once you have good systems in place and your following is steadily growing, then you can add another social media network to your marketing mix.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

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Top 5 Tools to Use to Build an E-commerce Website

Wed, 26 Jun 2019 12:00:00 GMT

Starting an online e-commerce business means building a website. It also means integrating essential systems into that website so that people can visit, browse, engage, and make purchases. On paper, it’s a simple process. However, if you choose the wrong tools, integrating them can be a challenge. As we look at the top 5 tools to use to build an e-commerce website, keep integration in mind. Our friends at G2 Crowd share an interesting article about Brick-and-Mortar stores vs e-commerce . In the meantime, enjoy the must-try tools below:

1. Shopify – https://www.shopify.com/

Shopify is an all in one e-commerce business tool. From creating your logo to managing your merchant account, and all of the marketing in between a, “Hello”, and a sale, Shopify has the tools for you.

Shopify is designed to help you build your own scalable online store. It offers hundreds of built-in features and apps. You can sell products directly on your website, across multiple marketplaces, and on social media.

2. WordPress – https://wordpress.com/ecommerce/

WordPress is a blogging platform that has grown over the years. It has become infinitely customizable through themes, templates, plugins, and widgets.

One of the best WordPress e-commerce themes and services is WooCommerce – https://woocommerce.com/ . Where an all-in-one service like Shopify may be easy, WordPress gives you the power to grow, change, and create the type of business you want to create. From what your site looks like to how you interact with customers, WooCommerce and WordPress give you the power of choice.

3. Wix – https://www.wix.com/

Wix is a free website builder that supports you to create your online store the way you want to.

While Wix makes it easy to create your website, other integrations are also beneficial. You can integrate an email list builder, payment processing, and add social media to its platform. This is where it’s important to make sure your chosen tools integrate well with one another.

4. SquareSpace – https://www.squarespace.com/

SquareSpace creates beautiful websites and online stores. From creating your site and your online store to managing product memberships, SquareSpace can help you get the job done.

It’s mobile optimized, offers secure checkout functionality, and flexible payment options. For you, the business owner, you can also take advantage of their customer relationship management features.

5. BigCommerce – https://www.bigcommerce.com/

BigCommerce is a powerful e-commerce website creation tool that offers customization. It also integrates well with a number of different websites such as WordPress.

Some features that BigCommerce offers are: full storefront features, marketing tools and support, coupons, and analytics.

Before you start searching for the right e-commerce website building tool for you, write down your list of needs, including your budget. Then you can compare these top five tools based on what is best for you and your business goals.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post Top 5 Tools to Use to Build an E-commerce Website appeared first on PressRelease .

Why Social Media Marketing Is Important for Small Businesses

Tue, 25 Jun 2019 12:00:00 GMT

Small businesses have many advantages over larger ones. Not that you don’t want to grow and maybe become a larger business, but there are benefits to being a smaller organization. One of those benefits is that social media marketing can have a much more powerful impact on your business. In fact, social media marketing may be your best marketing tool.

Here’s why:

1. Loyal Following

The pack survives.

Loyalty is a fundamental aspect of social media marketing. For business owners, this means you must engage with your followers. As a small business owner, this lends itself nicely to creating a community of followers and customers.

Overall, small business owners are much better at engaging with their audience. They are able to respond to questions and comments, creating a sense of trust. This loyal following leads to repeat sales and exceptional word of mouth marketing.

2. It’s Budget Friendly

You have a tight budget, right? Social media marketing is a budget-friendly way to grow your business.

It is much less expensive than advertising, that’s for sure! You can cross promote on multiple marketing channels and sites. –Thus, making better use of your content.

Additionally, the added ROI is beneficial for Google ranking and social media advertising in the long run. Not to mention, creativity can also get you quite far on social.

3. Website Traffic

With a solid social media marketing strategy, you can get good traffic numbers to your website. You can drive this traffic to your email list, to your sales page, or simply to your blog where they can learn more. The key to getting website traffic from your social media marketing is to create quality content on a consistent basis, at least daily. You also want to make sure that every post has a link to your website and a call to action.

4. Flexibility and Responsiveness

Smaller businesses are generally more nimble and quick to act in comparison to larger companies. With fewer layers of management and bureaucracy to navigate, business decisions can be carried out as soon as they’re made.

Social media marketing ties into this responsiveness perfectly. This is because you have to complete and instant control of the message you’re putting out over each network you are involved in. When your business needs change, or you notice a new marketing trend you want to capitalize upon it. –This is possible because you can instantly respond on social media.

As with any marketing tactic, the strength of social media marketing is based on content and strategy. You must be willing to test and track your results to understand how to improve as you go. If you want to help your small business, make sure you are devoting enough time to social media marketing.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post Why Social Media Marketing Is Important for Small Businesses appeared first on PressRelease .

#Let’sTalk: Is Using #Hashtags Still Worth It?

Mon, 24 Jun 2019 12:00:00 GMT

Hashtags are everywhere. They have become so common that it seems like they are automatically placed on every type of content. Whether it be an Instagram story or Reddit post, you can find a hashtag in there somewhere. The truth is that hashtags aren’t always useful. It really depends on where you use your hashtag and how you use it.

What is a Hashtag?

Originally, a hashtag – a word or phrase marked with the # symbol before it – was a way to add keywords to social posts. It’s used to identify the topic. For example, a post on press releases might have the hashtag #pressrelease at the end of it.

Hashtags can make content searchable on a variety of social sites, but they’re completely irrelevant on other sites. And, because there are those operating online who look to take advantage, you’ll find hashtag spammers. You’ll find people who add hundreds of hashtags to their content to make it show up on tons of irrelevant searches. And you’ll find some marketers and spammers using the most popular hashtags, even though they’re not relevant, to get attention for their posts.

All of this less than stand up activity means that hashtag value has diminished. However, it can still be worth it to use hashtags.

On Facebook, don’t use hashtags. They have no value. They’re not searchable and using them can make you look unprofessional. This means if you post something on Instagram and it is connected to Facebook, the hashtags transfer over too. A better approach is to create separate posts for Facebook and Twitter.

On Instagram, yes, use hashtags. In fact, you can use up to 30 on Instagram. As with any tactic, to maintain credibility and to get the most from your efforts you’ll want to research the best hashtags for your niche and topic. What is your audience searching for? You will also want to consider split testing hashtags.

On Twitter, you can use 1 or 2 hashtags. Like Instagram, do your research and test what works best for your audience.

On Pinterest, skip the hashtags. There’s little data to show that it improves your Pin’s results. Instead, continue to include keywords in your description.

LinkedIn actually uses hashtags and recommends up to three.

Best Practices

Using hashtags, like anything, requires attention and a strategy. Research what influencers are doing. Research what your audience is searching for. Test hashtags just like you would test keywords.

You may also consider branding your business with a unique hashtag for your most powerful and valuable content. When working with influencers, create a hashtag for your collaboration. Work with them on creative ideas that other users can distinguish.

Using hashtags is definitely still worth it. However, it’s not going to be effective on all social sites. Create your content and hashtag strategy. Research your audience, industry, and trends, and test your efforts.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

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When to Use Social Media Marketing

Sun, 23 Jun 2019 14:00:00 GMT

What triggers you to post on social media? A new blog post? Event? Or perhaps a milestone your company has reached? Whatever the reason may be, it is a good thing you share your news with your followers! But, if these reasons are the extent of your posting parameters, you and your company are missing out on prime opportunity!

Social media marketing is a powerful tool. Make sure to use it wisely and effectively. By doing so, you will see a significant improvement in revenue.

Tips When to Use Social Media Marketing:

1. When You Have Reached a Milestone

Has your business achieved a goal? Awesome! Announce it on social media.

Consider sharing the good news with an incentive, coupon, or even a contest. Get your followers excited about your news too! Show them that when you receive good news, you would like to show them gratitude and share the achievement.

Your followers are your customers. Showing your appreciation and reiterating the fact that you would not be there without them is a great way to keep them engaged with you.

2. When a Customer Reaches a Milestone

Share your customers’ success stories. Have they achieved a goal with your services? Has your product helped them in some way? Share these stories on social media – it’s the best medium for this type of communication.

Showing off your customer’s achievements encourages others to share their accomplishments with you as well. Especially if they used your product/service to get them where they are! It not only shows proof that your product/service works, but that there are people willing to say, “Hey, this works for me, try it out!”

3. When You Have Information to Share

Information comes in many different forms. Tweets are quite different from Instagram posts, but both are effective forms of social media marketing. Share a tip via tweet, with a link back to your blog for more tips. You can also share infographics and video tutorials via Instagram and Facebook.

Don’t be afraid to showcase your white papers, case studies, or eBook that your company has created. Your audience might be asking themselves questions that you can give them the answer to! Tell everyone that you have a new PDF guide, or a Webinar coming up that can help them. You will be giving your customers more value and asserting yourself as an expert in your field.

Anyway you share it, anyway they hear it, as long as it gets heard/seen!

4. When You’re Hosting or Participating in an Event

Hey old sport, got something to celebrate?

Event marketing is huge, and social media is an exceptional way to not only announce the event – but to also help others participate and engage. Use social media marketing to promote the event. Then, when possible, livestream or share content and images during the event. After the event you can share what you learned, what others gained from the event, and talk about future events.

5. When Launching Something New

Whether you have a new book, sale, service, or partnership, leverage social media to increase awareness! You can use social media marketing to build up stamina about your launch. As you do so, you can drive sales and research your audience when things simmer down. — This helps improve your strategy for the next big announcement!

Create a content calendar that maps out everything about the announcement to excite your followers about your launch. This can include teaser phtoos, videos, etc. You can even run a promotion about the new product/service via a contest. Let your followers know why they need it when it launches and what it does. You need to keep them on their toes and build up the hype.

Social media marketing can help businesses achieve a number of important marketing goals. You can drive traffic to sales pages or to your website and build your lead and email list. Other things you can do are: strengthen your brand, boost credibility, and create a community around your business.

The post When to Use Social Media Marketing appeared first on PressRelease .

Corporate Newsroom Tips for Startups

Fri, 21 Jun 2019 12:00:00 GMT

A good corporate newsroom is essential for any business with a website. It’s the tool that the media will use when they’re researching your company. The quality of your newsroom and the information you provide can be an important element in your press and PR success. Startups can benefit from a great newsroom right from the beginning. You don’t have to wait for media coverage to get started. Here are proven corporate newsroom tips for startups.

Include Contact Info for Your PR Reps

Don’t make journalists have to click through five or more pages before finding contact info for your PR person or media contact. If they have to dig, they are more likely to click away, and you won’t get the coverage that you’re hoping for. Make the contact information easy to find and make sure it’s placed on every page in your newsroom.

Then, take it a step further and include a brief bio and headshot of each one of your managers and officers. Make sure the headshot is large enough that the journalist can download it and use it in their material.

Include Social Sharing Buttons

This is a must-do for nearly every corner of your website, but it is perhaps even more important for your corporate newsroom. Include share and follow buttons to allow your readers to publicize your content for you. It also makes it easier for reporters to find you on social media, where they can continue their research.

Industry Resources

Journalists will do additional research on your industry. You can make their lives easier if you have already identified some key resources and made them readily available in your newsroom.

This can be anything from facts about your industry, current trends, and even content about your competition. The more you can provide the journalist, the easier their job is and the more likely they’ll be to write about your startup.

Create A Knowledge Base

In addition to industry resources, you can provide a wealth of information for media reps and for your audience.

Your knowledge base can include: case studies, surveys, industry news, and other relevant industry or brand information. Your knowledge base positions you as a credible expert.

Make It Visual

We live in a highly visual world now, and media content is often packed with video, photos, graphs, and more. With every piece of content you create for your newsroom, make sure there are visuals included. You’ll also want to tag them, for SEO, and make sure they’re downloadable or embeddable so the media can use them. Essentially, provide them with images that they can use for their own content.

Share Your Story

As a startup, you likely have a unique story. Who are the founders? Where are they from? What’s their background? What is your mission and vision? Make sure to add this type of brand story information. Media reps and reporters will want to know, and it may help you get the press and PR coverage you want, especially when you’re first getting started.

Finally, make sure to archive all of your press releases in your newsroom. Place the most recent first. Creating a corporate newsroom can take a little time but it’s worth it. As a startup, you can use all the media coverage you can get, and a newsroom helps make that possible.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post Corporate Newsroom Tips for Startups appeared first on PressRelease .

5 Things to Look for in an Influencer Database

Thu, 20 Jun 2019 12:00:00 GMT

Influencer marketing is growing in popularity. It makes sense from a business perspective. Why wouldn’t you utilize someone who has a loyal and engaged following? Especially since they are highly trusted in your niche. It’s targeted advertising by using someone’s social media platform to get your message out there. This allows their users to know that if the influencer trusts you, they can trust you too.

Of course, the key to making influencer marketing work for you is to find amazing influencers to work with. This is one area where an influencer database can help you.

What is an Influencer Database?

An influencer database is a tool you can use to find ideal influencers and narrow down which influencers you’d like to work with.

Many influencer databases offer features that help manage your working relationships, communications, and content. There are many different databases to choose from. Let’s look at how to find the right influencer database for your brand needs.

1. Social Media Platform Options

First, most influencer databases offer options for filtering influencers by social media platform. When searching for an influencer platform, make sure the database you choose offers certain features you are looking to market on.

Start out by asking yourself: Where is my social media presence strongest on? –Whether it is Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.

Try and focus your attention on finding an influencer who primarily is on YOUR strongest platform and go from there. Once you build up relationships on one platform, it will trickle down to others.

2. Your Industry

Additionally, some platforms focus on specific industries. For example, they may do only lifestyle and fashion influencers. You want to make sure that your chosen database lists influencers from your specific niche.

This helps you target the right audience. Once the people you are looking to reach know you exist, you can expect more people to begin searching your name in your industry.

3. Key Information

In addition to including contact information, make sure to have other key pieces of information.

Some things to consider: following size, location, voice, audience information, and demographics. –Having these items readily accessible will help you better understand the audience and whether or not it is worth reaching out to the influencer.

4. Features

Some influencer databases are simply lists of influencers that you can sort through, which is great. It provides you with the starting point that you’re looking for. However, other databases offer additional features like collaboration tools. Consider what you need when you’re searching for a database.

5. Price

How much does it cost? And what do you get for that price? Many influencer databases offer different levels of pricing depending on the package features. Determine your needs and your budget before you get started. Influencer databases can be an invaluable tool. They can help you connect with the right influencer to fit your branding and influencer marketing needs. Choose the right tool for your current needs and save yourself time and money.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post 5 Things to Look for in an Influencer Database appeared first on PressRelease .

The Unknown Benefits of Influencer Marketing

Wed, 19 Jun 2019 12:06:00 GMT

If you reach more, you will sell more –that is the ideal mindset behind Influencer Marketing. It begins with convincing a social media guru, or influencer , that your product, service, or company is worth promoting. From there, they take to social media to create a positive impact on your bottom line. But, there are other benefits of influencer marketing that you haven’t considered…

Hidden Benefits in Influencer Marketing:

1. Builds Trust

There is a handful of buying triggers that influencer marketing can tap into.

One of them is the concept of trust . We buy from people that we trust. With influencer marketing, you can leverage this benefit in a number of ways. You can collaborate with them to place buying links in their posts. This leverages the trust that their followers have for them. You can also enjoy increased trust for your brand.

As people who already consider you trustworthy and credible promote your brand, you’ll gain their followers along the way! It becomes a domino effect.

2. Improved Search Ranking

Search engine ranking isn’t something you’ve likely thought about in relation to influencer marketing. Yet, when an influencer creates or collaborates to create content that mentions your brand, it can help build quality links to your site.

Reviews and features are often the best type of content for this benefit. As you create more high-quality links, your search engine ranking improves. It’s generally recommended to leverage micro-influencers for this benefit. They have good domain authority in their niche.

3. Save Money: Strong ROI

You can spend a good amount of money on social advertising and not get the same results that you can get with influencer marketing.

One strategic influencer post can reach thousands, millions even, depending on the influencer. And yes, influencer partnerships cost money – however, when you do the math, you may find that your ROI is much better with influencer marketing.

It is important to note that traditional social media advertising is losing effectiveness — while Influencer Marketing is gaining . There are other hidden benefits, of course. You gain credibility and authority in your industry. You gain more qualified leads and drive sales.

Influencer marketing has also been shown to strengthen your content strategy and provide value to your audience. Influencer posts also have a much longer shelf life than traditional advertising.

If you are not leveraging influencer marketing to grow your business, it’s time to take a hard look and reconvene. Influencer marketing is a tactic that everyone is using nowadays. By using this new marketing tool, you have the potential to skyrocket your company to the next level.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post The Unknown Benefits of Influencer Marketing appeared first on PressRelease .

Influencer Vs. Content Marketing: Which is Better?

Tue, 18 Jun 2019 12:00:00 GMT

You have a marketing budget, which means you have resources allocated to marketing. Within that budget, you have to decide how much money, time, and energy to distribute to each category. Generally speaking, the majority of your budget will more than likely fall under content and influencer marketing.

Yes, social and content marketing fall under the “influencer marketing” category. Because influencer marketing has been proven successful, it must be split into two focuses. This, in turn, is the reason the designation of budget and strategy are divided.

So which is better for your business, influencer marketing or content marketing?

Too Much Competition

In the world of content marketing, it’s fair to say that there’s an astronomical amount of competition. Your audience’s attention span is limited. This means you have to create astounding content to get them to spend a few seconds with you. –If you can grab their attention at all .

But, if you partner with an influencer, things become a bit easier. Influencers have dedicated audiences who pay attention to their content. This almost guarantees you brand attention, and the ability to systematically earn their trust. Leverage that same influencer to get your content in front of your audience a few times and now you’ve increased conversions.

Crappy Content

Let’s face it, a lot of the straight-up content marketing out there isn’t all that valuable, and in many cases, it’s pretty terrible.

Consumers have stopped digging for content online to solve their problems. Instead, they turn to influencers in that nice for answers.

For example : If a person wants to know which phone to purchase, they will most likely watch review videos of an influencer v. reading reviews.

Expediency

There are buying triggers that your content marketing must tap into in order to motivate a purchase or conversion. These triggers include reciprocity, authenticity, trust, credibility, authority, and likeability. With content, it can take a long time to build these connections with your audience and readers.

Influencers have already established this connection with their audience. What does this do for you? It means one mention or collaboration between you and an influencer can create conversions that would have otherwise taken months. It’s more expedient to leverage influencers.

So: Which is better for your business, content marketing or influencer marketing? Honestly, you still want to engage in both. However, consider increasing your influencer marketing budget. It will likely help you attain your marketing goals more quickly and deliver a better return on your investment.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post Influencer Vs. Content Marketing: Which is Better? appeared first on PressRelease .

Can Press Releases Be Written into Blog Posts?

Mon, 17 Jun 2019 12:00:00 GMT

One of the challenges with content marketing of any type, including press release marketing, is that you want to get the most from your content. Repurposing and reusing content can help get your message across to several audiences. This can also help increase awareness and engagement. Not to mention, stretch your marketing dollar!

Creating Blog Posts from Press Releases

One of the ways you can repurpose or reuse content is by making your release into a blog post. Those blog posts can then be promoted on social media via email!

Let’s take a look at some of the key considerations when turning a press release into a blog post.

Key Components:

Chances are, there are probably three key points in your press release that you’ve written to support your news.

For example : If you just release new research results, you will focus on three key points on how your work can impact the public. Each of these points can be expanded and created into separate blog posts or one long one. -It all depends on what your audience prefers.

Facts:

The facts that you lay out in your press release can be turned into content. Blog posts don’t have to be text. You can create an infographic that represents your press release data.

Regardless of your content format, sharing facts from your release and expanding on them provides your audience with valuable content.

Verbatim

What about simply cutting and pasting the press release content into a blog post? You can do this, but there are some additional considerations. If you cut and paste, consider adding the phrase “press release” to your title so your readers aren’t confused. As you know, a press release has a different voice and tone and it’s probably different from your blog voice.

You can also keep the content but change the voice and language a bit so that it read more like a blog post and less like a press release. Just a little bit of formatting and editing should make this an easy process. When it comes to repurposing press releases, think outside the box a bit. Get creative and share your news with your blog audience in a way that they’ll appreciate and engage with.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post Can Press Releases Be Written into Blog Posts? appeared first on PressRelease .

Why Putting a Reporter’s Needs Before Your Own is Important

Sat, 15 Jun 2019 14:30:00 GMT

When you’re focused on your brand’s press and public relations, it can be difficult to focus on the needs of others. However, that’s exactly what you need to do if you want to work successfully with a reporter or other members of the media. Putting their needs before your own is important.

Making the Pitch

When you make a pitch to a reporter, you’re likely quite anxious about not only the process but also their response. It’s easy to be focused on what you need from the reporter. If you can shift your attention to what the reporter needs, you will get a better response.

Audience:

When writing your pitch, keep the journalist’s audience at the forefront. What do they want to know and how will your information help them?

Your chosen media representative is not going to write the story for themselves –they are writing it for their audience. If you are focused on their audience, it will help you create a stronger pitch.

Timeline:

Yes, you probably have a timeline to work with, but the journalist doesn’t care about your timeline. They have deadlines to meet.

Try and learn their timeline and work extra hard to meet it. It shows that you care enough to go a step further. This, in turn, will help you create a solid relationship with that person.

Make It Easy:

If we’re being up front, a pitch that basically writes the story for them stands a better chance of getting covered.

Yes, a pitch should be short and sweet, but you also want to paint a picture of the story. Give away as much details as needed, but keep them wanting to read the release.

Writing the Release

Writing a press release is different than sending a pitch. Yet the same “journalist first” approach should be embraced.

Think about the type of journalists you are pitching to before writing your release. Include all the informative details they are going to need when writing the story.

Side Note : Never forget your contact info!

Newsworthy:

Ask yourself, will the reporter think this is newsworthy? Is it timely, relevant, and important for their audience? Will their audience care? Put yourself in their shoes and ask these important questions before you send them a press release.

Facts, Quotes, & Information:

In addition to placing relevant and valuable facts in your release, be sure to provide them with resources for further information. This could be a link to a downloadable PDF or a link directed to your media page.

You should always put the reporter first when building a media relationship. Promote their content and provide them with assistance when needed. This shows them that the relationship you are trying to cultivate is a two-way street. And when you’re working together for the first time, be the best professional they’ve ever worked with, so they want to work with you again.

The post Why Putting a Reporter’s Needs Before Your Own is Important appeared first on PressRelease .

Finding the Right Influencer for Your New Campaign

Fri, 14 Jun 2019 12:00:00 GMT

Finding the right influencer for your new campaign is the first step to success. She or he can be the thing you are looking for to launch your business to the next level. Choose the wrong influencer and your message may not reach the right people at the right time. Worse, your message may get twisted and harm your brand.

The following steps and tips will help you choose the best influencer for your next campaign:

Start with Relevance

The right influencer for your next campaign must be relevant to your product or services.

“Relevance” means they talk about your industry on a regular basis. Their audience must be looking for solutions that your products or services can resolve. Micro or macro, any influencer with a relevant audience is better than a celebrity with an audience that would dismiss your brand. Thinking small definitely has its benefits!

Engagement and Activity

Does the influencer post regularly and consistently (meaning at least once a day)? And does their audience comment on, share, and engage with their content?

Once those to boxes are checked, the next one to look at is influencer activity: Do they engage with their audience, answer questions and respond to comments?

Engagement and activity demonstrate trust and can help you determine if people are paying attention to that influencer. A large number of followers doesn’t necessarily mean that the audience will respond to influencer reviews and calls to action.

Reach

Reach refers to the number of followers. Again, this isn’t as important as relevance and engagement. That being said, the more followers an influencer has the more people you’ll reach. Micro influencers generally have less than 50,000 followers. You can often partner with a few micro influencers for less than you can partner with one macro influencer. Your budget and your goals should be taken into consideration before you decide.

Authenticity

Take a look at the other products or services that an influencer represents. Are they representing anyone who will give them a paycheck or are they discerning? Do they promote your competitor’s products or services?

This is important to consider because it lends to the credibility of the influencer. Pick someone who you trust to be an extension of your brand. Remember that they will be promoting your products or services. They need to be deemed as “authentic”.

Before you choose your influencer, make sure you have established your budget and your goals. That way, when you’re communicating with the influencer and working on your agreement, you are clear on what you need. Finding the right influencer for your new campaign can take a little time and research, but it’s worth it.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post Finding the Right Influencer for Your New Campaign appeared first on PressRelease .

(Micro)Influencer Marketing: Bigger Isn’t Always Better

Thu, 13 Jun 2019 12:00:00 GMT

When companies talk about influencer marketing, they are referring to influencers with sizeable followings –aka celebrity influencers. Celebrity influencers are the bright and shiny goals of big marketers, but what about smaller micro influencers? Yes, those bigger influencers can be beneficial, but micro influencers can be significantly more powerful.

The idea that “Bigger is better” does not necessarily have to apply to influencer marketing. Take a look at other influencers in the space. They are probably just as or more engaged than celebrity influencers. You just need to know which one to pick.

Let’s take a look at the benefits of using Micro Influencers:

What is a Micro Influencer?

Micro influencers are those social media and online influencers who have a smaller following. That following can be less than 50,000. Whereas a celebrity or expert influencer may have as many as a million followers. Big difference in reach but that’s not where the biggest differences lie.

Benefits of Micro Influencers

Trust, Authority, and Credibility:

Micro influencers may not have the same following as celebrities or experts, but they do tend to have more trust from their audience. They work hard to forge connections, produce drive content, and make their audience feel respected.

Ther hard work pays off with trust. When a micro influencer says something, their audience believes them. As a marketer, you know their audience will hear their message (your message too!) and engage with their/your content.

Conversion and Engagement

A micro influencer’s followers are more likely to take action on collaborative campaigns. This means “Like, Comment, Repost, or Share” anything the influencer puts out there. This, in turn, leads to a higher conversion and engagement rate.

As a marketer, this gives increases your ROI v. when working with a celebrity. Micro influencers can be more one-on-one with you. Celebrities probably have a busier schedule than micro influencers. They would be able to personally take time out of their day to strategize with you, instead of going through a third person.

Let’s Talk Cost

Working with influencers isn’t free. Your collaboration will compensate the influencer in some way. Maybe it’s a flat fee or a pay per click or referral setup.

Regardless, you’re going to spend less money with a micro influencer than you would with an expert or celebrity. There are many reasons why micro influencers are less expensive. One of them is the demand for their collaboration. As demand goes up, so too does their fee.

That being said, micro influencers tend to be highly protective of their audience and don’t partner with anyone who offers them a paycheck. This is good. It means when a micro influencer agrees to collaborate with you, you can create an authentic relationship.

Bottom line, working with micro influencers may not only be better for your profits but also just more fun and easier to work with. You still have to do your research and choose the best influencers for your brand and audience. However, bigger definitely isn’t always better in the world of influencer marketing.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post (Micro)Influencer Marketing: Bigger Isn’t Always Better appeared first on PressRelease .

PR Distribution: A Look into What a CS Team Should Deliver

Wed, 12 Jun 2019 19:02:00 GMT

Great Customer Service (CS) is an integral part to any successful business. In the PR space, having a team of quick-thinking and adaptive CS specialists can make a huge impact for a company.

A great CS team is like having all of the components for a well oiled machine – clients contact the company with questions and concerns, and CS representatives handle these cases in a polite and efficient manner. Poor CS teams often lead to customer dissatisfaction and negative reviews on rating websites.

Customer Service teams are the individuals that most often interact directly with clients. They are the ones that have to become problem solvers, act as resources of information, and at times, deal with some very unhappy clients.

Here are 4 Tips to help your CS Team be the very best they can possibly be:

1. Timing Is Everything

In the PR space, clients are typically busy. They are usually the CEO, CMO, or communications manager that is tasked with making sure that their company’s PR campaigns are running smoothly. If they run into trouble either with their software or campaign, they will have to find quick solutions to their problem in addition to all of the other marketing & PR work they have to manage that day.

If the client has already waited on hold to either receive support via phone or live chat, it’s important for CS team members to be responsive and as focused as possible when trying to resolve the issues at hand.

It may seem obvious, but quick response and resolution times are often the make-or-break aspects to a Customer Service experience for a client.

While wait times are often determined by call/chat volume and are out of a CS team member’s control, resolving a call/chat in a short and sweet manner is one of the best things a CS representative can do to ensure customer satisfaction.

2. Predict the Future

No, not really.

Customer Service representatives should always try to be proactive when possible. By anticipating questions and concerns, interactions with clients can be expedited as solutions to their problems can be found quicker.

PR software can at times be confusing and hard to navigate, even for expert-level CMOs and communications managers. Establishing clear and concise communication with these kinds of clients and anticipating the issues they might face demonstrates that the CS team member is knowledgeable.

The best way to anticipate customer questions and concerns is to have a full understanding of the company’s software.

“By understanding your company’s products and services, you’ll be able to consider and at times predict the questions and concerns a client may have based on his or her needs,” said Kirsten Calandra, a Customer Service Specialist for Newswire.com. “You’ll also be better prepared for situations in which aspects of a product or service may need some further explanation.”

3. It’s OK to say IDK!

Inevitably, your CS team members may run into situations in which they aren’t sure how to definitively solve a customer’s problem or answer an inquiry. In the PR space, where issues may arise in the form of both software errors and campaign direction complaints, CS team members are tasked with not only having to possess a wide range of knowledge in these areas, but also knowing which departments to contact in the event that they don’t.

In these situations, it is OK to inform the client that you are not currently aware of a resolution to their issue.

However , it is critical that you are resourceful and tell them that you are doing everything in your power to assist them with their situation.

As a CS team member, your next step should be to develop a plan in which you will contact different officials within the company to resolve the customer’s issue. Make sure to keep the customer in the loop and provide them with a projected response time by which you should have a solution for their issue.

4. R-E-S-P-E-C-T!

Customers are looking for solutions to their problems, but they are also expecting to be treated with respect when they call a help number or log on to a customer service chat.

“The success of any company relies on their customer service, as CS reps act as not only the face of the company, but also as the client’s first human interaction with the company as well,” said David Tadros, Customer Service Specialist for Newswire.com.

“Patience, empathy and problem solving skills are all required when dealing with any client. People skills, however , are far more important, as they allow you to build deeper connections with clients to facilitate long term relationships and customer loyalty. “

Customer Service is one of the more complicated aspects to a business, especially in the PR industry. Clients are busy, and the problems they run into can at times be tricky to resolve. Ultimately, a team of knowledgeable and respectful customer service representatives that work quickly to find answers to these problems can be the saving grace for a competitive business in this industry.

The post PR Distribution: A Look into What a CS Team Should Deliver appeared first on PressRelease .

5 Reasons Why Influencer Marketing is Killing Online Ads

Wed, 12 Jun 2019 12:00:00 GMT

Influencer marketing is in, and online ads are on the way out! No, seriously. More businesses are investing money into influencer marketing versus traditional online advertising. This can result from many thing: trends, credibility, and engagement.

Why is this happening? What’s going on?

Let’s take a look at why influencer marketing is killing online ads :

1. Better ROI

We’ll give it to you straight: Influencer marketing performs better than online advertisements. That’s a fact.

Influencers have loyal audiences and they’ve worked hard to earn their trust. When they say, “ Hey, I love this product !” their audience trusts and believes them. They click on the link, they follow the brand, and they convert. Meanwhile, when a prospect sees an ad on social media, they may or may not click on it.

2. Trust, Credibility, and Likability

We buy from people and brands that we trust, we believe to be credible, and that we like.

Influencers, by definition, have achieved that status with their audience. They are liked, trusted, and believed to be credible. When they review a product, either positively or negatively, their audience believes them and takes action.

3. More Authentic Engagement

A social advertisement is a limited entity. There is little, if any, engagement. It is merely a post in time and people will either click on the link or not. With an influencer post, there is the opportunity to have conversations with followers. People can tag their friends, share the post, and make comments. All of this conversation is authentic and can not only help you learn more about your audience, but it can also help you create a community around your brand.

4. Consumers are Too Savvy

Consumers just aren’t interested in advertising anymore. Ad clicks and conversions on social media is declining. There’s just too much competition for their time and attention online. However, influencer marketing is easy. It’s in their feed and they are naturally going to look at the post as they scroll through. And while they may not click on a link in a Facebook ad, or even give it a second glance, they will click on links in posts that capture their attention.

5. Word of Mouth Benefits

Influencer marketing shares many of the same benefits as word-of-mouth marketing. It boosts brand identity and recognition through stories about people, instead of just the brand.

Don’t forget: Social and online advertising does not books SEO, but influencer marketing does.

How? Most influencers have their own highly rated websites.

Links to your site from theirs increases your search ranking. Bottom line, if you are still struggling with online advertising, it may be time to take a look at your influencer marketing options. Shift your budget and leverage the power of influencers.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post 5 Reasons Why Influencer Marketing is Killing Online Ads appeared first on PressRelease .

Top 5 Ways Press Releases Support Event Marketing

Tue, 11 Jun 2019 16:03:00 GMT

Event marketing is on the rise. Brands are leveraging the power of bringing people together for a common cause. And events, online or off, are fantastic ways to crease momentum, launch products or services, share specialized knowledge and so much more.

To get the most out of your event, make sure you have ramped up the excitement around it. Have you reached out to as many people as you can to share the announcement? Have you generated as much press and PR as possible? There are several different ways you can use press releases to reach your event marketing goals.

Traditional Press Release

You can leverage press release in the traditional sense. Write a press release announcing your event. It’s newsworthy. Focus on the benefit of the event and answer the 5 W’s: who, what, where, when, and why. If you’ve held the event before (such as if it’s an annual event), then share information from the last event – including who was there, what was accomplished. You might even share quotes and photos from the event. If it’s a new event, you can share quotes from people who are presenting.

Promote Your Content

If you’re sharing any new content at the event, you can write blog posts about what your company is doing at the event and what people will get excited about. You can ask other presenters to write guest blog posts as well.

Share your content! Have your chosen influencer and reporters share your post online!

And any new content that you create and share can be promoted with a press release. Keep in mind that this includes content released during the event. For example, if you give all attendees a workbook, you can sell or give the workbook away after the event. Create a press release to announce this new product.

Drive Traffic to Your Landing Page

Consider creating a unique landing page for the event. Provide all of the information about the event and give people an opportunity to sign up for news about the event. Consider integrating video into the landing page to help people connect with your brand and want to learn more. Don’t forget to put your social follow links on your landing page as well. Then, because you have a new landing page, this is something that you can announce with a press release. It can be short and sweet.

Social Media

Whether your event is on social media, as a Facebook event, or it’s another type of event, you can use social media to promote it. Before, during, and after the event, social media can play a critical role in the engagement, excitement, and attendance at your event. In your release, be sure to share how people can find out more information about your event on social media.

Redirecting them to a social media page with your event info, here are some things you MUST include:

1. Location

2. Time + Day

3. How they can engage with the event

4. How they can attend

New Additions

One tactic is to slowly release information to the public about the event. For example, let’s say that you’re holding a workshop and six experts are speaking. You might share the first four experts in the original press release and then announce two more speakers in a subsequent release. It’s a way to continue the promotion and to build anticipation.

Press releases are an important part of event promotion and marketing. They can be leveraged to help you reach a number of goals. Using a release, you can create step-by-step suspension: from announcements to wrapping things up and everything in between!

The post Top 5 Ways Press Releases Support Event Marketing appeared first on PressRelease .

Can Influencer Marketing Backfire?

Tue, 11 Jun 2019 12:00:00 GMT

Influencer marketing is being touted as the golden tool in any brand’s marketing toolbox. It is foolproof and powerful, right? Well, the truth is that when a brand makes mistakes, influencer marketing can actually harm your brand and your business. Influencer marketing can in fact backfire.

Let’s look at some examples of how it can go wrong and how to avoid the mistakes that cause problems:

Too Many Influencers:

Having too many influencers promote your product/service can cause you to lose credibility .

For example : Have you ever noticed the same giveaway contest being held on Instagram by dozens of influencers? They’re all giving away the same package and promoting a contest.

It’s influencer marketing at its worst. The mistake, the brand has created a partnership with too many influencers for the same product. It causes you to lose credibility with your audience. Instead, hand pick a few (or even just one) influencer to promote your product. You’ll maintain credibility and build stronger online relationships.

Uncontrolled Content:

It’s quite possible that an influencer can go off script when talking about your brand or product and cause more harm than good. It’s happened to brands before and it can be damaging.

The mistake is not stipulating the content in your agreement with the influencer. Not having a strong enough relationship with the influencer also causes issues.

When choosing an influencer to work with, you cannot dive into everything head first. Make sure they understand your business and branding. Ensure they are a perfect extension to your company.

Wrong Influencer:

It may sound ridiculous, but some brands create agreements with influencers that are outside of their audience or niche. It’s like putting a NASCAR ad on Martha Stewart’s website. It just doesn’t make sense.

When engaging in influencer marketing, do your research . There are many ways you can find the right influencers. From a database to researching who your competitor is using, there are options. Choosing an influencer who is in your niche and has a similar audience to yours is imperative. Otherwise, you are throwing away money.

In the past few years, many brands have gotten in trouble with content that came across to their audience as insensitive. Pepsi and Kendall Jenner, Katie Price and Snickers. Bad timing can possibly be at the center of it all.

An influencer can get in trouble with their audience for something they’ve said and done, and your content can get caught in the middle of it. Do your research, plan well, and stay on top of your brand mentions online. It’s the best way to control your reputation and your influencer marketing results. Influencer marketing can absolutely backfire, but it’s less likely to when you are strategic with your efforts.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post Can Influencer Marketing Backfire? appeared first on PressRelease .

Social Media and Brand Consistency: Setting Your Tone

Mon, 10 Jun 2019 16:33:00 GMT

When marketing your company on social media there are a few fundamentals for success. You’re probably familiar with most of them, including to speak to your audience (and know who your audience is), to engage, and to embrace consistency. Consistency plays an intricate role in several aspects of social media. From posting consistently to making sure your message is consistent, you have to make sure everything aligns. The tone is one aspect of consistency that is often overlooked.

What is Tone?

To define “tone” let’s use this eloquent definition from buffer.com,

Voice: Your brand personality described in an adjective. For instance, brands can be lively, positive, cynical, or professional.

Tone: A subset of your brand’s voice. Tone adds a specific flavor to your voice based on factors like audience, situation, and channel.

Essentially, there is one voice for your brand and many tones that refine that voice.

For example : Let’s say that your voice is professional. Your tone on Twitter might be honest and direct. Your voice on LinkedIn might be more clinical and include many data points and facts. So your tone can change depending on your chosen social media channel. But your “voice” – your mission – won’t change regardless of who you’re talking to or where you’re talking to them.

Why is Tone Consistency Important on Social Media?

Each social media channel has a unique audience. For example, the audience on SnapChat is younger than the audience on Instagram, and on SnapChat your tone may be more informal.

One of the reasons consistent tone is important on social media, is it allows you to speak the same language as other uses. For example, you would talk to people differently on Facebook than you would on LinkedIn.

Another reason you want your tone to be consistent on social media is so that your followers know what to expect from you. They need consistency from you both in terms of content as well as tone so they can begin to trust you. We buy from brands and people we trust so this is important for your social media and business success. If you’re sarcastic one day on social media and personal and open the next, you’re going to confuse your followers.

How Do You Create Tone Consistency?

The first step is to determine the social channel you’re focusing on and who your audience is on that channel. Thought social listening and basic research, you can determine the language and tone your audience responds to on that chanel. From that point, you can determine the right tone for your content. Make sure the tone is in line with your voice and mission. Consider writing a paragraph definition for each social media channel you’re creating content for. Identify your voice and mission, and then write down a few adjectives that define your voice. This will help you remain consistent. Finally, track your results and be patient. It can take a bit of time, engagement, and content posting to create the social media and brand results you’re looking for.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post Social Media and Brand Consistency: Setting Your Tone appeared first on PressRelease .

Beware AI: Artificial Influencers

Mon, 10 Jun 2019 12:00:00 GMT

Influencer marketing is huge. In fact, according to Influencer Marketing Hub, in 2019, Influencer Marketing is predicted to grow to more than double 2017 figures. That big growth also means more technology is being dedicated to influencer marketing. That means more apps and software to track efforts and results. And in this case, it also means the introduction of Artificial Influencers.

What are Artificial Influencers?

Artificial Influencers are influencers that are computer generated.

They do not share their own personal thoughts, photos, or experiences. These artificial influencers are computer creations sharing strategic and highly targeted posts on their feed. The only intent they have is to convert and cash in.

Examples of Artificial Influencers

Shudu Gram:

According to AdWeek, Shudu Gram, is “a South African Instagram model with flawless dark skin and a perfectly symmetrical face. She has garnered 130,000 followers since appearing on the platform a little over a year ago. She’s modeled Fenty Beauty lipstick, and she’s currently penning an editorial for a major online publication.”

You can find Shudu at https://www.instagram.com/shudu.gram/?hl=en

Lil Miquela:

Lil Miquela is another example of an artificial influencer. According to Verizon.com, “The freckled, 19-year-old California model and Instagram influencer champions causes such as the Black Lives Matter and the Innocence Project and promotes brands like Coach and Prada to 1.5 million followers.” She too is a digitally created character, not a real person.

You can find Lil Miquela at https://www.instagram.com/lilmiquela/?hl=en

These are two primary examples of hundreds of AI Influencers who are representing brands and creating a following. What’s the problem? Maybe there’s no problem at all.

A Question of Ethics

One of the biggest potential issues with AI: Brands losing trust with their audience for using computer-generated influencers. Most followers understand that influencers are representing a product or service in exchange for a check. That is how they make a living . But, can they trust an AI?

For example : Shudu represents makeup yet she doesn’t actually wear the makeup, so how can her message be trusted? In the eyes of most consumers, it can’t. And this is the biggest issue for brands.

Conversely, if brands create their own AI, they can control everything. From content to building a following, to leveraging the power of influencer marketing –they have control . In many ways, it can give a brand complete control over their message in ways that traditional influencer marketing cannot. AI may simply be a new way of advertising and content marketing. Brands will have to stay in the loop on consumer feedback and decide if this is a path they take or if they stay with traditional, human, influencers.

The post Beware AI: Artificial Influencers appeared first on PressRelease .

Small Businesses Influencers – What They Do, and Where to Find Them

Sun, 09 Jun 2019 17:02:00 GMT

Every industry, niche, and specialty business has influencers. Social media influencers are people who are active on social media sites like Facebook and Instagram. They have a following that is devoted and that generally takes action based on the influencer’s advice and suggestions.

For example : When a fashion influencer may say that he/she loves a specific brand of sandals their followers will go check out those sandals. Influencers have built a following that trusts them. They’ve worked hard to create credibility, trust, and authority within their niche.

Small business influencers are merely influencers that are specific to the small business niche. They can be macro-influencers, which means that they have a large following. This means they have more than 100,000 followers. They may also have millions, so there’s a broad range here. Micro-influencers have fewer than 100,000 followers.

The difference between macro and micro small business influencers is essentially in the numbers. A micro-influencer may have fewer followers, but they’re no less dedicated to the influencer. And micro-influencers may be easier for you to collaborate with. So let’s talk about that next.

What Do Small Business Influencers Do?

From an influencer perspective, they provide value to their audience. A small business influencer helps their audience, small business owners, build a better business. They may focus on technology content and how to leverage technology to grow your business. Another aspect they focus on is branding or customer relationships. They take a look at a more personal approach and talk about balancing work-life, hiring, and taxes, and other aspects.

Small business influencers, macro and micro, make money through partnerships and affiliate marketing. Affiliate marketing is an arrangement that has an online retailer pay commission to an external website for traffic.

They also work with brands to create a partnership arrangement. For example, you could pay an influencer a flat fee to create posts to endorse your brand. You could also work out a referral fee for traffic or sales they make when they send customers to your website. These arrangements or partnerships can be quite lucrative for you both. And because they’re providing value to the influencer audience, the collaborative content is authentic.

Where do You Find Small Business Influencers?

There are a number of ways to identify influencers that you may want to build a relationship with or partner with. You can simply jump onto your social media platform of choice and start searching based on #hashtags, keywords, and brand mentions. Start following people in your industry and pay attention to their followers, engagement, and their message.

You can also find influencer marketing platforms. These are essentially databases of influencers and their specific niches. Platforms provide a basic demographic of influencer followers. Influencer marketing can be a strategic way to grow your audience, increase brand engagement, and boost sales.It all begins with identifying key influencers in your nice and the process of research and relationship building.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post Small Businesses Influencers – What They Do, and Where to Find Them appeared first on PressRelease .

Targeted Media Campaign 101: Need to Know Basics

Sun, 09 Jun 2019 15:30:00 GMT

Ever wanted your story to go viral? Of course! Who wouldn’t?

Targeted Media Campaigns (TMC) gets the ball rolling. Starting with a press release ending with local, regional, national, or even international coverage. You read that right! Anything is possible if you target the right media, at the right time. There are just a few things you need to know and follow when it comes to TMC.

Here are your need-to-know TMC basics:

Bullseye

It’s called “targeted” for a reason! Zone in on your audience. From there, you will be able to choose the right publication and media contact to target and pitch to.

When creating a TMC, it is important to know what you are looking for. This helps you concentrate on who would pick-up your story and write about it.

From journalists to bloggers, do your research on who your audience interacts with, why, and when. These things can make your life easier when building your media contact list.

The Beat

What industry are you in? –This should be one of the main factors in determining coverage.

The media covers certain “beats”. You can’t have a journalist who covers healthcare writing about a new cryptocurrency platform. His/her audiences would not be interested in such.

When picking out journalists, make sure to filter through the beats they cover. Yes, some media contacts will cover more than one beats, to which you must filter out whether or not they are worth pitching to. Do a little more research and check out their last 3 published articles. –Do they relate to your industry? Do you see them writing a piece about you?

Media Pitch

Creating a media pitch can be gut-wrenching for first-timers. The built-up nerves of what to say to a media contact, alongside the pressure of perfection — it gets messy .

Focus on the most important and entertaining aspect of your release. This can be a statistic or interesting fact written in. Make this your opening statement to real in someone’s attention. From there, the rest of the pitch should be a breeze.

Make sure to include these things in your pitch:

Once you have your pitch down, and your list is combed through to perfection, you can send out your campaign! You should be able to start seeing replies within 24-48 hrs! Give people the opportunity to read your pitch. Targeted Media Campaigns typically go out the day of your release to optimize coverage.

The post Targeted Media Campaign 101: Need to Know Basics appeared first on PressRelease .

How to Grow Your Instagram Following to 10k Followers

Sun, 09 Jun 2019 14:25:00 GMT

Instagram is one of the most popular social channels. It’s used by men and women, and users tend to be diverse, ranging in age from the teens to senior citizens. This means it’s a widely popular social site to leverage to increase awareness and strengthen your brand. The biggest challenge with Instagram is getting noticed and creating a following. Followers are akin to qualified leads. They’re people who are interested in your topic. The following tips will help you grow your Instagram following to 10K or more.

1. It Starts With Great Content

Instagram followers find you via a number of ways. One of the most common ways that people find you is when your content is shared by others. People don’t share average content; they share great content that is relevant to them and to their friends or associates. As with any marketing channel, create a content calendar for your social posts, test, and track results.

2. Engage & Follow

Follow influencers in your industry. Follow your customers. Engage with them. Share comments, useful information, and help promote their posts. When someone comments on your post, reply to their comment. When someone follows you, thank them for their follow and invite them to engage.

Consider creating an engagement schedule. For example, you might find and follow one new industry-related person each day and comment on three posts. This type of schedule will help you consistently grow your Instagram followers. As people see you on the channel, they’ll connect and follow.

3. Use #Hashtags

Hashtags are keywords with the # symbol next to them. On Instagram, they help people find your content and your page. Use relevant hashtags, up to 30, with each post.

4. Create Visual Unity

Your post appearance on Instagram matters. Insta is a visual channel where people share images and video. Take the time to create a theme or a unified look so that when someone visits your page, they can see that your posts look similar to one another. They’re branded. In addition to a consistent look and feel, you can add your URL and/or logo to your images.

5. Post Daily, At a Minimum

As with any content, the more people see you in their feed, the more likely they are to follow you. Post at least daily. Finally, don’t forget to include captions. Your caption is your written text under your post. Use this space to inform, to engage and entertain, to ask questions and to share.

The post How to Grow Your Instagram Following to 10k Followers appeared first on PressRelease .

Why did my Press Release get rejected?

Sat, 08 Jun 2019 19:45:00 GMT

A Breakdown of Content Guidelines.

Here at Newswire, we’re pretty big on the power of press releases, if you haven’t already noticed. Great press releases and effective distribution can get your story in front of the right audience. But, if you’ve ever had a press release get rejected during editorial review, you understand the frustration that follows.

Why wasn’t my press release approved?

Many press release distribution companies have established content guidelines. These are put in place to ensure that the company is only distributing content that provides value to the media and other potential readers. They also make sure that the company does not distribute content that does not meet their standards. Chances are, if your release was rejected, it probably didn’t meet the standards set by the content guidelines.

Well, what are these content guidelines? How can I fix this issue?

Standards vary by the company, but the majority of these rules are similar across different platforms. Here are some of Newswire’s editorial guidelines that must be followed in order for a release to be approved.

“Many of our clients submit time-sensitive news to us,” said Tania Russell, editor for Newswire.com.

“That’s why it is so important that clients carefully adhere to our editorial and content guidelines to avoid any delays that could prevent the publishing of their release.”

Check out our full list of content guidelines here.

The post Why did my Press Release get rejected? appeared first on PressRelease .

Why is Social Listening Important for Business?

Sat, 08 Jun 2019 14:00:00 GMT

There are many tools at your disposal to stay on top of what’s going on in your industry. It is important to know what your competition is doing, and what your audience is asking for. If your marketing, customer service, and product development strategies are solid, then you are in luck. Social listening is one tool that you can use to help your business grow and succeed.

What is Social Listening?

Social listening is the monitoring of your brand’s social media channels for any customer feedback and direct mentions of your brand. It integrates brand mentions and monitoring by keeping track of specific keywords. A social listening strategy contains analysis and insights that allows you to uncover opportunities.

Why is Social Listening Important?

Social Listening Helps You Create an Effective Social Marketing Strategy

Knowing what people say about your brand or industry is an important tool when creating a social media strategy.Focused listening will tell you which social networks your audience is most actively using, as well as brand sentiment. You will also learn what people think and feel about your products or services, your competition, and your industry.

Useful Metrics

Social listening helps you measure your social media tactics. You have the ability to analyze quantitative and qualitative metrics. This analysis provides valuable insights to determine your social performance for your campaigns. Consider measuring things like the volume of conversation and sentiment of conversation.

Real Time Brand Sentiment Evolution

Social listening helps you stay on top of your brand sentiment. It also gives you the power to change brand sentiment in real time. Social listening allows you to spot changes in sentiment in real time. This makes it easier to understand what triggered the change. If you’re getting positive engagement, then look to find out why and repeat those tactics. For negative sentiment results, consider taking a look as to why and engage with those individuals. You can help change their thoughts and feelings about your brand.

Future Development

Social listening gives you the ability to identify your audience’s pain points. This not only helps you with your content marketing plan and strategy but also in product development.

You can work to create solutions for the audience problems you uncover via social listening.

Plus, you can see what your competition is up to and work to create strategies and tactics that support your continued success. Social listening doesn’t have to be difficult for brands to implement. There are tools and services like Sprout Social , Hootsuite , and HubSpot to make your job easier. You can also outsource your social listening to a provider. Whether you embrace social listening in house or outsource it, always have a strategy in place. With a plan, you can stay on top of what your audience needs and what they think about your brand.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post Why is Social Listening Important for Business? appeared first on PressRelease .

Media Pitch Writing for Real Estate

Fri, 07 Jun 2019 17:04:00 GMT

A media pitch is a fundamental part of the press and PR process. It is difficult to get the coverage you want for your business without talking to the media. You need to learn how to connect with them in order to get your story shared.In this article, we’ll take a quick look at the process, and then we’ll dive into tips and ideas for real estate agents specifically.

The Media Pitch Process

If you’re a real estate agent, you may not have much of a press and public relations strategy. Consider rethinking that approach. One story about you by the media and you will have buyers and sellers knocking down your door. And, if you’re in local commercial or residential real estate, then you only have to go looking as far as your local news channels and papers.

The media pitch process begins with relationship building. Get to know your local reporters. Follow the journalists, reporters, and other media representatives in your community and industry. Learn what they like to write about and who their audience is. You can engage with them on social media to make the process simple.

Your Story Ideas. Once you have a story idea, it’s time to craft your media pitch. This is a short summary of your idea and why their audience will be interested in it.

The Format. You can submit your pitch to journalists via email, via social media, or if the outlet is local, you can talk to them in person. The format is a lot like an elevator pitch. What is your idea, why would their audience benefit (this is where your research is helpful), and what are the next steps?

Ideas Specific to Real Estate Agents

Real estate agents have a number of opportunities to pitch. For example, if you get a really interesting listing or a listing with history, you could do a human interest piece. If you have new information or research about the local real estate market (from either a buyer or a seller perspective) you can pitch a story about that.

You can pitch story ideas about unique communities in your region and so much more. For real estate agents, there’s tremendous opportunity to pitch story ideas that are unique and interesting to your audience. The first step is to find media representatives that are interested in your industry and niche. Start forging relationships with them then create a press and PR plan that includes press releases and media coverage. As mentioned, one good story can have a huge impact on your real estate business.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post Media Pitch Writing for Real Estate appeared first on PressRelease .

Which Social Media Outlet is Best for Your Business?

Fri, 07 Jun 2019 15:03:00 GMT

There are plenty of mainstream social media outlets to choose from. If you have an audience outside the U.S., the pressure of choosing a global channel may feel overwhelming. In order to focus your attention and gain the best ROI from your social efforts, it’s important to choose just a few social sites to focus on. If you’re just getting started, then it’s a good idea to choose one. Grow your brand and create efficient and effective systems, then add a new channel to your strategy. But where do you start?

Which Social Media Outlet is Best for Your Business?

1. What Size Business Are You?

One of the important factors to consider is the size of your business. Smaller businesses can create a better presence on smaller social channels. There’s less competition on a newer or smaller social channel, and you may be able to get more engagement and attention for your brand. That being said, you can also leverage the power of Groups on channels like Facebook and LinkedIn.

2. Your Audience/Customer Age

One of the most noticeable aspects of many social channels is the age bracket that they attract. For example, Facebook tends to have an older demographic, while SnapChat and Tumblr are much younger. Pay attention to your average customer age and the age of your ideal customer. Then choose a social site that they spend their time on.

3. Business to Business or Business to Consumer?

Who are you marketing to? If you’re marketing to businesses, that can look quite different on social media than if you’re marketing to consumers. Determining whether you are B2B or B2C can help maximize your reach.

For example : Consumers who spend a lot of time on Instagram perform better on other social channels like LinkedIn, Twitter, or Youtube.

4. Your Message and Content Format

What is your content strength? Are you fantastic at video content or do you find that your best performing content is long format print?

Content type is a HUGE determining factor when it comes to social media. Understand what type of content your audience responds to the most. This can help aid you in choosing the best social media outlet for your company.

YouTube, for example, would be ideal if video content is your primary content format. Facebook and Instagram support short videos as well. Twitter works well to share quick snippets of text with a link to read more.

Before choosing the social media site you will focus on, make sure it suits your goals, needs and has high audience engagement. Test and track your efforts beforehand and create a system. Once all is set, you can go ahead pushing your focus on the platform of your choice. Hopefully, this effort will chance your marketing strategy and boost your revenue.

The post Which Social Media Outlet is Best for Your Business? appeared first on PressRelease .

How to Find the Right Press Release Writing Service

Fri, 07 Jun 2019 12:00:00 GMT

It’s no secret that outsourcing some tasks and responsibilities is smart business. We all have our unique skills and talents. It makes good financial sense to focus on those talents and outsource the tasks that don’t match the skills of your team. Additionally, if you don’t have a large press and public relations need, then creating a staff position for press and PR may not make sense. So, the solution is to outsource your press release writing and find the right service for your needs and goals.

How to Find the Right Writing Service:

1. Referrals and Recommendations

Start with getting referrals or recommendations from associates and friends. This shortcut will help you jumpstart things.

Make sure your source has actually worked with the service and hasn’t just “heard they were good.” Having a referral or recommendation helps you start the communication process more confidently.

2. Portfolio and Samples

Any good press release writing service will be able to give you recent examples of their work. You want to look at not only the formatting and style of their samples, but also the content. Does it have an attention grabbing headline? Do they integrate social media features and functionality into the press release? Do they link to additional media resources? In short, is the press release well written and does it utilize all of the options available to today’s press release marketers?

3. Distribution

Do some digging.

Investigate whether the press release writing service offers distribution services as well. If not, that will be an extra step you’ll need to take. However, if they do offer distribution, make sure they have the skills to choose the best channels for you. They should be able to choose the best channels based on your industry and needs after working on your release.

4. Familiarity

Has the press release writing service written releases for your industry? Are they familiar with your audience and with the language of your audience and your media representatives?

5. Results

Last, but certainly not least, you’ll want to find out if the press release writing service has been able to achieve results for their clients. Hopefully, this information is readily available and they are happy to share their successes. Finding the right press release writing service may take a little time but it’s worth the effort. Outsourcing your press release writing saves you a lot of time. This allows you to focus on creating a Targeted Media Campaign or creating a PR strategy for your release. Use a writing service today to take a load off!

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post How to Find the Right Press Release Writing Service appeared first on PressRelease .

Is Access to a Media Database Important?

Thu, 06 Jun 2019 12:00:00 GMT

The secret behind successful PR mainly has to do with the tools used. These tools consist of distribution service, influencer platform, and a media database. Utilizing these things leads to a memorable PR campaign.

The use of a media database is one of the most important tools a PR agent can use. It’s access to millions of media contacts at one’s fingertips. Why wouldn’t anyone want to have access to one?

Let’s take a look at what a media database is and discuss whether access to a media database is important:

What is A Media Database?

A Media Database or a Media Contacts Database is exactly what it sounds like. It’s a collection of lists of journalists, and the media type they work for. It usually includes the following key pieces of information:

You can see how this information could be useful. A media database gives you everyone and everything you are looking for. Filtering through location, beat, and/or industry, you can easily begin building media relations.

Is Access to a Media Database Important?

Contact information about a media representative, journalist, or report is all online. In fact, that’s often how the database is put together. Someone literally sits down, researches online, and adds the information to the database.

This information is available to you too. You, or someone you hire like your PR manager, can do the legwork and find this information on their own. So a media database isn’t essential for your PR success.

However, if we’re talking about saving time, and often money, then access to a media database can certainly be helpful. A media contacts database allows your PR manager the ability to access hundreds of journalists with a few short keystrokes. This simplicity is why databases are often created and sold to companies.

Do you need a media database to be successful? No. Would it make your life easier? Yes.

How to Access a Media Database:

You can buy them online. Hire a PR firm that will undoubtedly use them. You can also put your own database together.

Keep in mind: If you purchase a database online, make sure the media representatives information is updated. Double check to see if their information is accurate, otherwise, the money you spent has been wasted.

The information available may be more or less, based on the research methods of the media research company that creates the database.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post Is Access to a Media Database Important? appeared first on PressRelease .

Writing a Media Pitch for E-Commerce

Wed, 05 Jun 2019 16:55:00 GMT

Writing a media pitch for your e-commerce business isn’t much different than it is any other industry. Your “what” and “why” may be different, but the general purpose and goal is the same. You want to deliver your idea to a media representative in an interesting and professional way. No small challenge. In this article, we share tips, best practices, and steps for writing a media pitch for e-commerce brands.

Due Diligence :

Before you sit down to craft your media pitch, there’s some legwork to be done. You want to make sure you know the media representative you’re pitching to. Make sure they’ll be interested in your story and that you know their background well enough to make the pitch personalized and unique. You also want to make sure the story you’re pitching is newsworthy.

Formulate with Flare:

There is a general formula or approach to writing a pitch.

You have:

Yet within that basic format, there must be interest, originality, and personalization.

Where E-Commerce Differs :

E-commerce businesses have a unique opportunity with their pitches. You can use customer testimonials in your pitch along with brand sentiment gathered from social media. You can leverage the power of social media to gain information on your competition so you can position yourself with the media. Your pitch may also include links to product images, collaborators, and more. E-commerce businesses have a lot of visual media to leverage with their pitch. That brings us to our last point regarding media pitches for e-commerce businesses.

Supplemental Material :

Your media pitch can and should include links where the journalist or media rep can find more information. You might include your social media pages, along with any visual collateral material available. This can include videos, case studies, and pictures. Don’t forget that once you send your media pitch, your work isn’t done. You will want to follow up with the media representative and see if they need anything. If they decide to cover your story, great. If not, use this as an opportunity to learn and to continue building a relationship with your media reps.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post Writing a Media Pitch for E-Commerce appeared first on PressRelease .

Why Integrating Social Media in a Press Release is Important

Wed, 05 Jun 2019 13:00:00 GMT

If you are not liking your social media to your press releases, everything you are doing is WRONG .

Why wouldn’t you try and cover all your grounds? Staying as connected as your can with your clients is essential when running a business. Sure, they may stop in your store when they need a cup of coffee or check out your website for new updates, but why not stay in front of them 100% of the time through social media.

“ Make clients aware you exist 24/7, 365 days of the year. “

When someone logs onto Instagram, you should appear at the top of their feed or somewhere in it. Why? This lets them remember you exist. Be the constant remind with interesting content and a catchy caption.

Having your social media connected on your press release allows people to see you twice as much: Once on the PR and another time on social media. Let everyone know that you are actively involved in today’s online society. This shows for better opportunity for your news to get out there.

Connecting PR and Social Media is as easy as 1,2,3:

Your press release distribution service would allow you to connect your social media accounts on their platform by simply logging into and verifying each (social media) account. This allows the small buttons you see a the release ( including but not limited to Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Reddit, etc).

This gives people who view your release the chance to check out your social handles and see what else you’re talking about online. It also gives individuals the option to share your release on the web.

Make sure the next time you create a press release to integrate your social media links. Stay connected with clients/customers. Show them that you are active online, aside from the standard business website. Be aware of what is going on when they use your company’s services and make sure to reply to them when needed. By doing so, an increase in revenue may be the outcome to simply linking your accounts.

So what are you waiting for? Don’t miss out on the action and connect your social media accounts today!

The post Why Integrating Social Media in a Press Release is Important appeared first on PressRelease .

E-Commerce Media Pitches Best Practices

Tue, 04 Jun 2019 20:40:00 GMT

Every industry has its own bag of tricks and tactics to get good press and publicity. The same is true for e-commerce brands. You must tap into the consumer’s wants and needs, and communicate your solution in an interesting way. To get the kind of press coverage you want, it helps to have a solid understanding of e-commerce media pitches best practices.

Use Data

Media representatives may be interested in your story idea but if your pitch does not go far enough, you might lose out to your competition! Adding data and backing up your story idea with factual evidence can really help your pitch. Why? Media representatives have a big job to do when they write a story. If you do some of the legwork for them (or at least start the process), then they will feel more comfortable writing your story. Including relevant and needed information in your release jumpstarts their work.

Additionally, adding data to your pitch shows that you take them seriously, and that you’ve done your research. It boosts your credibility and authority.

Include Your Customer Experience

You have customers; use them. Share their stories in your pitch.Leverage customer quotes for testimonials in pitches and/or interviews. Include the most interesting and relevant ones depending what is being talked about. This adds human interest to your idea and lends to your authority and credibility as well.

Do Your Homework

This is true for every industry, and especially true for e-commerce brands that sometimes forget. Do your homework. Pitch your story to someone who covers your niche and industry. Make sure the journalist, blogger, radio host, etc. has the audience you want to target. You can ruin relationships by pitching to the wrong person. Double check your pitch list after creating it!

Create a content platform. Create your media relationships and your Press and PR strategy. Research your audience and your media reps. Once you’ve done that legwork, then it’s time to start pitching to the media. Keep in mind that while this may seem like a lot of work, getting media coverage for your business can have a tremendous impact on your business. It can be the step that takes you to the next level.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post E-Commerce Media Pitches Best Practices appeared first on PressRelease .

Yes, Your Business Could Benefit from a Press Release

Tue, 04 Jun 2019 13:00:00 GMT

While planning your PR and marketing strategies for your business, you may have considered the possibility of writing and distributing a press release to promote a major story involving your brand.

You might become hesitant in this moment, especially when you think about all of the stereotypes that plague press releases in the PR industry. Many modern businesses view press releases as old, boring methods of promotion.

Some business owners and marketers feel as though press releases are only really used in certain industries. One modern assumption is that press releases and press release distribution services are only used either by healthcare companies such as Perimeter Healthcare (which recently shared a story about their acquisition of Lake Pines Hospital ), or real estate agents like Alex Radosevic of Canon Properties (who was featured in a story last month in which he noted the significant marketplace upside that is attached to presidential visits ).

While it is true that healthcare firms and real estate agencies frequently utilize press release distribution networks to promote their stories, other businesses in very different industries have chosen to utilize these services as well.

Just how different are these industries, you ask?

Take a look at rising comedic actress Karah Britton, for example. Karah took
took to the stage in Burbank, California in front of a very enthusiastic audience at Flappers Comedy Club a few years back, and ran a story on her performance. She isn’t the only aspiring entertainer that has used press releases in this way – rapper Mikey McFly used a press release to spread the word about his debut album “DARE” back in October of 2018.

Press releases can be used for much more than simply entertainment promotion. Business mergers, acquisitions, and product launches are also common stories that are sent out on the wire.

Web security business TitanHQ a provides us with a great example as to how a business can use a press release to promote a product launch story. The company pushed a story about their new TitanShield Program , which allows partners the opportunity to take advantage of TitanHQ’s proven technology to enhance sales, onboarding, and other management processes.

Event promotion is another key way in which firms can use press releases to attract guests and generate interest.

Acoustic Designs Group announced the grand opening of their state-of-the-art showroom in Scottsdale, Arizona, through a press release campaign.

Non-profit companies and charitable entities have also found great value in press release distribution services. In December of last year, the charitable organization known as Barekat-e Ehsan Foundation provided 3,000 wheelchairs to people with disabilities in underprivileged areas across the country of Iran. This story was distributed to over 10 countries and was viewed by hundreds of people.

If you think that your business is in an industry that wouldn’t benefit from a press release distribution campaign, take a moment to do some additional research to find out just how many different companies are investing in press releases today.

You may start to see the names of your direct competitors pop up on your screen. If not, we recommend you beat them to it! Learn more about our press release distribution services here.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post Yes, Your Business Could Benefit from a Press Release appeared first on PressRelease .

Is an Influencer and Media Database Worth the Investment in 2019?

Mon, 03 Jun 2019 15:00:00 GMT

Your company may not need to shed out an whopping $5k+ on an Influencer or Media database. There are different tactics you can use to build relationships with influencer and media personnel. But, if your PR and marketing team are tied up with other tasks, is it worth the investment? This blog posts will guide you in making that decision.

Before we dive into the longstanding question, what is an Influencer and Media Database?

An influencer database is a archive of influencers with different followings and niches that allows companies to track across multiple social media platforms.

In similarity, a media database does the same, but with journalists. Without a heavy focus on social media, media databases allow people to search and reach out to journalists.

These two platforms allow businesses to connect with people who can aid them in growing their exposure. Having influencers and the media relationships can truly benefit a company. Company news gets shared easier, especially if people find an interest in it. Cultivating these relationships can be difficult. It takes time, research, and patience.

How Much Does it Cost?

Influencer Database

The typical price tag for an Influencer Database varies on the size of the company, the need, and the platform used.

From research, an Influencer Database can cost from $5,000-$12,000+ .

Yes, that is a lot of money, but is it necessary ? Yes and No .

Ask yourself these questions:

If you answered “ YES ” to all these questions, then you should definitely start doing research on what platforms have to offer.

On the other hand, if you answered “ NO “, now may not be the time to invest in one.

If your answer was “ YES ” and “ NO ” to some of these questions, definitely begin looking into what different platforms can offer your company. Who knows, someone may convince you regarding the need.

Media Database

Similar to Influencer, the need for a Media Database depends on the company, need, and platform that would be used. Typically, media databases are invested in by companies big and small to continuously grow their presence.

Media Databases are great for companies who want to seamlessly connect and pitch to the media.

According to our research, a Media Database’s typical cost will run you anywhere from $6,000-$14,000+ depending on the platform.

To find out whether or not your company is in need of this database, here are some questions to ask:

Again, if you answered “ YES ” to all of these questions, you should immediately look into using a media database.

If you answered “ NO ” to all of these questions, the need is not urgent.

But, if you did answer “ YES “, and “ NO ” to some of these questions, it may be time to entertain the thought of using a media database platform.

Talk to your PR & Marketing team and ensure the proper needs are met before diving into investing in an Influencer or Media Monitoring platform. Your company will eventually need either/or, maybe even both in the long run (or right now!). Having these two tools can improve your SEO, pitching, and growth.

The post Is an Influencer and Media Database Worth the Investment in 2019? appeared first on PressRelease .

Newswire Rated #1 Press Release Distribution Software by G2 Crowd

Fri, 31 May 2019 14:12:00 GMT

G2 Grid ^® for Press Release Distribution Software

At Newswire, we pride ourselves on being able to deliver high-quality, user-friendly experiences through our products and services. That’s why we are incredibly excited to announce that Newswire was ranked as the best Press Release Distribution Software by G2 Crowd , the world’s leading business solution review platform.

Our press release distribution service received a 97% G2 Satisfaction Score, which is determined by G2 Crowd’s proprietary algorithm that factors in real-user satisfaction ratings from review data. We also scored in at least the 90th percentile in all consumer satisfaction and setup-and-support related categories.

Check out the Grid in Real-Time

Newswire’s press release distribution service lets customers publish their news and connect with audiences around the world. Our strategic wire distribution solutions include local, national, and international campaigns that can help your content reach new heights.

“Our #1 ranking on G2 Crowd is a testament to our continued dedication toward excelling in the industry,” said Patrick Santiago, Newswire’s Director of Client Services.

“From Day 1, customer orientation has been a point of emphasis, and it’s great to receive recognition for it. It validates our platform’s ease of use and friendly user interface.”

Newswire was also recently mentioned by Forbes.com in an article discussing the best PR tools for publicity. Charlie Terenzio of Revcontent.com emphasized the importance of using tools like Newswire’s press release distribution platform to ensure that your news is being sent to the right audience.

“By being more targeted in your media outreach, you have a better chance to land coverage that will make an impact,” said Terenzio.

With all of our services, we strive to provide our customers with the tools that they need to succeed. Through our distribution model, our clients have been able to propel their stories onto the the national stage, with outlets such as CNBC, Business Insider, and Marketwatch having covered our releases.

Aside from being a leader in the commercial wire service space, we also offer top-of-the-line media database and media monitoring services as well.

Whether you are looking for the power of a comprehensive list of 1.7 million contacts in the palm of your hands with our media database , the ability to create alerts and collect article clippings with our advanced media monitoring, or the benefits of any of our other services, we have you covered.

We have committed ourselves to provide our client base with a distribution service that lets customers command their tailor-made campaigns from the very beginning. It is our mission to offer products that can simplify the Do-It-Yourself PR experience, and we are always here by phone or chat for any questions or concerns you may have.

“It’s our goal to ensure that clients can leverage our technology to make it easier to manage their campaigns,” said Anthony Santiago, Newswire’s Director of Marketing.

“We want to make our clients feel comfortable with our software and empowered by its capabilities. In the rare event that they encounter any issues, our team of customer service specialists are here to help find the best solution. In the end, our main priority is to help the clients find success.”

G2 Crowd aims to empower business buying decisions by highlighting the voice of the customer and bringing transparency to B2B buying—changing the way decisions are made. The review platform leverages more than 650,000 independent and authenticated user reviews read by more than 3 million buyers each month.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post Newswire Rated #1 Press Release Distribution Software by G2 Crowd appeared first on PressRelease .

What is DIY PR?

Wed, 29 May 2019 13:07:00 GMT

At first glance, DIY PR seems like a phrase that would result from accidentally spilling coffee on your keyboard. Rest assured, it is a real phrase with real meaning behind it – and it can change the way you view PR forever.

Do it Yourself PR is a self-explanatory approach to a public relations campaign, in which the customer is the driving force behind the operation as a whole. At Newswire, we are looking to provide consumers with a wide range of tools to succeed in the PR industry. Mainly, we hope our customers can utilize our press release distribution software, as well as our media database, media monitoring, and media outreach platforms to build an effective PR campaign to their own liking.

A Commitment to Easy

Although this sounds like a great premise in theory, DIY PR has the potential to be disastrous, especially if users run into issues with complicated software.

That’s why we spend so much time building and testing our products to ensure that they are easy to learn and even easier to use. By delivering products that simplify the process of building a PR campaign, we save customers time that they can then reinvest into their business.

In fact, our commitment to easy was recently recognized by the peer-to-peer business solutions review platform G2 Crowd.

The Benefits of DIY

One of the great benefits that comes with DIY PR is the ability for the user to effectively tell their brand’s story exactly how they envision it through the campaign. You know your business better than anyone, and you know what you want to include to generate interest in your brand.

This comes in handy when building your campaign. Once you get a feel for the different services and how they can impact your campaign, you get to decide which ones to use and to what extent you want to use them. Maybe you want a campaign that is heavily focused on distribution, or maybe you want to develop media relations by utilizing the media outreach tool. Either way, you will be in full control, and you won’t have anyone looming over you telling you how to run your campaign.

Additionally, DIY PR means that you can be the direct point of contact for your business. You can foster personal relationships with members of the media, which can be very effective when you are looking to push your brand into the spotlight. No more middle men to work through – you are the star of this show.

“Do-it-Yourself PR is much more than a recent trend in the industry. It is a whole new way of looking at PR that we believe will be here to stay for a long time,” said Anthony Santiago, Newswire’s Director of Marketing.

“This approach puts you, the customer, in the driver’s seat. You are the hero of your PR story. We are just the supporting cast members that provide you with the tools that you need to succeed.”

Always Here to Help!

In the event that you don’t want to go the DIY route, have no fear. We have a variety of digital PR services in which our team of specialists can take a hands-on role in building, optimizing, and improving your campaign. Our expert team will be by your side every step of the way to increase your chances of accomplishing the goals that are unique to your campaign.

If you do decide to take advantage of our DIY PR services and happen to run into any issues along the way, our team of Client Services specialists is here to help.

Connect with us today by chat, email, or phone to get started.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post What is DIY PR? appeared first on PressRelease .

PR Analytics: A Brief Breakdown

Mon, 27 May 2019 12:00:00 GMT

You’ve finally submitted your first press release. you’ve learned all about the benefits of having a professional writing service look over your release, and you’ve made sure that the piece is optimized for search to maximize your story’s potential.

A few days after your release is distributed, you are presented with your campaign stats. They might look a little something like this:

Seems a bit confusing, right? What’s the difference between views and impressions? What does that “published” metric represent? And what is going on with that graph at the bottom?

If you find yourself asking these questions, there is no reason to worry. Today, we will explain the different metrics found in a typical PR campaign report by breaking down an the results of an actual Newswire client.

Views vs. Impressions

On the surface, views and impressions seem extremely similar, to the point where they could easily be misconstrued to be the same metric. This is not the case. A view is a definitive instance in which a piece of content is seen or read by a user. An impression , however is an instance in which a piece of content is either viewed OR has the potential to be viewed. Typically, both instances are tracked internally by the distribution service. Because impressions include potential views, impression counts are usually higher than strictly view counts.

Know Your Categories!

In addition to the views and impressions, there are also tabs titled “published” and “Google” that appear next to the social media tracking tabs labeled “Twitter” and “Facebook.”

The published tab indicates how many distribution sites posted your content on their site. In our module, clicking this tab brings you to a list that displays the name and logo of all of these sites.

Clicking the Google tab will bring up a Google search page in which all of the sites that have published the release can be viewed. There are certain instances in which Google will detect keywords or phrases that are similar to those included in the headline of a release. This is why the “Google” metric may appear higher than the total “published” metric.

The social media tabs might be the easiest to recognize, but are you sure you know what they represent?

The Twitter tab totals the number of tweets in the past 7 days that contain either the title of the release, or the link to the full story. Full press releases can’t be posted to Twitter due to character limits, but press releases can gain significant traction if they are shared on social media.

Learn more about our Social NewsBuzz service here to optimize your story for Twitter.

The Facebook metric serves a very similar purpose as its Twitter counterpart, as it tracks the number of times the title was mentioned in posts, as well as the release’s number of shares on the platform.

Understand Your Success

Okay, so we’ve defined what each of these terms mean, but how do they factor into the graphs and charts that are used as visual representations of campaign success?

The respective graph and chart featured above represents the views recorded by Newswire’s tracking pixel. It tracks total views recorded on the Newswire website, in media outlet campaigns, and via our distribution network.

The graph shows the daily amount of views that the release receives, starting from the day of publication. The chart, on the other hand, represents the cumulative hourly traffic that the release receives. In other words, the chart above shows that on a daily basis, the release being tracked brings in the most views between 8-9 p.m.

The pie chart to the right of the screen proportionately represents the amount of views gained via the Newswire network in comparison to those gained via other distribution.

Here, the international and domestic reach are displayed. On the right, users can see how many views were recorded in a given state or country.

Although PR reporting can appear confusing on the surface, we hope that this breakdown shows that the majority of metrics are easy to understand and important in evaluating the overall success and reach of a campaign.

The post PR Analytics: A Brief Breakdown appeared first on PressRelease .

Should Real Estate Agents use Instagram?

Fri, 24 May 2019 12:16:00 GMT

Are you personally active on social media? Do you use mainstream social sites like Facebook and Instagram? If you do, and you’re a real estate agent, you may want to create a business profile too. Instagram is one of the most commonly visited social channels, and for real estate agents, it can be a valuable tool. To the question, “Should real estate agents use Instagram?” the answer is a resounding YES!

Let’s Take a Look at Why…

Huge Audience

Instagram has over 500 million users and 4.2 billion “likes” per month. Now, you won’t come close to reaching all of those users, but even if you only reach the users in your community, you’re going to reach a lot of people. And those people have friends, so it can truly broaden your range and awareness.

The Visual Aspect

When people buy a house, they often have an initial gut reaction that is completely based in emotions, right? They walk into the front door and they have a reaction the home. Instagram is a visual site. Users post pictures, memes, images, and even short videos to their page. This is powerful for you because images evoke emotion. Images and videos are the most popular type of content to share online. So when you leverage Instagram’s visual nature to market your real estate business, you are tapping into similar emotions. You’re grabbing your prospect’s attention.

Valuable Content is Pretty Easy

One of the keys to success for any social channel is to publish valuable content on a regular basis. As a real estate agent, you have built in valuable content in the form of your listings. Your homes come with an abundance of beautiful photos. You can post those to your Instagram channel with a link to the listing on your website.

Contact at the Click of a Button

Aside from being able to post photos from your listings, you can engage with others and post other relevant content.

For example : How to stage a home or tips for buying your first home.

You can also include your contact information on your bio, so all people have to do is click on your link and they can get a hold of you. Instagram can be a super-useful marketing tool for real estate agents. You can use it to attract buyers and sellers and grow your business and to market listings. Instagram is also great to learn more about your audience and your market. Should real estate agents use Instagram? You’re missing out if you’re not.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post Should Real Estate Agents use Instagram? appeared first on PressRelease .

Should Real Estate Agents use Twitter?

Fri, 24 May 2019 12:00:00 GMT

Real estate agents make their income through their connections. The more buyers and sellers they have, the easier it is to make a good living. Local referrals and marketing are important, but real estate agents can also leverage social media to grow their business. While Facebook and LinkedIn are often the social channels of choice, Twitter can be a valuable resource too. Should real estate agents use Twitter to market their business? Yes, but with care…

Your Market is On Twitter

Twitter’s main audience is young adults.

In fact, 37% of Twitter users are between the ages of 18-29, and 25% are between the ages of 30-49.

This is a large home buying market. If you’re able to create original content, curate content, and build a following, then you can connect with a large group of buyers in your market.

Traffic, Not Sales

To use Twitter effectively, real estate agents need to create realistic and relevant goals. You’re probably not going to sell a house on Twitter, but you can drive followers to your website where they can see your listings and connect with you.

Value, Value, Value, AND Creativity

To leverage Twitter for real estate leads, it’s important to publish content (in the form of tweets) often. If you only post once in a while, people aren’t going to notice you or remember you. Posting content daily, or several times a day, will get you a lot further with your audience. So what do you publish? Consider creating a general theme.

For example, maybe you post fun happenings in your town or you post tips and ideas for staging your home for sale. Your content should be related to real estate, but not necessarily tied directly to your listings. Get a little creative. Know your audience and what they would be interested in.

Next Level Content and Engagement

There are some simple ways to increase your Twitter following and website traffic. Ask questions, hold contests, and by all means share images in your content. You can share quick videos via Twitter, and you can share photos, graphs, and polls too.

A Super Effective Research Tool

Finally, it should be mentioned that one of the biggest benefits of Twitter for real estate agents is as a research tool. You can learn about your audience, competition, market and community by engaging in a listening an research campaign on Twitter.

Once you have a following, take a poll and see what interests people. Whether it be pricing, you day-to-day activities, or general Q&As, it is important to understand what your followers want. By answering their needs and wants, you can deepen your relationship and essentially grow your account.

Should Real Estate Agents Use Twitter? Yes. If you can engage daily and create valuable content at least once a day, then yes, use Twitter to drive traffic to your website. Use Twitter to learn about your market. Use Twitter to connect with your potential clients and leads.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post Should Real Estate Agents use Twitter? appeared first on PressRelease .

How to Approach a Rebrand on Social Media

Fri, 24 May 2019 12:00:00 GMT

At some point, most businesses struggle with their identity. It’s a common symptom if you’ve been around for a while. It can also happen if a company has lost their connection with their audience. Social media can be a powerful tool in the rebranding process. Let everyone know you have a new look, or have taken a slightly different path by sharing it on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.

Rebranding is not always a straightforward or linear process. This blog will guide you on how to optimize your rebranding results.

Before You Rebrand:

Before you start the process of rebranding on social media, there are a few steps to take. These steps are critical to your success, so don’t skip them and jump right into posting content.

1. Research your Brand

Do the due diligence and spend a good amount of time researching brand sentiment now. Know why it isn’t resonating so you can create a plan to connect again with your audience.

2. Establish your Message

What EXACTLY is your brand? What is your message, voice, and what tone are you going to use on each social media channel? Define this in writing so that anyone who creates content for you or who manages your social media knows how to communicate.

3. Research your Competition

See what they are made of and set yourself apart. Know what makes your brand different. That allows you to communicate your unique strengths and quality.

Create systems to listen, monitor, and continually assess. You have to know if your branding is working. Implement systems from the get-go that support you to know how you’re performing.

During the Rebrand:

Create your content ahead of time and create a posting schedule. Keep in mind that your content’s voice and tone need to match your rebrand.

Post your content with a system in place to monitor results. Make sure that people are responding to your rebrand in the intended way. Embrace brand monitoring tools and tactics.

Encourage Engagement:

One of the best ways to know if your rebranding is effective is to encourage engagement and invite conversations with your followers. You can ask them outright what they think about the rebrand and if it’s working for them.

Speaking of asking your followers for their opinion…

As you initiate the rebranding process, let your customers, followers, and connection know you are rebranding. You don’t want to lose anyone in the process, and these people may be the best resources for feedback. The most important steps you can take is to continue to communicate your message.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post How to Approach a Rebrand on Social Media appeared first on PressRelease .

Why Your Press Release Sucks: 3 Overdone Topics You Should Avoid

Fri, 17 May 2019 12:00:00 GMT

Let’s be honest, the mention of a press release doesn’t exactly evoke feelings of excitement or curiosity.

Actually, it’s pretty much the opposite.

The vast majority of press release topics are bland, mundane corporate announcements. In other words, stuff that’s tough to chew through unless you’re directly involved.

There’s an ocean out there of lackluster content. If you’ve seen enough press releases, you’ll start noticing some trends. Some include vague headlines coupled with an uninteresting stories, drab corporate mumbo-jumbo, or someone wants to tell the world he launched a new kickstarter campaign.

The good news? Not every release has to be this way.

There are media-savvy companies who appreciate the value a well-executed press release can bring. First, they identify a story that’s actually newsworthy, then frame it with a unique and interesting angle. In addition, they recognize that a thought-provoking approach will entice their readers to engage with the story.

Let’s get started: here are three overdone topics you should avoid when putting out a press release:

Announcing Company Mergers/Acquisitions

I’m sure friends and colleagues will celebrate the news—but unless your business is amongst the Fortune 500, your average readers and most journalists probably aren’t interested.

Mergers that draw attention typically involve businesses that are either A.) disruptors in their industry (ie: Dropbox), or B.) are gargantuan in scale (ie: Sprint & T-Mobile).

Example of a newsworthy merger :

In 2019, Disney acquired 21st Century Fox in a deal valued at a mind-boggling $71.3 billion dollars.

Aside from the staggering amounts of money involved, there was great public interest in the fact that Disney now commands an even greater share of intellectual properties ( X-Men, Deadpool & The Simpsons, to name a few) . Disney’s acquisition of Fox meant adding to its already rich trove of characters and original titles, which only served to boost the hype of its much-anticipated streaming service, Disney+.

A lot of the pieces in this story affect regular people on a day-to-day basis.

I mean. who hasn’t streamed something recently?

It doesn’t take a PR professional to see that there are interesting angles in just about every aspect of the story.

Announcing a New CEO/Executive

Chances are, your new CEO isn’t going to be Mark Zuckerberg or Elon Musk. So, why would anyone care?

The answer is they probably don’t.

Luckily, there are angles you can take to make announcements like these seem more interesting than they actually are, like if your incoming executives are social media influencers, or billionaires.

But if your new team members are just your typical industry professionals whose only online presence is their LinkedIn, your news is probably going to fly under the radar for most people.

Example of a newsworthy CEO appointment :

In April of 2019, Best Buy announced it’s new CEO Corie Barry. While the name might not be familiar to the average person, Barry is one of 26 women CEOs at S&P 500 companies; those women represent a mere 5.2% of all S&P 500 CEOs. At 44, she will be the company’s 5th CEO and first female chief executive.

It’s pretty easy to see that there are many facets to this story that generate public interest: she’s the company’s first female chief executive, on top of the fact that she’s 1 of 26 other female CEOs in what is largely an all-boys club. She’s also taking on the job at 44, which is fairly young by comparison when the median age where men and women are appointed to CEO is around 55.

A Funding Announcement

Announcements like these NEED a unique hook to generate public interest.

For starters, it better be an extremely high profile startup raising an ungodly amount of money. Maybe even your company is fortunate to have some star power support in the form of famous customers or investors.

Beyond that, what about the funding is really newsworthy?

Ask yourself: why should anyone that isn’t you or your investors care?

Let’s be honest—simply having a Kickstarter campaign going isn’t going to be enough to interest anyone.

Example of a newsworthy funding announcement :

Back in 2009, AirBnB (a relatively unknown startup at the time) was going through a bit of a rough patch. The founders raised only $20,000 in its first round of funding, and were only earning around $200 a week. At one point they even resorted to selling cereal just to keep the company afloat. Not until the founders re-strategized & shifted the focus did they make name for themselves and start to gain some traction.

Now, AirBnb is valued at nearly $25.5 billion, based on its latest round of funding of $1.5 billion. Venture capitalist Fred Wilson had passed on investing in AirBnB back in 2009, and he even wrote about how he’d never make the same mistake in his blog . AirBnB has a great rags-to-riches story, an interesting business concept and many notable investors involved in its meteoric rise.

So what does this mean for you and your release?

First off, if your company isn’t as high-profile as Uber or Lyft, it’ll be an uphill climb. You need some kind of hook that puts an interesting spin on the products or services that you have to offer.

Secondly, you don’t want to make your press release look too salesy. You don’t want to look like you’re trying too hard to make a sale or pitch an idea.

Thirdly, and most importantly, if you’re really dead-set on making an announcement similar to one listed above, you need to ask yourself:

What about this event is actually newsworthy?

Think about it: with the recent spike content marketing, you want to be putting out quality content across multiple channels—if you’re here, that means starting with press release topic that’s interesting. Remember: quality over quantity !

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post Why Your Press Release Sucks: 3 Overdone Topics You Should Avoid appeared first on PressRelease .

2019 Press Release Distribution Best Practices

Fri, 17 May 2019 12:00:00 GMT

Distribution channels, technology, and tactics change over time, so should your press release skills. With that being said, it is time to update your press release habits. Why? Because 2018 was so last year — literally . Wake up! It’s 2019. It’s time for what’s “new” or “in”. Don’t keep doing the same old thing, discover how you can make your press release better.

Here are some of the best practices to keep in mind:

Hand Pick Your Journalists

Don’t send your press release to everyone under the sun and hope that it gets picked up. It’s not quantity over quality. Instead, handpick a select few to send your press release to. They should be journalists who cover your industry and your type of news. And ideally, they should be people that you’ve established some type of relationship with on social media or in person.

Build Relationships with The Media

One of the best ways to get your story picked up is by building relationships with media representatives. Create a strategy, do your release and follow through from time it time. Put your effort in communicating with the press on social media by sharing their stories and showing them you care. When you have a story idea, you can pitch it to them with some personalization and familiarity.

Leverage a Distribution Service

Aside from distributing your release to journalists, make sure to share your press release with major outlets via distribution service. I Again, this is the second step in the process. Submit your idea to your media reps, wait for their responses and/or follow up with them to find out if they’re interested. Then leverage the distribution services with your release.

Offer Something More

If you are sending something to bloggers, media reps, journalists, hosts, etc., offer them a free sample, demo, or consultation. Showing them how your product or business works first hand is a great opportunity for you to build a one-on-one connection and answer any questions they have.

Let them know the value there is in your business and why they should stay connected. Creating and working on media relationships allows them to trust you and the content you can provide them.

Think Small

Instead of focusing on the major national news outlets, consider focusing on your local media reps and journalists.

Stick with your roots, and then grow. Your audience may be more local, and if the story gains traction, it may be picked up by the major outlets later.

Be Gracious

Whether a journalist covers your story or not, be gracious. If they don’t, thank them for their time, and if you have a relationship with them, ask them what they would be interested in covering. If they do cover your story, thank them and help them promote it.

Finally, create a distribution plan and strategy for each press release and story idea that you have. If you have an ongoing plan, keep at it. Once you are “in”, media coverage becomes easier. Stick with what you know and continue to develop with what works.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

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Best Media Monitoring Practices for Optimal Brand Tracking

Wed, 15 May 2019 12:00:00 GMT

There are many benefits to social media monitoring. You can stay on top of your audience’s prospects and interests. How? By keeping tabs on your industry and see what your competitors are up to. Most importantly, track specifics that relate to your brand. Media Monitoring can change the way you approach your business by the use of its platform.

To get the most of your strategy and tactics, let’s take a look at the best media monitoring practices for optimal brand tracking:

1. Leverage Good Media Monitoring Tools

When it comes to media monitoring, your results are only as good as your tools. Imagine trying to stay on top of your brand without some type of tracking tool. You, or your employee, would spend countless hours online. Instead, you can leverage media monitoring tools like Hootsuite, Buzzsumo, and Brandwatch. These tools help you stay on top of real-time brand mentions, sentiment, and influencer activity so you can respond quickly and optimally.

2. Don’t Neglect Negative Mentions and Misspellings

When you’re setting up your project or your brand tracking system, don’t neglect to monitor negative mentions and misspellings. A negative mention is exactly what you think it is. It’s when someone is unhappy with your brand, products, or services. They leave a negative comment or review. Grabbing these mentions in real time gives you the power to use them optimally. You can, of course, work to change their mind. You can also have fun with it, depending on how ludicrous the mention may be. For example, Smart Car gets a lot of grief on social media. They capitalize on it. Here’s one example of how:

Social media post : “Saw a bird had pooped on a Smart Car. Totaled It.”

Smart Car Response : “Couldn’t have been just one bird. Sounds more like 4.5 million. (Seriously, we did the math)”

They also included a visual representation of their calculations.

In addition to negative mentions, people can be bad spellers. Take the time and energy to track the most common misspellings so you don’t miss out on potentially valuable brand mentions.

3. Respond

Brand tracking is just one step in the process. For the best media monitoring results, respond to your audience. Create systems so that real-time mentions receive real-time engagement. You can create conversations, viral threads, and of course you can learn a lot more from your conversations.

Other optimal brand tracking practices include Grouping your mentions into different categories, for example:

These groups will help you create the best response system and also analyze the data more thoroughly. Of coursem, the best media monitoring practice is to simply get started. If you’re not paying attention to what people are saying about your brand online, you’re missing valuable information and key opportunities.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post Best Media Monitoring Practices for Optimal Brand Tracking appeared first on PressRelease .

Integrating Analytics into Your PR Strategy

Wed, 15 May 2019 12:00:00 GMT

Analytics has become an essential asset for any online business. They can tell you how you’re performing for any given marketing tactic and help you make adjustments and improvements. Analytics can be useful for your press and PR. The key is knowing how to integrate analytics into your PR Strategy and campaign.

Improve Your PR Strategy Based on Your Analytics:

1. Referrals

One of the most useful ways to leverage analytics for any marketing tactic is to stay on top of your referral traffic. Where are your website visitors coming from? How did they learn about your business brand and website? After issuing a press release, make sure to track referral traffic from where the release originated from. Did the visitor click on a link shared on social media or did they find your article on a blog?

2. Audience

Google Analytics and other analytics tools offer you the ability to understand your audience. You can use the data and check general and specific demographics. Through specifics, you can learn where they are from and what kind of device they used: phone, laptop, desktop. etc. Most importantly, you can learn if your visitors are new visitors or returning visitors. This helps you create press releases that speak to your ideal audience specifically.

For example : If your goal is to gain new traffic, then you can write a release that appeals to new prospects.

Knowing your audience is a great tactic when trying to improve your PR. By understanding what your audience needs and wants, you can improve your company immensely. Be personable online AND in person. The ROI of hearing and understanding your audience will prove to be beneficial.

3. Behavior

Okay, so let’s say that you gain 1,000 visits from your press release. Great.

The next piece of analytics is to find out what those visitors did on your website. Did they bounce? Did they sign up for your email list? Buy a product?

Analytics can provide you with this information.

When creating your PR strategy, you’re really going to have goals that you want to achieve. Maybe you want more sign-ups. What you can do is leverage your analytics and user behaviour information to create a plan. You can see what tactics will result in more sign-ups, while seeing which ones failed.

Finally, analytics can also help you keep tabs on your influencer marketing efforts. What influencers have the best results? What tactics work best and what/who does your audience respond to? Analytics isn’t just for content marketing. They can and do play a critical role in your press and public relations. Begin the process of integrating analytics into your PR strategy today.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post Integrating Analytics into Your PR Strategy appeared first on PressRelease .

What to Include in a Newsroom – 2019 Update

Fri, 10 May 2019 12:36:00 GMT

Your online newsroom is the place for website visitors and media representatives to learn more about your brand. Because you’re constantly changing and growing, it’s important to keep your online newsroom up to date. Yes, there will be some foundational items like your company mission, perhaps. But there will also be some things to continually update like your most recent press release. Let’s take a look at what to include in your online newsroom.

Products

If you’re a retailer then it’s vitally important to include all new launches and products in your newsroom. Include not only a description of the new product(s), but also a photograph or a video.

Clickable Contact Information

This never changes. You should absolutely make sure that your PR person’s contact information is on every page of your newsroom and with every piece of content. Sometimes, if a visitor has to go looking for that information, they’ll end up clicking away. The goal of your newsroom is to help visitors and journalists find information as quickly as possible. If they need to reach you or someone from your business, allow for emails and phone numbers to be clickable. This gives them ease when trying to contact you and takes out frustration of “copying and pasting”.

Press & News

Any stories about your company can go on your online newsroom. Consider making them clickable links that open to a new page, and don’t forget to include images with your stories. The same is true for your press releases. Include them in your newsroom. Adding any sort of visual content will make the release more appealing on the site. The more attractive your content looks, the greater chance of journalists writing a story on your release.

Awards

List any awards your organization has been given. Keep these up to date with the most recent award first. Here’s a link to an online newsroom for Porsche. See how the images and content are organized (almost like a blog). Also take a look at the categories at the top of the page. This helps keep your newsroom content organized. It also allows you to publish more information in your newsroom without making it look and feel cluttered.

Sound and Video

Don’t forget to add sound and video elements to your online newsroom whenever possible. That may include audio clips from interviews, video how to’s, TV or radio news coverage and more.

Team

The old standard of including bios and photographs of your team is still relevant. You might also include links to their social profiles (as long as they’re professional and relevant to the company).

Social Channels Finally, don’t forget that in 2019 social media is everything. It’s how people connect with the world. Share the social channels that you’re active on. This makes it easy for journalists to connect with you on social media and to learn more about your company.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post What to Include in a Newsroom – 2019 Update appeared first on PressRelease .

Top 3 Newsroom Features to Increase Media Engagement

Fri, 10 May 2019 12:24:00 GMT

Company, or corporate, Newsrooms are the online media kits that are updated in real-time. With the world revolving on a need-to-know basis, an online newsroom is a necessity to a company’s success. It is where the media and other users turn to in order to find out more information about a company. On the corporate end, newsrooms can be used as a branding tactic. How? By subtly displaying the company’s message onto the site as “news”. Spinning branding initiatives off as newsworthy content benefits the exposure of a company and its site. More and more people will likely visit the page for the latest news.

As mentioned before, newsrooms should be updated in “real-time”. In the world of social media, everything is done in an instant. How does a company keep up with such demand? By creating features that will consistently draw the media and other key users back onto the site. These features should attract people back onto the site for updates. Whether it be hourly, weekly, or monthly, people should want to visit the site company updates.

There key features that keep media and others constantly visiting a corporate newsroom. The top 3 are: Multimedia Content, Exclusive Information, and Events. By having these features, people are more likely to visit your company’s newsroom.

Top 3 Newsroom Features:

1. Multimedia Content

Visualization is a major factor nowadays. Not everyone learns the same way. Some people can skim a site and understand plain text, while others are more visual. Create a visual appeal to your page and include photos, videos, or podcasts. Allow everyone who visits your site to see something that keeps their attention on the page. According to SocialMediaToday, multimedia has a longer shelf life than traditional written content and static graphics.’ People would rather watch a video of your brand story than read about it.

Social Media Aids

Make your company come to life via multimedia. Update it as often as you can to allow “new content” to be featured. People do not want to see your outdated 2005 company video. Try and create something that relates to current times. Having your social media networks integrated into the multimedia section of your newsroom can greatly improve the visualization of the section, especially if your company’s social media accounts are updated daily. You can have Instagram videos, pictures, Tweets, and other social media capabilities update on your multimedia page. This is content that your company has already created or curated, so why not use it?

Branding Visuals

The branding jargon on a company’s homepage can be overwhelming. Using a multimedia page can help convey a corporate message in a newsworthy way. Having podcasts, video interviews, or photos can help create a news buzz around your company’s message. This is your chance to take a hold of the news that gets out about your company. Get your message across clearly and effectively enough for someone to want to invest in writing or working with your company.

2. Exclusive Information

If you have an exclusive you are looking to release, why not use your corporate newsroom? All the information about your company, from the founding year to the latest innovations it has created should be on the newsroom. Press releases that a company releases should be found on the company newsroom. Announcements can be made on the newsroom portion of the site. This allows the viewer count to increase. People will tune in or constantly check for new updates. Journalists are always looking for an exclusive. With the right buzz, more media people will be attracted to your company newsroom to get the latest news. Anything that you announce can be created into an exclusive piece.

By offering an exclusive announcement on a company newsroom, more traffic is being driven onto the site. In turn, this can also result in more homepage visits and an increase in sales.

People are curious. Clicking around on an unfamiliar website and being engulfed onto the branding agenda can lead to a sale. If your release is enticing enough to a viewer, he or she will look around the company’s website to see what else can be of interest of them. They may night purchase right away, but keeping your company in mind, they can later on revert and go back. It all comes down the information that your company releases and how it brands it on the newsroom.

3. Events

Putting a face to the name is important in media. It humanizes your brand to the world, hence the importance of events. The events page on your Newsroom can display past and upcoming events. Whether your CEO is doing a panel, or if it’s a couple of photos from the company holiday party, photos, videos, podcasts, and event announcements should be welcomed to the page.

Media Relations Events

Invite people to get to know your brand at a public event. This helps build face-to-face relations that you can use to grow your business. The media can cover the event and meet employees in person to ask more personal questions regarding the company. Growing personal relationships with people greatly impacts media relations. Make a connection with them and tell them first hand about your brand. You can reiterate the information on your newsroom in person, solidifying your brand.

The need for a Company/Corporate Newsroom is essential nowadays to keep up with the demand of information the media and other users need. Making sure a company newsroom site has everything the media needs will keep them coming back for updates and more information. The three essentials: multimedia content, exclusive information, and event announcements are key to a successful newsroom. Create a newsroom that showcases your company branding, but also informs people of the necessary facts they need to write a story about your business.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post Top 3 Newsroom Features to Increase Media Engagement appeared first on PressRelease .

Reaching Out to Journalists via Twitter

Wed, 08 May 2019 12:06:00 GMT

There are many different ways to engage with the media. From pitching ideas to building online relationships, the list goes on and on. A majority of journalists and media representatives are on social media. This allows you to connect with them directly on platforms such as Twitter.

Before you send a message to a journalist on Twitter, read these tips:

1. Complete Your Profile

What’s the first thing that a journalist is going to do when they receive a message from you on Twitter? They’re going to visit your profile. Make sure it looks exactly like you want and need it to look. Have you contact info, professional profile, and additional relevant information filled out.

2. Establish a Pattern of Excellence

Before reaching out, have an established history of publishing interesting and relevant industry content. You don’t need to have millions of Twitter followers. You do need to have proven a pattern of publishing quality content on Twitter and engaging in relevant industry discussions.

3. Follow Them First

Before you reach out to a journalist on Twitter, or any other social site, make sure that you’ve been following them for a while. Know who their audience is, the topics that they prefer to cover, and the type of stories they write. Know what they’re interested in and how you can grab their attention with a story idea.

4. Build a Relationship

One way to make sure your Twitter pitch is paid attention to is to make sure the journalist knows who you are. You can facilitate this relationship by retweeting their posts, by commenting, and engaging. You can also tweet their stories and tag them.

5. Personalize Your Pitch

When you have a story idea that you want to pitch to a journalist, personalize it for them. This is where your research and engagement will come in handy. You will have experiences to connect with them and make your pitch personal.

6. DM or Tweet?

There are a few ways that you can reach out to journalists via Twitter. One is to send them a direct message or DM. The other is to tweet them. It’s a good idea to get to know your chosen media rep before you make a decision. If you tweet, which is very public, make sure that you keep your pitch short and sweet. You don’t want to send 500 words via Twitter. If you choose the DM approach, which is a little more private, then it’s still important to be succinct, but you don’t have to keep your pitch to a sentence or two. You can write a short paragraph with your story idea. Leverage social media, and Twitter particularly, to find, engage with, and connect to journalists in your industry. Pitch great ideas and pitch them with pride and professionalism.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post Reaching Out to Journalists via Twitter appeared first on PressRelease .

Establishing Influencer Relationships

Wed, 08 May 2019 12:00:00 GMT

There are different ways to go about leveraging the power of influencer marketing. One way is to jump on a platform, have it connect you with a few influencers that fit your requirements, and to make an offer. The other way is to build organic influencer relationships through mutual goals, values, and interests. And of course you can find combinations of these two approaches. The best relationships develop the best results over time and are made authentically.

Let’s explore establishing influencer relationships:

1. Organic Relationships

Organic influencers are those who have used your product or service on their own.nSo if you’re an author and Tim Ferris buys your book, he might be a great person to build a relationship with. Organic influencer relationships differ from paid partnerships or collaborations.Of course if your influencer came to you organically, you would still have to pay them for a campaign. But, your following would find comfort and credibility in their message because of the past connection. The authenticity of an organic relationship relates to your brand,

2. Connect with Creativity & Enthusiasm

An influencer relationship is often initiated with a formatted pitch such as, “Here’s who we are, here’s what we want you to do.” However, when you have created an organic relationship, you can reach out with some creative inspiration. You likely know the influencer a little bit better and you know who their audience is. You can pitch some ideas for collaboration to them that they may find interesting or exciting. Note: you can also do extensive research on potential influencers that you find through platforms.

3. Trust Them & Communicate that Trust

Even if you’ve spent months researching a particular influencer and their audience, the influencer knows them better.

They engage with their audience several times a day and have been working for years to build that relationship and that trust. (This is why they are influencers and why you’re going to them for a partnership.) So when you’re pitching ideas and creating content, trust them to know their audience better than you do.

4. Offer Value and Understand They Have goals to Meet

It’s not enough for most influencers to simply make a buck from the collaboration with you. (This isn’t true for all influencers, but you probably don’t want to work with those who are only doing it for the money). Most influencers are fiercely protective of their vision, their message, and their audience. When developing a relationship with them, pitching, and collaborating, it’s important to keep in mind that they have goals beyond money. Learn and understand those goals. Work to make it a mutually beneficial partnership.

5. Do Your Diligence

It’s important to make sure that you’ve partnered with an influencer that fits your desired brand image. Understand their values, their mission, their history and their ethics. Also make sure that their audience and content is in line with yours.

It all starts by identifying what you want to accomplish with your influencer marketing campaign. Look at who buys your products, if anyone is already talking about you, and leaders in your industry. Start connecting with them online. Do your research and begin building relationships.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post Establishing Influencer Relationships appeared first on PressRelease .

E-Commerce and Engagement with Customers on Social Media

Wed, 08 May 2019 12:00:00 GMT

There’s a lot that e-commerce business owners and brands can accomplish on social media. It’s a place to research, engage, and sell. Without the right strategy and systems in place, engaging on social media can be challenging. You have to know what to say, how to say it, and when to reply to things online. Making sure your whole team is on board with all the details is an important part to E-commerce and social media engagement.

Here are some Tips & Tricks to Keep in Mind:

1. Re-targeting

Retargeting isn’t necessarily an advanced tactic. Nor is it something that you would jump into right away. If you have had a social media presence for a while and need to change your strategy, consider re-targeting.

It’s simply placing ads and other media in front of people who have taken action with you in the past – generally speaking, they’re in your sales funnel. Retargeting creates a higher conversion rate and puts your content in front of people who have expressed interest.

2. Embrace Listening and Monitoring

Create systems that track your brand mentions, including negative mentions.

When someone mentions your company on social media, respond quickly. Engage and create that conversation with them. Brands that engage with more customers via social media gain 20%-40% more revenue per customer reports Constant Contact.

You can use tools like Hootsuite to track mentions and respond in real time. By using a third party platform, your job is made easier and more efficient.

3. Leverage User-Generated Content

As an e-commerce brand, you can leverage the power of social media to create credibility and more sales. User-generated content has a powerful impact on sales because we trust the recommendations from our peers.

Here’s an example of how you can encourage user-generated content:

Bigby Coffee invites its customers to share photos of themselves in unique places with their cup of Bigby Coffee. Customers simply have to use the hashtag #bigbycoffee and they’ll be highlighted on their Instagram page. All the customers friends see the coffee post and it creates brand awareness as well as trust and credibility. Bigby could take it a step further and enter all customers who shared their photo into the monthly drawing and give them free or discounted coffee.

Finally , don’t forget that you can create clickable links in your posts that allow people to buy the products they see in the post. You can literally turn your social media post into a sales page. Bottom line is that social media is not only incredibly useful for e-commerce brands, but it can also be the foundation of your online business. You can research your audience on social media and learn what they need. You can track your competition and stay ahead of them. And you can engage with your audience and create a community of buyers and loyal customers.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post E-Commerce and Engagement with Customers on Social Media appeared first on PressRelease .

How Competitors Can Help Your PR

Tue, 07 May 2019 12:00:00 GMT

How well do you know your competition? How much do their actions influence your marketing efforts and strategy? What about your PR? –These are questions you should be asking yourself when thinking of better ways to improve your PR. Knowing what other people are doing can place you ahead of the game. You might be surprised but your competitors can help you improve your PR.

Let’s take a look at how:

Competitive Benchmarking

Competitive benchmarking enables you to make sense of how your brand is performing against competitors. It gives you a great perspective on what’s going on in your industry. This can also help you uncover untapped opportunities!

Being able to differentiate yourself from your competitors through competitive benchmarking is one of the main benefits. It gives you another way on how you can approach your press & PR marketing efforts.

You can set better PR goals with competitive benchmarking as well. You can compare your share of voice, reach, and coverage numbers to your competitors.

Effective PR Results

Your competition is undoubtedly also working on their own Press and Public Relations marketing. By keeping an eye on their news and efforts you can see what is working for them, and what isn’t, and identify opportunities.

Identify Key Media Representatives

By following your competition’s PR efforts you can also see which journalists are covering them and your industry. It’s good research for your own media relations strategy, as well as your press release pitch and distribution efforts.

Industry Information and Your Personalized Pitches

When pitching a story to a media representative, it helps to have your finger on the pulse of the industry –that includes your competition. If you can present your information to a way that appeals their audience, you are in. The media wants to be able to give their audience the best content, hence why presenting your story in a beneficial way can increase your coverage.

Building Relationships

One of the components of an effective PR and Press campaign is the relationships that you build with your media representatives. Having knowledge of what your competition is doing, allows you to stay ahead.

Additionally, it’s not always a bad thing to support your competitors and repost any press they gain in the industry. By sharing a link to a story about your competition, you’re supporting the journalist and building that relationship. You’re also potentially boosting your own credibility and authority with your audience. Your competition is a constant source of information. You learn what they’re doing. You learn what people think about you as it compares to your competition. It is a way to leverage their activities and information to identify opportunities. This will help you build relationships and improve your own PR marketing efforts.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post How Competitors Can Help Your PR appeared first on PressRelease .

Tools to Use When Managing Social Media for Business

Fri, 03 May 2019 12:00:00 GMT

Social media management can be a full-time job. In addition to responding to comments and engaging, you have to stay on top of analytics, influencers, and other research elements. Thankfully, technology has kept up with the needs of social media managers. Today, there are many tools to use when managing social media for business.

Hootsuite

Hootsuite makes it easy to manage several accounts in one place. Their platform offers analytics, post scheduling, and multiple account managers. Hootsuite has become one of the best tools and resources for social media managers. They offer training for the platform’s features and functions. Additionally, they allow others to learn how to master social media marketing using Hootsuite.

TweetDeck

TweetDeck is a social media dashboard application for management of Twitter accounts. Twitter acquired the once independent app and integrated it into their interface. This has allowed users to seamlessly tweet from the platform. The layout makes it easy to follow several conversations at once, and scheduling content is super-easy. TweetDeck makes staying on top of conversations in Twitter easy and manageable.

Sprout Social

Sprout Social allows you to track mentions, schedule posts, and use reporting tools to optimize your social media. You can also engage with brand advocates to further develop your outreach.

Buffer

Buffer allows you to seamlessly schedule posts on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. You can go in and individually customize each post per platform.

Using their platforms allows you content to be shared at optimal times. Buffer’s platform also allows you to track links and posts to see what content gets the most traction.

Loomly

Loomly is a social media calendar to help streamline a content publishing workflow. It supports the major social channels including Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest, and Facebook. When you’re creating your social media strategy, take the time to research the tools available to you. When you leverage technology and social media management tools, you get better results with less work and energy.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post Tools to Use When Managing Social Media for Business appeared first on PressRelease .

Perfecting Instagram for Business

Fri, 03 May 2019 11:54:00 GMT

Instagram is a social media site that focuses on sharing images, including photos, cartoons, videos, memes and so on. You can create Instagram posts, as well as Instagram stories–which are live for 24 hours and then disappear. Users can comment on posts adn stores, share, comment, and bookmark content as well.

Instagram garners a large and diverse audience. It has also become one of the top social networking sites businesses leverage. The platform has become a way businesses interact with their audience, and create potential influencer marketing relationships.

Using Instagram well isn’t intuitive for everyone. It can be challenging to achieve your goals and to get the attention, branding, traffic, and conversions that you want. The following tips and tactics will help you work on perfecting Instagram for business.

Use Instagram Insights

The tool offers some interesting insights (hence the name) into the people following and interacting with your account. It can help you assess

Embrace Social Listening

Social listening shows you relevant conversations happening on social media. It gives you the ability to listen in on your brand, industry, products, competitors, and other key words. This information will help you create content that attracts your audience and builds your following.

Provide Consistent Value

It’s important that you give your audience something to pay attention to on a regular basis. This requires you to create a content strategy specific to Instagram. You may also want to make sure that your Instagram strategy is aligned with and supports your other marketing strategies.

Get Creative

Create your own branded hashtag. Hold contests, giveaways, and encourage users to create content for your page. Engagement really drives your Instagram community.

Give Them Something to Do

Instagram content is like any other content in that you want to include a call to action in your posts. Maybe they visit your website or share your post. Maybe they answer a question or share a photo in the comments. Including a CTA is helpful. Finally, work with influencers. In today’s market, especially through influencer power, you can grow your instagram success. This in turn, helps strengthen your brand and achieve your marketing goals.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post Perfecting Instagram for Business appeared first on PressRelease .

The Benefits of a Professional Writing Service

Thu, 02 May 2019 13:00:00 GMT

If you are submitting a press release to a distribution network, you might notice that the majority of these companies offer professional writing services. These services typically offer assistance in the areas of concept development, writing, search optimization, and editing. But why would you pay for these services if you felt you could do them all yourself? Are they truly worth the cost?

Let’s Find Out:

Concept Development

As much as an interesting headline is important to the overall success of a press release, the story content itself is by far the most important element. The more intriguing the concept, the more likely the release is to engage journalists and the general public.

At times, a decent idea for a press release can be improved by a professional writing service to make it stand out among other stories of similar nature. Headlines can be reworded and the overall direction of the piece can be changed to make the story seem more significant. If the piece reads like it is a “big deal” for the company it discusses, journalists will treat it as such.

Writing & Editing

If you have written press releases in the past, you probably know all about AP style. If you don’t, AP style formatting is the writing style in which all news articles and press releases are written. There are many rules that separate AP style from casual writing and other writing styles. Poorly formatted press releases will stand out to the trained eyes of journalists that will be scanning through them in search of their next story. It is crucial to avoid basic mistakes for this reason.

For example :

Do you know how to properly write the different months of the year in AP style? Some are abbreviated, and others aren’t. How about properly formatting quotes? Improper comma placement is a dead giveaway that the piece wasn’t professionally written. Do you find yourself using colorful vocabulary and writing long sentences when you write? In AP style, it is recommended that you get right to the point in order to efficiently communicate the story.

“Our professional writers are seasoned in creating press releases that are optimized for wide publication,” said Jackson Falconer, editor for Newswire.com. “Newswire-written releases are simplistic and polished, making them quick reads for journalists, and filled with quality, SEO-friendly copy to reach as many eyes as possible.”

Search Optimization

You might notice that many online press releases contain hyperlinked phrases. This is in effort to optimize the release for search engines, which in turn can help increase the number of impressions and engagements the piece receives. Specific phrasing is also used throughout the body text to help boost these numbers as well.

“To optimize SEO for a release, we utilize techniques such as hyperlinking the release’s source organization in the first paragraph and mentioning them in the headline,” said Falconer.

“We also write the release in an ‘F-shaped’ pattern for easy readability, limit the length of the piece to 400-500 words, and include an image that will appear next to the text. All of these have been shown to improve SEO potential for a press release.”

While press release writing may appear simple on the surface, there are quite a lot of minor details that need attention in the preparation and development stages of writing a release. Making mistakes in these areas may seem like miniscule errors, but if they are noticed by journalists reading your release, they can very quickly turn into fatal flaws.

Looking to avoid making these kinds of mistakes? Check out our professional writing services here.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post The Benefits of a Professional Writing Service appeared first on PressRelease .

Pinterest and Reddit: Social Media Platforms Businesses Should Capitalize On

Wed, 01 May 2019 12:10:00 GMT

When it comes to social media channels, there are some big players. Sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are commonly leveraged by businesses to market, sell, and build a following. These social sites are just the tip of the iceberg. There are dozens of other large scale and smaller scale social media platforms businesses should capitalize on. Two such channels are Pinterest and Reddit.

Pinterest is a site where users create themed boards and “pin” relevant images to these boards. Users can be consumers and businesses.

For example : StitchFix, a styling membership, share daily outfit and fashion items. They have created themed boards such as: Spring Pastels, Summer, Adventure, and so on. Followers of StitchFix pin these images to their own boards. Users can comment on pins and share them.

The rules for leveraging Pinterest for business are generally the same as any social channel. Create a profile, engage with others, share valuable content daily.

Reddit is a social news aggregation, web content rating, and discussion website. Members submit content to the site. The content is then voted up or down by other members. As a business, you can publish content, or links to content, and then users can rate your content. It’s a great way to increase awareness for your brand and expand your reach. It’s also a fantastic tool for testing the content that your audience responds to. Reddit has:

It’s difficult to find demographics on users, but many sources indicate that users are young and male.

Using Reddit to grow your business is a bit different than other social channels. It’s a great research tool because it allows you to learn what people in your industry are talking about and what your audience is interested in.

You can also leverage Reddit with:

When you’re looking at your social media strategy for the next quarter, consider taking a look at social platforms beyond the top names. Look at opportunities with Pinterest and/or Reddit. If your audience is present on these sites and you’re not, you may be missing out on valuable opportunities to connect and grow.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post Pinterest and Reddit: Social Media Platforms Businesses Should Capitalize On appeared first on PressRelease .

Why E-Commerce Companies Should Capitalize on Social Media

Wed, 01 May 2019 11:57:00 GMT

When something becomes big and profitable, and the industry notices a trend, it gets named. E-commerce blended with social media is now referred to as “social commerce.” It is essentially selling your company’s products or services on social media. Let’s take a look at a few reasons why ecommerce companies should capitalize on social media and what that might look like.

Powerful Profits

According to Statista, global social commerce revenue has increased from $5 billion in 2011 to $30 billion in 2015, and it continues to grow. BI Intelligence’s 2015 Social Commerce Report says, “Social-driven retail sales and referral traffic are rising at a faster pace than all other online channels.” Businesses are able to reach a vast audience through social media. Integrating sales into their posts create a boost in revenue, especially if other people are talking about it online.

Bottom line: if you want to sell more products, social media may be the key to a bigger bottom line.

Peer/Influencer Recognition

The social nature of social media lends itself quite well to selling. People buy products from people they trust and like. Brands can partner or collaborate with influencers to sell products. For example, a notable technology guru on Instagram can share a post of herself with a branded laptop. Include a link to buy in the description and followers of that influencer will click on hyperlink and make a purchase.

Additionally, social media is an ideal opportunity to leverage the power of peers. We’re much more likely to buy something if someone we know recommends it. Referral and reward programs, like the ones with ThriveMarket.com and StitchFix.com, work well to increase social buying.

Clickable Posts

In 2014, Facebook announced a “New Way for People to Discover and Buy Products on Facebook” with the introduction of their first call-to-action button. This gives brands the power to sell, promote, and share their products on social, and followers and consumers can click and buy. Social simply makes it easier for the consumer to buy. You see something on Pinterest and you want it, you click and buy. See something on Instagram that a friend recommends, you click and buy. It’s private (from the comfort of your home) and social because you’re online with millions. Brands get exposure to a large buying audience, and consumers can pick and choose the brands they follow. It’s really a win-win for both.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post Why E-Commerce Companies Should Capitalize on Social Media appeared first on PressRelease .

Corporate Branding & You

Tue, 30 Apr 2019 12:00:00 GMT

Corporate logos are often small in size, but the impact they have for a company in terms of branding can be monumental. These logos represent the values, the products and services, and the people that come together to work as a unit to form the company.

But have you ever thought about how logos and other branding material might reflect upon you and your own appearance?

The products and services we use on a daily basis are branded with logos, taglines, catchphrases, and more. These materials are stamped onto food products, shopping bags, technological devices, and even social media posts. They open the consumer to a world of judgement they might not have initially realized was coming their way.

To be clear, there are some obvious cases in which corporate branding leads to consumer judgement. Expensive designer clothes will always symbolize wealth and success, whereas clothing brands that sell moderately priced products do not carry the same association.

But, have you ever thought about how corporate brand associations might influence the way you appear in a job interview setting?

Let’s break down an example to learn more:

SETTING: JOB INTERVIEW

Today is the big day. You’ve been preparing all week for this job interview, but you just need one more wake-me-up coffee before you head to the office. The closest two coffee shops are Dunkin’ Donuts and Starbucks. Which one do you choose?

These two brands are perceived very differently due to their brand and price associations .

Entering a Starbucks is like walking into a local coffee shop-turned chain. There are accommodating seating arrangements, decorative lighting, and artwork covering the walls. The colors are soft and welcoming. There’s a wide variety of menu items to order for a satisfying in-store experience.

The menu consists of different types of beverages, some of which have names that are quite intricate to pronounce alongside the unorthodox sizing scale ( try saying, “I would like one Trenta White Chocolate Mocha Frappuccino Blended Coffee,” three times fast ).

For these reasons, Starbucks has often been associated with high quality consumer experience, both in regard to the beverages they serve and the atmosphere they provide. The brand has built a cult-like following of customers that swear by the taste of the beverages as they enjoy the complimentary free Wi-Fi, all while sitting in the comfortable brown leather chairs found in Starbucks locations across the country.

In terms of pricing, the majority of Starbucks menu items will run you anywhere from a few cents to a few dollars more than the equivalent items from Dunkin’ Donuts. Pushing taste and other similar personal preferences aside, the reasons that cause the higher prices include larger cup sizes and higher caffeine content.

The reason pricing is important is because it is often directly associated with value.

If you head into that job interview with a cup of joe from Starbucks, your potential employer will know that you paid a bit more for your coffee, but they will also know that you value better quality products and services. They might even subconsciously tie you to the experiences they’ve had at Starbucks.

In the event that you are applying for a position in which quality control, product evaluation, or attention to detail are in the job description, walking in with a cup from Starbucks might be a great way to let corporate branding enhance your personal image.

Alternatively, the Dunkin’ Donuts business model provides customers with a different in-store experience, which in turn results in different brand association.

Unlike Starbucks, where a large emphasis is placed on the sit-down experience, Dunkin’ Donuts is a bit more focused on the to-go and drive-thru interactions. The colors are a bit more vibrant than those of Starbucks, as orange, brown, and light purple cover the walls. The seating arrangements often vary by store, but the number of seats is typically limited.

However, Dunkin’ Donuts offers drive-thru ordering at many locations across the country. This allows for faster ordering and speeds up individual transactions. According to Scott Murphy, the senior vice president of operations for the chain, stores that have drive-thru windows recorded 23% higher sales volume than other traditional locations in 2016.

The drive-thru speed, combined with the “On-the-Go” mobile ordering app and the cheaper prices across the board lead consumers to feel a sense of efficiency when they interact with the brand.

Efficiency is not just a brand association for Dunkin’ Donuts – it’s a part of their entire marketing strategy. The company’s motto, “ America Runs on Dunkin ’,” is a prime example. The brand looks to target the busy, morning-commute consumers who are looking for a 5 minutes or less experience to get their day started.

If you were to bring a cup of joe from Dunkin’ Donuts into a job interview, your potential employer could associate you with efficiency or productivity. They might think of you as someone who is cost-effective, which can be beneficial in a role where managing budgets might come into play.

In either instance, both brands offer associations that you can use to your benefit in a job interview setting. It’s up to you to determine which brand properly reflects your image or the image you are looking to achieve to best market yourself to your potential employer.

This is just one example in which corporate branding can reflect upon the consumer – there are thousands of other examples that you probably encounter every single day. For fun, next time you go to grab a cup of coffee, or use one service over the other, ask yourself – how does this company’s branding affect me?

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post Corporate Branding & You appeared first on PressRelease .

Press Release Writing for Nonprofits: Do’s and Don’ts

Fri, 19 Apr 2019 12:11:00 GMT

Press releases can play an important role in the success of a nonprofit. They can help increase awareness, raise funds, and build a following of supporters. When writing a press release for your non-profit, make sure to pay attention to these Do’s and Don’ts.

1. Do Pay Attention to Your Headline

Non-profits often get caught up in their mission and vision and forget that they still need to pay attention to proven marketing tactics. With a press release, if you want people to read it, you have to pay attention to your headline. It’s your hook. It’s arguably the most important part of your press release! It’s what journalists read first. Since they see tons of press releases, you’ll want yours to be interesting enough to make them want to read more.

2. Don’t Write a Press Release for Everything

Your press release must be newsworthy. It needs to be relevant, timely, interesting to media representatives, and to your audience as a whole. Here are a few occasions that could be considered newsworthy:

3. Do Avoid Buzzwords and Jargon

As a nonprofit, you have an image to uphold. When communicating, whether in a press release or any other marketing content, work hard to avoid hyperbole. For example, stay away from stock phrases like “revolutionary” or “game-changing.” Don’t use industry specific words that a journalist or reader may not know. Instead, show what makes your information original and newsworthy.

4. Do Target Strategically

Send your press release to journalists you have built a relationship with and who are interested in covering your subject matter. Write a personalized introduction and offer an “exclusive”. Whether it be a behind-the-scenes tour or an interview with your star client, offering something irresistible will grab their attention.

5. Don’t Forget Distribution

Leverage a distribution service to make sure you’re reaching the right channels and media outlets.By using a distributions service, you can place your news across multiple platforms. Doing this helps optimize your SEO. Analytics provided by the distribution service can help you determine your release’s effectiveness.

6. Do Publish on Your Website

Publish your press release on your blog or website. Share it with your supporters and subscribers via email. And even if your distribution service publishes your press release to social media, make sure you share it on your social sites as well. Consider using the hashtag #pressrelease.

7. Don’t Forget to Create a Media Kit

Your website should have a media kit. A media kit is a collection of your company’s releases, announcements, and company bios, and other information. Not sure what to include? Visit the websites of other nonprofits like yours and see what their media kits contain. It may take several drafts of your press release before it’s ready for submission and distribution. Remember the basic flow for a standard press release. Focus on your headline and making sure the first paragraph answers the major questions: who, what, where, when, and why. Nonprofits can benefit greatly from writing and distributing a good press release.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post Press Release Writing for Nonprofits: Do’s and Don’ts appeared first on PressRelease .

Press Release Best Practices 2019

Thu, 18 Apr 2019 12:05:00 GMT

Press release marketing is alive and well in 2019. The rules haven’t changed too much. What has changed, are some of the tools and tactics you can use to leverage press releases to grow your brand and your business. Every year, you should take a look at new and innovative ways to revitalize your press release distribution. Step up your PR game with new tools, analytics, and other tips.

Let’s take a look at the Press Release Best Practices for 2019:

Make it Newsworthy & Know Your Audience.

These are two old school rules. You absolutely must know who you’re writing for and who may actually care about your news. You also must make it newsworthy. What is newsworthy? It’s something that is interesting, relevant, and timely.

Our friends at G2Crowd have an excellent post about practical tips to be successful with your PR:

>> Check it out: PR Materials you need to know. Thanks, Deirdre!

Understand Targeting and Distribution

Today’s press release distribution services can be quite savvy. They support you to publish your press release on targeted sites. Proper targeting can make a difference. You can go from having hundreds of views to thousands. In turn, traffic from your PR can cause an increase in revenue. Do your due diligence before you set your industry targets pre-distribution.

Use Quality Distribution Services

You can’t hit the big name channels and services unless you use the best distribution services. Yes, they can sometimes cost a little more, but they’re worth it and they often come with a lot more tools and resources, including analytics.

Syndicate

Syndicating your press release is very important. Take the time to make sure that your social channels are all set up to syndicate your press release. Key channels to consider include Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, Reddit, Pinterest, and Instagram. Use a different outlet for each social channel syndication.

Enhance with Visuals

Pictures, video, and even audio files are worth a million words.Adding multimedia elements to your press release has many benefits. It can increase your SEO, website traffic, and brand awareness –all of which benefits of press release marketing. The foundation of best practices for press releases hasn’t changed much. You want to make sure you’re putting out quality information and newsworthy releases. The way you can leverage technology and marketing channels to promote and distribute your press release is one of the main changes in 2019. Create a stellar release. Choose a top-notch distribution service. Leverage the tools the service provides to enhance your press release and target key media outlets. Then syndicate and cross-promote to get more mileage from your release.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post Press Release Best Practices 2019 appeared first on PressRelease .

How Nonprofits Can Benefit from Social Media

Tue, 16 Apr 2019 12:42:00 GMT

Social media is just for businesses and consumers, right? Not at all. Social media can be an extremely powerful tool for nonprofits. It’s a way to share your message, to increase your following, and to achieve focused goals like fundraising and awareness, and to grow your community.

Take advantage of all social media platforms. Different platforms offer different ways to spread your message, but are all similar in a way. The way you utilize them for your nonprofit is up to you. Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and even Pinterest can significantly increase word about your nonprofit.

Here’s how a nonprofit can use different social media elements to increase their presence:

Video:

One of the most effective mediums on social media channels, including Twitter, is video. You can create Live videos or post videos or even link to videos. Social content that contains video often outperforms other forms of content. So with a non-profit entity, you can use video to share or live stream events. You can hold a quick session to talk about your mission or any current fundraising events you’re holding. Video is a fantastic way that nonprofits can connect with a larger audience and create momentum for their causes.

Case Studies:

Your non-profit has a cause that is the foundation for the organization. You have success stories and you likely have issues that you’re focused on right now. You can leverage the power of social media by sharing photos and stories of the causes that are most important to you right now.

For example : Share the progress of a fundraising campaign for a specific purpose. You can even share an experience the nonprofit had thanks to the generosity of others.

Social media gives you the power to communicate your mission and your causes and successes to a large audience.

Your Message, Your Mission, Your Team:

Social media can be a deeply personal and connected medium. It’s the perfect venue to highlight your team members. You can share a bio and highlight a specific team member, volunteer, or donor each month. This will help you connect with others and celebrate the people that support your organization.

Leverage it for Fundraising:

One of the most dynamic ways that you can capitalize on social media is to use it for fundraising. Again, you can share posts, updates, and events all related to your fundraising cause. You can share links so followers can donate and you can build your list as people donate. Social media has proven to be quite successful for non-profit fundraising.

If you’re interested in using social media as a marketing tool for your nonprofit, create a strategy. Decide what you want to accomplish with social media. Focus on one or two primary social sites and start creating content and engaging with your audience. Social media can be a powerful tool for nonprofit organizations.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post How Nonprofits Can Benefit from Social Media appeared first on PressRelease .

4 Unique Influencer Campaigns You Can Use for Inspiration

Mon, 15 Apr 2019 13:03:00 GMT

Influencer Marketing has exploded in popularity in recent years as advertising agencies and public relations firms have scrambled to find trending social media personalities to help promote their clients campaigns. The term has also become a buzzword for marketers and social media managers alike.

But how can a business separate themselves from their competition with their influencer marketing campaign? Does every campaign need to involve influencers with millions of followers in order to be successful?

Learn the answers to these questions as well as how some brands are utilizing unique influencer campaigns to get results in creative ways.

1. Tom’s of Maine – The Micro Influencer Effect

The term micro-influencer gets tossed around a lot in the marketing and PR space.

In short, a micro-influencer is a person who is very influential in a particular space or community and possesses an online following that consists of people that are interested in a specific kind of content. These types of influencers don’t necessarily have the largest followings online, but often times they will have loyal followers who consistently engage with their social media posts (think quality over quantity).

Tom’s of Maine recognized the potential in the micro-influencer space. They launched a campaign in which lifestyle-based micro-influencers posted pictures with Tom’s toiletry products on Instagram; in the captions of these posts, they encouraged their followers to post their own pictures with their favorite Tom’s of Maine products.

The campaign was wildly successful as it reached roughly 4.4 million potential customers within the first 3 months of the campaign.

This example of micro-influencer reach shows the power of the smaller players in the space. You don’t need to recruit major influencers and have huge marketing budgets to launch these kinds of campaigns.

For brands that are smaller than Tom’s of Maine, it might be a good idea to look at micro-influencers that are popular locally. Having well-known, local social media personalities promote a product or service can generate interest and potential customers to a small business that doesn’t have the need or a budget for traditional advertising, and they can also help drive traffic to an online store.

2. Dunkin Donuts – Celebrate the Holiday!

Dunkin Donuts used the holiday season to increase engagement with their brand.

If you’re thinking about the winter holiday season that includes Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, etc., you’re thinking about the wrong one.

For Dunkin Donuts, their holiday season comes in the late spring, when National Donut Day is celebrated on June 7. The brand partnered with Collab, a digital talent network, to create a nation-wide Snapchat campaign featuring eight popular influencers that were tasked with creating and distributing teaser content for a special offer that Dunkin Donuts was looking to promote in the days leading up to the holiday.

These same influencers then ran the Dunkin’ Donuts Snapchat account on National Donut Day from three different cities. The content that the influencers created drove their personal supporters to the Dunkin’ Donut Stores to take advantage of the special offer.

Dunkin’ Donuts also created custom Snapchat Geofilters which customers used in-store. When the followers of these influencers posted stories with the geofilters, they were inadvertently providing free advertising for Dunkin Donuts as all of their own followers would then see the brand’s logo.

When it was all said and done, Dunkin’ Donuts had gained more followers on Snapchat channel on National Donut Day alone than they typically would gain in a month. The campaign reached 3 million people and recorded 40,000 instances of engagement.

There are two key takeaways from Dunkin’s approach to influencer marketing. First, it is important to highlight how the brand took advantage of the “holiday.” There are countless “holidays” for different kinds of products, services, occupations, etc – brands of all sizes should be looking to take advantage of them! If you run a bakery, February 20 should be circled on your calendar (National Muffin Day). If you are involved in financial investments, National Savings Day (October 20) could be a great day to launch an influencer campaign promoting your services!

Secondly, the power of Snapchat really helped Dunkin as they used influencers to create an advertising campaign that grew exponentially as the followers of said influencers got involved. If you are considering an influencer campaign in the near future, Snapchat is a great medium to use.

3. Lagavulin – A Whole Lot of Nothing for a Good Amount of Something

Lagavulin is a brand that was well recognized by whiskey connoisseurs, but didn’t really have a presence among casual drinkers. In an interesting decision, the company featured comedian Nick Offerman in a 45 minute promotional video.

Offerman played the gritty and hilarious Ron Swanson on the sitcom Parks and Rec. Here, he musters up some of the characteristics that made Swanson a hysterical hit on the show as he sits in silence for the entirety of the video. He calmly sips a glass of Lagavulin next to a cackling fire throughout the clip.

Offerman was a great choice for the absurdly long video as his demeanor resonates well with the general public’s perception of what whiskey drinkers are supposed to be: gritty, tough, and reserved. The length of the video makes for a hilarious undertone, and it makes the audience feel as though they are part of a larger community for understanding the reasons for Offerman’s presence in the video.

Lagavulin’s approach reinforces the quality over quantity aspect to influencer marketing – sometimes, it’s all about finding the right influencer for your audience, not the most popular.

4. Daniel Wellington – Cute dogs! By the way, Nice Watch!

Swedish watch company Daniel Wellington was aware of this well-known fact, and used it to promote their newest releases. The brand teamed up with an account that goes by the handle @CanadianBros to accomplish this.

The Canadian Bros account regularly features two dogs named Jasper and Louie. In this campaign, the account managers would take pictures with both Daniel Wellington watches and the adorable dogs in frame. This would allow for Daniel Wellington to receive some exposure in a new market.

Cute animals, pictures of food, and beautiful vacation destinations are just a few examples of visually stimulating content that makes users stop scrolling and gaze at the content on their screens. By putting their products in frame alongside two adorable dogs, Daniel Wellington was able to place their watches in a place where they were bound to be seen by thousands of Instagram users.

Like we said before, influencer marketing often comes down to quality over quantity. Influencers can come in all shapes and sizes, whether they are major celebrities or micro-influencers that have strong pull in smaller communities.

Sometimes, in cases like these, they might even have paws.

The post 4 Unique Influencer Campaigns You Can Use for Inspiration appeared first on PressRelease .

Understanding Brand Image v. Brand Reputation in 2019

Fri, 12 Apr 2019 12:45:00 GMT

Knowing the difference between Brand Image and Brand Reputation can impact the way you run your business and PR. The two are linked to one another, but most often confused. In order to grow your business, you will need to understand the two independently and how they work together. You can measure them separate from one another, allowing you to use the data to improve your business and PR.

Brand Image

Brand image is the perception of your company’s current, past, and potential customers. It is how they view what you sell and how you sell it. The question that relates to brand image is, “What’s in it for me?”. This can be measured by people based on your company’s product, quality, value, variety, service, and status.

For example : Most people disagree that Chipotle is real Mexican food, but the brand prides itself on being a quick, healthy alternative to fast food chains such as Taco Bell. Chipotle’s image is seen as being a “healthier” version of a Mexican fast food chain. They may not sell the typical Mexican food found in authentic Mexican restaurants, but their customers pride on the healthier, non-GMO options they have.

Brand Reputation

Brand Reputation on the other hand is how the public views the company’s corporate actions. They way companies obtains their sources, do business internally, etc. all falls under its brand reputation. A business’s practices, engagement, diversity, transparency, and leadership are all accounted for.

For example : If your company CEO decides to publicly take action against abortion laws, and you see a significant decrease in sales, your brand reputation decreases. People keep tabs about what goes on internally and personally with a company. They want to know that the business they support aligns with their personal views.

Why is this Important?

In order for you to grow your business, understanding these PR terms properly can help you with your strategy . Creating a strong brand image and reputation can help you grow in your niche. By balancing and analyzing the two you will be able to see what works best for the company.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post Understanding Brand Image v. Brand Reputation in 2019 appeared first on PressRelease .

Tips on Conducting Interviews via Skype or Facebook Live with the Press

Thu, 11 Apr 2019 12:42:00 GMT

Interviews with the media can be nerve racking, but serve as a great deal of success for your business. If a press contact asks you for an interview, that means your business is worth talking about! Now a days, interviews, like almost everything, can be done online. These online interviews, also known as social media interviews, are important to your earned media. As you prepare for your social interview, either via Skype or Facebook Live, there are some things that you should keep in mind.

If it’s your first online interview, you might not be a pro just yet. Making sure that you have a strong WiFi connection, are in an area with little to no background noise, and are properly dressed are the essentials. Reviewing potential or given questions from the reporter are important. You don’t want to be left dumbfounded by an offside question. On the other hand, if you are a pro, then these things come easier to you.

Either way, make sure these things are on your pre-social interview checklist:

1. Contact the Producer Beforehand for any Technical Requirements

Before your interview, make sure to contact the producer to ensure you have everything needed to do the interview correctly. They might need you to stay in a place with a white background, or in a room with great lightning and no sun. etc. In some cases, producers may even send out a microphone to an interviewee to make sure the quality is good.

2. Practice Your Interview

As someone to run a rest run with you. Have them ask the interview questions given by the producer and mock questions you came up with. This will allow you to properly answer the questions. Practicing an interview with someone else also allows them to give you feedback.

3. Maintain Eye Contact with the Webcam

You should always look a person in the eye when speaking with them. But, in this case, the webcam will have to do. Since the interviewer is not physically in front of you, try maintaining eye contact with the webcam as if it were the person. This is also key to keeping eye contact with those viewing the livestream/online interview. Those who tune in to see you looking directly at them from their smartphone, tablet, or any other device they are viewing it from. It becomes a more personable experience for them. It is as if you are also talking to them one-on-one.

4. Notify the Producer/Reporter if Something Goes Wrong

Things happen, which is understandable. You might have a cold, the power in your area goes out, or your camera might be busted before you go live. There are certain things that are out of your control that can cause the cancellation or delay of the interview. Make sure to notify the producer or reporter immediately. Telling them something has gone south ahead of time allows them to prepare and strategize an action plan. Plus, they’ll be thankful you didn’t catch them off guard, leaving them with an empty segment.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post Tips on Conducting Interviews via Skype or Facebook Live with the Press appeared first on PressRelease .

3 Great Examples of Effective Crisis PR

Tue, 09 Apr 2019 13:35:00 GMT

Crisis PR, also known as crisis communication, is a form of public relations that is designed to defend the image of an individual, company, or organization that is facing negative attention in the public sphere.

While crisis PR isn’t something that communications and public relations teams look forward to by any means, it is one of the most crucial forms of PR in the event that a company were to receive public backlash in the media.

Here are three effective crisis PR strategies used by major corporations in recent years that provide great examples as to how companies can bounce back from negative attention and preserve brand reputation:

1. Red Cross & #gettngslizzerd

In 2011, the American Red Cross, had to deal with a crisis they had yet to encounter previously. This crisis took place on social media.

A social media manager had mistakenly confused the official American Red Cross Twitter account for her own personal account. She tweeted the following message:

Yikes.

Posting tweets about alcohol and inebriation is not the best look for an organization known for springing into action when disaster strikes. The American Red Cross responded using its account once more – first by deleting the original tweet, and then by poking fun at their own mistake:

While the brand definitely put themselves in the spotlight with their original mistake, their usage of humor in their apology was very effective. In fact, #gettngslizzrd became a trending hashtag as hundreds of users responded with lighthearted replies to the apology that was later featured on the company blog.

The brand was able to interact with their followers and engage their audience as a result, making for a great ending to what started as a very problematic situation. For scenarios such as The American Red Cross’s Twitter blunder, humor can be a very effective tool in a PR response – however, it is important to note that humor is only to be used when the situation itself isn’t severe.

The following examples will include situations in which humor would be highly inappropriate to use in crisis PR.

2. JetBlue Takes Responsibility

In the early months of 2007, airline JetBlue faced what can only be described as a PR nightmare.

The airline experienced an operational breakdown after an ice storm struck the East Coast. This led to nearly 1,000 flights being cancelled in just a five day period.

As expected, passengers were outraged by the cancellations. Many passengers, stranded in various airports for the duration of the operational failure, became angered with airline employees and started altercations that required the presence of security agents.

CEO David Neeleman approached the situation by taking full responsibility for his company’s failures. It seems obvious, but many brands attempt to divert bad press from their direction by either citing external reasons for their failures or blaming other entities or forces entirely.

Neeleman had the option of blaming the bad weather for the operational meltdown, as it was a major factor and did cause equipment failures across the east coast. However, in an effort to stay true to their roots of a customer-service oriented, low-fare airline, Neeleman opted to own up on behalf of JetBlue.

Neeleman took to YouTube, the Today Show, Letterman, and Anderson Cooper to apologize for the incident. He also wrote a letter apologizing to JetBlue customers in which he introduced a customer’s bill of rights and presented a detailed list of steps the company would take to help the affected passengers.

Lesson to be learned – sometimes the best first-step in crisis PR is the simple one: say sorry!

Then try to help those affected as quickly and as efficiently as possible.

3. The Tide Pod Challenge – Gronk to the Rescue!

Robert Gronkowski, also known as “Gronk,” is a former star NFL tight-end. He is also known as the spokesperson for Tide, a laundry detergent that is produced by Procter & Gamble.

In 2018, a social media trend concerning Tide Pods, the brand’s detergent pacs, thrust the brand into the national spotlight for all the wrong reasons. Users on Twitter and Instagram were participating in what was known as the #TidePodChallenge, in which users, many of whom being children or young teens, were eating the detergent pacs and posting videos of their attempts to social media.

Although this trend was not caused by Tide itself, the brand received bad press due to their mere association with the challenge, which resulted in many injuries and even a few deaths due to the toxic chemicals present in the detergent pacs.

Procter & Gamble featured Gronkowski in a video in which he strongly denounced the consumption of Tide Pods. It was viewed as a great move by P&G as Gronkowski was a celebrity that was easily recognizable by the age demographic that was participating in the dangerous challenge.

Not every brand has the capacity or budget to recruit and hire a celebrity endorsement like Robert Gronkowski, but every brand can emulate the actions taken by P&G. They made sure that the face of their brand condemned an activity that involved one of their products, despite not having any other involvement with the activity itself.

In the case of smaller brands with smaller advertising budgets, this “face” might be a CEO, an employee, or a community of consumers who can publicly defend a brand’s reputation by dissociating it from the actions of an external group.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post 3 Great Examples of Effective Crisis PR appeared first on PressRelease .

3 Ways to Modernize Your Press Release

Mon, 08 Apr 2019 13:16:00 GMT

Plain text with a JPEG image attached to a press release is the old fashioned way to grab someone’s attention. Make the most of what the 21st century has to offer and revitalize the press releases your company sends out. Take your story to another level and connect with more people. A well-crafted modern day release will increase customer awareness and generate new business. There are three things you can do to revitalize your company’s press releases: showcase multimedia content, promote your blog, ad personalize your brand. By incorporating into your release, an increase in engagement is sure to follow.

1. Multimedia Content

In a world of podcasts, Snapchat, and instagram visualization and multimedia are necessary to attract people to your PR content. Add in photos, infographics, videos or audio clips to allow people to view your release differently. If you are already using these tactics in your marketing, why not use them in your release?

Multimedia has become an important part of gaining media attention. Without it, it is difficult to cement your way in the industry. Create pieces that are relatable to current times. Try and see what your competitors are doing.

2. Blog Promotion

If your company has its own blog content, feel free to promote it in a press release! Try and integrate the content into the release if relevant. Driving more traffic to your blog will help increase the SEO results. You are bringing awareness to a feature that your company offers. Blogs are useful ways for people to use your company as a resource for learning. Having updated blog content allows you to be seen as a leader in your industry. Talk about what it is like to have a business in your niche. The experiences your company has faced and tips to help others.

Content is an important factor to consider when including a blog post in your press release. You can’t have a press release about hiring a new VP of Sales and a blog post about “Best Ways to Improve SEO” –it doesn’t make sense. If you are going to integrate a blog post into your press release, it does not need to be one of the highlights. Simply having word or phrase linked to a blog post, relatable to the release, is enough.

3. Personalize Your Brand

Creating a human aspect to your brand via press release allows people to connect with your business on a 1-to-1 level. Giving a face to the name gives a sense of humanization to your brand. Either include videos with employes, photos, etc. will help people connect with your business. Make sure the content that is trying to personalize your brand connects with you audience on a level that moves something inside of them. If your audience is outdoorsy, try including pieces that interests their adventurous side. Include your logo in any photos or videos that your company creates to reiterate the connection. A short story about a product your company offers can connect with someone through the right media. People are most likely to remember a photo or video in a release than the actual words itself.

It is important to always change up the way information in your press release is conveyed. Integrating these simple things into your release is a great way to connect and reach out to existing and future customers. The media will also find your press releases appealing and willing to share your news with their audience.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post 3 Ways to Modernize Your Press Release appeared first on PressRelease .

Why Social Media Engagement Matters for Your PR

Fri, 05 Apr 2019 12:54:00 GMT

The old school approach to social media was to see how many followers you could accumulate. Like the old days of SEM (search engine marketing) people would game the system to gain followers. Today, the number of followers you have doesn’t really matter. What does matter is the quality of your followers. Are the people who follow you on your social media channels potential customers? One way to measure that is to look at social media engagement. In this article we take a look at Social Engagement and why it matters for your PR.

A Look at Engagement

Engagement is a reflection of the quality of your followers. It includes the shares, likes, comments, and reposts of your content. When someone engages or takes action on a social media post, it is a demonstration of their interest in your company or brand. So you could have 10,000 followers on Facebook, but if you only have one engagement each day, those followers aren’t productive. They’re not getting you anywhere. Conversely, if you have 1,000 followers and 100 engagements a day, they are quality followers.

Engagement as a Reflection of Your Brand

The better your social media engagement, the stronger it reflects on you as a brand. When your audience engages with you, it shows that they like, respect, and trust your brand. Social media is a personal connection. The competition for attention online is critical. If your followers take the time to share, comment, repost or like to yours, it shows they are paying attention.

From the Media’s Perspective

Your engagement helps you in a number of ways. From a very basic business level, if you have an engaged and active audience, they’re much more likely to drive sales. From a marketing and PR perspective, the time an individual takes to engage increases awareness for your products or services.

The media notices this. First, engagement attracts attention. When you have an active post, you’ll gain new followers. Media representatives are always on the lookout for a good story, and your active posts can attract their attention. Second, let’s be blunt and say that any media rep who is considering your pitch or doing a story on you is going to do some research about you first. One of their first stops will be social media. If you have an engaged audience, it helps boost your brand in the eyes of the media. If you’re not presently working to improve your social media engagement, it’s time to get a plan in place and to take action on it. Social media and good PR go hand in hand. Put time into both to get the best results.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post Why Social Media Engagement Matters for Your PR appeared first on PressRelease .

What Social Media Platforms are a Must?

Thu, 04 Apr 2019 12:49:00 GMT

When it comes to choosing the best social media platform for your business, the opportunities are wide and varied. You could be posting snappy snippets on Twitter or beautiful photos on Pinterest. So how do you choose the right social platform for your business, and what social media platforms are a must?

A Look at the Big Players

You’re probably already familiar with the big players in social media. We’re talking about:

Each of these platforms offer millions of monthly active views. People spend countless hours on these sites, so why not advertise on them? You can reach new people and increase your following.

Let’s just look at the data for a minute:

If you create and build a solid platform on all of these sites, that’s a wide reach and the potential for a large community of followers and customers.

But the chances of being able to win and perform on all of these social media platforms is rare. As a start, focus on two or more social media platforms that have a more dedicated audience. One that has less competition from other businesses and brands. When you are able to grow into a larger space, dominating all the other platforms will be easier.

Other Social Media Platforms to Consider:

These social platforms are the first ones you should look at when you’re examining your social media marketing plan. However, before you start creating a profile, ask yourself the following questions:

What are your social media goals? How do you want to use the social site? For example, using Twitter to drive traffic to your site may be easier than using Pinterest for the same purpose.

Who is the audience you want to reach? Let’s face it, if you’re marketing to anyone under the age of 40, then Facebook isn’t the right choice for your business. They’re just not on Facebook. They are on Snapchat and they are on Pinterest. If you’re marketing to professionals, then LinkedIn may be the place to focus your attention.

Is advertising an option? Many social sites offer advertising opportunities. If advertising on social is part of your plan, then you may want to prioritize that platform over one that doesn’t offer ads.

Ask yourself: Can you consistently produce quality content while creating an engagement campaign?

It doesn’t do you much good to build a profile on a social site where you aren’t skilled at creating content. Take YouTube, for example. If you are not comfortable creating video content, then that’s not the best choice for your business, regardless of your audience and goals. (Though you could outsource your social content creation). Yes, there are many solid social platforms to choose from and these big names are a must. However, make sure that the social sites you choose fit your business needs and goals. It takes time to build a social following and you want to make your efforts count.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post What Social Media Platforms are a Must? appeared first on PressRelease .

What is Media Monitoring?

Wed, 03 Apr 2019 12:31:00 GMT

Have you heard the term, “Media Monitoring”? In the world of public relations, knowing things ahead of time is critical to the job. Being able to see and manage media engagement on one platform is a must. Media monitoring is a tool every company should be using to improve their PR and stay on top of their brand image.

Take a look at why you should be using it to advance your PR and marketing:

Media Monitoring Defined

Media monitoring is monitoring all forms of media: print, social, broadcast, radio. etc. for mentions of your business, brand, services, or anything else related to your industry. This allows you to be aware of things happening in “real-time”. It allows companies to act on any PR related matter before it spirals in different direction.

Essentially, it is a way for you to stay on top of what the media, your audience, and the general public are saying about you or about your industry.

Why Monitor?

There are many reasons why you may want to create a media monitoring division within your company or to hire a provider.

Here are a few reasons why you should monitor:

1. Helps you engage with customers and prospects.

You know that timing matters. When you leverage media monitoring, you’re able to respond in real time when someone mentions you online.

For example, if a customer is complaining about your products or services you can engage them immediately and resolve the problem. If they’re providing a positive comment, you can thank them and engage them online. If someone has a question related to your products or services, you can answer their question quickly.

2. Helps you stay in tune with your audience needs, goals, and pain points.

Media monitoring can be about more than simply tracking brand mentions in real time. You can track keywords or your target audience as well. This helps you stay on top of what your audience needs so you can provide it and engage in solutions.

3. Helps you build relationships with the media.

It can helps you discover who talks about you, your industry, and your products and services. By doing so can lead to solid media relations campaigns. You can reach out to specific outlets and representatives and begin to build relationships with them. It helps you know who to connect with. Of course, hopefully you already have a media relations campaign. But monitoring the media can help you grow it.

How Do You Get Started with Media Monitoring?

You can hire a service. One of the easiest ways to initiate a media monitoring campaign is to outsource it and hire a company to take care of the process for you. This is a good idea because you can cover more outlets than if you’re trying to do it on your own. However, it isn’t free and there may be a small time delay between a mention and you learning about it and being able to act on it.

You can set up alerts and leverage technology. The technology exists for you to be able to manage media monitoring on your own.

Media monitoring should be part of your business systems. Whether you outsource the service or manage it in house, it is always good to know what is being said about your business.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post What is Media Monitoring? appeared first on PressRelease .

Understanding What to Do with Media Monitoring Data

Tue, 02 Apr 2019 12:02:00 GMT

If you’ve implemented systems to monitor social media, fantastic! You’re likely steps ahead of your competition and have tremendously valuable information at your fingertips. You can track brand mentions, industry influencers, keywords, engagement, trends, and much more. But what do you do with the information? That’s the next step and that’s what we aim to clear up in this article.

Mentions

By starting with mentions we begin with perhaps one of the most common metrics – and one of the most complicated.”Mentions” are not just mentions on social media, but include print and other online mentions. Comments are often dismissed in mentions. Seeing everything people say about the alert you set is important to better understand what is being talked about. From news to comments, all the information online should be taken with a grain of salt.

If people are talking about your company, you should immediately act on it. For example: An influencer asks about a product or service suggestion and his/her followers suggest your brand, that is a key mention to act on. Anytime your products, services, or company name comes up, that is a data point.

Okay, so if you’re tracking mentions, what do you do with the information?

Positive vs Negative Mentions

One key element of media monitoring can be your brand perception. How do people feel about your company? You can track, over time, the number of positive and negative mentions. Positive mentions go up, awesome! Your efforts are working. Negative mentions go up, it’s time to get serious about problem solving.

Number of Mentions

You’ll also likely be tracking the quantity of mentions, not just the quality. So as a whole, when your mentions go up, it means that more people are aware of your company and they’re engaging with you. They’re talking about you online. Assuming they’re mostly positive mentions, this is a huge indicator of PR success. AND these mentions can be leveraged into more press coverage.

Campaign Tracking

Speaking of press and PR, media monitoring is a fantastic tool to measure the success of your PR campaigns. After you publish a story or obtain media coverage, you can and should track mentions of your brand. Collecting data is good, but acting on the information makes you smarter. The information gathered through a media monitoring service, gives you the chance to make better business decisions. Make sure the data you are collecting can be leveraged to take actionable steps to advance your business.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post Understanding What to Do with Media Monitoring Data appeared first on PressRelease .

Tips for Hiring a Social Media Monitoring Agency

Mon, 01 Apr 2019 11:16:00 GMT

Social media monitoring is an important part of your marketing strategy. A good monitoring service will be able to tell you how your social, influencer branding, and PR initiatives are working. Social media monitoring, for market research, allows you to do many things. You can stay ahead of your competition, provide outstanding customer service, and identify opportunities. Being that social media monitoring is an integral part of success, many companies choose to outsource it. Before you hand over your social media monitoring reins, make sure that you’re hiring the best agency for the job.

1. Make Sure They Know Your Industry

Let’s start by saying that in many cases, social media monitoring falls under the “social media management” title. So if you’re hiring someone to monitor your social media, you’re also hiring them to manage it.This entails posting, responding, engaging, and cross promoting content. By doing so they should be able to identify new opportunities for your company. To ensure you’re hiring the best person or agency for the job, it’s nice to know they have experience in your industry. Why? Because different tactics work for different industries.

2. What Performance Indicators Do They Use?

The next question to ask is what key performance indicators (KPIs) they use. You want to know how they’re going to measure the success of your social media marketing campaigns. You’ll want, at a minimum, for them to look at metrics like new leads, reach, engagement, replies, mentions and retweets, reposts, and traffic.

3. Can You Afford It?

Outsourcing the management and monitoring of your social media can be expensive. Take a look at your options. You may not want to hire entirely on cost; you want quality results. However, you also need to make sure there is a return on your investment.

4. Ask for Examples

When hiring someone, make sure you have the opportunity to look at their past efforts with similar companies. They need to be able to show you a pattern of success within your industry. If you were hiring a writer, you’d ask for samples of their work. Do the same with your social media professionals.

5. How Many Clients Are They Currently Working With?

This question can also be phrased as, “how much time will you spend on my company each day or week?” You want to make sure that you are a priority with your agency and that they’re not spread too thin. Additionally, it’s a good idea to know how many people are on their staff. If they have two managers and 40 companies, the odds are good that you’re not going to get the attention you deserve or are paying for. Outsourcing your social media monitoring is a great way to make sure you’re putting forth a complete effort.Social media is a must if you want to be competitive in today’s market. Monitoring can help you make it easier to get into the space and ensure the job is getting done. Without having media monitoring on your “To Do” list, you have time to focus on other areas to grow your business.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post Tips for Hiring a Social Media Monitoring Agency appeared first on PressRelease .

Social Media PR Best Practices

Fri, 29 Mar 2019 15:03:00 GMT

When it comes to “Best Practices”, every expert has their own opinion, From social media experts to PR reps, and marketing experts, everyone has their own tidbit of insight on how to operate online. Taking in all their opinions, studies, and experiences, we have compiled a list of truly “Best Practices” on social media use.

Here’s What They Have to Say:

1. Set Goals

When it comes to social media and PR, it’s important to set goals. What are you trying to achieve? How are you trying to achieve it? Goals can range from increased mentions to more website traffic. It all depends on your goals.

2. Leverage PR Campaigns on Social

When you receive media coverage, it’s in your very best interests to promote that coverage on social. Share links to the story. Get your audience involved in the story. When applicable, follow up on the story. If you’re working on getting media coverage, build up to the pitch with relevant and interesting content pieces.

3. Engage with Influencers

Social media influencers can help you get the PR that you desire. In addition to having a loyal following, social media influencers often capture the attention of the media. If you’re connected to an influencer, the media may be more likely to cover your news story.

4. Respond Quickly to Mentions

When your brand, products, or services are mentioned on social media respond to it. It is in your best interest to interact with the person or other business quickly. If they’ve left a negative comment about you on social, work to remedy the situation quickly. If they’ve left a positive comment about you on social, thank them and engage them in conversation. Ask what you can do to continue to help them solve their problem.

5. Consistent Content

Make sure that you’re publishing a consistent flow of valuable content. This content can include everything from data and facts, to behind the scenes images and videos. Pay attention to the type of content that your followers respond to on each channel you’re on. For example, they may like user videos on YouTube and behind-the-scenes photos on Instagram.

Get Organized! This is a bonus best practice. If you’re going to post, engage, test and track content, and set goals, then you’re going to need systems in place. Leverage social media marketing tools. Everything from scheduling posts to social listening should be used. You can and should create a content calendar. Through a content calendar you are able to integrate your goals across all marketing tactics and leverage available opportunities. And don’t forget to create systems that support you to engage with your audience and respond to mentions.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post Social Media PR Best Practices appeared first on PressRelease .

Newswire’s New Social NewsBuzz Distribution

Fri, 29 Mar 2019 13:00:00 GMT

Newswire is pleased to announce its newest distribution channel, “Social NewsBuzz” as an available add-on to any press releases distribution order.

Learn More >>

Get Started Today. Order Now for only $99 :

Social NewsBuzz gives clients the chance to gain attention from social media users. Utilizing this add-on feature will push press releases onto Twitter feeds, allowing for more exposure and engagement through Likes and Retweets.

With Social NewsBuzz distribution add-on, clients are able to get in front of media on a local and regional level. Our team creates your custom Twitter Campaign based on your desires and preferences, then posts tweets at optimal times to ensure you have the best chance of high levels of engagement.

Still debating whether or not this new service is the way of extending your press release reach? Here are some results from previous client campaigns and a more detailed explanation regarding the service:

Social NewsBuzz

Why Social?

What Does it Include?

Here are a few sample tweets from client campaigns:

Who Is Targeted?

Benefits :

By utilizing a Social NewsBuzz campaign, your company will reach a new level of media exposure. Having already established reputable Twitter networks, Newswire is able to reach media personnel in the selected region or state specified. This gives you a leg-up in the social media space without having to go through the hassle of creating your own campaign, saving you valuable time.

Get Started Today. Order Now for only $99 :

If you have any questions on how Social NewsBuzz can help you, contact us for more information at 1-800-713-7278.

The post Newswire’s New Social NewsBuzz Distribution appeared first on PressRelease .

Social Media and PR

Thu, 28 Mar 2019 14:15:00 GMT

How connected are your social media PR departments? Do your initiatives, content, goals, and analytics overlap? Do you look for opportunities to enhance your PR with social media? If not, you’re missing an opportunity, and potential profits. Turns out, there’s a very valuable connection between social media and PR.

Find Social Media Influencer

Social media influencers are people who have a massive following. Their following tends to be responsive. If the influencer says, “hey, ABC company is amazing,” then ABC company’s visits, traffic, and sales grow in response. Social influencers can play a pivotal role in PR. If a social influencer mentions your brand, your credibility and exposure increase. Influencers give your brand a voice. A strong relationship with an influencer can provide abundant opportunities for promotion.

Initiate and Build Relationships with Media Reps.

You have the power, with social media, to influence your brand’s image in a number of ways. When a trending topic hits social media, media representatives pay attention to how companies respond and what the public has to say. YOUR PR team can join the conversation on trending topics that relate to your business and influence journalists and media reps. It’s a good way to connect with new media reps, to establish your brand credibility with them, and to become a reliable source of industry information.

Real Time Engagement – Real Time Problem Solving

Your brand reputation can be made on social media. It can also be destroyed, or seriously injured, on social media. Public opinion matters. It matters to the public and it certainly matters to the press and media representatives. You can set up systems within your organization, or outsource it, where you’re able to monitor your brand in real time. Anyone mentions your company name, employees’ names, or your products or services and you’re notified. You can then immediately engage the person who is complaining about your business and come to a resolution.

Read time engagement will help you maintain a positive brand image. How you respond to situations can bring you notoriety and the press you are looking for. There have been situations where a company’s response to a customer on social media has earned them national press.

Finally, it must be mention that you can announce event, promote content and brag about customers, products and services. Post often, share value, and engage with your social media audience. The press will notice. They’re on social media, and they’re watching companies in your industry. It can be you that grabs their attention. Integrate your social media and PR efforts.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post Social Media and PR appeared first on PressRelease .

Why Social Media Must Be Part of Your Earned Media Marketing Strategy

Wed, 27 Mar 2019 20:23:00 GMT

Content marketing, social media marketing, earned media marketing; the list of types of marketing that you have to have to succeed online probably feels extensive. And it’s true that you do need to have content on social media and beyond. However, it’s not as complicated as it might seem. Streamlining the process and ensuring that you leverage your content efforts means success. One leads to another, and if you have any type of content marketing plan, then social media must be part of your earned media strategy.

“But what if I don’t have earned media?” you ask. You already do.

If you’re online and you’re working to grow your business, then you have earned media. Earned media is simply a third party talking about your business online. It’s online word-of-mouth marketing. If you have reviewed, you have earned media. And it can be a huge business builder. When more people are talking about you online, you gain increased awareness, traffic, subscribers, fans, followers and, ultimately, more customers.

Earned Media Happens on Social Media

Let’s get right to the point. Earned media mainly occurs on social media. Sure, you can get Google or Yelp reviews, and that’s earned media. However, to get the most bang for your earned media buck, it has to be on social media, where there are hundreds of thousands of people engaging at any given time.

The audience is huge.

Messages travel quickly from one person to another. And awareness of one product, post, or comment can spread to thousands overnight.

Budget Friendly

Social media is also a low-cost way to publish content. When you consistently publish content – and it can be anything from a quote to a tip to an infographic or meme to a long article – you can begin to build interest and awareness. You can invite others to comment on your business and to create earned media literally without spending a dime, unlike paid media which can cost plenty and have lackluster results.

It’s About Relationships

Social media is social, and if engagement and conversation are part of your strategy then earned media is just a few posts away. It is important, however, to make sure that you are engaging. When someone comments about your company, links to your website or posts a review, you engage with them as quickly as possible. If it’s a negative comment, turn it around if possible. If it’s a positive comment, thank them and discover how you can further serve that person and grow your relationship.

Social media is a must for any business.

If you want to get your followers involved in promoting your business, social media must be utilized. Check out the opportunities not only on sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram – check out LinkedIn as well. Make earned media, and social media, a strong part of your marketing strategy.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post Why Social Media Must Be Part of Your Earned Media Marketing Strategy appeared first on PressRelease .

LinkedIn Marketing Tips

Wed, 27 Mar 2019 14:27:00 GMT

Here’s a fun fact: Did you know that 52% of business-to-consumer companies report acquiring a customer from LinkedIn? LinkedIn is known for the ability to help professional network job search and make connections. But, it can help increase a company’s marketing efforts. The following tips can help you find, grow, and sell to your audience on LinkedIn.

1. Publish Content Readers Can Take Action On

Content for the sake of content just won’t cut it anymore. It’s too competitive on social media. Once you have the attention of a reader, you need to capitalize on it immediately. That means making sure your reader takes action. Now this action can be clicking on a link and reading another post. It can mean filling out a contact form, leaving a comment, sharing your post or signing up for your email list. Make sure there’s something for them to do with every post you publish. And it doesn’t have to be a call to action. You can provide valuable content that gives your reader something to do, like tips for a better night’s sleep.

2. Publish Often

Like any social channel, consistency creates awareness, trust, and credibility. LinkedIn offers the ability to publish a variety of content types including images, video, and print content. Consider publishing daily and varying your content type. Keep in mind that LinkedIn is often a site for industry news, so you can curate content and create quality posts as well as original content.

3. Advertise

LinkedIn offers advertising, like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Their advertising program has improved over the years and is now on par with other social sites. You can use their Matched Audiences tool to retarget the visitors that are already in your sales funnel.

4. Leverage Groups

Groups on LinkedIn are a lot like groups on Facebook. Created with a similar interest or purpose in mind, they’re an opportunity for you to connect with people who are interested in your niche.You can learn a tremendous amount from LinkedIn groups. Through these groups, you can build relationships with people who can become customers. You can create and participate in conversations about your industry.

5. Don’t Forget the Media (and Influencers)

Media representatives in your industry absolutely have profiles on LinkedIn. Use the best of your media relations and/or influencer marketing strategy. Connect and engage with these individuals to boost traction of your profile. LinkedIn operates similarly to other social sites in that content, engagement, and tracking are the keys to success. If your audience is on LinkedIn, and chances are that it is, consider creating your profile today and creating a content strategy.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post LinkedIn Marketing Tips appeared first on PressRelease .

Leverage Social Media to Build Brand Loyalty

Tue, 26 Mar 2019 12:38:00 GMT

Brand loyalty is something that is built over time. You create an amazing customer experience. The system you put in place encourage customers to spread the words about your business to friends and family members. Whether it be through word of mouth, or sharing your company profile on social media, your brand awareness increases. They boost your credibility and influence buying behavior. Ideally, you have a loyalty program in place already. If that’s taken care of and working well for you, the next step is to leverage social media to build brand loyalty.

It All Starts with a Strategy

Hold up. Before you jump on social media to increase brand recognition, create a social strategy. It prevents the whole “throw spaghetti at the wall” type of mistakes and wasted time. Include goals and tactics in your social strategy to increase conversion rates, sales, and SEO ranking. Another major factor is increasing your customer experience. Decide how often you’re going to engage, who you’re engaging with, what content you’re posting, when you’re posting it, and why. Your strategy should also take a look at how you’ll measure results.

Identify Your Brand Voice and Feel

Many social channels are highly visual channels. Think about Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube. The truth is that all social channel posts perform better when there’s a picture or visual to go with it. You can leverage this visual nature of social by creating a look and feel for your posts — brand them. It’s about more than slapping your logo in the bottom of every photo.

You want your audience to see your post and know it’s you. And your look and feel should be aligned with your brand values and voice. If you’re fun and flirty, then your images should support that tone. If you’re sarcastic, same thing. When it comes to your print content, you’ll want to have an authentic and consistent one. What’s your voice? Is it engaging? Does it align with your brand? Is it professional yet able to portray your company culture?

Engage, Engage, Engage & Reward

Social isn’t about posting as much as it is about creating engagement. That means not only responding to comments on your posts but also commenting on other posts. Engage with influencers. Follow your customers and comment on their posts. One of the best ways to build a strong community is to engage with your audience. Initiate conversations, answer questions and get involved.

And don’t forget the power of personal connections, especially when it comes to brand loyalty. Consider a rewards program. This allows your loyal followers to be offered discounts, exclusive and advance access to content, and more. You can have contests or special promotions exclusively for your followers. Social media provides a wealth of opportunity. It all starts with a strategy, consistency, and connection. Align your message with social, get involved with your audience and followers, and strengthen your brand loyalty.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post Leverage Social Media to Build Brand Loyalty appeared first on PressRelease .

How to Use Social Media for PR

Mon, 25 Mar 2019 12:40:00 GMT

One of the most often overlooked components of marketing is the integration of your marketing tactics. For example: When you write a blog, do not forget to promote it on social media. People forget to integrate their content marketing strategy with their social media marketing.

You’ll absolutely get more bang for your buck when you integrate your efforts. The same is true for your Public Relations and Press Release marketing. Leverage social media to get the best results. Let’s take a look at how to use social media for PR.

Pain Points and Research

Social media is one of the best places to learn about your audience. Search hashtags that are relevant to your audience and your business. Join groups on social (such as Facebook Groups), engage and ask questions. Learn about the problems that your audience is dealing with and use that information to create content, products, and PR materials.

Here’s an example: You learn you audience is struggling to use their Customer Relationship Management software (CRM). What’s a solution? You could host a webinar to teach people tips and create a press release to promote the webinar.

Overlap Efforts

Whenever you create any press-related initiative, make sure to promote it on all social media platforms. Whether it’s a press release, pitch to a local reporter, or an event, it counts as shareable content.

For example, if you’re pitching a story idea to a local reporter, why not talk about some of the pain points your story addresses on social media. Reporters and media representatives are on social.

When people are curious, they often research companies on social media. Seeing a consistent message across your PR marketing and social media showcases a strong reputation. You have a better chance of coverage.

Use Social to Build Credibility

Your PR efforts are more likely to be successful if you’ve established a solid brand online. To do that, you must build an audience, create a consistent message, and engage your audience on a regular basis. This builds credibility, and it tells any media rep that your audience (which may also be their audience) is responsive. They trust you and you’re a credible source for information and solutions.

Engage with Other Influencers

Be a team player on social. It widens your reach. It also boosts your credibility both with your audience as well as with media reps. When you pitch a story idea or issue a press release, you can leverage your online relationships. So while you’re building your media contact list, also focus on building your influencer marketing relationship list.

Take the time to look for ways to overlap and integrate your efforts. Create a content calendar that outlines the steps of your marketing initiatives. After doing that, look for ways to integrate them. Social media is one of the most powerful assets you have as a business owner and a marketer, so make the most of it by using it for your PR efforts.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post How to Use Social Media for PR appeared first on PressRelease .

How to Use LinkedIn to Boost Your Brand

Fri, 22 Mar 2019 13:03:00 GMT

If you market to professionals or to businesses, LinkedIn can be one of the best social media channels to grow your brand. It has 260 million Monthly Active Users (MAUs). And it provides opportunities like groups, advertising, and the ability to recommend others. If you’re not using LinkedIn to build your brand, you may be missing out on a truly valuable opportunity.

1. Start with a Branded Profile Page

It may feel like a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised how many companies have an incomplete profile on LinkedIn. So, what makes a complete profile page on LinkedIn?

2. Create a Content Plan

Your content plan should address the same fundamentals that any content plan leverages. One, make sure you’re providing content that solves a problem for your audience. If you’re not sure who your audience is on LinkedIn, start with some research. Find your existing customers and associates on LinkedIn and pay attention to what they talk about. You may have to test a few things before you home in on your LinkedIn audience.

The second component of a LinkedIn content plan is to make sure that you are posting consistently. Don’t go overboard initially. Make sure you can consistently publish something on LinkedIn. That may be one post a week or five. Know what you can post and follow through.

3. Know Your Voice and Message

Make sure when you’re engaging with others and that your content has an authentic and consistent voice. That means knowing your brand message before you start posting content. Outline your values and your voice before you start posting.

Finally, make sure to leverage the groups feature in LinkedIn. If there isn’t a group, or six, for your industry, consider creating a group. Start inviting your followers, friends, and associates. Ask questions in groups and share unique content. With LinkedIn there is a truly valuable opportunity to build relationships with your audience and to boost your brand. Like any social site, it starts by adding value. Consistently create quality content and promote that content on your blog, website, and other social sites. Let people know what you’re doing on LinkedIn and track your results. You may find that it’s the most valuable social channel you have.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post How to Use LinkedIn to Boost Your Brand appeared first on PressRelease .

How To Research Your Brand On Social Media

Thu, 21 Mar 2019 12:40:00 GMT

There are many uses for social media. You can use it to find influencers, connect with them and build your audience. You can use social media to increase your email list or drive traffic to your sales page. You can actually sell on social media, advertise, and even perform some customer service functions. You can also use social media for research. If you have a branding campaign and/or a PR strategy, then you can also research your brand on social media. Here’s how.

1. Survey Your Customers & Followers

Use social media tools and functionality to learn how your followers and target audience perceive your brand. You can also use it to learn more about their pain points and how to position your brand as a problem solver.

There are many different survey and quizzing tools you can use.

You can embrace something as functional as a “Yes/No” question on Instagram Stories. Social feedback can truly help you understand how your audience perceives you, and it gives you powerful information to influence that perception and to widen your awareness.

2. Alerts and Mentions

Hopefully, you are already monitoring your brand online, and on social media in particular. Monitoring social mentions can help you better understand how your brand is perceived and who is talking about your business. When you know who is talking about you, and what they’re saying, it provides you with information that you can immediately take action on. You can respond to mentions, both positive and negative, and influence your brand perception. Build relationships with people, businesses, and media representatives who mention you, your products, or services.

3. Keywords, Competition, Trends and More

Social listening tools can help you better understand your audience and your industry. Social listening tools give you the ability to monitor competitors. This allows you to understand what their digital marketing is and how it’s working for them.Connect with influencers by monitoring specific keywords and audiences in order to find the most popular influencers in your industry. Get a better understanding of your audience and the keywords they use when they search for solutions and information. And you can use social listening functionality to measure the success of a PR campaign.

Social media is for more than building an audience and posting content.

It’s for learning more about social sentiment as it relates to your brand. Study you audience and their perception of you and the industry you are in. Give you the opportunity to identify communication, stronger branding, and growth.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post How To Research Your Brand On Social Media appeared first on PressRelease .

How to Measure PR

Wed, 20 Mar 2019 12:45:00 GMT

With any marketing tactic, you want to be able to evaluate your results. You want to know if your efforts are paying off, if they need to be adjusted, or if they’re just not working and it’s time to let go and move on. Some marketing tactics are easier to measure than others.

For example : It is easier to measure a list building tactic than social media engagement.

That said, with the right strategy, it is possible to measure just about every action online. That includes PR.

Let’s look at how to measure PR:

Mentions

One way to measure your PR is to count the number of mentions you have online after a story breaks or after you’ve published something online. It’s important to create a baseline and measure your mentions over time. You might begin counting mentions today and count them daily a few weeks prior to coverage. Then you would count them during and after the coverage to see if there is an increase in online mentions.

Traffic

Measure your website traffic over time. In addition to measuring basic traffic numbers, also look at where the traffic is coming from. Evaluate your PR efforts. Optimize on the proven things that impact your traffic. ~~traffic.~~

Sales

Like traffic, sales can increase based on any one of your ongoing marketing tactics. It’s important to measure sales on a regular basis and to put steps in place so you can evaluate where the sales are coming from. Creating unique links and URLs is one easy way to know where the traffic and sales are coming from, and which PR piece is creating the result.

Social Media Followers & Engagement

As awareness of your brand increases, you will likely see an increase in social media engagement. You may also experience an increase in followers. This is a bit more difficult to measure. If you pay close attention to timing on social media, you will better understand how to increase traction and gain following. Additionally, you can thank new followers for following you and ask them how they heard about you.

Finally, with any PR efforts, it’s important that you set goals. What do you want to accomplish and how will you accomplish it? With PR, the results and the goals will be both quantitative (measurable) and qualitative. Set goals for both and put systems in place to assess your data. Look at traffic, sales, engagement, mentions and other relevant metrics that demonstrate PR success.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post How to Measure PR appeared first on PressRelease .

How to Leverage Social Media for Your Brand

Tue, 19 Mar 2019 12:58:00 GMT

Branding can feel like a full-time endeavor. There’s research to be done, people to engage, and content to create. It requires a solid strategy and attention to results. Social media can be one tool that helps you get the brand recognition you desire, while also making it easier to measure your results.

Engagement & Awareness

Awareness is the number of people who have heard of your company or who are “aware” of your brand. Engagement is the number of people who take action on your social media content.

Brand awareness can be enhanced or increased on social media by engaging with social media influencers.

These are people who have a loyal following, and their followers take actions on their recommendations. If they say, “I love this product,” then their followers check out the product. So a brand mention by an influencer in your industry can be huge for increasing awareness.

The first step is to identify influencers in your industry. These people don’t need to be the people with the biggest audiences. But they should be people who engage with them and who are loyal. They engage regularly. Once you’ve identified a few influencers, start engaging with them. Provide valuable content on their posts. Share information with them. Build a relationship.

Engagement is the other facet of social media that can help you build your brand.

Engagement occurs when someone likes, comments, shares, or reposts your content. First you want to make sure you know what your audience’s pain points are, and then you provide content that helps them solve their problems. Ask questions. Invite conversations. Share stories. Respond to comments, shares, likes and reposts. Let your followers know that you’re paying attention and that you care.

Test various types of content and test your social sites. You may find, for example, that your Facebook audience is much more active and engaged than your Instagram audience. You can test by sharing the same content across multiple social media channels.

The channel with the biggest response can be a clue to where your audience really hangs out.

Advertisements. One additional way for you to leverage social media is to take advantage of the highly targeted advertising capabilities. You can use advertising to put your products or services right in front of the very people who are searching for them; the people who are most likely to buy. Social media provides numerous opportunities for you to build your brand recognition. Identify your goals, including engagement, influencers, and followers. Take strategic steps toward building your brand with social media.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post How to Leverage Social Media for Your Brand appeared first on PressRelease .

How To Leverage Social Media After Your PR Coverage

Mon, 18 Mar 2019 11:26:00 GMT

You’ve worked hard to get the media to cover your company. From building relationships to sending out press releases, you have put in the effort to make your company known.Once you’ve got the coverage you’ve worked hard for, you want to make the very best of it. You want to promote the heck out of your PR coverage. One of the tools at your disposal to obtain the biggest PR bank for you buck, is social media. Let’s take a look at how you can use social media to make the most of your press.

1. Share Your Press on Social Media

It sounds like an obvious step, yet so many companies simply forget. If you’ve issued a press release, you can and should link to that release on your social channels. You can, to be transparent, include the hashtag #pressrelease in your description. This way people know they’re clicking on a release.

You can also share quotes and interesting points from the release as tweets or other short content posts and link to your press release.

When you gain media coverage, share your story across all social media platforms! Again, share a direct link to the article on your page. Also, share quotes and interesting points from the article. Get people engaged and excited about your press. Encourage them to share, comment, and repost.

2. Consider Advertising

Timing ads with media coverage can help you gain more traffic, sales, and attention from your audience and customers. You’re already getting coverage, why not take advantage of it and put your company’s products or services in front of the people who are reading about you?

3. Engage with Influencers

Just like advertising is a way to capitalize on your new exposure, it’s also a fantastic time to take the next step with social media influencers. Let them know about your coverage and pitch an idea to them. Maybe they can promote your products or services. Maybe they can mention your business, share links, or partner with you for a promotion or new offer.

Press coverage and new PR is an exciting time. You’re getting the results that you worked so hard for. Don’t take too much time patting yourself on the back for a job well done. Instead, leverage the momentum into more sales, exposure, and connections. It’s the ideal time to take your business to the next level and get more PR and profits. To that end, it makes good sense to have systems and a plan in place so you’re ready when you do get that coverage you’ve been working so hard for.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post How To Leverage Social Media After Your PR Coverage appeared first on PressRelease .

How to Decide if You Should Outsource Your Social Media Monitoring

Fri, 15 Mar 2019 14:29:00 GMT

Marketing is a time-consuming endeavor. Even if you’re a one-person business, you can spend 95% of your time marketing your business. And it’s an essential task. People have to know about your amazing products or services if you’re going to stay in business. Social media should be an essential part of your marketing strategy. The downside is, it can take up much of your time. This is why many organizations choose to outsource their social media monitoring and management. It’s an important decision to make.

The Cost

Social media monitoring and/or management isn’t cheap and, to be honest, you probably don’t want to hire the least expensive option out there. You want to hire someone who is able to give your company their full attention and actually help you leverage social to grow your business. But you may be looking at your marketing budget and wondering how you’re going to pay for it.

When you’re looking at the cost, make sure that you honestly assess the value and the return on investment.

For Example : If you spend $5,000/month for social media monitoring and management, you should be able to see its ROI (return on investment. If there is an increase of $5,005 a month, that’s a $5 profit increase. It’s working.

Any net increase in income or profit makes it a worthwhile investment.

Here’s the other thing to consider; how much would it cost you to pay someone in house to do it? Most agencies are scalable. Meaning they can offer you a handful of services initially and when you’re ready, you can ask them to do more.

Your Goals

Does social media support your current marketing goals? Social, while it’s always a component of a marketing strategy, may not be your primary strategy. If it’s not a large focus of your marketing strategy, then outsourcing may not be a priority. Outsource key components by checking industry-related news and review social media analytics. You can then handle responding to comments, messages, and posting and scheduling content.

On the other hand, if social is a large part of your marketing strategy, hiring a pro can help you streamline your tactics and get the most for your efforts.

Bottom line, outsourcing your social media monitoring and management makes good sense for a number of businesses. If you want better results, you want to streamline your efforts, or you’re looking to increase your social presence, outsourcing may be right for you.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post How to Decide if You Should Outsource Your Social Media Monitoring appeared first on PressRelease .

Difference Between Web Monitoring and Social Listening

Thu, 14 Mar 2019 17:04:00 GMT

The world of social media can be overwhelming. Terms, tactics, tools, and possibilities are constantly changing. If you are not paying attention, it’s possible you may have missed out on the update. Many businesses are not away of the concept of web monitoring or social listening. These two terms are important to understand when integrating social media into a business. Let’s take a look at the difference and how each can help your business strive.

What is Web Monitoring?

Web monitoring, aka website monitoring, is the process of staying on top of the customer or user experience on your website. It looks at the behind the scenes data and systems to ensure the best possible experience for everyone who comes to your site.

For example, load time is component of web monitoring. How quickly does your home page load for your visitor? Are your links working or are there error pages? Web monitoring looks at the performance of your website.

With web monitoring, you can hire an outside service to stay on top of your website performance.

This is a good idea if you’re unable to monitor it in house. You need to know when your website is down. You need to know when it loads too slowly or when you have broken links. The last thing you want your customer to experience is a stop in their navigation and flow on your site. Because when a customer or a visitor comes to a stop, like an error page or a page that won’t load in a timely manner, they simply leave. You’ve lost an opportunity.

What is Social Listening?

Social listening is entirely different, but no less important, than web monitoring. Social listening is the monitoring of your brand’s social media channels for any customer feedback and direct mentions of your brand. It can encompass monitoring conversations, competitors, keywords, or industry information to stay on top of trending topics and opportunities.

Social listening enables you to respond to comments and mentions in real time.

It can enhance your PR because you can turn customer situations around and leverage media coverage in real time. It also helps you better understand your audience.

Like web monitoring, social listening is something that you can do in house or you can outsource it. In house is made easier with social listening tools like Google Alerts and Hootsuite.

Both web monitoring and social listening are important to the continued growth and success of your business. Create systems or outsource the process so you’re able to stay on top of your industry, audience, and your website.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post Difference Between Web Monitoring and Social Listening appeared first on PressRelease .

Creating Your Media Monitoring Strategy

Wed, 13 Mar 2019 14:36:00 GMT

If social media is part of your marketing strategy, then it makes sense that social media monitoring should be as well. What is social media monitoring? It’s the process of tracking brand mentions, industry news, competitors’ actions, customer opinions, and much more. Social media monitoring gives you insight as to whether or not your marketing efforts are paying off. It identifies opportunities, leverage press and mitigates problems. Sounds good, right? The first step to monitoring social media is to create your strategy. Here are some things to consider.

1. What Are Your Objectives for Social Media Monitoring?

What do you want to accomplish with your social media monitoring? What marketing goals will media monitoring help you achieve? There are certainly a wide variety of potential goals including: engagement, mentions, sales, and customer perception.

2. What Are You Going to Monitor?

There are a number of different metrics you can monitor with your social listening strategy. They include:

3. Who is Going to Monitor Your Social Channels?

Along with this decision, you’ll also want to identify the social channels you’re going to monitor. Presumably, it would be all of the channels you’re active on. However, you may decide to add some channels you’re not active on just to see what, if anything, is happening related to your industry on that channel. You might choose not to include some channels if you have time or financial constraints.

This brings us back to who is going to monitor your social media. You can outsource it – there are both freelancers and agencies that provide this service. You can also leverage tools like Hootsuite and perform the task internally.

Finally, you’ll want to decide what action you’ll take with the information you gain from social media monitoring and who will take that action.

For example: You may want someone to respond to all brand mentions online and task a different person or department with monitoring industry trends and customer sentiment. Media monitoring has become an important part of marketing strategy. If you’re active on social, then it’s vital that you’re paying attention to what people are saying online, how they’re engaging, and what they think about you. Create your social media monitoring strategy today.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post Creating Your Media Monitoring Strategy appeared first on PressRelease .

Building Your Brand Story on Social Media

Tue, 12 Mar 2019 13:27:00 GMT

Building your brand story on social media is something that shouldn’t be too complicated, and yet many companies, and brands, are getting it wrong. Telling your story right allows you to dramatically impact your social media success and your business.

1. Be More Human

You’re human, not a “business.” Your consumers are buying from you because they like you, they trust you, and they believe that you have a solution for their problem. They buy from, and connect with, people. To showcase the human element of your business and to prove that you’re real, there are a few simple steps that you can take.

2. Know Your Brand Value and Story, and Communicate it Regularly

Every message that you share on every social platform should reflect your brand’s values and story. Who are you? What are you about? What do you stand for? Don’t deviate your message from your core values and story. Consistency builds trust and credibility.

3. Tell Stories

When you’re posting on social media you have a choice. You can share information, or you can share a story with information. The difference is simple. For example, if you’ve lost your remote, there’s a nearly 50% chance you’ll find it in the sofa cushions. That statistic alone, while interesting, will not likely get much engagement.

However, if you tell a story about losing your remote and where you found it, then you’ll get much more engagement. And if you invite others to tell their lost remote stories then the post will take off.

And consider linking posts to tell a broader story over time. You might share a story, update it later in the day, and then update it daily over the next few days. This increases engagement, follows, awareness, and strengthens your brand.

4. Don’t Forget the Visuals

It’s entirely possible to tell a story with a picture. You can, and should whenever possible, add images to your stories. Give followers a face. Share videos. And consider creating a brand look and feel with your images so that they can see your picture and immediately know it’s you. Building your brand story on social media takes time. It takes patience. And it takes consistency. Decide who you are, what your brand voice and message is, and create a look and feel for your content based on that concept.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post Building Your Brand Story on Social Media appeared first on PressRelease .

Your Guide to Sending Press Releases Via Email

Thu, 07 Mar 2019 13:10:00 GMT

Journalists, writers, and editors are very busy these days. With events constantly occurring, people are always on-the-go. Email is usually the best way to reach out to them and get the quickest response. However, what are the rules for sending press releases via email?

Send only information, not annoying spam messages.

How can you avoid getting pegged as spam? Don’t include attachments or HTML – send your news as a text-only email message. Don’t send everyone on your media list exactly the same announcement, either.

Only send them the news that is relevant to their readership or industry.

If you have images or a video that will accompany your press release, put the entire press release (including the images or video) on a page on your website and link over to that from your plain text emailed press release.

Make a memorable first impression.

In email rules, using a descriptive subject line (something other than just: “Important News – Read Me!”) can help make a great first impression. Skimming one’s inbox, an editor or writer will know immediately from the subject line if they want to even open it and read through the email.

A good rule of thumb is to use your press release’s headline for the subject line of your email.

You’ve worked hard to craft the perfect title. It makes sense to use it for a good first impression.

After your perfect subject line is settled on, follow it up with a memorable and intriguing first sentence in your email. In today’s busy world, it’s more important than ever to get your readers hooked from the start.

Create a media email address on your company site and send the press releases from that.

Whether you have a dedicated press release writer on your team or you’re a one-man show, you need press/media contact information that should be included within every press release and media pitch. In addition, these types of email should be sent from the email address you listed in the email.

Standard professional email etiquette will always apply – even to press releases.

Avoid sending out blanket press releases to your media contacts. Make each one its own email to each contact that you want to send to. It will make the contacts on your list feel more special and targeted, and less like they’re just “one of the crowd.”

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post Your Guide to Sending Press Releases Via Email appeared first on PressRelease .

5 Areas to Monitor on Social Media

Wed, 06 Mar 2019 18:07:00 GMT

If you’re active on social media and using this powerful tool to market your business, then you are aware that it’s a tremendous research tool as well. Social media monitoring and listening are tools that can help you learn more about your brand’s perception. It dives into your audience, industry, and competition. Whether you’ve been monitoring for some time or you’re just getting started, here are five areas to monitor on social media.

1. Brand Terms & Misspellings

Make sure to monitor all terms and keywords related to your business. Aside from including your business’s name, also account for misspellings of your business’s name, products, and services.

For example : Achieve Athletics, you might also want to monitor “Achieve Athletics.” Look at common misspellings and monitor those. And remember that people sometimes forget the # or the @, so monitor accordingly.

2. Keywords

Another area to monitor is the industry or brand related topics or keywords.

For example : Archive Athletics, a sports company, would monitor sports and exercise apparel. They would monitor brand-related topics to better understand the current trends. This allows the company to see what issues their customers face, giving them opportunity to fix them.

3. Your Customers

Please monitor your customers and their needs. When a customer voices a comment online, it is an opportunity for you to engage. This also provides you with an opportunity to gain more exposure, build credibility, and increase trust. Answer every comment, respond to every message, and thank people who share, retweet, and repost your content.

4. Brand Sentiment

How does your audience, followers, and customers feel about your brand? How do they feel about your products or services? Brand sentiment allows you to comprehend where your brand is heading and how to improve it. It’s also an asset from a development perspective. Some of the best ideas come from your current customers. Listen to your networks for features and services they may find helpful.

5. Your Competition

Of course, you can and should monitor your competition (and your industry) on social media. Start by tracking competitor taglines and names, brand terms, and their key product phrases. Gain info on new products, customer complaints, press and PR coverage, and unique marketing tactics.

Social media monitoring must be part of your ongoing marketing strategy. You can perform it in house or outsource it. Start by looking at these five areas and leverage the information to grow your business and bottom line.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post 5 Areas to Monitor on Social Media appeared first on PressRelease .

PR for Startups: 3 Mistakes to Avoid

Wed, 06 Mar 2019 15:09:00 GMT

Adopting a PR Strategy that’s not a good fit for your company.

Startups often have so much to worry about that developing a suitable marketing strategy might not seem like a top priority. Some businesses will even resort to emulating another company’s PR efforts, hoping to garner some success from a method that’s already been proven. It might make sense at first but here’s why it doesn’t: unfortunately, marketing objectives are not one-size-fits-all.

A brand new startup can’t hope to copy Amazon or Walmart’s marketing strategy and expect even remotely similar results; it just doesn’t work that way. Startups face unique challenges that require a different approach. One that’s more suited for the environment in which the business occupies. But that’s not to say a startup can’t take inspiration from a bigger company’s methods.

Startups have a very specific set of challenges unique to their situation, and must tailor their marketing objectives to meet those challenges.

Here are just some of a few common issues that startups have identified:

Missing Opportunities to Engage/Educate the Public

We’ve already gone over how utilizing the right social channel is important for zeroing in who your target audience is. So let’s say you’ve developed an online presence on the appropriate social media channels and are on your way to fine-tuning the process.

A costly mistake that many businesses will make is treating these channels like a one-way street. Let’s go over what that entails: there are many out there that aren’t well-versed in the subtle nuances of social media marketing, who believe that it’s the business’s job to produce content, and it’s the audience’s job to interact with said content. Wrong.

The true strength of social media lies in its intrinsic ability to facilitate the exchange of news and ideas in real-time.

You’ve seen it before: Businesses with Facebook or Instagram pages where potential customers are commenting, asking questions, and the business is silent. There are no replies to people’s concerns. Is anyone even running the page? Is the company still in business?

This becomes a waste of opportunity. Engaging with customers on social media is a critical key. You have the ability to answer any questions people may have. Let them know straight from the source.

Answering one person’s question publicly on social media more often than not, means you’ve assuaged the doubts of every other person that sees that question with similar concerns.

Remember, organic engagement is good as gold in the social media world, and it’s important to treat it as such. Engaging in a friendly, meaningful manner with your audience is one of the most fruitful, cost-effective actions you can take.

Even a simple ‘thanks for checking us out’ reminds people of the human element within the business. In today’s world, where AI is analyzing your spending habits, determining your future shopping trends, reminding people there’s a human aspect to your business is an underrated facet in marketing. Engaging on social media and a cheap and effective way to remind people of the human aspect behind your business. It shows that you are part of the community and that there are a team of individuals behind your business.

Not Enough Content Creation

One of the best ways to build some brand awareness is by being in the spotlight, and staying in the spotlight. Many businesses do this, figuratively, by continuously feeding the ‘media pipeline’ with content.

Without discipline or a clear direction, it’s very easy to give into complacency. You adopt a “set & forget it” mentality when it comes to putting out content.

Plan events in advance through an editorial calendar.

Whether it be social media or blog posts, press releases, product launches, etc. you can go ahead and set it up. Be consistent and provide various forms of content. Be aware of your time in the spotlight. Take advantage of reeling in new customers. You never know who you will interact with. But, do not forget your loyal customers who have been around since day 1. Show appreciation to all, old and new. Planning events or giveaways to showcase customer appreciation is a great fill-in in your editorial calendar.

Ever looked up a company because you kept seeing articles or posts about it whilst going about your daily business? It’s that same principle you want to take advantage of.

By positioning your business at the forefront of the public’s mind through a consistent cadence of high-quality content, you’re planting the seed for future successes. The more buzz you generate, the more people will want to engage; given enough buzz, people will outright look for reasons to do business with you.

The post PR for Startups: 3 Mistakes to Avoid appeared first on PressRelease .

Why Your Press Release Should Be a Story

Wed, 06 Mar 2019 14:15:00 GMT

Press releases are traditional marketing pieces which have stood the test of time. Another tried-and-true marketing method is storytelling. Combine the two and your press piece will be unstoppable!

It may not be as easy at it seems. There are certain instances where you may wonder, “How can this press release be told as a story?” Anything is possible, it just takes time and practice to create a storytelling press release. With a few tips and tricks, you will be writing press release stories in no time!

How to Turn Your Press Release Into a Story:

1. When writing your press release, become the narrator of the story.

Knowing the tone for your company or your brand is very important. Use that tone – and any specific vocabulary for your company or brand – and use those in your writing.

2. Experiment with writing your press release in story form, instead of following the regimented press release method.

This may not always work, but for great stories, this may garner more attention than using the traditional format. By using more of a story format, you can even position your company or your product as the “hero” of the story!

3. Keep your audience in mind when framing your message.

Why should they care about your company? Should they care about your new product or service? Why should they care about you? Try to imagine the experience they’re going to have with you – how you can help improve their work, their homes, and their lives. Transport them with the solution you have for their needs.

4. Make your press release memorable and relatable.

So that it stays with the reader for a longer amount of time than traditional press releases. Think about why your company moves you – and you will find the right mindset to move your readers also.

5. Be mindful not only of what interests your reader, but also how much time they have to skim through your release.

What will excite them or entice them, why your company or product is relevant to them? Get to the point quickly. Keep in mind that how you tell your story can be almost as important as the newsworthy story itself.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post Why Your Press Release Should Be a Story appeared first on PressRelease .

PR for Startups

Tue, 05 Mar 2019 14:11:00 GMT

Public relations can be a tricky space to dip your foot into. Startup businesses are usually the most vulnerable in the space. Trying to create a presence in their niche via social media or online is difficult. But what’s the best advice an established professional can give you? There are 5 things you need to know to navigate through the startup world of public relations.

Here’s What Startups Need to Know:

1. Clear Vision: One Sentence Description

This is a problem that many startups grapple with, and I cannot stress this enough : you MUST be able to succinctly describe your business in a way that illustrates how your business provides value to others. Learn it, memorize it, live it. The second someone asks what your company does, you should be ready to pounce with that brilliant one-liner that you’ve been so diligently crafting for this exact moment.

Having a long-winded, rambling response peppered with ‘uhhs’ and ‘umms’ is a very clear indicator of either A: a lack of confidence, or B: a lack of preparation; both of which you don’t want to appear short on especially if you are the business owner. You should be the one to know your business best. If you can’t explain it simply and clearly to others, how is anyone else supposed to understand?

The secret sauce is having a unique angle that sets you apart from your competitors; be sure to define what separates you from your competition. Give people a reason to want to learn more.

2. Groundwork: Building Relationships with Media

Every industry has its competition, but having the discipline to go the extra mile in developing a multi-faceted PR strategy is what will separate you from your competitors.

A good plan doesn’t guarantee success, but there’s no doubt it’ll increase your chances. It fosters discipline, ensuring you are always focused on short-term goals that are vital for growing a small business.
In this case, it’s taking the time to research your industry and become an expert in the space your business occupies. This includes being aware of who your competitors are, as well as discovering the authoritative voices in your industry: reporters, journalists, bloggers, YouTubers, podcasters, influencers, and content creators of all kinds. These people are the voices of your industry, the gatekeepers , so to speak. Do the work: know who they are, and what they’re about—it’s good information you’ll need to build relationships with the right people that can help get your foot in the door to bigger and better things.

3. Create the Perfect, Professional Pitch

There are people out there who want to do business with you. A lot of the time, getting people to know you exist is the biggest hurdle. Earlier, we went over how important it is to be able to convey to others what your business is along with what you do in a way that’s easy to understand. It’s also important to be able to do that in writing.

There will be a lot of times you’ll be faced with the daunting prospect of connecting with people via email or DM. Be prepared to get left on read, because it’s not an easy task; there are paid courses, books, and entire seminars dedicated solely to mastering the art. Thankfully, this is not one of those seminars.

Here are a few key points to remember when coming up with a home run of a pitch:

4. Social Media

Social media is a fantastic, almost indispensable tool for networking, brand exposure, and increasing online visibility. It helps build trust, and allows for various different methods of reaching new audiences whether it’s live streaming, or connecting with people via daily stories. The possibilities are really endless if you have the talent to build an engaged social media following. The modern business landscape is always changing, and social media is showing no signs of slowing down or becoming any less useful.

As a startup, it’s your duty to be mindful of how to navigate the social media world from a business standpoint. There are so many companies missing out on opportunities for building a buzz due of their lack of consideration or lack of understanding when it comes to promoting and networking via social media.

5. Conventional PR

For the most comprehensive plan of attack, it’s always a good idea to combine the latest marketing techniques along with tried-and-true methods. Having a fully-equipped press kit is a good example of one such method. A press kit, or media kit, is a pre-packaged set of promotional material about your company that distributed to members of the media for promotional/advertising purposes.

Keep in mind with the modernization of everything, it’s good practice to have both physical and digital versions of your kit. If there are journalists or media influencers that want to talk about your business or industry—you want to be sure they have everything they need to paint the best picture possible. Makes sense, right? Include high-resolution photos, press releases, testimonials, bios about prominent figures within the business, awards, articles from other publications; anything that contributes to your brand and increases your authority in the space.

By simplifying the content creation process, it makes writing or talking about your business easier, and that’s always a good thing. Instagram posts, articles, tweets, blurbs, mentions—it all adds to your street cred, building up your business into a more established, more reputable enterprise.

The post PR for Startups appeared first on PressRelease .

Why Understanding Press Release Analytics is Important

Tue, 05 Mar 2019 13:24:00 GMT

Which Metrics Should You Care About for Your Press Releases?

Headline Impressions

This number is the number of times your headline appears on the internet. This doesn’t necessarily mean that your full press release is on each of those sites. Many sites use an RSS feed or news aggregator that includes your headline for your press release, but when a reader clicks on it, it takes them back to the published site.

Why is this metric so important?

Higher numbers of headline impressions means that you’re doing well with naming your press releases and even with choosing and using the right keywords in your headlines.

Full Reads for Your Press Release

The number of times that your entire press release was read. There is no set “good number” but it can depend on the market you target, your industry, or even what your press release is about.

What is the importance?

For starters, it’s important that you know where your readers are. This metric will let you know if you’re getting local, national, or even international readers. Depending on what you want to target, these numbers may vary greatly. This number will also tip you off as to which of your chosen topics is read the most. It’s important to know this so you can help guide future successes for PR campaigns.

Traffic Sources

This metric can clue you in as to where your “clicks” are coming from and, if you’re being found from keyword searches, what those keywords are.

Importance?

Knowing those keywords that people are using to find your news will help you guide future PR campaigns.

Release Interactions & Clicks – This metric will clue you in as to what people do after they read your press release.

If you’ve invited them to visit your website or watch a specific video or some other action, this metric will clue you in as to what they do. Tracking the “clicks” will also help you to know if your press release is resonating with the public.

Why is this metric important? Knowing how people are using your press release and what next steps they’re taking is important so that you know if your press releases are actually prompting any further action or if they’re just skimming and then moving on to the next piece of news.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post Why Understanding Press Release Analytics is Important appeared first on PressRelease .

Why Knowing Your Audience is Important for Your Press Release

Mon, 04 Mar 2019 14:12:00 GMT

For any content marketing piece, it’s important to know who is reading your work. Creating content without knowing you are writing for is a little like painting someone’s house without knowing what color they want it painted. Getting to know your audience can exponentially increase the traction your press release campaign receives.

Why is knowing your audience important to writing a press release?

It’s important to know if you’re writing for specific audiences so you know how to display the news.

Here are a Few Examples:

Journalists : Keeping journalistic writing in mind is the best way to organize your content. It’s important to know if you’re writing for specific audiences so you know how to display the news.

Media: If you are writing for new media, such as bloggers, you can use more conversational or story-telling writing.

SEO Optimization: Writing for Search Engines is far different than writing for actual people. Keywords are essentially the most important part of your content. Make sure to use keywords that relevantly rank in your space.

Public: Writing for a broad audience can be difficult. You are trying to grasp everyone’s attention, even those who do not normally have interest in your company. When writing for the public, conversational tone and a specific call to action should be included in your writing.

Knowing who is reading your content can also help you realize which “hooks” or types of stories are working the best for that audience.

If you want more readers who fall into a certain demographic, then you can use your analytics to focus in your content that is more appealing to them. For example, if you launch a product for local service providers, you want to focus your content to appeal to the local market and their specific industries and interests.

In addition to knowing WHO is reading your press release, it’s also important to know WHERE they’re reading it.

If you’re creating content for a local market, but many of your readers are across the country, or even international, then it’s important to create future content with more local keywords – and probably submitting to more local publications or sites, and vice versa. If you want to expand beyond your local market and audience, include keywords that relate to the broader audience segment and topics in your press releases. Then submit it to nationally known sites, publications, stations, channels, and other outlets.

Knowing who is reading your press releases can also help with knowing who is SHARING your announcements. This can help you track how your campaigns are going and which are being shared the most – which is adding to your audience without much effort on promoting the content yourself (other than the initial time writing the press release and submitting the press release to your contact list).

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post Why Knowing Your Audience is Important for Your Press Release appeared first on PressRelease .

Who are the Best People to Send Your Media Pitch To?

Fri, 01 Mar 2019 15:42:00 GMT

There is no blanket answer for this question. Every company will have a different answer. It depends on your industry and target audience. You can’t have a sports store pitching their new stock of baseball hats to a video game blogger. It wouldn’t make sense! However, here are our Top 3 Rules for finding the best people to send your media pitch to.

1. Do Your Own Research

Pull together a list of different media outlets and journalists that you think may be interested in your business or story. This is not going to be a once-and-done list. You will hopefully, keep adding to and grooming this list over time.

Once you have your beginner list, look deeper into each outlet to discover more info that may help you define your target audience better. Also, get to know the journalists better. See if they’ve written stories like yours before. Most importantly, you want to find out if and why they are the best person to receive your pitch.

Do you share a passion or a common cause?

You should especially pay attention to if they regularly post stories about other people, much like what you’re going to be suggesting they post for you. If they only post self-promotional content or general knowledge content, then they may not be the best contact for your story. We’re not saying it’s not worth the pitch, but you may need to craft that pitch a little differently if there’s a distinct lack of other people’s content in theirs.

In addition to journalists and news outlets, you should also look at influencers in your industry.

Those who have the same target market as you are going after. These influencers can write a blog post, or even a moving social media post, about your story idea to get you more exposure. However, again, you can start with a large list and edit it down to only those who are the best to receive your story idea.

2. Make Sure Your List Is Up-To-Date

Once you have your beginning media and influencer list, make sure that you update it regularly. When you have a story you need to get out quickly, it’s easier to do when you keep the contact info, as well as their current topics up to date.

3. Keep Up-To-Date With Your Contacts’ Postings

Follow all of your contacts on their social media or read their blog on a regular basis. It will be much easier to send out your pitches if you know what each of your contacts have been up to, so you can compliment what they’ve been working on.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post Who are the Best People to Send Your Media Pitch To? appeared first on PressRelease .

When to Send a Media Pitch vs. a Press Release

Thu, 28 Feb 2019 14:36:00 GMT

Media pitches and press releases can go hand in hand with each other, but there are times where one is more appropriate than the other. Differentiating when to send one versus the other is an important part of your PR strategy. Make sure you know when to send a media pitch or press release to your contacts.

How Do Media Pitches Differ From Press Releases?

Media Pitches:

Press Releases:

A media pitch should include some of the same details as a press release.

However, it is geared toward commenting on industry news, new trends, or stories about the company. Your media pitch should always be newsworthy to the audience. It should make a good news story for a journalist or influencer. As for outlets, it should always make them “look good” for “finding” helpful and interesting information.

In your media pitch, you can also include sample interview questions and how you’d answer them, if you were asked for a story about the topic.

A media pitch is essentially a persuasive letter written to a journalist, an editor, a blogger, or an influencer. It should make them want to write a story about your company.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post When to Send a Media Pitch vs. a Press Release appeared first on PressRelease .

When is the Best Time to Send Out Your Press Release & Why?

Wed, 27 Feb 2019 14:34:00 GMT

Once you’ve taken the time to carefully choose a newsworthy story, craft a press release around the story, and choose a keyword-rich headline. Timing is key. It is important to choose the right day of the week and time slot to send your release. Choosing the right timing gives you a better chance of having your story being picked up by your media contacts.

What is the Best Day to Send Out a Press Release?

Press releases should be sent out on Tuesday , Wednesday , and Thursday .

Why do these days work best?

Mondays can be the busiest day of the week for many writers and influencers. As they settle back in from their weekend, they’re inundated with last week’s news plus the two days they haven’t been checking email. Your email will be buried, deleted or sent to spam, especially if it’s sitting in your contacts inbox on a Monday.

What is the Best TIME of the Day to Send Out a Press Release?

Traditional rules don’t necessarily apply.

With nomadic culture, many people are working from home. People check email from their beds in the evening or from the gym in the morning. Experts can’t actually completely agree on the perfect time to send out a press release.

Research has shown that sending it out at 9am EST and 8pm EST work the best.

It’s important to know the time zones for each of your media contacts to ensure you’re sending these emails out at the right time. Once you know the time zones, you can set up your email to automatically go out at the right times for each time zone.

If you choose the later time suggested, you may also need to make sure you send the email at the earlier time on the following morning. Writers and editors are busy people. Getting an email late in the day, creates a likeliness it will not be seen right away. . The email will likely be buried in the “morning clutter” of your contact’s inbox.

What is the Most Important Factor to Determine When to Send Out a Press Release?

Do not get too paralyzed over the perfect day or time. It’s much more important to make sure you hit send and get your news out there.

Don’t stress too much on time. The information you are putting out there should be perfect. Remember: everything and anything on the internet stays there forever.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post When is the Best Time to Send Out Your Press Release & Why? appeared first on PressRelease .

What Should Happen After Sending Out Your Media Pitch?

Tue, 26 Feb 2019 17:10:00 GMT

After sending out your media pitch, you may not hear from the recipient. This may happen specifically when it’s one of your first attempts and you don’t have a relationship built up with your media list yet. Journalists and other writers get a lot of emails each day. It may take a few days to get to yours – or it may not even make it in front of their actual eyes because of email filters they’ve set up to weed out blanket emails!

Hopefully, you did your research really well, personalized your media pitch to each individual that you sent it out to, and followed up politely. If you did, and if your pitch is enticing and newsworthy, you will hear from that journalist or writer and they’ll want to know more about your pitch or just agree to share the story.

What if you don’t hear anything back? What can you do?

Don’t take it personally.

Okay, this is easier said than done; but don’t take it personally. The chances are high that you aren’t getting a response because the targeted contact didn’t think it was newsworthy for their audience. Another reason may be that they haven’t even seen your proposal.

Touch base to follow up, but don’t be annoying.

You never know if other news stories are getting pitched to them or something else entirely is going on. It can be effective to follow up your original pitch, after a few days to a week, with a “Did this email get buried in your inbox?” type of email. Don’t be annoying or aggressive in your follow-up. just let them know that you hadn’t received a response, but that this pitch is still available for them.

Choose good follow-up times.

Coming off of a weekend (Mondays) or going into a weekend (Fridays) aren’t great times for PR pitches. Using times during the middle of the week are much better for media pitches, as journalists and influencers tend to have more freedom in their schedules during the week (as long as there are no major stories out there that week).

Try pitching your story from a different angle.

If you believe that your story would be good for that news outlet, from that writer, and for that audience, try a different angle for the story.

Make sure you have the right contact.

Using LinkedIn or Twitter, make sure that the contact you have is the absolute right person to be pitching to for that outlet. Maybe the contact from your list has moved on to another news outlet or changed their audience slightly and they’re no longer the right person. While this should have been covered in your research, it’s common to miss something when people start switching around.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post What Should Happen After Sending Out Your Media Pitch? appeared first on PressRelease .

What is the Importance of Your Press Release’s ROI?

Mon, 25 Feb 2019 16:28:00 GMT

Measuring your public relations campaign analytics can be challenging. But once you’ve tracked your results, it’s easier to set measurable goals. How exactly? By measuring and analyzing results. It makes strategically planning your next moves a lot easier. Hence, why understanding your press release’s return on investment (ROI) is essential to you PR and marketing strategy.

Do you know which numbers to really take a look at for your press releases?

How much time are you investing in your public relations campaigns?

This is not a stand-alone number, by any stretch of the imagination. But you should track how much time you are investing in each press release, including how much time you’re spending on distributing the news. While you want to invest time in this endeavor, you don’t want it to eat up all of your time. If you’re spending more time on the campaigns than is paying off, it’s time to start looking at revamping your procedures.

Who’s reading your press release?

Knowing who’s reading your press release can help you target your content for the marketing personas you want buying your products or services. It will also help you craft better calls-to-action for each of your targets that you are writing for.

How many “next steps” from your press releases are leading to sales conversions or sign-ups or other targeted calls-to-action that you want to measure?

Special note about tracking your clicks: Tracking only clicks to your website isn’t the best metric. Each click doesn’t necessarily become its own sale on your website. Clicks are important, but the sales from those clicks (conversions) is a much better metric to keep track of.

While each press release you send out should have a specific call-to-action (CTA), you don’t have to use the same one in EVERY press release you write. Ask for people to visit your website, view a specific video on your page, sign up for your newsletter or mailing list, or any number of other things. This specific ROI measurement can vary from industry to industry. Once you start tracking these, you’ll be better able to polish your content and receive the desired reaction from your readership.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post What is the Importance of Your Press Release’s ROI? appeared first on PressRelease .

The Importance of Sending Out a Media Pitch

Fri, 22 Feb 2019 15:09:00 GMT

A media pitch is sent out to the media, notifying them about an update in your company. You want them to think that it’s newsworthy enough to write their own story. This allows your story to reach a larger audience v. getting it out on your own. Dive into the details of a media pitching and learn how to perfect a media pitch to get more coverage.

This is not the same as writing a press release.

A press release can get picked up on its own and run as a news piece in its entirety.

A media pitch provides information to relevant media outlets and contacts suggesting how and why their audience would be interested in what you have to offer. This pitch is often associated with a special event or accolade related to your business. In short, you want to convince the contact to write something about you, your company, or your newsworthy information.

Why is this important?

While press releases are important on their own, it’s just as important to use that same content and craft a unique, compelling media pitch to keep that story going. Small businesses can gain a lot of exposure and a larger audience by perfecting this public relations piece for their business.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post The Importance of Sending Out a Media Pitch appeared first on PressRelease .

How Your Competitor’s Media List Can Help You

Thu, 21 Feb 2019 15:30:00 GMT

Paying attention to what your competitors are doing is one of the best-kept, widely known secrets of small business success. It’s a hard thing to master, but noting what is going on with your competitors in the press and in their marketing can pay off immensely for you and your business in the long run.

How Paying Attention to What Your Competitors are Doing in Their Media Campaigns Can Benefit YOU:

As you can see, starting with your competitor’s media list can help you, immensely, in your research. This is a smart way to get a head start on your research. However, it should never take the place of doing your own research. There are differences between you and your competition, as well as your target audience; so, you will almost never have the same results as your competitors.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post How Your Competitor’s Media List Can Help You appeared first on PressRelease .

How to Craft The Perfect Media Pitch

Wed, 20 Feb 2019 14:54:00 GMT

Crafting the perfect media pitch to ensure that your story gets picked up by journalists or influencers takes some time to get just right. Just having a good story isn’t a good enough reason to have it picked up for general consumption. It’s all about the pitch for that story.

First: Create Your Pitch

The first step is to make sure that you have a great list built for your contacts in the media, different news outlets, and influencers.

Consider:

Once you’ve built your list, make sure you keep it tailored. You want to make sure you’re removing outdated contacts and updating to new ones on a regular basis.

Second: Practice Your Pitch

You want to make sure your pitch is succinct and clear. While a pitch may take more than a normal press release page, you still want to keep your pitch to-the-point and on-target.

In addition to providing your ideas in a concise manner, make sure your ideas will work for that specific contact. Does that mean you can’t send out a blanket media pitch? That’s correct! Each pitch needs to be tailored to the contact you are reaching out to.

Your chances of your story idea being picked up goes up greatly when you tailor these pitches to each person you are sending it out to.

Since most pitches come in the form of email, do not include attachments in your email. Put the entire pitch in the email message itself. Make it as easy as possible for your contact to skim the information and get back to you.

Third: Ensure All Information Needed is Included

Granted, you may leave out some of the more detailed pieces, but include all of the journalistic pieces in your proposal: Who, What, Where, When, Why, & How.

Most importantly, you’ll want to include why you want them to write the piece. What makes them uniquely suitable for writing this? You may be sending this pitch out to more than one contact, but you should be able to give them a reason why they are the best to do it.

Fourth (and final!): Call to Action – CTA

We’ve seen pitches, excellent pitches at that, who fail to drive their “ask” home to the reader. What do you want your contact to do next? You want them to write a story about you, specifically the story you’re pitching. Don’t forget to ask for that in your copy!

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

Don’t forget to follow up with that contact . Once you’ve given them some time to review your pitch, make sure you follow up. It’s great if they accept your pitch and write the piece, but sometimes they don’t. In the case of those who would be willing, ask for feedback as to why they might be rejecting your pitch.

The post How to Craft The Perfect Media Pitch appeared first on PressRelease .

The Twittersphere Explained: Publishing Press Releases on Twitter

Mon, 18 Feb 2019 18:19:00 GMT

Last November, Twitter increased the character limit from the original 140 character maximum to 280 characters per individual tweet. As a result of this change, more and more users began posting longer tweets with increased details on the topics they were discussing. This poses the question: is Twitter an ideal place to publish press releases?

The answer is Yes!

(…)

…..and no. Let’s break down why this is the case.

The 140 characters max? That will never catch on!

Twitter has revolutionized the PR industry ever since it was launched in July 2006. The fast-paced, brevity-focused essence of the platform led to it gaining massive popularity VERY quickly. Twitter allowed businesses and consumers to interact directly in an efficient manner that would be best described as unprecedented.

Companies have had varied approaches to the platform, but for the most part, the objective remains the same – to engage users with appealing and informative content.

EX: Fast-Food Chain Wendy’s has promoted their brand through their funny, hater-roasting, mixtape-dropping Twitter presence.

The “informative” portion of that equation seems to be the most difficult aspect of it all; how does one produce “attractive” corporate information?

It’s quite tricky, actually…

Traditional Press Releases & Twitter: Long Form vs Short Form, which one is better?

Press Releases are promotional pieces of content that are used in most corporate marketing strategies to alert the public of any kind of new development, event, or information of any kind involving or regarding the company. The issue with press releases and Twitter isn’t necessarily related to the promotional aspect, however. Rather, the issue lies in the formatting and style of traditional press release content.

500+ words written in AP style formatting just won’t cut it on Twitter, even with the increased character count. Tweets are designed to be brief and concise, as well as somewhat informal. Tweets from individual users are written in conversational style, as opposed to the traditional, journalistic, AP writing style that editors have used for decades when writing press releases.

…So How Can I Post My Press Releases To Twitter and Still Be Effective…

Here’s the thing…

Twitter is a great place for press release related content , not press releases in their original form. Here are some examples of press release related content in different forms; notice how each one can be utilized for specific purposes (this might come in handy depending on your industry):

A Titled Release: If you want to make it clear that the following tweet contains press-release related content, don’t be afraid to title it as such! Journalists and reporters will tweet breaking news stories by tilting their tweets “BREAKING:” before the actual content discussing the story. Some companies will title company announcements as “RELEASE:” or “ANNOUNCEMENT:” before the actual content itself.

An example of a titled release/tweet breaking news on the topic of cannabis.

Stand-Alone Tweet: Some companies choose to make major announcements via Twitter directly, and as a result choose not to title the release at all. This is a content-driven tactic – that is, the tweet tweets itself is supposed to be the main component in driving traffic to the account. These tweets are typically posted in a plain manner on purpose – the information being provided within the tweet is supposed to be the “real” show.

Netflix announces season 3 of their hit original show “Stranger Things” through a “Stand Alone” Tweet.

Integrated Media Release: Pictures, videos, audio, and more. Sometimes, pictures /short videos are accompanied with titles, descriptions, or even or links to the full release – these are used to engage users scrolling through their feeds (it’s been proven that users stop and view tweets that contain media content such as videos).

IHOb, formerly IHOP, announcing their official name change via Twitter – the tweet included a short video to reveal the reasoning behind the change.

Whatever the case, each of the aforementioned types of releases are concise in nature; one-two main points maximum, with only the most important details included.

If there is a new development within the company, make it clear WHAT it is and WHY it is occurring.

Are you hosting an event? Provide the address, date, time, pricing if applicable, and a short description of the event. You won’t have space for much else!

Maybe you want to announce an individual’s contribution within your company. Include their name, what they, did, their own Twitter handle if applicable, and link to a full release detailing the whole story if possible.

Whatever the case, the main focus should be to be as concise and efficient as you possibly can. Typically, additional details (if not linked within the initial tweet) are to be posted via reply tweets, (tweets in which the account replies to its own initial tweet), supplementary tweets (separate tweets altogether), or on the company website.

Hopefully, this will help you craft efficient press release-related content to publish on the Twittersphere.

We hope to see you there!

The post The Twittersphere Explained: Publishing Press Releases on Twitter appeared first on PressRelease .

How to Build a Media Contact List

Thu, 14 Feb 2019 13:36:00 GMT

Building a media contact list from scratch isn’t an easy thing. It is however, much better for your brand than attempting to purchase one. By creating your own list, you are able to see first hand who and what your media contacts are covering. Get to know them beforehand, it will make pitching to them easier!

Start by creating a list of publications that you would want to be included in.

This can be traditional print publications or online resources. Make sure their target audiences are the same ones that you want to target.

Once you have your list of publications, look for the writers and editors who work on the pieces about businesses or causes that are similar to yours. Focus on those who write angles that are intriguing to you and make you want to read more of their writing. Also, note what the readership is for the publication and what that writer’s social media following looks like. These numbers can help see how big their influence is and what their audience is comprised of.

When building your list, keep your competitors in mind.

Where are they getting their press? Try focusing in on those specific writers and publications or outlets that are very similar in nature. Also, note the timing of when they publish stories about your competitors. This will help you when you start planning your outreach strategy.

When you compile your full wish list, start culling it down to the media contacts or personalities and the media outlets that are on your top-priority list. Make sure you follow these people and outlets. Interact with them in comments on other pieces. Share their other pieces on your social media or with your networks. Be persistent in reaching out to them, but not annoying.

For your other tiers on your media contact list, don’t neglect to start building those relationships or to send your press releases to those contacts, but there are only so many hours in any given day so it’s important to work off of your priority list first. Regularly schedule a certain amount of time to update your media contact list. Contacts can change positions, get new assignments, and more. Publications can close down and websites can change ownership or focus. By keeping up with your contacts on a regular basis, you will have much less work when you are ready to send out a press release or media pitch.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post How to Build a Media Contact List appeared first on PressRelease .

Newsjacking: Relating Your Pitch to a Recent Story

Wed, 13 Feb 2019 13:23:00 GMT

Small business owners who write their own press release or media pitch, do not always receive the coverage they deserve. They have attempted everything. From perfecting their press release to working on their pitches, something is not clicking. Outlets are not picking up their story ideas.

Newsjacking might be the missing element to their success. Piggybacking on a recent news story relatable to their own release can surely capture the media’s attention.

Why does this strategy work?

The sensational news story being blasted online, TV, or through radio has already been “proven” to receive traction. While it may be thought of as “coat-tailing” to some, adding your own company take on it. You are offering your expertise in that situation to the media for helping them with the proven story.

In addition, the writer or influencer won’t be taking a chance on an “untried” story idea from you. It is something that already has been covered – in some part – and people have shown an interest in.

If it’s a popular enough story having additional commenters and experts weigh in on a story can often be seen as a big plus to media personnel. Running the same comments from the same people all of the time can get old quickly.

Breathing new life into a story that may be running out of steam on its own can bump their ratings back up.

Once you have your media contacts’ attention using this strategy, your business will gain more exposure because of your expertise that you’ve demonstrated. Each time you’re on camera or a quote of yours is used, make sure that your business name is appearing with your name. Wear company colors, logo, etc.

Make sure you have something relevant and informative to say on the story you want to add to.

Don’t just comment or attempt to tie a popular news story into a pitch, if it is only loosely related. Journalists, writers, and other media personnel are savvy. They will see through this unprofessional ploy in an instant.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post Newsjacking: Relating Your Pitch to a Recent Story appeared first on PressRelease .

How to Build Memorable Media Relationships

Tue, 12 Feb 2019 13:20:00 GMT

Creating a personalized “hit list” for your media contacts is important when targeting your audience to receive optimum results. Sending blanket media pitches to a long list of media personalities may occasionally work. However, connecting with media that you have worked with before, usually generates better results. To build solid relationships with key media contacts, it’s important to narrow your media contact list down to the influencers.

How Do You Narrow Down Your List?

Narrow your audience as much as you can. By narrowing your target audience, you also zone in on the media contacts, those who cover your particular audience segment.

Prioritize your media outlet contact list. Organize your list, prioritizing media personnel your audience frequently responds to. The importance of doing so, allows you to contact those people first.

Work on tailoring your pitches. Sometimes media outlets can have a similar focus, yet have different nuances or angles regarding how and what information is presented. Make sure you give each media outlet and personality the info needed to grab their target audiences’ attention and keep their interest.

As you build your media contact relationship, get to know the person better. Ask what they’re working on. If they’re currently working on something that is right up your alley, offer your expertise, without asking for anything in return.

Do not neglect social media, it is the key way of communication between journalists and their audience.

When speaking with journalists and writers, you need to respect the fact that they receive many requests. By giving you their time, they are giving you a chance to build a mutually beneficial relationship. Don’t jerk them around. Be available when they need you. Don’t waste their time. Above all, make sure you respect their deadlines. These usually have a time range of days, not weeks. Respond quickly and make sure to meet the due dates that they give you.

One further note on this – Make sure never to sound annoyed when press or media contacts call you. They may not always choose the perfect time in your day to contact you, but it will go a long way in building the relationship if you’re pleasant whenever they call.

Make sure to be persistent, but not annoying. Many writers, editors, and influencers receive large numbers of press releases and story ideas on a daily basis. They don’t generally respond to every single one. Keep this in mind when you’re sending your ideas in. Keep your contact consistent, but polite and respectful.

One last tip we like to offer is to make sure that your website is press-friendly.

How can your website be geared towards your own PR?

Include your press releases either in their own section of your website or in their own category on your company’s blog.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post How to Build Memorable Media Relationships appeared first on PressRelease .

How Can Media Pitching Help Your Press Release?

Mon, 11 Feb 2019 15:36:00 GMT

A press release can help any small business get exposure for events and announcements that apply to their business, but adding some media-pitching can help your press release get even more exposure.

Imagine working on a press release about a community event that you are sponsoring. This adds a heart-warming factor. You can then go into the detail of why you got involved with that organization or why this specific cause has special meaning to your business. This can lead to great exposure.

Then take that one idea and go even further into the story.

Pitch it to your press contacts and other influencers in your circle.

For example, consider a small business owner, who has a child suffering from a common disease. The owner has a personal connection to the cause and wants to help others in a similar situation. That business owner may give back to the community by donating a portion of their profits to a nonprofit, which helps these children and their families. Going into that business owner’s back-story would make for an interesting read. In addition, it will help potential customers to and community members to understand their values and priorities.

So, how can media pitching help your press release?

Media pitching has proven invaluable to small businesses who want to get the word out about their newsworthy stories. It can be tricky to master, but once you work on building your media and influencer contact list, it can be easier to get your stories picked up and distributed.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post How Can Media Pitching Help Your Press Release? appeared first on PressRelease .

Here’s How Media Pitching Can Help Create a Better Contact List

Fri, 08 Feb 2019 13:35:00 GMT

When a small business owner embarks on the adventure of creating their own public relations campaigns with press releases and media pitches, one of the first steps they have to take on is creating a contact list. At first, the option of having millions of options for contacts can be overwhelming. After much deliberation, zeroing in on the right media contacts is easier when understanding who to pitch to. Those who respond to a business owner’s pitch, are the most interested, allowing small business owners to begin creating a better contact list, and you can too!

Why is a contact list important?

This contact list is important because it documents the key media contacts who may be interested in stories about your business, your services or products, and your area of expertise. These media contacts who you will cultivate over time may include reporters, journalists, bloggers, editors, producers, freelance writers, and other professionals across all forms of media – online, blogs, radio, and television.

Once you create your list, what are your next steps to make the list better?

Once you’ve done your research and found key contacts (not just info@ or editor@ email addresses) for the publications you would like to have write stories about you, it’s important to work on these relationships and keep an eye on these contacts as they continue to write about other stories.

Just because you’ve already culled your list doesn’t mean you should blanket propose stories to the entire list each time you have an idea. Make sure that you’ve narrowed your list even further, based on what your story idea is about, who your target audience is, who their target audience is, and what they’ve written about in the past. Not every “hook” for a story will work for each story outlet.

Get organized! While conducting your research and capturing new contacts, it’s important to keep them organized in a discernible fashion.

Your system could be as simple as an Excel spreadsheet, but it’s important to keep the columns “clean” so your information is readily at your fingertips. The more organized you are from the outset equates to finding the information easily when you really need it.

Keep updating your list.

Media contacts tend to move about to other news outlets, other areas of expertise, and even other careers. Make sure you’re keeping up on where your contacts are and who has replaced them. If a news site stops covering news stories like the ones you pitch, feel free to remove them from your list.

Build your relationships.

While it’s important to include something personal in your unique proposals that you send out, it can be helpful to start building relationships with your key media personnel before you start pitching to them. Even sending through some feedback (positive, of course!) about a story they wrote that you read can leave an impression on them and may prompt a little back and forth. The more work you put into your list as you build it and make it better, the easier it will be to use your list when you have a story to pitch.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post Here’s How Media Pitching Can Help Create a Better Contact List appeared first on PressRelease .

Can Your Business Benefit From A Targeted Media Campaign?

Thu, 07 Feb 2019 17:50:00 GMT

Almost every business can benefit from a targeted media campaign. Using all of the traditional pieces of a public relations approach, including publicity tactics, paid advertising, event marketing, press releases, and media pitches, can result in more attention, more followers, and eventually more sales.

How can businesses benefit from targeted media campaigns?

Targeted media campaigns can also keep your customers up to date on happenings within the company.

Strategies, like traditional press releases, allow you to use your targeted media campaign strategy to keep the public up-to-date on new products, services, or employment changes in your company.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post Can Your Business Benefit From A Targeted Media Campaign? appeared first on PressRelease .

Can Media Pitching Help Your Press Release’s Effectiveness?

Wed, 06 Feb 2019 15:37:00 GMT

By reaching out to key members of the press and various influencers for your target market and in your industry, you can create much more excitement around your press release ideas. While a press release can get you some exposure – and that exposure can grow as it gets picked up by other sites, having a journalist or influencer write a story about your press release idea or story idea can increase that exposure.

Why do small business owners like press releases?

Press releases can even the playing field between smaller businesses and larger businesses. With almost no monetary investment, a small business can have their news item picked up and distributed by large publications and websites.

In addition, with some training and practice, small business owners can learn to write press releases on their own, which can make it extremely easy for them to get more traction, without that larger investment. This lower price tag makes press releases an attractive option for small business owners in a wide variety of industries.

How can media pitching help the effectiveness of these press releases?

Once small business owners know which news pieces get the most traction for them, they can start crafting a plan to pitch the media on real stories about them. This can be tricky, but knowing what your audience wants to read and what they’re likely to share with their audiences will make it much more likely that your news pitch gets picked up by journalists or influencers.

Once the pitch is picked up, it can take on a life of its own.

Not only will that small business owner be able to share the story with their own networks, they’ll also see that the followers of that publication, that writer, or that influencer pick up the story and share it.

In addition, it gives the press release a longer life. While a press release may be picked up and distributed, it does eventually hit a saturation limit on how much further that one piece can go.

But a news story can have follow-ups, additional interview requests, and more coverage and hooks that could potentially come to light.

Media pitching, when done correctly with the right angle to the right people, can definitely extend a press release’s effectiveness. Doing it correctly gives a pitch more exposure and gets the information out to new audiences.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post Can Media Pitching Help Your Press Release’s Effectiveness? appeared first on PressRelease .

Are Media Pitches for Real Estate Worth It?

Tue, 05 Feb 2019 14:38:00 GMT

Media pitches are quick correspondences with journalists or influencers, to introduce a story. Traditionally, media pitches were a letter or phone call, but now, are pitched as emails. Unlike a press release, a media pitch is a quick, informative write up, tailored to a specific journalist or influencer.

Press releases are a tried-and-true-method of getting exposure. Media pitches are a bit trickier due to the personalization that goes into them.

Are Media Pitches Worth It For Real Estate Professionals?

Experts agree on a resounding YES. Traditional real estate press releases are great for listings and neighborhood events. But, you are trying to get media to “hook” onto a story. In order to get journalists, bloggers, or influencers to take interest into your release, you have to appeal to their needs. Really sell a story behind the real estate that you are trying to get them to cover. Focus on the house’s neighborhood or and extraordinary features it may have.

Press releases can sometimes come off as “stuffy”. Using media pitches to get your stories out into the press is reader-friendly and popular with the general public.

Why Do Media Pitches Work So Well?

Media pitches work well for real estate professional. You can pitch multiple angles in order to get more exposure for your business.

Imagine talking with a journalist or influencer about a property that you sold that had been on the market for a while, but was less desirable. The couple who finally bought it invested a good chunk of money to turn it into their dream house. An interview with this happy couple can go into the details of the opportunity they say in the house. You can ask how they went about getting contractors on board with their vision. Also ask how the entire process of turning the property into their dream house went.

Media pitches are more people-friendly. By appealing to the media’s needs and wants, there is a higher likeliness to be picked up. Who knows? You might even get your real estate shared on their social media accounts!

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post Are Media Pitches for Real Estate Worth It? appeared first on PressRelease .

What Your Real Estate Press Release Should Include

Thu, 31 Jan 2019 12:38:00 GMT

Press releases for real estate agents take the same pattern as press releases for other industries. As a real estate agent, it is essential for you to create a press release for your listing, especially if there is a story behind it. Gain more traction to the property and boost the amount of offers you gain.

Include the Following in Your Press Release Template:

The Five W’s:

What Other Pieces Should You Include?

What Else Can You Include?

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post What Your Real Estate Press Release Should Include appeared first on PressRelease .

Why Understanding SEO Is Key In Real Estate

Mon, 28 Jan 2019 16:05:00 GMT

Grow your real estate knowledge

When you are running your own real estate business, it can be difficult to know the ins and outs of every part of your operations. You’ve probably outsourced your website and your digital marketing efforts. Therefore, It’s important to know the basics of different digital marketing methods so you can understand how they all fit together.

SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, is an important piece of your online marketing efforts. Take a look and see how you can use SEO to your advantage.

What is SEO?

In simple terms, search engine optimization is the use of keyword phrases to boost your content on your website so that search engines, and the public at large, find you easier in different search engines.

SEO is made up of a few different pieces, but “Local SEO” is what real estate professionals should pay close attention to.

Local SEO is search engine optimization that is located to a specific region. Real estate professionals can use this to target into very specific areas where they want more listings or where they’re already selling.

How can SEO help you?

As you develop content, as a real estate professional, if you keep local SEO methods in mind, it will make it easier for you to bring in local traffic using this content. Whether you’re looking to develop your blog posts, your website content itself, or for your press releases, you can use local search terms that you’ve found in your research to capture more visitors for your site.

Why do you need this important online presence for your real estate business?

It’s been estimated that as many as 40-50% of house hunters start their search for their new home online. Imagine missing out on all of those new customers!

What are some simple steps you can use to start utilizing SEO for your real estate business?

Regardless of what business your in, but especially so if you are trying to rank for local terms, it’s vital to optimize your content for search engines.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post Why Understanding SEO Is Key In Real Estate appeared first on PressRelease .

Why Social Media is a Great Way to Take Your Press Release to a New Level

Mon, 28 Jan 2019 16:04:00 GMT

Writing a press release and using traditional methods to distribute it to the media is a great way to gain exposure for your business. But, the use of social media can enhance the traction your release gets. With the right social media strategy, you will be able to capture the attention of a new online audience.

Why is social media perfectly built for this?

Social media is designed and programmed for social sharing. People who utilize social media on a daily basis want to be relevant and want to share their interests and lives with each of their personal networks.

In addition, social media encourages video and images with the text. Posts that use images or video get much more exposure than text-only posts. Incorporating these types of visual content into your press release posts can definitely help your press release get more exposure, but utilizing video can bump your “press release game” into the next hemisphere.

Encouraging people to share your content works really well on social media.

The “share” buttons and “retweet” options are built right in to most of the platforms. Of course, you have to make sure you are creating engaging, “shareable” content to get those shares!

Promoting your content on social media can boost the exposure even more than just posting and asking people to share. With even a small investment and some research into your targeted market for that post, you can get a larger audience and much more exposure for your press release.

In some cases, your press release’s call-to-action can be made into buttons on social media that make it easier for people to follow through on the action you want them to take.

Finally, social media takes your press release to the next level because it gives extended life to your press release content. Once you post about it, your content can take on a life of its own and get more exposure without much effort on your part. Once you’ve decided to start using press releases in your marketing plan and you have included your social media in your press release distribution plans, then it’s time to start experimenting with how it works best for you, your audience, and each platform you are on.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post Why Social Media is a Great Way to Take Your Press Release to a New Level appeared first on PressRelease .

How Real Estate Press Releases Can Help Your SEO

Mon, 21 Jan 2019 14:56:00 GMT

Real estate professionals can be helped by search engine optimization marketing, specifically local SEO marketing. With local SEO in mind, press releases can help your SEO rankings immensely.

How do press releases help?

Because press releases have your contact info on them, you already have some “local keywords” on the page.

In addition, you can incorporate keyword phrases into your press release, which will help feed into your SEO footprint for your site.

Press releases can live on your site, as readable content, in your news section. You can also repurpose your press release content into a blog post (or two or three) that will also increase your SEO footprint by:

You can also use the content from your press releases to populate your social media feeds, which help push traffic to your site and assist in building your SEO footprint.

Press releases help build your authority as an expert in your field while keeping you on the minds of others as a “subject matter expert”. While this doesn’t automatically equate into increased SEO rankings, as your audience builds and people seek you out for more interviewing opportunities or additional information, your online authority grows too.

What tips can you use to craft the most compelling press releases that will help with your SEO?

Optimizing for local phrases isn’t that hard and the benefits can be surprisingly large.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post How Real Estate Press Releases Can Help Your SEO appeared first on PressRelease .

What Is The Best Way To Reach Out To Influencers?

Sun, 20 Jan 2019 20:25:00 GMT

If you’re creating great content, but it’s not getting noticed on a wide scale online, it may be time to start reaching out to influencers. In layman’s terms, influencers are those who already have a strong following in their networks and are seen as an “authority figure” in that industry.

How can you best reach out to influencers to get them to promote your products or services?

First and foremost, do your research. Find the influencers who truly have your target market(s) in their networks. The best way to do this is still to use your targeted keywords and search for your influencers using search engines, like Google. Also, look for lists of experts in your industry or targeted industry that have been published in reputable periodicals or on reputable sites. If you are looking for marketing experts, for example, you can look in business periodicals for such lists.

Don’t only choose influencers with large followings.

Those with smaller followings, known as micro-influencers, can still attract followers. It is not safe to reject them just because of their smaller followings. Look for the loyalty of their followers to see if they qualify for your purposes.

Once you have a list of influencers and micro-influencers, do more research into each of them.

The more you know about each influencer and their niche, engagement trends, and posting habits, the better you will be able to cater your pitch to each of them, when you’re ready.

Before you craft a pitch, decide on how you want to compensate your influencers.

In some cases, giving your influencers additional exposure and credit may be enough. In other cases, they may prefer a compensatory payment for their time and effort.

Once you’ve done your research and chosen your compensation model, it’s time to start reaching out to your potential influencers.

While it may be helpful to work off of a template that you craft, don’t approach this as a copy-and-paste effort. Be sure to craft your pitch to each influencer to gain the most traction with your audience.

Focus first on building your relationship with this new influencer.

Don’t just launch into your story of who you and your brand are. Try to talk about a post they’ve made, a series of blogs they’ve written, or a podcast that particularly resonated with you. Don’t suck up or idolize them, but just let them know your thoughts on the piece that truly meant something to you.

Then, it’s safe to launch into your pitch. Make it clear what you’re offering in return for their help, what time commitment may be needed from them, and any other pertinent details. Their time to read this proposal and to follow through is precious. Don’t waste it. Don’t try to hide what you’re asking. Now it’s time to get started reaching out to influencers!

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post What Is The Best Way To Reach Out To Influencers? appeared first on PressRelease .

Press Releases For An Online Store

Fri, 18 Jan 2019 12:00:00 GMT

The main purpose of a press release for an online store is to push traffic to your site and entice customers to purchase. But, stating that as your call-to-action is not ideal. It’s important to keep this goal in mind as you craft a well-written, professional, informative press release. If your release is enticing enough, website traffic and orders will surely begin to roll in!

Keep in mind as you’re writing your press release that it’s important to include something newsworthy and to use an informative tone so your press release doesn’t come off as self-serving to your readers. If it reads as a sales letter or promotional piece, your readers won’t want to follow through on your call-to-action and it’s much less likely to get picked up as a news item with journalists.

How do online store press releases appear different from traditional “brick and mortar” store press releases?

The format and content can actually be very similar. Each should include these pieces:

The main difference between a press release for an online store and a traditional store is in the call-to-action. Since you can’t invite your reader to stop in for a sale or to come in to “try out” the new product, the call-to-action must be crafted around online activities.

Example:

Try out this amazing new product with our money-back guarantee by ordering on our website…

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

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How To Write A Press Release For Your E-Commerce Store

Fri, 18 Jan 2019 12:00:00 GMT

You have set up your e-commerce store, added your products, listed your store online, and now what? The sales should be coming in like crazy, right? Not quite! It is important to strategically market your e-commerce store in a variety of ways in order to get sales going on your site. What can you include in your strategic marketing plan? A press release can be a great first step!

But what should you include in your press release?

A good press release should first, and foremost, include a newsworthy item. What could constitute a “newsworthy item” when it comes to e-commerce stores?

How should you organize your press release?

The most important thing, though, is to make sure you are writing and submitting press releases that people will find interesting and will apply to their lives. Don’t write press releases just to have more information for your “news page” on your site.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post How To Write A Press Release For Your E-Commerce Store appeared first on PressRelease .

Utilizing Twitter Can Help Your Next Press Release Gain More Recognition

Fri, 18 Jan 2019 12:00:00 GMT

Most brands and companies on Twitter have common goals: get more traffic to their sites, generate leads, provide faster customer service, build a following, and/or network . Press releases can be a wonderful addition to your marketing arsenal, but they don’t have to exist separately from your digital and social media marketing efforts. You can use your social media footprint to gain more recognition for the press releases you take time to craft.

Twitter is mainly used for people to converse on topics that they are passionate about. It’s important to look for Twitter threads that are already trending in your industry and jump into those conversations. You can also look for influencers in your industry and start a conversations with them.

Typically speaking, people will begin to interact with your content on Twitter if it’s conversational, informative, humorous, friendly, interesting, or unique.

So what are some professional tips to gain more recognition for your press release on Twitter?

There are a lot of ways to get additional exposure for your carefully crafted and well-written press releases on Twitter and other social media channels. It’s important to find the combination of tips that work for you and your content!

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post Utilizing Twitter Can Help Your Next Press Release Gain More Recognition appeared first on PressRelease .

Should Realtors Send Out Press Releases?

Fri, 18 Jan 2019 12:00:00 GMT

Realtors, much like other professionals who have to focus more on local and regional marketing than a national or international approach, should definitely send out press releases to help out with their local SEO efforts and gaining online exposure for their businesses.

Why do press releases help realtors?

Haven’t press releases fallen by the wayside as a good public relations strategy? Because so much of realtor marketing must be done locally, press releases haven’t been negated as effective PR strategy. Their usefulness has changed, though, with SEO strategies coming into play. It’s important to keep keyword strategies in mind when crafting the informative, high-quality content for press releases.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post Should Realtors Send Out Press Releases? appeared first on PressRelease .

Press Release for A Product Launch

Fri, 18 Jan 2019 12:00:00 GMT

In order for smaller e-commerce stores to play with the major retailers, like Amazon, it is important that they craft compelling, high-quality press releases as part of their strategic marketing plan.

A good way to think of this type of press release is to consider a brand awareness building project. The goals are to get the attention of your target customers, introduce the new product(s), and invite the readers to visit your online store.

Not only is this type of press release a tool to announce your store or brand, but it can also be used to help build your brand’s reputation. When you craft a well-written, informative, entertaining press release, you can expect an increase in site visits, leads, and sales conversions from your visitors.

What pieces should you include in your product launch press release?

Crafting a professional, interesting press release for new products doesn’t necessarily have to be outsourced to professionals. You can work through the steps yourself and write one that shows your passion behind your products or store!

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

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Press Releases for E-Commerce

Fri, 18 Jan 2019 12:00:00 GMT

Once you have set up your e-commerce store and added in your products, you are not done. Now it is time to get customers “in the door,” so to speak. But how can you announce your grand opening with style and panache? Think about including a press release in with your marketing plan to get people checking out your products and buying your brand.

The most important thing to keep in mind when you are crafting your press release is that you need to include newsworthy content.

What makes content newsworthy ?

Sponsoring a community event or cause that can help your brand gain exposure. Of course, that’s not the primary reason you may be doing it, but it’s good to get the word out about what your company believes in enough to put their money behind the work.

What must you include in your press release?

If your press release doesn’t draw you in, revamp it until it does. Ask for others to critique the writing and take their suggestions to heart. The more you practice at writing these press releases, the easier it will become to craft one and possibly get it picked up by the press for more stories!

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post Press Releases for E-Commerce appeared first on PressRelease .

Are Press Releases Beneficial For Real Estate Agents?

Tue, 15 Jan 2019 12:29:00 GMT

Real estate agents, like other business owners of small, service-oriented types of businesses, can benefit greatly from public relations, including press releases, as part of their marketing strategy.

Press releases can help real estate agents build their own credibility.

If they’re sharing news of their company expanding or something else newsworthy in their community that they take part in, and submit these news items to local media, their credibility will grow. As this credibility grows, the media is more likely to reach out to that specific real estate agent when they need someone’s take on the local real estate market, mortgages, or something else similar going on in that community.

Press releases, when shared with the general public, build a real estate agent’s credibility with the public at large. Even if the audience may not necessarily be looking to buy or sell a property at that point in time, they can earmark that agent’s piece or business page on social media. They may even sign up to follow them on social media or get an RSS feed of their website to keep up on what’s going on with that real estate agent.

If a real estate agent goes out of their way to make sure they’re sharing relevant, timely, informative content, people will make a point of coming back to them as a reference.

Sharing press releases with the media and the public also keep that real estate agent’s name “in front of them” on a regular basis. Whether they’re sharing a new listing, a change in their business, a community event they’re taking part in, or a special deal they have going on right then (for example, maybe a special partnership between the real estate agent and a local mortgage consultant for new homeowners), if it’s relevant and informative or entertaining, it’s likely to get noticed.

In addition, press releases help with a real estate agent’s SEO, or search engine optimization. Many real estate agents, even when operating under a brokerage, host their own websites and put up their own original content.

Because of this, they need to be concerned with where they’re placing in the search engine rankings.

Press releases, when submitted to other sites correctly, make the information more “crawlable” for the robots and the content is readily available then when individuals search for it online. Even though traditional press isn’t as utilized as social media and online search any longer, press releases are still very relevant and can be very useful in a real estate agent’s marketing arsenal.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post Are Press Releases Beneficial For Real Estate Agents? appeared first on PressRelease .

E-Commerce Press Release

Mon, 14 Jan 2019 18:38:00 GMT

Have press releases gone by the wayside in our digital marketing world? Aren’t they archaic? If you haven’t tried writing one for your e-commerce store yet, press releases can be a useful way to get your store some exposure.

Press releases do more than just send your content out to reporters who can then use it for articles or publish it as-is. Press releases now can be published online as news pieces themselves and serve a major purpose for getting the word out about your store.

The number one reason to include press releases in your e-commerce store’s strategic marketing plan is to get more exposure for your brand. A well-written press release can not only raise public awareness of your brand, but it can also encourage sales and build confidence in your brand.

So if you are new to writing press releases, what should you include in yours to make sure it gets noticed?

First, craft an intriguing and to-the-point heading and sub-heading. Your heading, the title of your press release, should draw readers in. Then use your sub-heading (generally one sentence) to further draw people in and give them a little more of a taste of what’s to come in your press release itself.

Next, think short paragraphs (they’re best for skimming online) and use the first paragraph to let people know why they should keep reading.

What else should be included?

What else can you include to make your press release stand out?

But what can you write your press release about?

Make sure that you have something worth writing about in your press release. If your store just opened or you are launching a new product or product line, partnering with a worthwhile cause, or sponsoring a community event, a press release can be a great method of getting the word out about what is going on in your company.

Once you’ve written your press release, where can you submit it?

If you’re in the U.S., some great sites to start submitting your press releases are PR.com, BusinessWire.com, and eReleases.com. And, if you’re lucky enough to have some journalists or professional PR people in your inner circle, make sure to get their feedback on the press releases you’re writing. Take their critiques and use them to craft better press releases to increase your exposure.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

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How Media Pitching Can Help Your Real Estate Company Build Relationships

Mon, 14 Jan 2019 18:34:00 GMT

Establishing yourself as an expert in your field is paramount to getting visibility, especially in local markets. This is why media pitching works so well for locally-based companies, such as real estate companies.

What is media pitching?

Media pitching is a way for you to entice journalists and other media people to tell your business’s or your brand’s story for you. Media pitches offer a compelling explanation of a particular issue, news item, or exclusive story – and then goes one step further to offer an expert from your own team (most often, this will be you!) to be interviewed for the story itself.

Who can you send a media pitch to?

Once you have researched the local and regional journalists, reporters, bloggers, magazine writers, newspaper editors, and industry influencers, you can begin to reach out to them with media pitches, or news story ideas.

It is not, however, a good idea to contact them initially with these pitches. It pays to put in some footwork with them and get a basis going for your relationship with them. Then, start coming to them with ideas.

How can media pitching help you build your relationships for your real estate company?

The key to building successful relationships with media personas has to do with demonstrating the service you can offer to them.

If you offer high-quality, creative, well-informed content to them, that’s appealing. They will be more prone to reach out to you when they need more, or to publish yours as-is when you send it through. The important thing to keep in mind when you are creating this content is that you need to be informative, not think of this like a sales pitch.

Real estate lends itself very well to informative content that doesn’t come off as too sales-y because the majority of the population reads up on different real estate matters before attempting any real estate deals on their own to start learning. There’s no shortage of topics for informative articles, such as how to secure a mortgage, why pre-approval is a good first step for house-hunting, why realtors like to work with first-time homebuyers, how to downsize to a smaller home when you are empty nesting, etc.

If you have a large network on social media or through your company website, you look more appealing. Part of building a relationship is going to involve you sharing their other content also, so by sharing with your established network, they’ll be more prone to share your content with theirs because you’ve already given them extra exposure. If you offer truly informative content, instead of just a sales pitch, then you will also look more appealing to them.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post How Media Pitching Can Help Your Real Estate Company Build Relationships appeared first on PressRelease .

How a Press Release Can Help Sell Properties

Mon, 14 Jan 2019 18:31:00 GMT

A press release can be a powerful marketing tool for real estate agents to have in their arsenal. It’s not just for showcasing their expertise or announcing changes to their businesses, it’s an effective selling tool for real estate listings. That’s right – a press release can help SELL properties.

When a real estate agent gets a new listing and crafts a powerful press release as part of their sales kit, that press release becomes an effective marketing piece and can even take on a life of its own.

Because a new listing press release includes details about the property’s address and where it’s located, the press release helps with local search engine optimization. Once submitted to news sites and published widely online, it becomes yet another way for search engines to “pull” that listing when people search for that address or for listed properties in that area.

Press releases can be posted on the agent’s news section of their website. That’s not all, it can be repurposed into blog posts that also provide new, fresh content on that agent’s website.

When new content is added on to the site, search engines boost the website in search results. Thus, allowing a real estate agent to gain more visibility.

Most MLS systems feed into a real estate agent’s brokerage site and other major real estate sites. Having a press release about a new listing can be submitted to news sites and social media sites. Social media is based on the idea of social sharing, press releases for items like this can be shared past that real estate agent’s own networks. While it’s not common for real estate press releases, it could even potentially go viral.

But if a real estate agent regularly uses press releases with its new listings, and advertises that they have this in their marketing arsenal and it’s proven effective to help with selling those properties, it becomes easier for those real estate agents to land new clients who are intrigued and impressed with this marketing approach.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post How a Press Release Can Help Sell Properties appeared first on PressRelease .

Can You Send A Media Pitch To Influencers?

Mon, 14 Jan 2019 12:19:00 GMT

Sending a media pitch to journalists can help your brand get more exposure online and in traditional media, but is it advisable to send a media pitch to influencers when you are looking to get started with influencer marketing?

What is Media Pitching?

A media pitch is traditionally a brief letter or email that offers up a news story to a journalist or editor. The goal is to create interest in the story, in your story idea, and to find out if the contact is willing to use it.

Is this effective with influencer marketing?

Not in its purest form or in your initial outreach to influencers, no.

Ideally, when you start working with influencers, it pays to customize your proposal to each influencer that you choose to target. Once you have looked at their audiences, their posting trends, their other content that they share from other brands who have reached out to them, you will be able to see how they prefer to share information about other brands with their audiences.

Using this information, you can craft the perfect proposal, or pitch, to get them to share news about your company.

Once you build a relationship with an influencer, using a media pitch-type of correspondence can be effective, but again, this depends on the influencer.

If you are reaching out to a blogger with a large following, giving them some writing ideas can be a great way to continue to build your relationship with them. But again, this comes after an initial relationship has started, not right off the bat.

What Should Be Included in Media Pitch Emails?

Important Takeaway: Sending a media pitch as an initial correspondence with an influencer is generally unsuccessful and will be ignored.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post Can You Send A Media Pitch To Influencers? appeared first on PressRelease .

Can Having Social Media Accounts Help Your Media Relationships?

Fri, 11 Jan 2019 12:00:00 GMT

With the hype around data mining, it’s tempting to want to shut down your personal and business social media accounts. But, as a general rule of thumb, making your business accessible to the public, more importantly, media professionals is rarely a bad move. When journalists, bloggers, radio host, etc. do not see your profile on social media, they can easily dismiss the thought of you and your business. Making sure your presence is known on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other social media is key to developing better media relationships.

Why Do Social Media Accounts Help With Media Relations?

There are four main reasons how social media accounts can help you and your brand with your media relations:

1. Showcase Expertise in Your Field

2. Be Accessible to Everyone

3. Social Media Humanizes Your Brand

4. Stay Relevant

When social media is set up correctly and used wisely, it can be an effective method of keeping in touch with media personalities. This allows them to start reaching out to you instead of you bombarding them with story ideas and press releases on a regular basis.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post Can Having Social Media Accounts Help Your Media Relationships? appeared first on PressRelease .

New for 2019! Newswire Monthly Subscriptions Tailored for Your Needs

Tue, 08 Jan 2019 16:47:00 GMT

Your End-to-End Solution for PR

Newswire is excited to announce its new Monthly Subscripti on plans with added features: Newsroom , Media Database , Media Monitoring , and Influence . With these added features, you will be able to extend your press release marketing to new levels!

Here is a breakdown of features you will receive with your monthly subscription starting at just $399 per month:

Distribution : Your press release is distributed to 250+ media outlets with extended distribution available to sites such as Yahoo News! Reuters, and AP to name a few.

Newsroom : Display your press releases all in one place! A reliable website showcasing your company’s announcements customized to your liking.

Media Database : With over 1.6 million media contacts, you have the power to access the most important journalists in your market. You are in control of your targeted media list.

Media Monitoring : Get real-time updates on the most important news relevant to your business. Customize your saved alerts, and set how you want the news delivered to you!

Influence : Reach a new audience with the help of of social media Influencers. You will have the opportunity to connect with leading Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook creators and create a social media campaign.

What are you waiting for?

Upgrade today and see the difference a monthly distribution subscription makes on your campaign!

The post New for 2019! Newswire Monthly Subscriptions Tailored for Your Needs appeared first on PressRelease .

The Millennial Way: Optimizing Your Press Release for Social Media

Fri, 04 Jan 2019 19:00:00 GMT

With newspapers and various news outlets going out of business, social media is now one of the top ways that the public gets their “news fix” on a daily basis. Press releases are now coming back into popularity because they can be standalone news items on their own.

Once you have crafted an informational and/or entertaining press release centered around a newsworthy item for your business or brand, you can utilize your social media channels to expose your press release content to a larger audience.

How can you best use your social media to achieve this goal?

Social media can be a wonderful tool in a small business’s arsenal. It can definitely help even the playing field between smaller and larger businesses. The major investment to use social media is your own time, but it can be well worth it, if you stick with your efforts.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post The Millennial Way: Optimizing Your Press Release for Social Media appeared first on PressRelease .

How Influencer Marketing Can Help You Grow On Social Media

Fri, 04 Jan 2019 19:00:00 GMT

Social media influencers are a relatively new iteration, influencer marketing has always been a thing. In the past, some lumped it in with guerrilla marketing, called it “keeping up with the Joneses,” used terms like “word of mouth marketing” and others, it has been around.

In today’s world, influencer marketing is building relationships with those people who can help build relationships with different audiences for you and your brand. Influencers come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Some influencers have large, broad audiences and some have much more targeted audiences (“micro-influencers”). Influencers utilize their blogs, their social media accounts, and their following at large to help you build your audience.

How does influencer marketing differ from traditional marketing?

The main difference is that with traditional marketing, the focus is on the consumers. Yes, you may narrow your audience with demographic targeting, for example, men over women, or certain ages over others, but it is a general audience for your marketing efforts.

When it comes to influencer marketing, you are now going to be targeting your marketing on the people who have the following you are looking for. It is much more targeted and personalized than traditional marketing.

How does this help you grow on social media?

Once you have reached out to influencers to get them to share your news or your brand with their followers, those followers can easily become yours. We like to take the word of those who we hold in high esteem on products and services that they believe in.

How often have you been browsing on Facebook and you saw a friend’s or a celebrity’s shared post from another page and “liked it” right away, based on that one post? Most of us have, at one time or another!

In addition, having them promote a specific product can help boost your sales quickly. And may even lead to other sales for additional products. While it can take some time and effort to reach out to influencers, if you’re reaching the right ones, then it can be worth the investment!

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post How Influencer Marketing Can Help You Grow On Social Media appeared first on PressRelease .

How to Reach New Audiences Through Social Media

Fri, 04 Jan 2019 19:00:00 GMT

In addition to traditional marketing, such as product catalogs and print media, utilizing social media can expose your company to a brand new audience. Through the strategic creation of a social media marketing plan, it is possible to build your follower rate, which can turn into greater brand recognition and, ideally, increase sales for your company.

How does social media do this for you?

Millions of users on social media everyday . People are always on the hunt for the latest and greatest products that will simplify their lives.

People are often “targeted” because of their stated interests or what they’re already paying attention to in their social media feeds.

How can you best utilize social media to gain exposure for your company?

Social media is one of the best – and easiest! – ways to get more exposure for your brand. It’s a relatively inexpensive form of marketing. Your marketing plan can be adjusted as you find out what works best for you and for your brand.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post How to Reach New Audiences Through Social Media appeared first on PressRelease .

Why You Should Send A Press Release In 2018

Wed, 05 Dec 2018 12:27:00 GMT

If you’re a new marketer or business owner or have been avoiding sending out press releases, it’s time to start mastering this important marketing method. The year is racing by, so it’s time to decide to send out a press release in 2018. Why? Because a press release offers so many benefits and can be one of the most effective marketing tools if you learn how to write a good release.

What is a press release?

A press release is a form of public relations which is designed for journalists and other media representatives as an official statement about something important and newsworthy related to the company. The point of issuing a press release is to put the story “on the record” and provide the exact details you wish everyone to know. In terms of press releases used for marketing purposes, you will convey something truly newsworthy, such as:

And so on.

It will contain the most important facts about the story, commonly referred to as the 5Ws of journalism:

and any other important information that will allow a busy journalist the chance to write their own column quickly and easily.

The goal of issuing a press release is to get journalists to pick up the story and pass it along to their readers, which will give you the chance to connect with people who might not know your company and products exist, but can really use them.

What are the benefits of a press release?

There are several key benefits to issuing press releases.

If you use a free or a paid press release distribution service, your release will be circulated widely, for instant brand exposure. It is one of the fastest ways to spread the word about your business without spending hours trying, or breaking the bank.

Your press release should not be all about your business, but about what it can offer your target audience. Make sure there is real value in taking the time to read it and genuine news they will be interested in hearing.

Letting people know what is new and giving a call to action will stimulate traffic because readers who are interested will go to your URL to learn more, giving you a good bump in traffic and the chance for them to visit more pages as they look around the site.

The more press releases you issue, the more your business starts to look like one that is worth paying attention to. The more it looks like it is worth paying attention to, the more of an expert you will appear. If you consistently produce high-quality press releases that are genuinely newsworthy, journalists and other media representatives will see you as a trustworthy source worth giving media pickups to.

If you are launching a new product or product line, media pickups can get your sales off to a great start. People can’t buy products from you if they don’t know that you or the product exist.

Publishing the press release at your site and getting pickups will give you more visibility with the search engines and more free traffic. Use keywords in the press release that you wish to rank highly on.

Issuing a press release gives you the chance to access a whole new marketing channel in addition to your email marketing, social media activities, and so on.

If you are not already using press releases as part of your marketing mix, it’s time to master this type of public relations communication and see what a difference it can make to your business.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post Why You Should Send A Press Release In 2018 appeared first on PressRelease .

Why You Need A Content Calendar

Tue, 04 Dec 2018 16:20:00 GMT

There are a number of reasons why every business should have a content calendar. Content marketing is an essential skill that all marketers need to master. A content calendar ensures site owners and marketers are creating new content regularly in order to keep their site fresh and their business in front of the general public, and the media, as well.

What is a content calendar?

A content calendar is a plan for how much content you are going to publish, and when. You can use a blank paper calendar, an online one, or a plugin like WordPress’ Editorial Calendar to help you keep track of what you will be publishing, and when. Decide how often you want to publish, and then start filling in the blanks.

For example, you might decide to publish 7 days a week, or only 5 days a week on weekdays only. Some very busy sites will publish more than once a day, especially if they have a lot of staff or contributors who have their own expert columns, such as health, finance, and technology.

Why is a content calendar an essential tool for any business?

All content serves as a marketing tool, so an editorial calendar will help ensure that you are not missing out on any opportunities. Websites and blogs need to publish content regularly in order to interest search engines and human readers alike. You also need to publish various types of content which will, hopefully, be shareable.

What kind of content should be created?

Shareable types of content include:

You should also include content specifically designed to market your product and services. You can note these down on the same calendar using a different color of ink, or you can create a separate promotions calendar.

Include these items on your promotions calendar:

Press releases are one of the best ways of connecting with the media and trying to extend the reach of your brand. The goal is to get media pickups from journalists, who will read your press release and use it to write their own article in order to meet their tight deadlines. Busy journalists are always happy to find and use well-written press releases that their readers will be interested in.

Why should you publish press releases regularly?

Press releases help keep you in the public eye. Plan to publish one per month in order to report what is new at your business. It could be a new product or service, which would help stimulate sales. It might also be a free offer, such as an ebook or special report that you are offering as an incentive to get subscribers on your email marketing list.

These free items should be of interest to the people in your niche. Chances are, journalists who specialize in your niche will usually want to check out the item themselves. If they find it of use, they might give you a pickup so they can pass it along to their readers, allowing you to connect with thousands or even millions of people you might not otherwise be able to connect with.

Where should the content be published?

You should publish your content on your site or blog, guest blog at other sites related to your niche, and at a press release distribution service. A distribution service will help you get a wide audience for your press release, and therefore a better chance of media pickups.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post Why You Need A Content Calendar appeared first on PressRelease .

What Kind Of Content Can I Include In A Press Release That Will Boost Engagement?

Mon, 03 Dec 2018 15:03:00 GMT

Press releases can be an invaluable marketing tool if they are written well and contain interesting information. The best press releases can also boost engagement, in order to increase the chances of your release giving you, even more, brand reach.

What is a press release?

A press release is an official statement written by a business to tell journalists and other media representatives about their news. The goal is to get media pickups, that is, journalists using the press release as the basis for the articles they produce for their newspaper, magazine, blog, or news-related website.

Journalists are usually working to tight deadlines, so a well-written and interesting press release can be like a gold mine for them. Many journalists work in particular niches only. Rather than writing about a wide range of topics, so these niche journalists will always be looking for content on health, finance or whatever niche they are working in.

What is engagement?

Engagement usually refers to a way readers interact with the content. On social media, for example, Facebook engagement options include Like, Comment and Share. Share is seen as having the most value. It demonstrates your content is so good, readers are willing to repost it.

In terms of press releases, some press release distribution services will allow for interactivity by providing buttons for the most popular social media sites, such as Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and LinkedIn. Others might also include an option to email the content or a link to it, to friends, family and/or colleagues.

Another form of engagement you can offer your readers is to download a PDF. PDFs are useful for ebooks, special reports, or anything you would like to present in a particular format. Some of the press release distribution service services allow you to upload a PDF and track in their reporting the number of downloads you get.

Including images can be another way to generate engagement.

Most sites and blogs try to illustrate their articles and posts. Include a caption stating what the image is. Make sure it is one you have created yourself, and give Creative Commons rights to be allowed to use it as long as it is not altered.

Journalists will also sometimes interact with a video that you upload. Some services will allow a video upload of a certain amount of time or size of the file. Others will permit you to embed your code from a YouTube or other sharing site upload. Other services might permit more than one image and one video, but they might charge a separate fee for it.

Seeing is believing. Videos can be a great way to capture attention and gain engagement. Journalists might like the video so much, they include the link to your YouTube page, gaining it traction. The most searched-for and popular content on YouTube is how-to type content, with more than 75% of users interested in learning new skills, so these types of videos will be perfect for getting more engagement.

Finally, include links for specific purposes. If you have created a free ebook or another item that people can download by subscribing to your email marketing newsletter, tell them and include the link.

If you have created a newsroom at your site, give journalists a link so they can learn more about you and see your other press releases, media pickups and more.

Never send people to your home page – they won’t know what to do. Include a call to action that tells them where to go and what to do when they get there.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post What Kind Of Content Can I Include In A Press Release That Will Boost Engagement? appeared first on PressRelease .

What Is The Entire Process Of Sending A Press Release?

Fri, 30 Nov 2018 10:23:00 GMT

There are several steps in the process of writing and sending a successful press release. Here’s an outline of the process and the most important elements of each.

1. Writing the release

There are several essential elements journalists will expect in a press release. Here’s what they’re looking for:

a. It has to be news

A press release is a marketing piece as well as a public relations piece. News for your business would include announcing a new product launch, a merger or acquisition, success with a new round of funding, and so on.

The item being announced in the press release should include information both journalists and their target audience need to know about your company if you are ever going to get any media pickups.

b. Your headline should be captivating

Readers scan headlines, and if they see something interesting, they will go on to read at least part of the press release or news story. Busy journalists looking for ideas for their next article are on deadline. You need to grab their attention in a split second by using a strong verb and a keyword relevant to their niche.

c. A strong subheadline

The subheadline gives more information about the headline and also offers a summary of what the press release will be about. Use keywords here, as well.

d. The press release needs to fulfill the promise of the headline

Don’t tease readers with a headline or subhead that seems to be about one thing, but the story turns out to be something completely different. We’ve all seen sensational headlines on Facebook, for example, that lead to a story which is far less exciting and sometimes not even relevant to the headline. Think of the headline as a promise, and don’t overhype your press release.

e. It needs to contain all the facts

A press release is a factual news story, not an ad or sales letter. Include the 5Ws of journalism to make sure you don’t leave out anything important any journalist would really need to know in order to give you a pickup:

f. Include images and video

Studies have shown that press releases with an image are 7x more likely to get picked up than those that don’t have one, and those with video 14x or more. Take the time to shoot some high-quality images, and a video demonstration of your new product, for example.

g. Your boilerplate

The boilerplate is a brief description of your business that tells readers what you do and why you are worth paying attention to. This will also help sway journalists as to whether or not to give you a media pickup.

h. Contact information for follow up

Include the name, email address and phone number of the member of staff who will be following up with journalists about any questions they might have regarding your press release.

2. Uploading and publishing the release with a press release distribution service

A press release distribution service is the easiest way to publish your news widely, and have a good chance of getting media pickups. Many journalists use a distribution service as a database so they can search using keywords for stories that will be of interest to their target audience.

Copy and paste your release into the distribution service interface and upload your media or embed your video. When you are sure it is error-free and looks good, publish it.

3. Tracking and testing the results

Each distribution service should have detailed reporting on how many pickups your press release has received. They will often report for up to 1 month after the release has been issued. Check your reports to determine how successful your press release was, and whether or not it was a good return on investment if you use a paid distribution service.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post What Is The Entire Process Of Sending A Press Release? appeared first on PressRelease .

What Happens After You Submit A Press Release?

Thu, 29 Nov 2018 15:05:00 GMT

Many marketers really struggle to write a press release, so they can be forgiven for thinking that all of the work is behind them. The truth is that it’s often just beginning. What happens after you submit a press release depends on the quality of that release, but also on the way you distribute it and quality of your follow up.

Crafting the press release

There are several essential elements journalists will be looking for in a high-quality press release if they are ever going to give you a pickup.

1. It must be news, not an ad

Examples of newsworthy items would include launching a new product or hosting a live event.

2. A good headline

It should get the reader’s attention and make them curious. Use a strong active verb and at least one keyword so it will be discoverable by those interested in your niche.

3. An informative and interesting subheadline

This field is included in many press release distribution service interfaces and serves as a summary of what the press release is about. You should also use keywords related to your niche in the subheadline to make your press release more discoverable.

4. A strong first paragraph

Include all of the 5Ws of journalism in your first paragraph:

These are the most important facts in any news story, and this organization will help busy journalists do their job more efficiently, which means a greater chance of a pickup.

5. A call to action

Tell readers what you want them to do after reading your release. One of the easiest ways to track this is to send them to a special URL at your site that you will create for each press release.

Examples include:

Read more here: URL

Go to URL to get your free copy of X ebook/white paper report (have them register as subscribers to get it)

6. At least one image

Studies have shown that press releases with images and video get more media pickups than those that don’t have any.

Submitting the press release

Once you have written the press release, gathered your images and video, and made sure it is error free it’s time for publication.

If you are using a free press release distribution service, chances are not much is going to happen. Why? They usually distribute to a ring of sites they are associated with, which means there is not a great chance of getting picked up in any prominent publication.

With paid press release distribution service sites, many journalists will use the site as a database to locate interesting information they think would make a good article their target audience would like. This is what motivates them to give you a media pickup.

Tracking the results

Once your press release and pickups have started to circulate, you should see evidence of it in various reports. Each press release distribution service should offer reports that show your media pickups, views, views of your video, and so on.

Your traffic logs and sales reports should show how many new visitors the press release had generated and how many sales resulted from your press release about a new product being launched.

If you check your email marketing platform, you will see the number of new subscribers you are getting to your marketing list.

All these statistics can be used as an indication of how successful your press release has been.

Following up

One final thing to do once you have published your press release is to follow up promptly with any requests for more information that you might get from journalists. Be polite and helpful, and you could soon develop a good working relationship with one or more journalists happy to use you as an expert resource in relation to your niche or industry.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

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What Determines A Successful Press Release?

Wed, 28 Nov 2018 14:14:00 GMT

There are a number of factors that determine whether or not a press release is successful. The starting point in determining this is what your main goal is in issuing the press release.

What is a press release?

A press release is a way of communication designed for journalists and other media personnel to be updated on any current news in a company.

What are the goals in issuing a press release?

The main goal of a press release is to gain the media’s attention.

You provide the newsworthy story to journalists in the hope they will give you a pickup, that is, create an article from your press release that they will then publish, and their target audience will read.

Through those pickups, you can achieve your business goals.

What are the main business goals in issuing a press release?

There are several goals you can achieve through a press release. Determination of whether or not a press release is “successful” will depend on what goal you have set.

Possible goals include:

What is the best way of achieving your goal?

The best way to achieve your stated goals in your press release is to write a newsworthy and interesting release that journalists will pay attention to and wish to pass on to their readers.

It should be:

What is “the expected press release format”?

A modern press release is about 400 to 500 words and laid out in the following manner:

a. Headline

b. Subheadline, similar to a summary of what is in the release

c. First paragraph, containing the 5Ws:

These are the essential facts of any news story.

d. Second paragraph

Facts, figures, and statistics that can provide a context for your news story.

e. Third paragraph

Brief quotations from leading people in your niche or industry, plus your call to action.

f. Fourth paragraph

The boilerplate, or brief history of your company, and the contact information of the person following up with journalists.

Distributing the press release

Once you have written the press release, upload it to a press release distribution service. You will then start to get reports on how well it performs. Then you can start to measure the success of your release.

Measuring success

A good distribution service will list your top pickups.

Website traffic logs will help you determine how successful the release was at driving traffic.

Sales figures will show how many products were purchased through the press release and pickups you got.

Ticketing software will show how many tickets to your live event you have given away or sold.

Email marketing platform reports will show how many new subscribers have signed on as a result of the press release.

All of these metrics will demonstrate increasing brand awareness and reach.

Create a spreadsheet where you can keep track of all these numbers, and you should soon see which releases have been the most successful.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

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What Are Common Press Release Mistakes?

Tue, 27 Nov 2018 13:26:00 GMT

Many marketers get excited when they send out their press releases. They have a message that they eagerly want to share with the world. Unfortunately, they don’t always follow the generally accepted rules on how to write a press release. Here are some of the most common mistakes, and how to avoid them.

1. It isn’t newsworthy

Some press releases are really ads in disguise. Be sure what you are writing about really is new, such as a product launch, special event, and so on.

You want your headline to grab attention, but you must never use “false advertising” and make it seem as if your press release is about one thing when it is about something else. Think of your headline as a promise to the reader which you must live up to.

2. It’s all about you

Well, of course, it is, most marketers would say, but in order to get media pickups, the content should be useful to your target audience, as well. Images, video, informative quotes, and facts, figures and statistics can all help you lift your press release above the usual hype.

3. Too much hype

Speaking of hype, avoid it. A press release should be factual. Avoid inflated language, all capital letters, and exclamation marks.

4. The headline is too dull

Having said that, the one area you can use hype strategically is in your headline. You want to grab attention and make people want to read the press release. Use a word related to your niche or industry if you can, and a strong verb.

5. The press release does not fulfill the promise of the headline

While it is true you want your headline to grab attention, you don’t want to mislead your potential audience. Ever clicked on a headline or link and was disappointed by the irrelevant content? Image how frustrating it must be for journalists and your audience. Consider the headline a promise you have to keep within the content of the press release.

6. You’ve left out something important journalists need to know

This can be very frustrating for journalists who are on a deadline. They might be interested in your press release, but not have the time to follow up with you to get the information they are missing. Therefore, do not forget to leave out any minor details.

Use the 5Ws of journalism checklist to help you make sure you don’t leave out the essential facts:

7. There’s no image

Studies have shown that press releases which include media are more likely to get pickups than ones that don’t.

8. The press release is written in the first person, not the third

The first person is I or we. Hence why news stories are written in the third person, he, she, it or they. The only exception would be if you had a direct quote from someone.

“We at Company X are pleased to announce,” would be incorrect. It sounds too much like a sales pitch. The correct format would be. “Company X (It) has announced the release of a new white paper about Y topic.”

9. There are errors in it

Grammar, punctuation, and spelling all count. Triple check it in your word processor and on paper before uploading your press release to a distribution service.

10. It’s not the right length

If it is too short, it won’t be able to provide all the details, plus quotations, information about your company, and contact information for journalists to follow up if they need to. If it is too long, you risk boring readers and therefore getting fewer pickups. The ideal length is between 400 and 500 words.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

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Newswire’s 2018 Cyber Monday Deal is Here!

Mon, 26 Nov 2018 17:22:00 GMT

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Tell Your Company’s Story With A Well-Crafted Press Release

Mon, 26 Nov 2018 15:11:00 GMT

Two of the hottest trends in online marketing these days are storytelling and publishing press releases. Combining the two can boost your results and get you the kind of media attention your company deserves.

What is marketing through storytelling?

Marketing through storytelling is about engaging your target audience’s feelings and emotions to develop brand interest and loyalty. Every business has a story to tell. But it isn’t just about excitement or a fairy tale ending. It’s about what makes you unique from all other businesses.

What is a press release?

A press release is an official communication written by a business to tell journalists and other media representatives about what is new at their company. The goal of issuing a press release is to get media pickups.

Journalists are usually working on tight deadlines, so a well-written and interesting press release can be exactly what they need to do their job. When working in a particular niche, journalists find press releases a great source for stories.

Why use storytelling in your press releases?

Almost everyone loves a good story. A good story has a beginning, middle and end, and a clear message or point to the story. Your press release will not only contain the news story you wish to tell, but a background story to place the news item in context.

The two levels of storytelling

You will have 2 levels of storytelling in your press release:

The first is the purpose of the press release itself. You should only issue one when you have something genuinely newsworthy to report.

Examples include:

and so on.

The story needs to tell the most important facts, which are known as the 5Ws of journalism:

Journalists use this as a checklist to make sure they don’t leave out anything. This formula also reminds them to write tightly, because, in the days of newspaper journalism, space was very limited. Therefore, they tried to fit the most important information in the first paragraph, with any other paragraphs offering useful supporting information.

The second part of your story is the last paragraph of your press release: the Boilerplate.

The boilerplate can best be described as a mini-biography of you and your company.

Who are you, what do you do, and why are you in business? Use your company’s mission statement as your starting point to help describe what you do and why.

A good boilerplate will help establish credentials, credibility, and can help make you an expert in your niche. It should also be impressive enough for a journalist to be willing to give you attention. Who knows, you might even be contacted to speak on a current event, gaining you more recognition!

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post Tell Your Company’s Story With A Well-Crafted Press Release appeared first on PressRelease .

Should I Do A Press Release?

Thu, 22 Nov 2018 15:10:00 GMT

Many new marketers and small business owners wonder about press releases and whether or not they should publish one. The short answer is yes. If your business has any sort of news that the media would be interested in, then a press release could be an ideal way to connect with them.

What is a press release?

A press release is issued to communicate with journalists and other media representatives to provide them with the latest news about your business. The main goal of a press release is to gain media pickups. journalists who find your story interesting will write an article about it on their publication.

Why issue a press release?

A press release can help you achieve several different business goals, including more:

Issuing a press release can be one of the fastest ways to achieve one or more of these goals. But there are several other reasons why you should do a press release. Here are a few.

1. Press releases are free or cheap compared to ads

Once you have written a press release, you can send it out to a large number of journalists via a distribution service. If they give you pickups, your press release has the potential to reach thousands, if not millions of people, depending on how many pickups and how large the publications running your information.

There are both free and paid distribution services. Each operates a bit differently, but both are often used by busy journalists looking for story ideas for their next article.

Paid services allow you to include items like images, a PDF download, and perhaps a video or embedded video link. Including media will help you get even more media pickups.

2. They give you the chance to connect with a whole new audience

People might be interested in your niche, product or services, but are not seeing your messages. Press releases give you the chance to tap into a whole new audience who might be looking for exactly the kind of information you provide and the type of items you sell.

3. You can build a relationship with the media

One press release might not make them sit up and take notice, but a consistent stream of high-quality press releases will put you on their radar as someone worth paying attention to. Your press releases should be newsworthy and error-free. They should not be ads disguised as press releases.

In some cases, they might like your material and start to see you as a trustworthy authority in your niche. This could lead to consulting opportunities and even media appearances.

4. They give you really quick traffic

Even if only journalists see your release, giving a clear call to action by asking them to click to learn more will give your traffic a boost. If you then get pickups, you could get a flood of traffic all eager to learn more about your new product or service, for example.

5. They can really drive sales

Including a press release as part of your marketing mix when you launch a new product can really showcase that product and drive sales right out of the starting gate. Again, a strong call to action will give them a good reason to go to your sales landing page and buy now.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

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Don’t Miss Out on Newswire’s Black Friday Deal!

Tue, 20 Nov 2018 21:17:00 GMT

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Social BuzzBuilder service sheds a new light on your press release by distributing your press release in front of a new audience on Twitter. You chose the state or region you want to target and the Newswire Team will create three custom tweets to be sent out in a span of three days across the state-specific account. Key media personnel and other users from the targeted area you choose will be viewing your press release on Twitter.

The Newswire Media Database allows you to have full access to our Global Media Contact Database for 1 year ! You can develop new relationships with journalists, editors, or bloggers who have interests in the area of your business. While using the database, you will also have a dedicated success manager and be provided campaign analytics to show you the growth and exposure of your press release.

The post Don’t Miss Out on Newswire’s Black Friday Deal! appeared first on PressRelease .

SEO Tricks That Can Improve Your Next Press Release

Tue, 20 Nov 2018 15:56:00 GMT

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is an essential skill when it comes to creating content online that both search engines and humans will love. SEO is also invaluable when it comes to press releases. It helps the release become more searchable and more likely to grab the media’s attention.

SEO basics

Search Engine Optimization (SEO), as the name suggests, is all about optimizing. Each search engine, such as Google, Bing and Yahoo! has its own formula, or algorithm, for what it considers to be relevant to a search being conducted by a user.

There are a number of different factors in the formula, and these factors are weighed in various ways.

For example, Google wants keywords in the title, description and page, and will also favour URLs which have the word in them. Links to the page can also determine page rank on the Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs).

Several years ago, marketers trying to get more external links pointing to their websites started using press releases as a means to do so, along with article marketing and other forms of publishing on third-party sites. Google caught onto this and adjusted their algorithm accordingly. But while press releases might not be that valuable any longer in terms of linking, keywords and keyphrases are more important than ever.

SEO tricks and tips to improve the results of your next press release

Keywords and keyphrases are words used in relation to your niche or industry that are specific to it and offer clues as to what your page and your website/blog are all about. The words are taken separately, and together in context, to help Google and the other search engines decide if your page is relevant enough to get one of the top spots on the first SERP. Be sure to use at least one keyword in the headline for your press release.

Subheadlines, which are like an introduction to your press release, should also include keywords.

They can help form your listing on Google, with your headline or page title hyperlinked, and your subheader, description, and/or first paragraph of your press release forming the basis of the page description that will go underneath the link.

Google also rewards recency, that is, how long ago the content was published, so the information you put on your blog can actually get to the top of the SERPs very quickly because it is so fresh and new.

Media files can also get you higher visibility. Name them all using keywords. Take the time do names and tag them rather than just leave the name that comes out of your camera, such as 12345.jpg. Tags make the image more searchable and can help your content appear on Google images.

Video is extremely popular on the Internet, with YouTube the number one distribution service sharing site.

Since it’s owned by Google, you can also get SERP listings for your videos if you name them well and write a good keyworded description. Upload your videos to YouTube and then use the embed code in your press release.

Keyworded links are also a good way to optimize your press release. Instead of linking the words “click here,” as many marketers do, use keywords and link them. For example, if you create a free special report about dog training, you could say, “Click here for your free special report on foolproof puppy potty training,” and link the words “puppy potty training,” which is a common search term.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

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How Can Google Help Write A Good Press Release Headline?

Fri, 16 Nov 2018 15:37:00 GMT

There are a number of ways Google can help you write a good press release headline. Google is ideal for research, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), and examples of what makes a good headline. Let’s look at each of these in turn.

1. Research

When you are first starting out in business, it is important to research your niche, that is, the topic you will be working on or the industry you will be working in. Good examples include golf, gardening, and pets.

With niche marketing, you’re not trying to be all things to all people.

You are focusing all your efforts on a single topic or subtopic and basing all your content around it.

When we say subtopic, it is also referred to as a sub-niche. Pets might be your main topic, but you might only focus on the subtopic of dogs, or even just a certain breed of dogs.

2. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is part science, part art. It is an invaluable marketing tool if you want to get free organic traffic.

When researching your niche, you will come across keywords related to it. These keywords signal to the search engines what your page is about. The search engine then determines in a matter of split seconds whether or not your page is related to what the searcher has typed in.

The more relevant your page in relation to the particular keyword, the higher your placement on the Search Engine Results page (SERP). Google is useful for keyword research. Use the Google Keyword Planner tool, located at https://ads.google.com/home/tools/keyword-planner/ .

At the bottom of each SERP, you will also find a list of keywords and key phrases related to the search. You can use these to get even more ideas getting traffic to your site through planning and publishing content based on those ideas.

3. Why headlines are so important

The headline is the most important part of your press release, so anything you can do to improve yours is a step in the right direction. Your headline should command attention and contain at least one keyword or key phrase that tells readers what the press release will be about.

This is because press release distribution services will only show the headline in their interface. The headline is the only thing journalists will see when deciding what to read and use as the basis for their own articles. A keyword is therefore essential for giving readers an idea of what niche or industry you are writing about.

In addition, journalists conduct searches within the interface, using keywords to find what they need. One potential marketing opportunity could be connecting with a top journalist who specializes in your niche.

If they can find you easily, and your press release is well-written, then you have a much greater chance of a media pickup. That can lead to thousands, if not millions, of readers seeing your news.

4. Tapping into trends

Another way to use Google is to tap into trends. Look at Google news to see if anything in those top stories is related to what you do so you can tie into it.

You can also set Google Alerts based on keywords to deliver the latest niche-related content to you that you can also tie into, or imitate, so you can show what an expert you are in your niche.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post How Can Google Help Write A Good Press Release Headline? appeared first on PressRelease .

Readers Want Less – Why Brevity Is Key In Press Releases

Thu, 15 Nov 2018 13:46:00 GMT

Many marketers new to writing press releases will often ask how long one should be. The truth is that the briefer, the better. Press releases are designed to inform journalists about the latest news in your business. A press release must be newsworthy, with some sort of ‘wow’ factor that makes it stand out, such as a new product being launched, or a live event being hosted.

But journalists are busy people, so keeping things short, between 400 and 500 words, is very professional, and considerate, too.

The typical press release template

The typical press release template makes it easy to stick to the suggested word count and still fit in all of the facts required.

The press release structure is usually an interesting headline and 4 paragraphs, with the required information organized in what is termed the inverted pyramid format.

The inverted pyramid format

An inverted pyramid is broad at the top and pointed at the bottom. News stories include all of the most important facts in the broad part of the pyramid, and useful, but not as essential, information as the story continues.

This being the case, the goal is to try to get the main facts into the first paragraph if you can.

The First Paragraph

The facts for the first paragraph are:

Who is the story about (you), what happened, where did it happen, and so on.

The second paragraph

The second paragraph will include any facts you didn’t manage to fit into the first paragraph. It should also include some supporting detail, such as an image of the new product you are launching, a video clip, or both. Include a caption for each piece of media you create, and offer a Creative Commons license with no editing allowed so that journalists can use it without violating copyright.

The third paragraph

The third paragraph will usually include at least one quotation. It can be from the head of your company, the marketing department, and so on. You could also get one or more quotes from people who are considered to be experts in your niche. This will help provide a context for the information in your press release.

Make sure they are genuinely useful quotes, not fluff or hype designed to help you sell more products.

The fourth paragraph

The fourth paragraph will usually be what is termed your boilerplate. The first part of the boilerplate will be the history of your company. Who are you and what do you do? What inspires you or is your business mission? This information provides a context for journalists so they can understand who you are, what your background is, and whether or not you are worth paying attention to.

Include an URL that will provide them with more information. Never send them to your home page, because all this will do is force them to wander around aimlessly. Create a media center URL to link to all your public relations work. You could also create a special URL for each press release in order to be able to track the success of your press release more easily.

The second part of the boilerplate will be the contact information for the person who will follow up with any media inquiry. Include name, email address, and phone number.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post Readers Want Less – Why Brevity Is Key In Press Releases appeared first on PressRelease .

Is My Company Too Small To Put Out A Press Release?

Wed, 14 Nov 2018 11:40:00 GMT

Many new business owners think their company is too small to put out a press release. They mistakenly believe that press releases are only for the “big boys” or that they have to spend a fortune to send out a successful release.

The truth is, if you have anything newsworthy and interesting happening in your business, you should definitely put out a press release. And don’t worry, it won’t cost a fortune, either.

What is a press release?

A press release is a public relations communication intended for journalists and other media representatives. It serves as an official statement about something important and newsworthy related to the company.

The point of issuing a press release is to put the story “on the record” and provide the exact details you wish everyone to know. In terms of press releases used for marketing purposes, the goal is to get media pickups. The more pickups you get, the wider your audience. And all it takes is a little bit of time, and some money if you want to use a paid press release distribution service in order to connect with thousands of journalists.

What counts as news?

Your press release should report genuinely newsworthy items and not just be an ad for your company.

Examples of news worth issuing a press release about include:

Where do I publish my press release?

Your press release can be publishes on distribution websites. There are free and paid ones. Most marketers agree the free ones will not get you as many pickups, nor such prominent pickups, as one of the top paid services.

How much do press release distribution services charge?

The cost varies depending on the service and its purpose. For example, companies which have their shares traded on the stock market are legally required to report their results each quarter. The services they offer are usually more expensive than services that cater to all sorts of topics and niches.

The cost also depends on the features offered. When comparing press release distribution services,get a comprehensive understanding of the pricing. For example, distribution services will make companies pay extra if they wish to include more than one image, or if they want to include a video or an embed code for a video. Other services will allow you to upload these and other items, such as PDF files, all for one reasonable price.

Will a press release really help me with my business goals?

Yes, provided you can write a high-quality, interesting press release that is genuinely newsworthy and understand what the distribution service you are using has to offer. Some services will reprint your press release as is on a large number of sites, which isn’t useful anymore. Google has instituted what is called a duplicate content penalty. It will “see” your press release on one site (usually your own) but not on all the others.

Other sites like database journalists actively search in order to find news about the niche or industry they work in, so you have a much better chance of pickups and traffic, subscribers and sales as the word spread about your business.

If you have a small budget in terms of both time and money, a press release could be just what you need to get the kind of media exposure that will take your business to the next level.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post Is My Company Too Small To Put Out A Press Release? appeared first on PressRelease .

Quick And Easy Ways You Can Improve Your Press Release

Tue, 13 Nov 2018 13:06:00 GMT

Every marketer would like to improve their press releases in order to get more pickups. There are several quick and easy ways to construct a better press release and impress the media with what you have to offer. Here are a few press release hacks:

1. An attention-grabbing headline

Studies have shown that 100% of readers will read the headline of a news story or press release. It is the gateway to getting journalists to pay attention to you and offers you the chance for media pickups.

In a press release distribution service interface, sometimes the headline is the only thing that will show, so make it count by triggering curiosity. You should also use at least one keyword to help readers understand what niche or industry the press release will be about.

2. An information-packed subheadline

The subheadline can help clarify the headline. It should also have at least one keyword in it. The subhead can also serve as a preview of what the press release will be about.

3. Using keywords throughout

Search engines scan press releases and are able to understand what they are about through the use of keywords, so using them throughout your release can help you attract search engines and humans alike. Keywords make your release more searchable in the press release distribution service interface.

4. Using the inverted pyramid format

Journalists also use the inverted pyramid in conjunction with their 5Ws (see below). An inverted pyramid is broad at the top and pointed at the bottom, so in terms of news stories, journalists include all of the most important facts in the broad part of the pyramid and additional supporting information as they get to the end of the story.

A good news story, and a good press release, “front-load” the most important facts. Studies have shown that 100% of newspaper readers will read the headline, but only 70% will read the first paragraph, 50% the second, 30% the third, and 10% the fourth, so it’s a good way to structure news articles and press releases.

5. Using the 5 Ws

The most important information should be the essential facts:

Commonly referred to as the 5Ws, journalists use them as a checklist to make sure they haven’t left out any important information.

6. Including media

Photos and videos can help you get more media pickups. Studies have shown that a press release with an image is seven times more likely to get picked up by journalists than those that do not have one. Include a caption for the image or video so journalists understand what they are looking at, and offer a Creative Commons license to grant them permission to use it. Make sure the photos and videos are created within your company or as a work for hire. DON’T use stock images in your press release.

7. Writing an interesting boilerplate

Think of the boilerplate as a biography of your company. Who are you and why are you worth paying attention to? What is your mission in business? Journalists will want to know more about you before they give you a pickup.

Providing an URL where they can learn more is also a good idea. Send them either to your media center, a page you should create which will contain links to all of the public relations you do at your site, such as write press releases, or to a special URL for each press release so you can track how well it performs in terms of getting pickups and free traffic.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post Quick And Easy Ways You Can Improve Your Press Release appeared first on PressRelease .

Examples Of Successful Press Releases

Mon, 12 Nov 2018 11:43:00 GMT

If you are a complete beginner to writing press releases, or have tried to publish a couple but not gained the results you had hoped for, one of the best ways to get started, or try to improve your results, is to model your work on successful press releases, particularly ones related to your niche or industry.

By modeling in this way, you will be using the format which has become the expected standard for press releases. This should give you the opportunity to get more media pickups.

What is a press release?

A press release is an official statement from a business to journalists and other media representatives about something newsworthy related to the business. The goal of the press release is that journalists will be so impressed, they will pass it along to their readers.

What is the most important part of my press release?

Your press release MUST be newsworthy. It should not be an ad or a “fluff piece” that talks about your company but doesn’t inform the reader of any new information.

Examples of newsworthy items for a press release include:

Busy journalists are always on the lookout for information their own readers can really benefit from.

Since many journalists now specialize in particular niches or industries, they will be more than happy to see a genuinely newsworthy press release from you that is well-written and commands attention. They are more likely to give you a pickup because this is exactly what they need to help them write their articles and meet their deadlines.

So, what does a successful press release look like? Here is an example:

Company Y’s New N9 Launched; New Features Take Smartphones to the Next Level

San Jose, CA – Aug. 25, 2018

The upgrade to the popular N8 is finally here, and it has been worth the wait. The company has studied in detail how people use their mobile phones, and the features their users have said would be most useful. They’ve included them all in one sleek design that improves user experience whether they are at work or play. The new N9 is also built to last, with shock-proofing and waterproofing, designed to help the more than 50% of users who have dropped a phone and broken it, and the 20% who have dropped it down the toilet.

New Features

The new features include:

“The N9 is a huge step up from the N8 and superior to any other Android phone currently on the market,” said X Magazine reviewer Sam Brown after two weeks of using one. “It solves many of the issues Smartphone users have and gives them things they never knew they needed—until they start using the phone every day.”

Company Y is a leading manufacturer of mobile phones, TVs, computers, and smart appliances. To learn more about the N9, visit URL, or contact John Smith at email@address.com or 212-123-4567.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

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Examples Of Successful Press Release Boilerplates

Fri, 09 Nov 2018 11:08:00 GMT

Press releases are an excellent tool for getting your latest news related to your business in front of journalists and media representatives. They are easier to write than you think. Press releases have pretty much become templated, with certain required elements every journalist will expect when they are reading your release.

One of the elements is known as the boilerplate. It can often make all the difference between whether or not you get media pickups for your press release.

What is a boilerplate?

A boilerplate is a description of your business. It should be brief and tell people who you and your company are, what you do, and what your business mission is. It is a way of telling busy journalists reading your release whether or not you are worth paying attention to.

Why do I need a boilerplate?

A boilerplate can be a great marketing tool which establishes you in your niche or industry. Your press release may be really interesting, but it needs a context: who produced it, and is the information to be trusted? If you publish press releases on a regular basis, journalists will start to recognize your work and be much more likely to give you media pickups.

How to use your boilerplate:

The beauty of the boilerplate s being able to copy and past it on every release. You can change it if you need to, such as giving a customized URL for readers to visit in order to help track how successful each release has been. But for the most part, simply copy and paste it as is.

In terms of the URL, never just send them to your home page. Send them to a page that will guide them through the information you want to share with them.

Examples of successful boilerplates

Here are a few successful boilerplates to use as models for your own:

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

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How Do Press Releases Work?

Thu, 08 Nov 2018 15:26:00 GMT

Most marketers have heard of press releases, but many shy away from them for several reasons. The first is that they usually believe press releases are only for large companies, not smaller ones. They also often believe that press releases are difficult to write. In addition, they think they are expensive and they really can’t afford to send them out. Let’s discuss what a press release is first, and then consider these myths and the true facts about how press releases work.

What is a press release?

A press release is an official statement from a business to the media. The first press releases, written about 100 years ago, were designed to inform journalists of the most important facts relating to news related to the business. The same is true today, but press releases have also become an invaluable marketing tool thanks to the opportunities they offer for the media to pick up your “ and republish it.

Why write a press release?

The media connect with people through newspapers, magazines, radio, TV, blogs and more. A pick up from them can give your business the chance to reach thousands or even millions of people interested in your niche or industry. This can extend the reach of your brand, and boost traffic, subscribers, and sales.

It can be one of the most cost-effective ways to boost your business, even if you use a paid press release distribution service.

What is a press release distribution service?

One of the best ways to publish your press release widely is through a press release. You could approach individual journalists you know that work in your niche, but researching who they are, getting their contact information, and emailing them about your press release can be very time-consuming.

With a press release distribution service, your press release will be distributed in various ways, making it more visible and helping you to connect with journalists looking for a good story.

There are free and paid distribution services. Many of the free ones simply re-publish your press release on various sites and blogs they are associated with.

The larger paid press release distribution services are more of a database that busy media representatives run searches in using keywords so they can find niche-related content worth passing along to their target audience. If they think your press release is newsworthy, they will then pick up your press release by publishing an article about it or including the information in their column.

How can even a complete beginner write an effective press release?

There are a few “hot spots” to pay particular attention to when writing your press release:

1. The headline

It should grab the reader’s attention. Use a strong verb and at least one keyword.

2. The subheadline

This field is included in many press release distribution service interfaces. It is like a summary of what the press release is about. You should also use keywords related to your niche.

3. A strong opening paragraph

In your first paragraph, try to include all of the 5Ws of journalism:

These are considered the most important facts, and ones journalists will need to know if they are going to give you a pickup.

4. A strong call to action

Tell readers what you want them to do after reading your information. Send them to a special URL to accomplish that action.

Examples include:

Learn more here: URL

Visit URL to get your free copy of X special report (make them register as subscribers to get it)

Are press releases expensive to publish?

Paid press release distribution services are competitively priced and affordable. The cost per person able to read about your business thanks to media pick up can be considerably lower than online advertising, and faster in terms of seeing real results.

If you’re not already using press releases in your marketing mix, now is the time to start planning to.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

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Can A Press Release Include Pictures Or Videos?

Tue, 06 Nov 2018 16:00:00 GMT

One of the main questions new marketers ask about press releases is whether or not they are allowed to include pictures and/or videos. Well, it depends on which press release distribution service you are using.

What is a press release?

A press release is an official statement by a company to the media to inform them of important news related to the business. Once a way to control the flow of information, it is now an effective tool for marketing almost any business, provided that the company follows a few simple rules.

What are those rules?

The press release must truly be newsworthy. A new product launch, live event to be held, the hire of a prominent member of staff, such as a CEO, and so on, is considered to be newsworthy, The press release should not read like an ad or marketing piece.

What is a press release distribution service?

A press release distribution service is like a press release database where marketers can upload their press releases to make them visible to media personne. Distribution services can be free or paid, depending on the quality of the distribution.

Busy journalists use distribution services to find stories. They are always on deadline, searching for captivating stories to write about. If your press release is relatable to their target audience, and is found a press release distribution service, there’s a possibility for it to get picked up!

What is the goal of issuing a press release through a distribution service?

You want your story in the media. Press release distribution services help you reach that goal. Journalist use the information in your release to write their article and pass it on to their viewers. When your story becomes an article, it is pushed out to hundreds, and even thousands of viewers. This gains your company traffic and brand awareness.

What features do press release distribution services offer?

The features will depend on the price of the distribution service in many cases. If it’s a free distribution, don’t expect a lot of bells and whistles. For paid ones, they might allow one image included in the price, but charge extra for any additional photos, logos and so on. Make sure to weigh the options when it comes to free and paid distribution.

Why use media in your press release?

On the one hand, it might cost you more money to include media in your press release if the distribution service charges for this separately. You may not think this the best use of your marketing budget.

On the other hand, studies have shown that a press release with an image is 7 times more likely to be picked up by the media than a release without one. A video can give you up to a 14x greater boost if it is a high-quality video that really adds to the content.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

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Are Press Releases Effective For Marketing?

Mon, 05 Nov 2018 13:46:00 GMT

A lot of marketers new to press releases wonder if they are genuinely effective for marketing. They may have heard horror stories about press releases being a waste of time and/or money. Others might have been told online that the press release is dead and no longer an effective marketing tool.

The truth is that your press release will only be as effective as the goal you set for it and how well you write it. Fortunately, it’s easy to set a goal and track it once you know how. You can also learn how to write an effective press release, and the more releases you write, the better you will become at creating them.

Setting a goal for your press release

The goal for your press release might be:

Your call to action will depend on your goal. You can then measure how successful you are at achieving that goal once you’ve published the press release.

Writing your press release

There are a few rules for writing a press release:

1. It has to be news

A press release is not an ad even if it does serve as a marketing piece. Be sure your press release is about something journalists will feel is important enough to share with their audience through pickups.

2. It needs to have a great headline

Studies have shown that 100% of readers read the headline of a press release or news story, but only 70% go on to read the first paragraph. To improve your odds of getting your press release read, the headline should grab attention, hint at what the story will be about, and get readers curious to learn more.

3. It needs to have all the facts

Again, a press release is a factual news story, not an ad, so be sure to include the 5Ws of journalism:

Who is involved, what happened, etc. Journalists will need this information if they pick up your story.

4. Include media

Studies have shown that press releases with an image are seven times more likely to get picked up than those that don’t have one.

5. Include a call to action

Based on what your goal is, as discussed above, give readers a clear call to action about what they should do now that they have read the press release. It might be to get a free report, which they would obtain through subscribing to your list, get free or paid tickets to your live event, and so on.

Publishing your press release

Once you are finished writing your press release, publish it on one of the free or paid press release distribution services. This will spread the press release widely to both a range of websites and to journalists who use particular distribution services like a database to get ideas for their articles.

Measuring the effectiveness of your press release

Tracking and testing the results of your press release is essential if you are to determine whether or not it has been successful. The success or not will be based on pickups and on the results of your call to action and how close you have come to meet your goals.

The press release distribution service should show how many pickups you have had, and list the most prestigious ones. Your traffic logs will show how much of a boost your site has received, and traffic to a special landing page you should create for each press release that gives readers more information, a chance to buy a product, or a chance to subscribe.

If selling a product is your goal, check your sales reports. If growing your email marketing list is your goal, check the number of subscribers who are signing up for your free special report.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

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What Should I Look For With Press Release Distribution?

Thu, 01 Nov 2018 11:00:00 GMT

When it comes to press release distribution, there are a number of important things to look for. It depends on your company’s size, budget, and how much time you have to work on its public relations aspect. If you’re a small company with a tight budget, you will be looking for the highest return on investment with the least amount of time spent.

What is a press release?

A press release is a document issued by a company to inform journalists and other media representatives about news. The goal is to get media pickups from journalists who will find the press release interesting enough to want to pass on the information to their readers.

What is a press release distribution service?

A press release distribution service can offer several key features when it comes to spreading the word about your release. The most important thing is to compare services and prices for those services. Also comparing what you are allowed to upload, and how your results will be tracked, can give you the most return on your investment. Here are a few of the essentials to look out for.

How the press release is distributed:

Some services have a network of sites they push content to. The trouble is, they are often general news sites and aggregators who take your press release as is and publish it on web pages without any human being having looked at it. There is also the issue of letting a press release go live without making any final edits.

In addition to not being very prestigious sites, there is the issue of duplicate content. Search engines will penalize sites for duplicating content. What does that entail? If websites are reprinting your press release as is, only one copy will be shown.

The number of journalists using the database:

Journalists who are looking to turn press releases into articles will often search through a press release distribution service’s database. Make sure to ask how many media personnel use their database. Go more in depth and ask how many unique users they have each month.

What social networks they link to:

Many distribution services will link to social media sites so journalists can share the release with their followers. The usual networks include Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

What file input they will allow?

Some interfaces will only let you upload one image. Others will allow you to add as many as you wish. Some will allow you to upload video. If your choice of service doesn’t, see if you can include the embed code of a video, then upload your video to YouTube. Others will also allow a PDF version of your press release. Keep in mind every distribution service is different. Make sure to find the right one for your company’s preferences.

What their reporting is like:

Ask to see a sample of their reports on the results of your press release distribution. You should be able to read it easily and it should record your results for 30 days.

What other tiers of service they offer?

There are different tiers of press release distribution. With every tier comes an added service. From press release writing to media pitching, check out what services each company offers to get the best bang for your buck.

Pricing

Pricing will be based on one press release being issued, but you might manage to lower the cost by buying slots in bulk, such as 3, 4 or 12 at a time, or , purchasing a monthly plan!

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

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What Should I Look For Amongst Press Release Distribution Services?

Wed, 31 Oct 2018 14:48:00 GMT

Press releases are an essential tool for modern marketers who are looking to make the most of their news about the company. A press release is designed to announce an important new event in relation to the business. Good examples include a product launch, a live event to be hosted, a merger or acquisition, or a free giveaway, such as a special report or ebook.

There are several key steps to follow when it comes to looking for the right press release distribution service for your business.

1. Set your goal

What do you want? More reach? More subscribers?

Some services will be more useful than others.

By setting your goals from the start, you can then determine which service will help you get the most media pickups, increased visibility, and so on.

2. Determine who is going to write the release

A lot of new marketers get nervous at the idea of trying to write their own press release. Some distribution services will also write the release for you. Others might edit yours for you to make sure it is top quality.

3. Optimize your release for search

Use keywords in your headline and throughout your press release so journalists interested in your niche or industry will be able to find it.

4. Find out what distribution is available

Some services simply republish your release on other sites they are networked with.

There is no editorial input and the releases are published as is.

This is not really much of a media pickup because no human being is adding any real value to the content. This can also get you into trouble because of search engine duplicate content penalties. The first site will get visibility, but any other site that publishes it as is will not be visible, pretty much defeating the purpose of issuing a press release in the first place.

5. Find out if the service connects with social media

A good press release distribution service should connect with social media, such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. The tools should be built into the interface.

6. Find out how many journalists use the service

Press release distribution services can be a big help to busy journalists, who are almost always on deadline, by serving as a database for story ideas. All they have to do is search by keyword to see the most recent releases, and look through the headlines to see what would be a good fit for their audience. Ask the service how many users they have in total, and how many unique users per month.

7. Find out what the reporting is like

Different services have different reports that analyze your results. Ask to see a sample so you can be sure the data will be relevant for measuring your goals.

8. Is the distribution US only, or global?

These days, many distribution services allow international journalists to access the database.

9. How steep a learning curve is it to use the distribution service interface?

The interface should be intuitive, with fields for headlines, subheadlines, media, links, and so on.

10. What file formats do they allow for media?

Check to see file formats, sizes of the image and so on for the high-quality photos you should include with your press release. Also check to see if you can upload a video, or if you can embed the code.

11. Customer service

What customer service is available, at what hours? Some offer help 24/7/365.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

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What Should Go Into Your Media Kit?

Tue, 30 Oct 2018 14:09:00 GMT

A media kit, or a press kit, isn’t just for huge corporations. No matter what size your business is, or where it is in terms of maturity, a press kit can help your public relations department succeed. There’s nothing worse than missing out on a promotional opportunity because they ask for a media kit and you have nothing prepared, or worse, have no clue what they are really asking for.

What Is a Media Kit?

A media kit is an informational packet about your business or a particular product. Media kits are often requested by publications who want to know more about a company, especially if they are trying to buy advertising or get media coverage in that publication.

What should go in the media kit?

Think of your media kit as a resume for your business.

It should show the highlights of your business since its inception.

Media kits should answer any important questions about the company that the media and other interested parties might have.

A media kit should be a living document, so it is important to keep your data organized in a folder on your computer, allowing for quick and easy access.

Your kit should include an introduction, an “About Us” page, Contact page and short biographies of the executives in the company. Who are you and what do you do?–should be answered in your kit. Your “About Us” page should provide a brief history of the company.

It should also include copies of any press coverage you have received, especially from a prestigious publication such as a national newspaper or magazine, or TV channel. Provide a photocopy of the coverage if you can.

Being selective

Some information will be useful, but of more interest to an investor. For example: a media representative might be trying to decide whether or not your company is worth the investment. You will usually end up with more than one type of media kit.

For in a media kit designed for the press, you could include free content that you are granting them permission to use. It could be a media pitch, an interesting quiz, facts, figures or statistics that help provide a context for the work you do, and so on.

If you are focusing on a new product you are launching, information sheets, images, reviews and so on will all be useful.

Include some of your most recent press releases that got good media pickups.

Your online newsroom

Also provide the URL of your online newsroom so they can learn more about you.

Point them to your multimedia work

Link to your images, videos and so on.

Give your social media account information

This can also help them determine whether or not you are worth paying attention to, and also help connect with you in a number of ways, not just through your press releases or media kit.

Use a table of contents

A table of contents can help readers navigate through the information you are providing. Create sections and subsections such as introduction, earned media, story ideas for the media, and so on.

List milestones

If you’ve been in business for more than a couple of years, provide a timeline of significant accomplishments, including products launched, top media coverage, and so on.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Anticipate what the main questions about your business will be, and answer them. It will save journalists a lot of time hunting for the information they need.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

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What Makes A Good Press Release Distribution Service?

Mon, 29 Oct 2018 13:17:00 GMT

There are a number of things to look for when it comes to a good press release distribution service. Not all of them function in the same way, so it is important to know how each works so you can get the highest return on your investment.

Why use a press release distribution service?

A press release distribution service can be a shortcut to connect your content with a (hopefully large) number of journalists and other media representatives who might be interested in your content. You could try to create your own database of top journalists who publish content related to your niche or industry, but the research would be very time-consuming. Even if you found lots of appropriate names and email addresses, you would still have to approach each journalist via email to see if they were interested in your release.

Different press release distribution services work in different ways, but the most efficient ones, in terms of time and money, would be those which journalists register for and regularly use in order to find story ideas so they can meet their deadlines. In other words, you can get your press release in front of people who are already looking for (high-quality) content like yours.

What makes a good press release distribution service?

A good service offers more than one opportunity within their service to connect with journalists and media representatives. Here are a few of the ways to look for:

1. Web exposure

Your press release will be published on a range of sites. Useful, but not as valuable as other services.

2. Syndication

In this case, the press release will be passed along to top news agencies, such as the Associated Press and their own network. Some will even push your press release to other distribution services.

3. Database availability

Some services claim they are able to connect your press release with more than 100,000 journalists. This will usually be through them subscribing to the site and using it to search for press releases related to the niche or industry they write about. Ask the service how many unique users they have per month.

4. What file formats are permitted

Some services include everything in the one price. Others will charge separately. Aim for an all-inclusive release that will allow you to upload images, upload or embed video, include a PDF file, and so on.

5. Writing services

Some press release distribution services will offer to write the release for you. You will still have to give your information and then go through the approval process. Look for unlimited edits so you are not charged extra after the first draft or two.

6. Editorial services

In this case, the editors at the distribution service will check over your release to make sure it is top-quality before it is sent out.

7. Prominence in the industry

Some press release distribution services have a better reputation than others because their clients repeatedly gain more exposure than at other service sites. Then it becomes a question of affordability.

8. Affordability

Some distribution services offer a monthly package, while others offer a per price release. With the per price, it may be possible to lower the cost by buying the press release slots upfront, such as a year’s worth, for a lower cost than if you were paying as you go. If you’re sure the distribution service you are looking at is tried and tested, this can be a great way to earn more media for less investment.

9. Good reporting

Reports on your results should be clear and easy to understand.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

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What Kind Of Results Can I Expect From A Press Release?

Fri, 26 Oct 2018 11:36:00 GMT

Marketers new to writing press releases have a lot of questions about the process of publishing, distribution, and tracking the performance of their release. The most common question is, “What kind of results can I expect from a press release?”

The answer is that it depends on a number of key factors.

Your goal

Start with determining a goal for your press release. Do you want to:

Extend the reach of your brand

Any press release will extend the reach of your brand, provided that it is well-written and professional enough to gain media pickups. For journalists, including the URL of your online press center to show off the press you have already received and to show you are worth paying attention to. For ordinary readers, provide an URL for more information related to the press release.

If you use a press release distribution service, many journalists will be able to see your release and possibly even give you a media pickup. If you choose a service with links to social media, you can also promote your press release in that manner.

Then look at your reports at the distribution service website to see how many pickups, clicks, how wide an audience your release has reached, and more.

Getting more subscribers

The easiest way to get more subscribers on your email marketing list is to offer a free item, such as a special report or ebook in exchange for an email address. The free offer should be something of real value, and genuinely useful to the people interested in your niche. Think about a typical problem people, especially beginners, have in relation to your niche. Base your free item around this issue and you are sure to get more subscribers. Be sure to include a call to action in your press release, telling readers to subscribe.

Check your reports about your press release, and in your email marketing interface to see how many new subscribers you get as a result of the release. It’s a good idea to start a new list to help you keep track.

Making sales

This is the hardest goal to accomplish via a press release, but it’s not impossible if you make the value of the offer clear. It’s only logical to announce a new product as soon as it’s available and talk about its features and benefits. Remember, your press release isn’t an ad, but it can certainly offer a good deal of factual information that can make your readers eager to buy. Provide an URL where they can learn more, and include a call to action encouraging them to visit it.

You might even wish to offer the item at a special introductory price for readers of the press release only as an incentive to get them to take action and get in on the ground floor of the product launch. Then measure your results in terms of pickups and sales.

The bottom line

The bottom line is that you can’t ever really predict your results for anyone single press release, but the more releases issued, the better your chances are of hitting the jackpot, provided the releases are genuinely newsworthy and well-written. Since other companies are using press releases with relative degrees of success in terms of their marketing campaigns, you also have to be “in it to win it”. As long as your press release is high-quality and not a spammy ad, journalists should start to recognize you and be happy to hear from you because they know your releases are worthwhile.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

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What Journalists Are Looking For In An Online Newsroom

Thu, 25 Oct 2018 15:39:00 GMT

Busy journalists are always on the lookout for content ideas for their columns because they are pretty much always on a deadline these days. It is great to issue press releases so you can convey your most important news to media representatives, or to pitch interesting ideas to the journalists who work in your niche or industry but don’t stop there. Help media reps do their job by taking the time to create an online newsroom.

There are a number of items they look for when it comes to working better with you via your online newsroom. Here are some suggestions:

1. Corporate information

Provide the most important details about your company in the same way you would on an About Us page.

2. Contact information

Provide the contact information about your company in the same way you would on a Contact Us page. Also include the name, phone number and email address of your main person who will deal with all media inquiries.

3. Images

Include your logo and some high-quality images related to your business. Provide a link to an image gallery so your page loads quickly.

4. Videos

Include videos of your products, key people being interviewed, and so on. Provide a link to a page with links to all of your videos embedded in your pages.

5. Headshots of top staff, name, titles and a brief biography

List the most important people in your company, especially if you think they would make a good expert the media might wish to consult regularly because they are so well-informed.

6. Archives of your past press releases

List the headlines and dates, starting with the most recent first. Hyperlink the headlines to the individual pages where you have published each press release.

7. Archives of your past successful media pitches

List the headlines, dates, and publications which accepted the pitch, starting with the most recent first. Hyperlink the headlines to the individual pages where you have published each pitch.

8. Archives of your available media pitches

List the headlines and dates, ensuring the story idea is current so the media knows they are still relevant and they can use them as material for their own columns. Hyperlink the headlines to the individual pages where you have published each press release.

9. Links to your social media accounts

This tells journalists how active you are online, and also gives them the chance to interact with you in a different way if they wish. Be sure to list Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

10. Newsletters and Email Alerts

Include links to your most recent newsletters so journalists can see all of the interesting things going on in your business.

Create a separate email list for them where they can sign up for news alerts, and inform them every time you issue a new press release. This will help them stay connected with you without having to dig for information every so often.

Be sure to publish a new press release each time there is something newsworthy at your business. Use the names on your list to pitch to a couple of different journalists. If you don’t get a yes, place the idea in your list of pitches not yet accepted and let the people on the list know you have a new story idea available.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

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What Does A Good Press Release Distribution Service Offer?

Wed, 24 Oct 2018 16:27:00 GMT

Not all press release distribution services are created equal. Therefore, it is important to know exactly what to expect so you can compare features, and also pricing if you are going to use a paid service.

Free services

There are some free press release distribution services, but in general, they tend not to get as many media pickups and rarely hit the top spots such as Google News. However, if you have a very little budget, they can be better than trying to distribute your press release all by yourself. This is because finding the right journalists who cover your niche or industry, getting their contact information, and submitting releases to them via email individually can all be really time-consuming tasks. You will be able to create your own media database you can use any time you wish, but it will take many hours compared to using a distribution service.

Paid distribution services

Paid distribution services offer a range of features at a variety of price points. They range from bare bones to deluxe services that can make your press release shine. Choosing the right one will obviously be a balancing act between what help you really need, and what your budget is like.

Here are some of the most common features you might be interested in when choosing a press release distribution service:

Press release writing

If you’re totally new to writing press releases or are not confident in your writing skills, this could be a good option. Some companies will include this as part of the service, while others will allow you to purchase it as an add-on.

Press release editing

This feature can be useful if you are a reasonably good writer but wish to make sure that your press release is the best it can be.

The potential for earned media pickups

There is a range of services to choose from, so it is important to read reviews and determine results. The whole point of using a distribution service is to get as much media coverage as possible from real journalists who work for reputable print, magazine and online publications. You would also be interested in news coverage through Google, Yahoo! and Bing.

Some services boast that you can connect with more than 100,000 media representatives, but this number may only be subscribers registered for the site, not active users looking for story ideas. Ask how many active users there are each month.

If you are working in a very specialized niche or industry, it might not be worth it to use a standard distribution service. Some are industry-specific, such as financial press release distribution services, so explore all your options before spending any money.

Their own network

Beware of distribution sites which claim that they publish your press release at thousands of sites they are affiliated with. In many cases, they use software to publish your release as is, with no editorial from any journalists working for reputable publications. The release will be pretty much worthless in this case, because the search engines will only pay attention to one copy of your press release (which will likely be the one at your site) and ignore the rest, due to their duplicate content penalties.

A variety of channels

The exposure for your press release should include print and online journalism, plus trade publications, prestigious blogs, and more. Also look for services that allow you to cross-promote easily on the main social sites, such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

The bottom line

The right press release distribution service can provide your small business with access to journalists and websites that you might not be able to otherwise reach on your own, but do make sure you are clear about how they operate and what you are paying for when you use their service.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

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Things You MUST Include In Your Online Newsroom

Tue, 23 Oct 2018 13:43:00 GMT

An online newsroom can best be defined as the hub page at your site that serves as the gateway to all of your public relations work, including your press releases and your media pitches. It is a page specifically designed for media representatives to come to see all you have to offer.

Your online newsroom can be a real business asset, provided you include some key elements journalists will be looking for so they can do their jobs more easily.

If you haven’t already created an online newsroom for your business, now is the time to start planning one. Here are some of the most important things you need to include in your online newsroom:

The facts about your company

Who are you, and what do you do? Where are you located, who are your top staff, and how can journalists get in contact with you if they have any questions about your company?

Think of a good About Us page and Contact Us page, and you will have an idea of everything you need to include in the first section of your online newsroom.

A list of your most recent press releases, with links

Every press release you issue should also be published at your site so you will get credit from the search engines. Copy the headline of each release, and the date, onto your online newsroom page. Then link to each page. Use an open new window command so journalists can flick through all of your releases without losing their place on the page. List them with the most recent first—this will show how up-to-date your page is. It also makes it easier to just add your newest link to the top of the list whenever you publish a new press release.

A list of your media pitches that have been picked up

Include the headline, date, and periodical that accepted the pitch. Hyperlink to each pitch.

A list of the pitches you have created which have not been accepted

Include the headline, date and a brief summary of what the pitch is about. Hyperlink to each pitch idea. Hopefully, your media pitches can serve as the stimulus journalists need to come up with for their latest columns, and pass along your information to their wider audience.

A list of experts available

Some of your staff might have a great media presence and be perfect for TV, radio, video and in-person events. List their names and their area of expertise under a clear headshot of them. Journalists are always on the lookout for experts who can help provide context for their stories, quotations, and more.

Your image gallery links

Create one page for your high-quality images, and another listing your videos. Don’t put your images on the online newsroom because they will cause it to load slowly. Don’t publish your videos on the page for the same reason, and because the playback can be quite clunky. Post the videos on YouTube instead, and then copy the embed code onto each page for each video. Then link to them by hyperlinking the name of the video.

Upcoming events

Live events can really create buzz. If you have any online or in-person events coming up, include a link, date, and venue. Link to a separate page that will offer more information about the event, including how people can register for it and attend.

Free information

If your press release goal is to build your list through offering a great free incentive such as an ebook or white paper, link the title and date of the item to the landing page where they can sign up for the item.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

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How To Analyze Press Release Analytics

Mon, 22 Oct 2018 17:42:00 GMT

Once you have sent out your press release, it will be time to look at the reports coming in, to determine what has happened and whether or not you have received a good return on your investment (ROI) through taking the time to write the release, and in some cases, to pay for a press release distribution service to publish your release more widely.

A press release is only as good as its results. You should take the time to study the analytics of each press release you send out in order to determine if anyone is really paying attention and whether the time you have spent has been worth it.

There will be a number of different metrics in your reports. Here are some of the most important ones to look for:

1. Headline impressions

How many times has your headline been shown? This is not the same thing as how many pickups you got, because press releases can be republished on a range of networked sites, and syndicated, too. But in general, a large number of impressions is a signal that your headline has proven popular, and your choice of words/keywords has made your headline highly discoverable.

2. Full Reads

This shows how many media representatives have clicked on your release and read it. The higher the number, the better. It will, of course, depend on how good your headline is and how newsworthy the item is. You might get hundreds of reads for a small niche-related press release, or thousands for a more popular niche.

You can never be sure what will inspire journalists to read your story and even give you a media pickup, so try a variety of press release topics and track your success.

3. Referral sources

Check to see where most of the traffic is coming from. See what percentage are from search engines versus the press release distribution service, versus other sites where the release has been published, versus media pickups.

4. Interactions

These statistics will show you what people do once they click on your release. Options include forwarding it to others via email, sharing it on social media, downloading any attachments you might include, such as a PDF, watching your video, printing it, and so on. The numbers may not be large, but it will give you an idea of just how popular each feature is and whether or not it is worth bothering to do.

5. Clicks on your link in the distribution service

This will show the popularity in the press release interface.

6. Clicks back to your site

Give each press release unique URL journalists can click back to in order to learn more. Also, include a link to your online press room so they can see your past media coverage and feel confident that you are worth paying attention to.

When linking to your URLs, use descriptive keywords, such as, “Click here now to get a copy of our free pet food industry survey,” and hyperlink the words “pet food industry survey.” Don’t link the words, “Click here.”

7. Social media engagement

Most press release distribution services connect with one or more social networks. The typical options are Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Google +. Again, this will tell you how popular your content is.

Mastering your reports

Press release reporting can be confusing, but taking the time to master your reports will be worth it if it helps you get more and more media pickups.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

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How To Manage Your Online Newsroom

Wed, 17 Oct 2018 14:04:00 GMT

Managing your online newsroom can be very time-consuming unless you are very well organized. Public relations (PR) can be a nightmare if you don’t have a workflow that makes sense for your business.

What is an online newsroom?

An online newsroom, also referred to as a media page, can be considered an index page or hub page with the most important information about your business, and links to all of your most important public relations work, such as your press releases and their media pickups, images and more.

Why create an online newsroom?

An online newsroom offers many benefits. Whenever you issue a press release, you should always provide a link back to your website. However, sending journalists and other media representatives to your home page would be a waste of time. It might prove confusing because you would be pretty much leaving them to wander around in the hope that they might find something useful.

By contrast, sending them to an online newsroom should offer them all they need to know about your business and show that you are worth paying attention to because your company is a hive of activity in your niche or industry.

More than two-thirds of journalists visit online newsrooms at least once a week, and about one-third do so daily, so if you don’t already have one, now is the time to start putting one together. And once you do, it will be important to manage it regularly.

Creating a public relations (PR) workflow

Every business should spend some time each week on PR. If there is something new, such as a product launch, live event coming up, or another company milestone, a press release should be issued.

If companies wish to raise their profile in their niche or industry, they should regularly pitch interesting stories to the top journalists who cover their niche.

Archiving

Most marketers will use a press release distribution service to publish their releases, but they can also send them directly to journalists working in their niche if they wish. As soon as the press release is published, copy and paste it on a new page of the company’s website and create a link to it.

If you pitch to the media, wait a few days to give journalists a chance to pick up the pitch. If they do, copy and paste on a new page of the company’s website and create a link with title, date, and publication that picked it up.

If no one picked it up, do the same as the above, but place it in a section titled Pitches available. Any journalist looking for story ideas can contact you about using them. Put your contact information at the top of the section to make it easy for them to connect with you.

Managing your media

Your media will include images, video, and perhaps audio. Create one master page for each which will contain content or links to your content.

On the images page, you will include corporate images such as logos, photos of your location, and headshots of staff. Include captions for the staff members, and information about their areas of expertise.

Include product images organized under product names. Make sure they are high-quality and that you capture your product from all angles.

On your video page, also organize your videos so they are corporate or product-related. Link the title of the video to a page where you have embedded the code for the video player so you don’t have to worry about storing large files at your site or getting clunky playback.

Do the same for your audio page, for the same reasons.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

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How Many Press Releases Are Distributed Daily?

Tue, 16 Oct 2018 12:10:00 GMT

Press releases have been around for more than 100 years, but it is really only in the past 5 years or so that they have come into their own as an invaluable marketing tool IF the companies issuing them follow the rules.

However, the problem with them now becoming so prominent as a marketing and public relations tool is that hundreds are being issued in the US alone, and thousands per day around the world. This being the case, how can any marketer, especially one with a tight budget, get their press release noticed?

It’s actually easier than you think if you follow a simple formula for writing effective press releases and use a reliable press release distribution service.

What to include in an effective press release:

1. Real news

You’re not writing an ad for your business or product. Your press release should contain real news that journalists, and their readers, would really want to hear about.

2. A great headline

This should make people eager to read your press release and learn more.

3. Keywords

Use keywords throughout your press release so it is clear what niche or industry you are working in. This will also make your work more discoverable through the search engines and through the press release distribution service interfaces, where journalists will go to try to find interesting story ideas. Use keywords in your headline, subhead, and the body of your press release.

4. An interesting sub-headline

This field appears in most press release distribution service interfaces. It clarifies the headline and gives a teaser as to what people can expect if they continue to read. It’s also the perfect place for keywords.

5. The Dateline

Include city, state, and date, to help you get local media coverage and to show people how current your information is.

6. The body of the press release

Most press releases are 4 paragraphs in length and written in the inverted pyramid style. This means all of the most important information is at the start of the press release, in other words, the broad base of the pyramid, and the lesser but still useful information is at the end, the narrow tip of the pyramid.

Here’s what should be included in each paragraph:

The 5Ws

All the facts, written concisely:

Any remaining 5Ws that didn’t fit in the first paragraph, plus facts, figures, and statistics that can provide a context for the press release.

More statistics and one to two quotations to also provide a context for the press release.

The boilerplate

This is a brief description of who your company is and what you do, to help journalists decide whether or not you are worth paying attention to.

and

Contact information

Who will be responsible for following up with any questions related to the press release? Include their name, phone number, and email address.

7. Media

Include at least one high-quality image related to your business, such as your logo, or an image of the new product you are launching. Most press release distribution services should include at least one image within its pricing structure.

They might or might not include permission for a video, or a video embed code. Also see if you are permitted to upload other kinds of files, such as PDF files. If the price is all-inclusive, make the most of these marketing opportunities within your press release.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post How Many Press Releases Are Distributed Daily? appeared first on PressRelease .

Why You Need An Online Newsroom

Mon, 15 Oct 2018 10:06:00 GMT

An online newsroom can be an invaluable tool for organizing all of your public relations (PR) activities, such as your press releases and media pitches. Regular PR helps keep you in the eye of the media. Hopefully, sooner or later, more and more journalists will start to pay attention to you. Many might wish for some background information to determine who your company is and whether or not you are worth paying attention to. An online newsroom can help them determine that.

The benefits of creating an online newsroom

In addition to being a focal point for all of your PR, you can also get credit with the search engines for your keyworded content. If you use a press release distribution service, you won’t get any search engine optimization (SEO) credit because the links in the service will be “nofollow” links. But if you publish the content at your own site, the search engines will be able to see it, and human beings searching for more information about your company, including journalists, will also be able to find you.

A good online newsroom also creates the perception that there is a lot going on in your company. The most important thing is that you keep it fresh and up-to-date. Publishing press releases regularly will help.

Making it easy for journalists to do their jobs

Your online newsroom can make it easy for journalists to do their jobs and also start giving you the kind of media pickups you really want.

The first thing to include is your About Us information. This can be:

Your most recent press releases

Copy and paste each new press release to a new page at your site or blog. List the headlines at your online newsroom and then create a hyperlink to each page.

Your media pitches

Start with the media pitches that got picked up. Copy and paste each pitch to a new page at your site or blog. List the headlines at your online newsroom and then create a hyperlink to each pitch. Include who accepted the pitch.

For pitches that have not been accepted, include them in a separate area with information to that effect, and who to contact if they want to pick up the pitch.

Media pickups

You should get a good number of pickups if you are using a press release distribution service. List the top ones, especially if they are prestigious national publications.

An image library

Create a link to a page containing high-resolution images of your logo, images of your products, key staff members, and so on. Make sure every file is named and has a caption. Don’t put all your images on the online newsroom page, because it will slow the load time.

A video library

List links to your most important videos. Upload them to YouTube. Copy and paste the embed code for each video. Create a page for each video. Link the title of the video to the page where the video will appear. Don’t embed the videos in the online newsroom, because it will slow the load time.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post Why You Need An Online Newsroom appeared first on PressRelease .

How Do I Send A Press Release To Local Media?

Fri, 12 Oct 2018 15:11:00 GMT

Many new marketers know they need to start using press releases in order to spread the word about their business, but they have a lot of questions that hold them back from making the most of the opportunity. One of the main ones is how they can distribute a press release themselves to the local media.

It is actually relatively easy to do if you are prepared to take the time and effort required to do it manually, rather than in an automated fashion, as you would if you were using a press release distribution service.

Doing the research

Distributing yourself will add a good deal of work to the process because you need to research the correct media representatives for your niche or industry who are also local. Having said that, some local journalists will cover all topics if there is a real human interest angle behind it.

The research can be very time-consuming. However, it can also help you forge closer connections with top influencers in your area of expertise, and in your local area. If you own a brick and mortar business, this is a must.

Outlets to include in your database will be:

It can be very helpful to have your own database of media contacts for your press releases, and also for your media pitches. Media pitches are story ideas you can send to a journalist to see if they are interested in publishing information about your company. Local journalists are always on the lookout for interesting stories related to their area.

If you write high-quality press releases and pitches, local journalists will want to work with you, and actually look forward to hearing from you because you will make their lives easier in terms of meeting their deadlines each week or coming up with local spots that highlight what’s going on in the area.

Create a spreadsheet, with the name of the media outlet, the name of the person, and their email address and phone number. Once you’ve created your local database, it will be time to start issuing your press releases.

The email approach

Each email you send out needs to be personalized with the journalist’s name. DO NOT write To Whom It May Concern or Hi There, but Dear NAME. If the email says this, a busy journalist will take one look at it and delete it.

DO NOT BCC (blind carbon copy) an entire list of journalists when you email the press release to yourself. Again, savvy journalists will see this and delete it.

Write a great subject line. Consider using the headline of your press release as the subject line. Your headline should always contain a keyword, a strong verb, and grab attention, just as a subject line should.

Write an introduction to yourself and the press release. State briefly why you are sending it and how to contact you if they have any questions.

Link to your media

Don’t send attachments such as photos or videos because the files can be very large and trigger spam filters. Instead, send a link to an URL where they can download the images and view the video.

Include the press release in the body of the email.

Don’t send the press release as an attachment in case it triggers the spam filters.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post How Do I Send A Press Release To Local Media? appeared first on PressRelease .

How Can I Increase The Effectiveness Of My Press Release After It’s Distributed?

Thu, 11 Oct 2018 13:41:00 GMT

There are a number of ways to increase the effectiveness of your press release after it has been distributed using a press release distribution service. It is all a question of establishing a workflow that you will use for all your releases.

Writing a great release

The effectiveness of your press release will start with how well it is written. There are a few basic rules:

1. It must be newsworthy

Your press release should offer real news, not an ad for your business. Newsworthy topics include:

And so on.

2. It must be structured like a professional press release

Press releases are written in a certain format, with a particular style and tone. There are templates available that can help you learn how to write the kind of press release that journalists will be impressed by and willing to pick up, rather than pass over because it looks so unprofessional.

3. It should use media to support the story

A picture can be worth a thousand words, and a video tens of thousands. Include at least one high-quality image. Studies have shown that press releases with media included tend to be picked up seven times more than those which don’t.

If it is permitted by the distribution service, include a video, or the embed code for your video.

Publishing the press release

In order to get the embed code for the video, you would need to publish it on YouTube and then copy and paste the embed code into a webpage or blog post.

Also, consider doing a video or audio version of the press release. Promote the YouTube and other URLs to attract a wider audience.

Posting at your site

Create an online newsroom for your business, with links to all of your press releases and other media-related activities. Link each press release by title. Include the date next to each headline.

Link to your media pages, where you will post your images, and links to your videos. For the videos, include title and date, and link to the page where you have embedded the code for the video.

Promoting the press release on social media

Once you have published the press release, promote it on social media as well, for even more promotional opportunities. Encourage anyone who has a site or blog to pass along the information to their readers if they find it useful.

Also, promote the links to your videos. Seeing is believing, and demonstration and how-to videos are the most popular kind of content on YouTube, with more than 75% of site visitors looking for this type of content.

Announcing your best pickups

Once your pickups start coming in, list the best ones under the headline at your online newsroom. Also announce them at your social media accounts, with a link. If any media representatives are following you, this could encourage them to give you a pickup, as well.

Tracking your results

If the goal of your press release was to get more subscribers or sales, be sure to check your reports to see if you’ve accomplished your goal. Always include a call to action in your press release and encourage others to pass along your information to anyone else who might be interested.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post How Can I Increase The Effectiveness Of My Press Release After It’s Distributed? appeared first on PressRelease .

What’s The Difference Between A Press Release And Great Content?

Wed, 10 Oct 2018 11:30:00 GMT

Many marketers wonder what the difference is between a press release and great content. The short answer is none, apart from the format. Both should market your business, just in different ways, and show why you are a business worth paying attention to.

What is a press release?

As the name suggests, a press release is a piece of writing designed to inform journalists and other media representatives, about something important related to your business. It usually follows a particular format and structure that sets it apart from other forms of content.

What is content?

Content is information used to market your business, usually through helping to attract traffic to your site. The traffic will usually be ordinary readers, not journalists. The content can take many different forms, such as articles, lists, how to’s and so on.

Where do you publish these items?

You can publish your press releases on your own site. You can also publish them through a press release distribution service in order to give them greater visibility and the chance to get media pickups from journalists who think their target audience will be interested in your information.

The facts

Both press releases and content should be based on fact. However, the format will be different. The usual press release format is 4 paragraphs, with particular important elements in each paragraph.

The most important paragraph is the first one, which should contain the main facts. These are referred to as the 5Ws:

When creating a press release, you need to write like a journalist. By contrast, there is some room for creativity and stylistic techniques in your content.

The inverted pyramid style

With the inverted pyramid style used in journalism, the broad base of the pyramid is at the top and the narrow point is at the bottom. This represents the most important information being in the first paragraph, and the least important in the final paragraph. In the case of your press releases, the fourth paragraph will always be your information about your company, and the contact information in case anyone wants to get in touch with you to learn more. It is still a set of important facts, but it isn’t the classic surprise ending to the story.

By contrast, with content, we tend to use a regular pyramid. We start off with some interesting detail in traditional storytelling and let the suspense build until we reach the exciting conclusion.

Fact versus opinion

With content, you can express your opinion freely. In press releases, however, you’re only allowed to stick to the facts. The one exception would be to get a quotation from someone well-informed in relation to your niche or industry to offer their opinion of why your new product, for example, is worth paying attention to.

Content creation versus press release publishing

Content creation is something you will do frequently at your site or blog. A regular publishing schedule is important in order to maintain readership consistently.

With press releases, on the other hand, you will only publish them when you have something new and noteworthy to tell the press. A good marketer can put some ‘spin’ on events to draw attention to them, but the best times to create a press release are when you are launching a new product, hosting a live event, have won an award, and so on.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post What’s The Difference Between A Press Release And Great Content? appeared first on PressRelease .

What’s The Difference Between A Press Release And A Great News Story?

Tue, 09 Oct 2018 16:52:00 GMT

Many marketers new to press releases ask what the difference is between a press release and a great news story. The answer is very little. Your press release should be newsworthy, and interesting enough to capture the attention of anyone interested in your niche or industry.

What is a press release?

As the name suggests, a press release is designed to convey the latest information to the press, that is, journalists and top bloggers. However, they are not just journalists, they are human beings looking for a well-written news story that they would be interested in. In fact, they are looking for one that is so great, they will be willing to pass it along to their own target audience.

Everyone loves a good story

Journalists are very busy people who are always on deadline. They are looking for press releases that will stand out compared to the many press releases that are nothing more than ads. The more compelling your story, the more likely you will get a media pickup, but the information must be genuinely newsworthy. Good examples would include:

So, what makes a great story?

1. An attention-getting headline

People will never read your release, no matter how fascinating it is, unless you have a strong headline. Use at least one keyword related to your niche.

2. A supporting sub-headline

The sub-headline is a short preview of what your article will be about. It supports the headline and entices people to read on. Also, use keywords to signal what the story will be about.

3. All of the facts

A good news story should contain all of the essential facts. The 5Ws are a checklist journalists use to make sure they have included the most important facts related to their story. The 5Ws are:

Fill in the blanks, so to speak, for each press release you write. For example, if you were launching a new product, you would tell the audience who you are, what the product is, when and where it is being launched, and why you decided to develop it.

If you were hosting a live event, you’d need to provide factual details to readers so they would know when and where to attend. You would also have to provide enough interesting information to make readers feel excited enough to want to go.

4. The inverted pyramid style

This is classic news storytelling. The inverted pyramid is called this because its broad base is at the top and its narrow point at the bottom. All the most important information about the news story is in the first paragraph or two. Everything else in paragraphs 3 and 4 counts as extra information to enhance the story and connect with the audience.

Your inverted pyramid for press releases and interesting news stories should look like this:

5. A strong call to action

What do you want people to do once they have read your press release? The action should make sense for both journalists and the target audience. A good example would be to offer tickets to your live event, with an URL where they could register for them.

6. The boilerplate

The boilerplate is a brief description of your company, which should be interesting enough to show why your press release is worth paying attention to.

It should also include your main contact person who will follow up with journalists if they have any questions. Include:

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post What’s The Difference Between A Press Release And A Great News Story? appeared first on PressRelease .

What Verb Tense Should You Use When You Write A Press Release?

Mon, 08 Oct 2018 13:12:00 GMT

There are a number of stylistic choices marketers need to make when it comes to writing press releases. One of the most important is which verb tense you should use.

The main choices are active versus passive, and past, present or future. Let’s look at what a press release is first, and then explore each of these tenses in turn to determine their pros and cons.

What is a press release?

A press release is written to inform journalists and other media representatives about something new or important that is going on in your company which you would like to announce to them and the world.

The importance of verbs

As we learn in school from a very young age, verbs are doing words or being words. Verbs power our sentences, making them vivid and interesting.

Imagine we are writing about a local factory downsizing and letting part of its workforce go. Verbs can make all the difference in one’s perception of the severity of the situation.

XYZ Factory laying off 500 workers

XYZ Factory axes 500 jobs

XYZ Factory slashes workforce

Laying off is a fairly neutral verb. Axes and slashes are very dramatic by comparison.

Active versus passive

Active verbs are also more vivid than passive ones.

The factory laid off the worker. (Active)

The workers were laid off [by the factory]. (Passive)

The passive sentence is much flatter, without a lot of action.

However, it can be useful in news reporting when we don’t know who committed the act, or it is not as important as who the action happened to. For example:

The bank was robbed on Sunday night [by someone, but don’t know who].

The skeleton o Richard III was found when the parking lot was excavated to put up a new office building. {Again, we don’t know exactly who dug it up, but it doesn’t matter because the skeleton of Richard III is the most important, newsworthy item in that sentence.)

The headline

The headline should always use an active verb to make it vivid and exciting.

Past, Present and Future

The choice of verb tense is strategic, because it will not only help you report the facts, it will make them more vivid. Here are a few examples.

Present

First Indian restaurant opens at Parkdale Mall

The verb opens is present tense. The restaurant has already opened and served customers, but the use of the present tense makes it more vivid. This headline would be of interest to people who love Indian food, and/or go to that mall.

Future

Maharaja restaurant to host cookery lessons monthly

In this case, to host refers to something that will happen in the future.

The Maharaja restaurant in Parkdale Mall will be hosting cooking lessons every month so local cooks can bring an authentic taste of India into their everyday meals.

Will be hosting and can bring both serve as future tenses, referring to things that have not happened yet, but will soon.

Past

Now let’s imagine that the first lesson has taken place and the restaurant wishes to report on how things went. Because it has already taken place, we can use the past tense.

Maharaja cookery lesson proves a huge hit

The word proves is present tense, but we use this to make the verb more vivid.

Last night, the first of the Maharaja restaurants Indian cooking lessons started well, with a kitchen full of guests who learned how to make coronation chicken salad and homemade naan. The lesson, sponsored by Sharwood’s, was designed to help even brand new cooks create authentic dishes without spending hours in the kitchen.

Started, learned and was designed are all past tense.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post What Verb Tense Should You Use When You Write A Press Release? appeared first on PressRelease .

What Is The SEO Benefit Of A Press Release?

Fri, 05 Oct 2018 15:15:00 GMT

There are a number of SEO benefits in relation to publishing a press release. SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, involves trying to make your content the best it can be, so it will attract the search engines such as Google and reward you with a high position on the Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs).

While it is true that press releases no longer carry the same weight with search engines as they once did, they can still be a valuable marketing tool that can extend the reach of your brand.

Marketing with press releases

In order to report about the important things going on in your business, journalists have to know you exist. Then they can give you a media pickup if they think their target audience will be interested in your news.

In order to do business with you, people have to know you exist. You can market all day, every day, on social media and via email, but you can never hope to surpass the number of people a good media pickup can expose your brand to.

This being the case, the more media pickups you get, the better it will be. A well-written press release that follows the rules by sticking to facts, not hype, is exactly what busy journalists are looking for so they can use the information to create their own article and meet their deadline.

A well-written press release that you publish at your own site as part of your media center can be exactly what search engines are looking for when someone enters a particular query about your niche or industry.

Press releases and SEO in the past

Press releases became very popular about 5 years ago, when the Google algorithm, or formula, for determining page rank, was influenced by the number of links to a particular page. The more links, the more popular and relevant the page. However, marketers started to overdo it, publishing poor-quality press releases just for the sake of the links and jockeying for top spots on the SERPs. Google, therefore, changed their algorithm to lower the value of links, and press release distribution services set their links to “nofollow” to make them invisible to the search engines.

Press releases and SEO in the present

However, there is still some value to links, and you can certainly publish your press releases at your own site to get SEO credit even if the distribution services are using the nofollow command. Whenever you publish a press release, let your email marketing list know. Inform your social media followers. Create a new page, and add a link to your media center. Keep your media center up to date with all the latest news. Use its URL when contacting journalists, not your home page, so they can learn more about you and see that your content is worthwhile and professional.

Recency

Google rewards recency, that is, fresh new content, so publishing a press release whenever you have something new to report to the wider world is a good way to get your content to the top of the search engines.

SEO Essentials

When creating your page, use a keyword in:

throughout the press release in a natural way, not a repetitive one, which is called keyword stuffing and will be penalized by Google.

Write about your topic naturally, and you should soon gain the attention of humans and search engines alike.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post What Is The SEO Benefit Of A Press Release? appeared first on PressRelease .

Cost-Effective Solutions On How To Put Out A Press Release

Thu, 04 Oct 2018 15:03:00 GMT

There are a number of ways to put out a press release in a cost-effective manner. It all depends on how much time and money you have, how many media pickups you are aiming for, and how high-quality those pickups are.

Doing it yourself

In order to issue a press release yourself, you first need to research the names and contact information of journalists who cover your niche or industry. Visit some of the top sites and blogs, see what types of things the writers cover, and get their full name and email address. You might have to dig for the contact information, and perhaps even put in a phone call to the publication.

This is the cheapest solution for sending out a press release, but the preliminary research can be very time-consuming.

So, too, can tracking your media pickups. The goal it to get as many placements as possible, but not all journalists you contact will let you know if they have chosen your press release as the basis for one of their columns. You will have to track your results yourself on your spreadsheet, which can also take a lot of time. Setting a Google alert for mentions of your company can help.

Free distribution services

Free distribution services can help you connect with many more journalists than you trying to do it yourself using your own database. However, some marketers complain about the quality of the pickups. They also complain about the level of reporting regarding how many media pickups you get when you issue a release.

In general, it is a cost-effective way to connect with a much wider audience without having to do anything other than copy and paste your (really interesting) press release into the distribution service interface.

Paid distribution services

There are a number of reputable press release distribution services that are favored by journalists looking for ideas for their columns. Prices vary considerably, depending on the level of service offered. For example, some services will actually have a professional write the press release for you, while others will edit your press release as needed. Those which publish press releases which are required for publically traded companies to announce their quarterly financial results tend to be the most expensive.

One way to make these services more affordable is to stick to the basic service with no frills added. You can also often get a substantial discount if you are willing to buy a package of press release publication slots, such as 3, 4 or 12. You will have to pay for them up front, but buying in bulk can lower the price of each release considerably.

Another thing to consider when it comes to determining the best value for money and how good your return on investment (ROI) will be is to look at the level of reporting the service offers. They should track your media pickups for at least a month after publication. They should provide a list of the top pickups, and the number of actions on your page, such as clicks, downloads of a free special report, and so on.

Before paying for any press release distribution service, ask how many journalists tend to use the site, and how regularly.

Finally, be sure you know the rules of the road when it comes to writing a professional press release. It’s a waste of time and money if your release is just going to get passed over because it isn’t good enough compared to the hundreds of others being published that day.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

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What Is The Most Effective Press Release Format?

Wed, 03 Oct 2018 11:57:00 GMT

There are a number of different press release formats, but since most press release distribution services give you various fields to fill in to make sure your release is complete, it’s a good idea to follow their formula.

Be sure it is newsworthy

Before you get started, make sure your press release is genuinely newsworthy, something journalists will want to hear about and also pass along to their readers.

Set a goal

What do you want to accomplish? Sales of a new product? More subscribers through a new free incentive such as an e-book? This will help you formulate your press release effectively.

An effective press release format

1. The headline

This should be brief and command attention. It should include at least one keyword related to your niche or industry and a strong verb.

2. The subheadline

This gives additional information about the headline and summarizes what the story is about. Keywords are important here, as well.

3. The Dateline

Add the city and state where your press release is being issued from – New York, NY.

Add the date to show when the press release was issued – August 10, 2018

So the dateline would read: New York, NY, August 10, 2018

4. The opening paragraph

The opening paragraph of a good press release should be “front-loaded” with the most important information. Journalists use a checklist known as the 5Ws:

These are the essential facts for most news stories, so including them in your press release can help you get more media pickups.

5. The second paragraph

The second paragraph can include any of the 5Ws that didn’t fit into the first paragraph, and any additional information which supports your story and gives background, extra information and so on. For example, statistics could provide a context for why your new product is so useful.

6. The third paragraph

The third paragraph can include more additional information, and perhaps a quotation or two that also help explain why your product or the news you are providing is worth paying attention to. For example, if you were planning a live event at a local convention centre, you might get the head of your company, and a leading person in your niche or industry, to discuss why the event is important, and what attendees will get from taking the time to go.

7. The call to action

What do you want people to do after they have read your release? Examples might include going to X URL to learn more about the product or Y URL to get their tickets for your live event. If you’re trying to get more subscribers, send them to a page where they can sign up for your list and download their free e-book or other valuable incentives.

8. The media

Every press release should have at least one image that supports the story. This will help you get more media pickups. If you are announcing a new product, you could also include a demonstration video, and/or someone being interviewed about the product and why it is so useful.

9. The boilerplate

The boilerplate can be added to any press release you publish. The first part is a brief description of your company. It should be interesting enough to show why your company is worth paying attention to.

The second part should be your contact information, such as:

to help journalists with any questions the might have about the release or your company.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post What Is The Most Effective Press Release Format? appeared first on PressRelease .

What Does A Good Press Release Look Like?

Tue, 02 Oct 2018 16:30:00 GMT

The short answer as to what a good press release looks like is one that gets you lots of media pickups. It will usually have a number of components that will help you stand out to journalists who see far too many badly written press releases. Let’s look at the layout and content of a good press release, starting from the top of the page, and working our way downwards as you would enter it in a press release distribution service interface.

1. The headline

It should be brief, attention-grabbing, and give an idea of what niche or industry you are working in, and what is newsworthy.

Example: New Android Pie a game changer for smartphone owners

2. The subheadline

This will offer additional information to support the headline, and also give more of an idea of what the release will be about.

Example: Pie’s features are actually designed to discourage smartphone use

3. Dateline

Include the city where the release is being issued from and the date. The city might get more local media pickups. The date shows how current the information is.

Example: Mountain View, California, August 8, 2018

4. The introductory paragraph

The first paragraph of any good press release will contain the 5Ws:

This is a useful checklist to make sure you include all the facts and don’t leave journalists wondering.

In this case, the press release facts are:

Who: Google

What: There new Android operating system known as Pie, which is replacing Oreo, has some special new features designed to make Smartphone users cut back on the time they spend on their phones

When: Pie was released Monday, August 6, 2018

Where: On all new Android phones

Why: the initiative is part of their “Digital Wellbeing” initiative launched in May 2018, which has determined excessive smartphone use can be unhealthy for a number of reasons.

5. Paragraphs 2 and 3

If you were not able to fit all of the 5Ws into the first paragraph, they can spill over into the second. In these paragraphs, you should also include the additional information to support the story, and further details to help readers grasp the significance of it.

Example: Excessive smartphone use has been determined unhealthy for several reasons:

Using while driving

Spending too much time on the phone and not enough exercising

App addiction

Smartphone use disrupting sleep

6. Useful Quotations

Include a direct quote that adds to the story.

Example: “We’ve included a timer that grays out apps after a set amount of time to cut down on usage , and a “Wind Down” feature that helps people transition from phone time to bedtime due to a grayed-out screen.”

It could also include useful statistics.

Example: “Battery life is still not very long, and app use eats up battery charge quickly, so throttling app time means more time to use the phone for other things.”

7. Media

Include a meaningful image to support your press release. Include video, as well, if available.

8. A call to action

Tell people where to go to learn more.

Example: “To learn more about Android Pie and the Digital Wellness initiative, go to URL.”

9. Your boilerplate

Write a short paragraph giving information about your company, and who to contact if they wish to learn more.

Example: “Google is the developer of the Android operating system for Smartphones. For questions about this release, contact: name, email address, phone number.”

10. Signal for the end of the release

Use ### to show the end of the release so journalists don’t look for additional pages.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post What Does A Good Press Release Look Like? appeared first on PressRelease .

What Am I Allowed To Announce Or Promote In A Press Release?

Mon, 01 Oct 2018 13:02:00 GMT

Many new marketers get nervous at the idea of writing a press release and often ask what they are allowed to announce or promote in a release. The short answer is just about anything, as long as it is newsworthy and useful to one’s target audience, rather than just a marketing tool for the issuing company.

What is newsworthy?

Newsworthy, as the name suggests, means the information to be released to the press is fairly recent, or about to take place in the near future.

What is useful?

A useful press release will usually inform and often offer readers the opportunity to take action in some way to improve their lives.

Here are some examples of items that can be considered genuinely newsworthy and also help readers accomplish their goals:

A new product launch

Every product launched should be an occasion for publishing a press release through a distribution service in order to inform the media, and through them, the general public, about the fact that the product is available for sale.

A press release is not a sales letter, but it can stimulate sales by pointing interested parties to the URL where they can learn more and purchase the product.

A new product range launch

This is useful if you are starting a whole new range of related products, such as an organic or eco-friendly line of products.

A new business launch

An existing company might decide to branch out into an all-new related business. For example, if you are an event planner, you might decide to start offering wedding planning services as part of the whole of your business.

Celebrating a milestone such as an anniversary

Companies in business a year, five years, ten, and so on, may wish to mark the occasion in some way, such as with a live event, special offer, contest or giveaway, and so on.

Milestones can include the level of profits attained, highest share price reached, and other notable benchmarks for the business.

Mergers and acquisitions

Two companies merging is usually important to the customers of both companies, as are acquisitions, in which one company buys another.

Forming a new partnership

This might also be of interest to people already involved with the companies or the partners involved in this new initiative.

Restructuring the company

Any change in departments, department heads, promotions, sideways moves and so on might affect the way people do business with the company and are therefore worth reporting.

Opening up a new location

This is useful news for those who would wish to go into a brick and mortar location. It is also ideal to get people in the door. A special event like a grand opening, with prizes and special events, could get the new location off to a good start.

Receiving an award

Awards are always newsworthy and are a signal that the company is achieving recognition in its niche or industry.

Working with a new client

If the new client has no objection and is a top name in your niche or industry, they would be worth bragging rights in the form of a press release.

Participating in philanthropic activities

Charity events that a company sponsors, and/or participates in, raise the profile of the company and add to its prestige. A press release will show that the company cares, and is interested in giving back.

Announcing free information is available

Create a useful information product that can solve a real problem related to your niche or industry, and list the URL where they can download it. The URL should have a sign-up form on the page that will give them the information in exchange for their email address.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post What Am I Allowed To Announce Or Promote In A Press Release? appeared first on PressRelease .

Can I Send A Press Release Directly To A Reporter?

Fri, 28 Sep 2018 15:09:00 GMT

Many marketers new to press release wonder if it is acceptable to send a press release directly to a reporter. The answer is yes because busy journalists are always looking for new story ideas so they can meet their deadlines. However, the answer is no unless your press release is really high-quality and follows the rules that media professionals expect.

What is a press release?

A press release is used to inform journalists and other media representatives about what is new and newsworthy in your business. The hope is that the journalist will find the press release interesting enough to want to pass on the information to their readership, which could be in print, online, or both.

Why issue a press release?

A press release keeps you in the eye of the media, and by extension, in the eye of the general public if you get media pickups. One newspaper, magazine, or online periodical can reach millions of people, far more even than social media, provided you have something genuinely newsworthy, rather than a hyped-up sales piece.

What are the rules when it comes to press releases?

The topic of the press release has to be real news. Good examples of this would be if you were launching a brand new product, hosting a live event, or releasing some new free information, such as an ebook or special report, that you believe the people in your niche would be genuinely interested in.

Creating your own database

Some journalists write about a wide range of topics, but these days, a lot of them specialize in a particular niche or industry. You might already know some top journalists in your field due to the sites and blogs you visit and the kind of content you enjoy. You can start your database by making a list of these sites, and the name and contact information of the journalists.

In many cases, you can click the link on their name and the publication will usually include a short biography and their email address. Otherwise, you will have to dig for this information. It might even include phoning the publication to ask for the information.

Make notes about the kind of things they cover and what articles you particularly enjoyed. This will help you determine if your press release will be a good fit for them. It can also help if you want to also send media pitches, that is, story ideas, to these top niche-related media representatives.

Being professional

Once you have done your research, you can start sending out press releases. But there are a few things you must do if you want to avoid them ending up in the trash.

Write a great subject line

This will usually be the headline of your release. It should command attention and get readers curious.

A personalized opening

Use the journalist’s name. Don’t just say Hi, or address the email To Whom It May Concern. Nothing will make them hit the delete key faster than seeing this.

Don’t BCC

If they see you’ve emailed the press release to yourself, they will assume you have sent out the press release to multiple people, which will also make them hit the delete key unless they see their name right at the top of the email.

Make it perfect

Your email and your press release should be error-free. One little mistake can send it straight to the trash.

Follow the rules for writing press releases

Make sure your press release is structured correctly, with the correct style and tone. This will set you apart from the many poorly-written press releases out there.

Don’t attach the press release

Add it underneath your email. Attachments can often set off spam filters or anti-virus software, making your email undeliverable.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post Can I Send A Press Release Directly To A Reporter? appeared first on PressRelease .

Things You Shouldn’t Say In A Press Release

Thu, 27 Sep 2018 16:40:00 GMT

There are a number of things you should say in a press release and a number of things you shouldn’t say. Knowing the difference can lead to greater media recognition.

What is a press release?

As the name suggests, a press release is designed to report important and useful information to the press, that is, journalists, top bloggers, and other media representatives.

Journalists are very busy people who are always on deadline. They are, therefore, almost always on the lookout for interesting information they know their target audience will love.

However, they are not obligated to give you a media pickup or try to help you sell your product by passing along your spammy content that is full of hype.

A press release is not an ad

Sales and marketing language in a product launch press release is a definite no. Avoid any language suggesting your product is “the best” or phrases such as “Buy Now”.

A press release must be newsworthy. Tell a good factual story about your new product and journalists will be interested in it and your brand as a whole. The more media attention you get, the more exposure and hopefully, the more sales, but never try to sell directly from the press release.

Alphabet soup

A lot of press releases use abbreviations without any explanation of the words. This means you often see headlines and sentences that look like this: “FDA and WHO weigh in on GMOs.”

Huh?

Translation: The Food and Drug Administration and World Health Organization offer their opinion on Genetically Modified Organisms.

If you are going to use the phrase Food and Drug Administration at least twice in the article, use it once in full, and put the abbreviation in parentheses: the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). After that, using FDA should be completely clear to the reader.

Too much jargon

In every niche or industry, there are words and phrases that are commonly used, but might not necessarily be known to journalists and ordinary people outside of the industry. In this case, it is important to avoid using too much jargon.

If you do have to use it, be sure to explain it briefly without writing an essay about it. Also make sure that words which might seem familiar but might be used in a different context are explained, as well.

For example, “The scientists will be studying the bachelors on the beach at Peel for the next six months.”

This might sound like some sort of study about relationships and romance until we are told that a bachelor is a young male fur seal. So your explanation prior to the sentence above might read, “Young male fur seals, referred to as bachelors, exhibit fascinating patterns of behavior that link directly to the success or failure of a colony.”

Use “you,” “we” or “I”, except if you are reporting a quotation.

A press release should be written in the third person singular or plural, that is:

He, she, it, they

“ABC Company has launched their all-new product designed to make cellphones more secure. The Phonelock app is now available on iTunes.”

You can use nouns and pronouns as well to avoid addressing the audience directly, or a strong verb: “Those interested in learning more can visit URL.”

“Visit URL for a free download.”

The only place where it is acceptable to use a first-person pronoun such as I or we is in a quotation. “We developed Phonelock to help smartphone users protect their valuable data from accidental loss or malicious hacking, and are proud to bring this cutting-edge app to market.”

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post Things You Shouldn’t Say In A Press Release appeared first on PressRelease .

Things A Successful Press Release Must Include

Wed, 26 Sep 2018 12:43:00 GMT

Many marketers get nervous at the idea of writing a press release. They think their writing skills are not good enough, or that there is some magic involved in writing a successful press release.

There’s no magic, but there is a formula for success that anyone can follow. Use this checklist to take your press releases to a new level.

1. The headline

This should be brief, grab attention and offer a promise of interesting, newsworthy information. It should include at least one keyword related to your niche or industry to make it more searchable, and a strong verb to convey some sort of action or important event has taken place.

2. The subheadline

This gives additional information about the headline and summarizes what the press release will be about. Add keywords to also make it more searchable, so journalists can find it and become intrigued.

3. Your dateline

Add the city and state where your press release is being issued from: Chicago, IL

Add the date to show when the press release was issued:

August 8, 2018

So the dateline would read: Chicago, IL, August 8, 2018

You might also include the words “For Immediate Release,” so journalists know they can publish it right away, with no embargo date.

If you do want to set an embargo date, state it: “Please Embargo Until August 20, 2018.” They might not, but it’s better to give them a long lead time than to miss your chance of media pickups. Don’t publish too far in advance or they will forget about you.

4. Paragraph 1

The opening paragraph of a good press release should include the 5Ws:

These are the essential facts for most news stories, so including them in your press release means you should be giving journalists everything they need to know to run with your story.

5. Paragraph 2

This paragraph can include any of the 5Ws that didn’t fit into paragraph1, and any other information which gives a context as to why your release is important. You could add statistics, highlight a couple of benefits to your niche, and so on.

6. Paragraph 3

This paragraph can include more background, or some quotes that also provide a context for the press release. Quotations tend to liven up a story. A quote from a recognizable name in your niche or industry can demonstrate to a journalist that your press release is worth paying attention to. The last sentence in Paragraph 3 should be your call to action.

7-The call to action

What do you want people to do after they have read your press release? The call to action will tell them. Your call to action will be determined by your goal in publishing the press release. For example, if you want to get people to attend a live event, instruct them to go to an URL to register. If you want to get more subscribers, send them to an URL with a sign-up form. Offer readers a free ebook or another useful incentive to encourage them, so they will then be on your email marketing list and you can start sending them offers any time you wish.

8. Media

Include a high-quality image, and perhaps a video that offers more information about the product or event.

9. Paragraph 4

Paragraph 4 always contains the boilerplate and contact information:

i. The boilerplate

This is a brief description of your company that tells interesting information to why your company and press release are worth paying attention to.

ii. The contact information for whoever is going to follow up with journalists as needed:

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post Things A Successful Press Release Must Include appeared first on PressRelease .

Can I Distribute A Press Release Myself?

Tue, 25 Sep 2018 12:44:00 GMT

Many new marketers know they need to start using press releases in order to spread the word about their business, but they have a lot of questions that hold them back from making the most of the opportunity. One of the main ones is whether or not they can distribute a press release themselves.

The short answer is yes -if they are prepared to put in the time and effort required. Otherwise, it might be worth considering using a press release distribution service to help get their press release where it needs to go.

Distributing the press release yourself: pros and cons

Distributing yourself will add a good deal of work to the process. Why? You need to research the correct media representatives for your niche or industry. This can be very time-consuming. However, it can also help you forge closer connections with top influencers in your area of expertise.

Spend a lot of time on news sites and blogs? Chances are, you’re already familiar with prominent journalists in your niche.

You need to think laser-focused rather than a scattershot approach. The last thing you want is to send your press release about fashion to a sports journalist unless it is about a unique new range of activewear.

If you are new to marketing in your niche, you will have to start from scratch. This can involve a good deal of research, but the results can be well worth it.

It can be very helpful to have your own database of media contacts for press releases, and also for media pitches.

Media pitches are story ideas you can send to a journalist to see if they are interested in publishing information about your company. Writing high-quality press release and pitches engages and attracts journalists to your company.

The professional approach

Each email you send out needs to be personalized. DO NOT write To Whom It May Concern or Hi There, but Dear NAME. They will take one look at it and delete it. DO NOT BCC (blind carbon copy) an entire list of journalists as you email the press release to yourself. Again, savvy journalists will see this and delete.

Be sure your subject line is compelling.

Consider using the headline of your press release as the subject line of the email. Your press release headline should always contain a keyword, a strong verb, and grab attention.

Distributing the press release through a service

There are free and paid press release distribution services, so it is really a question of how much time and how large budget marketers have when publishing press releases. For paid services, they can often even get a discount if they buy a certain number of release slots, such as 4 at a time.

Press release success depends on issuing them regularly, such as once a month. Marketers copy and paste their press releases into the distribution service interface. They can also upload media such as images, and sometimes video (or you can use an embed code). Check to see that everything looks perfect, and then publish.

Tracking your results

If you submit yourself, you will have to track your results. This usually means waiting for an email or phone call from the journalist telling you that they are running with your press release. But in case they don’t contact you, it might also mean you have to keep an eye out to see if the journalists you have sent the press releases to give you a media pickup.

With a press release distribution service, you will get reports that will show you what pickups you get from which publications. This can help you determine more easily your return on investment (ROI) from your press releases.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post Can I Distribute A Press Release Myself? appeared first on PressRelease .

Should Press Releases Be Written For Journalists Or For Readers?

Mon, 24 Sep 2018 12:13:00 GMT

Many marketers new to press releases ask whether a press release should be written for journalists, or for readers of newspapers, magazines, blogs, and so on. The answer, ideally, is both.

What is a press release?

A press release is designed to communicate important and useful information to the press. Journalists are looking for well-written stories that are compelling and relatable to their followers.

With stories flying left and right, journalists search for the best of the best. They are looking for press releases that need as little editing and fact-finding as possible. . The better your press release in terms of content, grammar, and punctuation, the better your chances of getting a media pickup if the information you are sending is genuinely newsworthy.

What makes a great press release for both audiences?

1-Attention-grabbing headline

People will never read your release, no matter how great it is, if you don’t start with a strong headline.

2-Supporting subheadline

This is like a brief preview of what your article will be about. It supports the headline and entices people to read on.

3-The 5Ws

The 5Ws are a checklist journalists use to make sure they have included the most important facts related to their story. The 5Ws are:

Who is the story about, what is happening, when did it or is it happening, where, and why.

Here are two examples:

Launching a new product: You would “fill in the blanks” to make sure readers learned more about your product and why it is worth paying attention to.

Hosting an event: You would want to provide factual details to readers so they would know when and where to attend and provide enough interesting information to make them feel excited about going, including your local journalists.

4-The inverted pyramid style

The inverted pyramid has its base at the top and narrow point at the bottom. This means all the most important information is in the first paragraph or two, and everything else in paragraphs 3 and 4 counts as extra information to enhance the story and connect with the audience.

Paragraph 1- the introduction and as many of the 5Ws as you can fit

Paragraph 2- any of the 5Ws remaining, and additional information as needed, such as facts, figures, statistics, and/or quotations

Paragraph 3- any other additional information, and a call to action (see below)

Paragraph 4- the boilerplate (see below)

5-A strong call to action

What do you want people to do once they have read your press release? The action should make sense for both journalists and the target audience. A good example would be to offer a free download that contains useful free information, such as an ebook.

6-The boilerplate

The boilerplate is a brief description of your company. It should be interesting enough to show why your company is worth paying attention to.

It should also include your main contact who will be able to follow up with journalists if they have questions about the press release. Include:

7-Media

Studies have shown that press releases which contain images get picked up much more frequently than those that don’t. The video is also becoming a top selling point for online journalists looking for interesting stories their audiences will love.

Again, think of the audience for the video. It will be for anyone interested in learning more, seeing a demonstration of your product, interested in questions and answers from your company, and so on. This could be journalists or their readers.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post Should Press Releases Be Written For Journalists Or For Readers? appeared first on PressRelease .

Should I Write My Own Press Release?

Fri, 21 Sep 2018 16:34:00 GMT

Many new marketers get nervous at the idea of issuing press releases. They think it is something for only big corporations. Even if they have heard that press releases can be an invaluable marketing tool, they still get pretty petrified at the idea of writing their own.

While it is true that there are freelance writers available who specialize in press releases, there is really no secret to writing an effective press release, provided you follow a few simple instructions. And while it is also true that some press release distribution services will offer release writing as part of their service, most small businesses simply don’t have that kind of budget. So here’s a simple checklist on how to start writing your own press release successfully.

1-It must be newsworthy

A lot of press releases sent out are little more than ads or attempts to trick the search engines into awarding higher page rank. Journalists are sick of spammy content. Your press release should convey something newsworthy. If you are not sure, think about the impact the information would have on people’s lives if they heard about your new product or service, or live event you will be hosting. If it will have a positive impact and definitely be something your target audience will want to know about, write a press release.

2-Write a great headline

The headline will be visible in the interface of the press release distribution service you use, along with hundreds of others, so it needs to grab the attention of any journalist hunting for inspiration related to your niche or industry.

It should have at least one keyword related to your niche or industry and a strong verb. It should also make the reader curious to learn more.

3-Write a great subheadline

The subheadline will usually be visible with the headline in some interfaces, so you have an additional chance to grab the journalist’s attention. It should support the headline and give a brief summary of what the story will be about.

4-Include media

Press releases that include media such as images and video are far more likely to get picked up than ones that don’t. Include an image of the new product you are launching, a picture of your office, your logo, or whatever matches the topic of the press release.

Video demonstrations of your new product, reviews and testimonials, and so on can also encourage journalists for online publications to pick up your story.

5-A strong opening paragraph

In journalism, writes are trained to include the 5Ws in every news story:

Include these in your press release and they will be more likely to give you a pickup because you’ve given them everything they need to pass along to their audience.

6-An interesting quote or two

Have someone in your company, or an expert in the industry, comment on the significance of the story. Quotes liven up an otherwise dull story and provide useful additional information.

7-A call to action

Base your call to action on the goal of your press release. If you are announcing a new product, for example, your call to action might be, “Please visit URL to learn more about X product.” If you are trying to get more subscribers, you could say, “Download your free ebook at URL.”

8-Your boilerplate

The boilerplate is a brief description of your company, and your contact information so journalists can follow up if they wish. Use the same boilerplate for each release you issue.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

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Should I Hire A Professional Writer For My Press Release?

Thu, 20 Sep 2018 13:29:00 GMT

Many new marketers get so nervous at the idea of writing a press release that they will often ask whether or not they should hire a professional writer to do it for them. The answer is, it depends.

Your budget

The first question is how large a budget they have. Can they afford to hire a writer? And how do they know that writer will be any good? Some specialize in press releases, but they will usually cost more. You will also still have to pass along the important information to them, and publish the press release online.

Services available

It will also depend on what press release distribution service they plan to use. Some will include the writing of the press release as part of the fee. However, these are usually the more expensive services and there is no guarantee that the writers are any better than you are when it comes to creating a press release. They’ve had to learn somewhere, just as you would. You will also have to give them all of the essentials related to your press release. By the time you do all that, it might be just as easy, and a lot cheaper, to write the release yourself.

The standard press release formula

It’s easy to master the standard press release and save time and money. Then all you need to do is follow through by issuing a press release whenever there is something genuinely newsworthy in your business. Here’s what to include:

1-The headline

It should be brief, command attention, and have a keyword in it which gives an idea of what niche or industry you are working in.

2-The subheadline

It should support the headline and give more of an idea of what the release will be about.

3-Dateline

Include the city where the release is being issued from and the date. The city might get more local media pickups. The date shows how current the information is.

Example: New York, NY, August 12, 2018

4-The introductory paragraph

The first paragraph of any effective press release will contain the 5Ws of journalism:

Use this as a checklist to make sure you include everything important.

5-Paragraph 2

If you couldn’t fit all of the 5Ws into the first paragraph, finish them off in the second. Also include additional information to support the story, such as fact, figures, and statistics.

6-Paragraph 3

Include more supporting information. Quotations from prominent people can help. Also, include a call to action.

7-A call to action

Tell readers what to do or where to go to learn more about the product, free download, tickets for your live event, and so on.

8-Media

Include a high-quality image that supports your press release. You might also wish to include video as well, if available, such as a demonstration of your new product or videotaped interviews of people discussing your product and why it is so important for your niche.

9-Your boilerplate

Write a short paragraph giving information about your company, and who to contact if they wish to learn more. Include the person’s name, phone number, and email address. Make sure they follow up on any inquiries, which is the best way to get pickups and start forming a relationship with certain media representatives.

10-Add the signal for the end of a press release

Use ### to show they have reached the end of the release, so journalists don’t look for additional pages.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

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Press Releases + Plagiarism

Wed, 19 Sep 2018 14:26:00 GMT

When it comes to plagiarism, press releases are a gray area for a number of reasons. Press releases are published specifically to relate newsworthy information to journalists. Therefore, there is no reason why a well-written press release can’t be picked up and published as is.

However, media outlets have fired journalists for copying and pasting a press release as an original article. But, many have openly said that a press release can be published as-is as far as they are concerned.

So what is the best policy?

Attribution

Journalists should always cite the original source. This is pretty easy since whatever article they produce will be about the company who issued the press release.

Citation

Journalists could quote directly from the press release, though quoting a quotation, for example, can get a bit awkward.

Lifting quotes

As long as readers know where the quotation comes from, there should be no objections to using it. ‘CEO of ABC Company John Smith said of the merger, “We’re looking forward to combining our strengths and resources to make ourselves even more competitive in this lively marketplace.”’

Why all the fuss?

There are a couple of reasons why this has become an issue, some of which has nothing to do with ethics.

One issue is timeliness. Journalists use press release distribution services to quickly find articles in order to meet his deadlines. When a journalists use a press release word for word as their own article, they are plagiarising, causing an issue of originality.

The second issue has to do with online publication. Search engines will punish duplicate content. What does that mean? One site will get to the top of the search engines for a press release, but everyone else who uses that press release word for word will not be visible on the search engines. Since most news sites use ads and page views as a revenue model, getting few to no page views is not a viable option financially.

Press release plagiarism in the news

The issue of press release plagiarism is the result of a recent scandal related to the White House, which released a press release that contained copied and pasted material from a press release by ExxonMobil.

Perhaps an attribution would have stemmed the tide of criticism, but since none was made, and the paragraph lifted word for word, many reporters cried foul. Apart from a couple of small edits, the work was clearly that of ExxonMobil.

Many in the media world feel this to be lazy, dishonest, careless, and capitalizing unfairly on the work of others.

It also implied for many that the relationship between the White House and “Big Oil” is too close. Finally, for those checking these things, it is at least the eighth example they have found of plagiarized content coming from the White House.

This has been made worse by the fact that despite the fallout over the ExxonMobil press release, it has not been taken down, edited, or attributed.

Plagiarism is theft, and more…

Plagiarism is not just theft, it is also a misrepresentation to a journalist’s boss that they have done the work. They have not done research or checked out the story carefully, and they have misled the audience about where the information has come from.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

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Is My Content Appropriate For A Press Release?

Tue, 18 Sep 2018 11:12:00 GMT

Many marketers wonder when they should issue a press release. They are often concerned with whether or not their content is appropriate for a press release. The short answer is yes if it is a newsworthy item that people interested in your niche or industry would really benefit from knowing about.

The short answer is no if your so-called press release is little more than an ad for one of your products, or an attention-grabbing exercise like announcing you’ve just put new carpets in the office (yes, some marketers really do this!).

What is newsworthy?

There are a number of items that can be considered genuinely newsworthy for your business. Here are a few of the main ones:

A new product launch

A press release will be an essential part of the success of the product, with it hopefully selling well right out of the starting gate.

A new product range launch

A publisher, for example, might decide to launch a new imprint of children’s books.

A new business launch

A business owner might branch out to start a whole new enterprise.

Celebrating an anniversary or another milestone

Companies can cite how long they have been in business, and celebrate with a special offer, new product release, or another attention-getting event.

Mergers and acquisitions

Two companies merging is usually a big deal worth reporting to the press. So, too, is buying a new company.

Announcing a partnership

This would be an announcement that 2 parties were working on a new initiative together.

Announcing a restructuring of the company

This could include new arrivals, departures, new divisions within the company, and so on.

Opening up branch or satellite offices

This is also newsworthy, highlighting how the company is expanding, with more ways of doing business with them.

Receiving an award

Awards are always newsworthy unless they are for the worst in one’s industry, such as the Razzies in Hollywood, the opposite of the Oscars.

Gaining a prestigious new client

A top-brand client can really add to the prestige of one’s company, so provided they have no objection, it is worth announcing.

Participating in a charity

Charity events are always good press for companies. It might be sponsorship, or just getting staff to turn up as a team to join in.

Changing the company or product name

This might not happen too often, but a press release would be essential to help people find the company and its products.

Recognition of the company, product or executives by a publication

A great write-up in a prestigious magazine or industry-related publication is always worth telling others about. It will raise the profile of the company and hopefully spur more media attention.

Announcing a public appearance on television, radio or in person

Companies who manage to get their staff booked on top shows, or who have experts who are being used to comment on important events in the news, should inform people of the upcoming air date, or report what has happened and show a video clip, if possible.

Hosting a live event, such as a webinar or conference

Live events are best with live attendees. Host events in the real world and online, and announce them using a press release 2 weeks prior, and again several days prior, to make sure people come.

Launching a website/a website makeover

This will help drive traffic, with everyone wanting to see what’s been created.

Announcing free information available

This is one of the best ways to grow an email marketing list. Create a great free item, such as an ebook or white paper, and allow people to download it by giving their email address.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

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Are Press Releases Worth It?

Mon, 17 Sep 2018 10:03:00 GMT

Press releases have been around for more than one hundred years, so they have stood the test of time as a useful tool for communicating important information to the media. Having said that, their effectiveness has been called into question recently due to the way they have been used by marketers in the past few years.

What is a press release?

A press release is an official communication from a company to journalists and other media representatives to inform them about what’s new in the business. It is a form of public relations and marketing. The goal is for the media to pick up the story and pass it along to their own audience, for more brand exposure.

Why issue a press release?

Every time something new happens in your company, you should issue a press release in order to keep yourself in the public eye. Good examples of a newsworthy material include:

And so on.

Is it worth it to issue a press release?

The answer is generally yes, provided your release is genuinely newsworthy. For the past several years, some marketers have been issuing press releases for no genuine reason just to try to get the attention of the search engines and possibly the media. Some of their releases have been nonsense, like announcing they had just laid new carpet. Others have been nothing more than ads for a product or the business.

Journalists will not pick up these “fluff pieces” and you may even start to earn a bad reputation as a company that publishes rubbish and is therefore not worth paying attention to.

On the other hand, if you regularly issue press releases that are genuinely newsworthy and professionally correct, you will earn the reputation of being a reputable company with experts in your niche or industry worth paying attention to.

What makes a professional press release?

In addition to being newsworthy, it should be written in a certain way. Generally speaking, it will be about 400 to 500 words long, organized into 4 paragraphs. It will also have a couple of attention-grabbing features:

1-The headline

This should command attention and encourage people to want to read on.

2-The subheadline

The subheadline can add to the information in the headline and also serve as a summary of what the press release will be about.

3-The 4 paragraph structure

The 4 paragraphs will each be laid out in roughly the same manner for every release you write:

Paragraph 1-The 5Ws

These are all the facts, written concisely:

This is the formula journalists themselves use when writing a news story.

Paragraph 2- Any remaining 5Ws that didn’t fit in the first paragraph. Also add a couple of facts, figures and statistics in order to provide a context for the press release, or in other words, why anyone should care about the press release.

Paragraph 3- In this paragraph, you can include more statistics. You can also offer one to two quotations to provide a context for the press release. Staff quotes are great. If you can get an industry expert to comment, it would be even better.

Paragraph 4- The boilerplate and the contact information

The boilerplate is a brief description of who your company is and what you do. This can help journalists decide whether or not you are worth paying attention to. Use the same boilerplate for each release. As for the contact information, give the name, phone number and email address of the person who will follow up if journalists have any questions.

4-Media

Include at least one high-quality image related to your business, such as a photo of the new product you are launching. If it is included in the price of your distribution service, also include video and a PDF file.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

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How To Utilize The Modern Press Release

Fri, 14 Sep 2018 12:09:00 GMT

Press releases have been around for more than 100 years, but it is only in the last 5 or so that they have really come into their own as an invaluable marketing tool, provided that those issuing the release follow a few simple rules.

Knowing how best to utilize the modern press release can make all the difference between being ignored, and getting a steady stream of media pickups to help spread the word about a company’s products and services.

What is a press release?

A press release is designed to report important information to journalists and other media representatives, in the hope that they will find it useful enough to pick up the release and report it to their own readers.

Why issue a press release?

There are three main possible goals in issuing a press release:

The first will be the usual goal, but marketers can also manage to get 2 and 3 if they structure their release correctly.

Goal 1 is also easy if the marketer uses a press release distribution service. There are free and paid ones. They are basically a searchable database for busy journalists looking for story ideas.

The trouble is, press releases have become such a popular marketing tool that more than 300 are issued every day in the US alone. In order to get to the top of the tree in your niche or industry, you need to create a modern press release.

Essentials of a modern press release

1-It must be newsworthy

Never issue a press release just for the sake of it. It should be about something your target audience would genuinely be interested in. Examples include:

and so on.

2-It must be factual

Stick to the facts and avoid the hype. The last thing anyone wants to read is a sales letter full of boasting.

3-It should be useful

Ideally, there will be some value in taking the time to read it. Fact, figures, and statistics can all help elevate the press release to something beyond just a marketing piece for a company.

4-It should be structured correctly

A press release should be structured in the inverted pyramid style journalists use, with the most important facts (the broad base of the pyramid) at the top and lesser but still important facts at the bottom (the narrow tip of the pyramid).

5-The 5Ws

The press release should also use the 5Ws within the first paragraph or two. The 5Ws are:

Use these as a checklist to make sure no important facts are left out.

6-A call to action

Your call to action will depend on the goal of the press release. Raising awareness is great, but getting a subscriber by sending them to a special URL would be even better. Making a sale of your new product would be best of all.

7-A compelling boilerplate

The boilerplate is a short description of the company issuing the press release that basically tells journalists why they and the press release are worth paying attention to.

A modern press release can be used for a number of marketing purposes, provided it follows the formula and the headline and opening paragraph draw in readers to learn more.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

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How Long Should A Press Release Be?

Thu, 13 Sep 2018 15:13:00 GMT

Many new marketers who have never written a press release before wonder how long it should be. The answer is, of course, that it depends on the topic and how newsworthy or complicated it is.

However, in general, most are around 400 to 500 words long and structured in 4 paragraphs. Let’s look at the typical press release and the essentials it needs to contain.

The press release structure

1-The headline

The headline should be brief, command attention and offer the promise of fresh, newsworthy information. Include at least one keyword related to your niche or industry, and a strong verb to show that something interesting has taken place, or will be. Good topics for a press release include a new product you are launching or a live event you will be hosting that you would like your target audience to attend.

2-The subheadline

Most press release distribution services include a subheadline field. The subheadline gives additional information about the headline and summarizes what the press release will be about. Include keywords here, as well, to make your press release more searchable for both journalists and search engines.

3-Your dateline

Add the city and state where your press release is being issued from:

Los Angeles, CA

Add the date to show when the press release was issued:

August 28, 2018

So the dateline would read:

Los Angeles, CA, August 28, 2018

4-Paragraph 1

The opening paragraph of a good press release should include the 5Ws:

These are the essential facts for most news stories, so including them in your press release will mean you are giving journalists everything they need to know to run with your story.

Remember that back in the day when news was published exclusively on paper, space was tight, so journalists develop a short, concise style. Some periodicals still publish on paper today, so it is a good idea to write tightly and try to stick to your press release being under 500 words.

5-Paragraph 2

This paragraph can include any of the 5Ws that didn’t fit into the opening paragraph. Also, include any other information which gives a context as to why your release is important. Examples include facts, figures and statistics.

6-Paragraph 3

This paragraph can include more background or some quotes that will also provide a context for the information in your press release. Quotations tend to liven up any news story. A quotation from a recognizable name in your niche or industry can help show your information is worth paying attention to. The last sentence in Paragraph 3 will be your call to action.

7-The call to action

Every press release should have a goal. Do you want more reach for your brand, more subscribers, people to attend your live event or people to buy your new product?

Depending on which goal you choose, you would then create your call to action. For example, if you want to get people to attend a live event, give them the URL to get their free or paid tickets. If your goal is to get more subscribers, send them to an URL with a sign-up form and offer readers a free ebook or another useful item as an incentive to subscribe.

8-Media

Include a high-quality image for your new product, or a behind the scenes look at your company getting ready to host the live event. If you are launching a product, including a demonstration video. If a picture is worth a thousand words, video can be worth tens of thousands, and therefore keep your written word count under 500.

9-Your company and contact information

Include a brief description of your company and the contact information for whoever is going to follow up with journalists as needed.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

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Can I Apply SEO Techniques When Writing A Press Release?

Wed, 12 Sep 2018 10:45:00 GMT

When it comes to writing a press release, it is important to use SEO techniques in order to help you get more traffic for your content. But what is SEO, and how can it best be used with a press release?

SEO explained

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. As the name suggests, SEO is all about optimizing your content so the search engines will find it relevant and give you high placement on the Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs).

SEO is part magic, part science. Google never tells you the exact formula, or algorithm, for ranking highly. However, we can guess it is related to several parameters and one of them is keywords.

The importance of keywords

Keywords tell search engines and humans alike what your press release is all about. Humans go to a search engine to find more information about a certain topic, such as hybrid cars. The search engine, such as Google, delivers what they consider to be the most relevant pages related to that search.

Relevance is based on the words themselves matching. Matching in the title, description and text of your page optimize your page. However, there are other factors, as well, that influence ranking.

Keywords in anchor text and alt tags can also help. If you create a link, create a link description with keywords. If you include an image, use your keyword in your image’s alt tag.

Page speed is a factor, too, so make sure your site has a fast load time. If you’re not sure, go to Google Webmaster tools and assess your site. Follow their suggestions for speeding up your site.

Page rank is based on how your site compares with other sites. The content must be original, that is, not duplicated, in order to be included in Google’s SERPs. Otherwise, you incur a duplicate content penalty and are left out. This can be tricky if someone has stolen your content, so whenever you publish something new, check the logs after a few days and the URL to make sure it is in Google.

Talking to the search engines

One way to talk to the search engines effectively to ensure they see all of your content, particularly your new content, is to create an XML sitemap. XML is a particular coding language that shows how information is structured at your site.

If you are using a traditional website, you can create a free sitemap at https://www.xml-sitemaps.com/ and upload it to your site. You would have to update it each time you added new content. Or, you can subscribe to their Pro account at https://pro-sitemaps.com/ and pay around $4 for additional features, including automatic updates.

If you are using WordPress for your blog, try one of the sitemap plugins, such as Google XML sitemap. It will notify Google and the other top search engines every time you add content, which will usually mean your page is on Google within 48 hours.

Recentness

Google rewards fresh new content that has been published recently.

Context

Google rewards content that is clear in terms of meaning. These are keywords besides the main keyword which all signal what the page is about.

Natural writing, with no keyword stuffing

Some marketers repeat the same keyword over and over again, thinking it will boost their relevance score. Google knows this trick and will penalize that page.

The algorithms will change from time to time. Google made a big adjustment on August 1, 2018. But if you follow these few simple rules, you should have nothing to worry about when it comes to optimizing your press release.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

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Can A Press Release Be Written In An Exciting And Engaging Way?

Tue, 11 Sep 2018 10:50:00 GMT

Many marketers have a tough time when it comes to writing press releases. Some think there is some sort of magic involved in creating an effective press release. Others don’t like the fact that press releases seem so restrictive. With press releases, you’re supposed to stick to the facts. Where’s the fun, skill and creativity in that?

The truth is, you need all three of those elements in order to create a press release that journalists will pay attention to.

What is a press release?

A press release is designed to report important information to the media in the hope that they will find it useful enough to pick up the story and report it to their own readership.

The trouble is, press releases have become so popular in the last 5 years that more than 300 are published every day, in the US alone. It can be tough to rise above that level of noise and make your press release stand out. However, it can be done, if you pay attention to your professionalism and your excitement level.

A professional press release

Journalists are busy people, so they have no time to waste on poorly-written press releases with basic spelling, grammar and punctuation errors. They are looking for content that is complete, so they can create their column in time for the deadline. They are looking for items that are genuinely newsworthy, such as a new product launch, a live event to be held, a merger or acquisition, and so on.

Facts, not hype

Some press releases are nothing more than thinly-disguised ads. Journalists can spot these a mile off and will steer clear of them, and of you too because you are not following the rules.

Journalists use the 5Ws:

to ensure that all of the most important facts are covered in each story they write. Use these as a checklist and try to use all 5 elements in the first paragraph of your press release and you are much more likely to impress the media.

The inverted pyramid

The inverted pyramid style places all of the most important information in the press release in the first paragraph or two (the broad base of the pyramid), with lesser but still useful information in the later paragraphs (The narrow tip of the pyramid). This can make the writing exciting because you are giving so much information at the start of the story.

A great headline

A great headline is essential for getting people to read your press release. This is where your creativity and skill can really shine, to help engage your audience.

Word choice

As part of your headline and content, your word choice can really make your press release stand out. For example, let’s look at these headlines:

They are all factually correct. But which sound the most interesting and dramatic? Causing health concerns is fairly neutral. Kills is an emotive verb that will get a reaction from your audience. Rampages will make them sit up and take notice.

Your Verbs

As we have seen, verbs are very powerful. Choose your tenses carefully. Present tense makes things sound more active. Use active verb forms instead of passive to keep things vivid.

Example:

Both are acceptable, but the verb killing is stronger than being killed. The focus is also different. In the first sentence, it is on the tick, in the second, on the 15% of people dying.

Press releases may seem pretty boring, but use your writing skills and creativity and you should be able to create a steady stream of vivid releases.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

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Are There Press Release Templates?

Mon, 10 Sep 2018 10:50:00 GMT

Many marketers are terrified at the very idea of issuing a press release. It seems a really big deal calling attention to your company by issuing one because journalists and other media representatives are a powerful force that can make or break your business.

But creating an effective press release isn’t rocket science. Anyone can do it if they follow a few simple rules.

In fact, some marketing companies and publishers have created press release templates for the purpose of guiding marketers through the process of writing a successful press release. They vary from website to website, but in general, there are certain essential elements they all agree on. Here’s a standard template you can use to formulate your first effective press release:

1-It must be newsworthy

A lot of press releases sent out are little more than ads or attempts to trick the search engines into awarding higher page rank. Your press release should convey something newsworthy. Good examples include a new product launch, a live event, or free information available that your target audience would find useful.

2-A great headline

The headline is the first, and sometimes the only, thing that people read. Make it count by writing it vividly in order to grab the attention of any journalist scanning through the headlines of the press release distribution service. Include at least one keyword related to your niche or industry and a strong verb.

3-An interesting subheadline

The subheadline is an additional chance to grab the journalist’s attention. It should give more information about the headline and the story.

4-Include media

Images and video will improve your chances of getting media pickups, especially from online journalists. If you are launching a new product, for example, a high-quality image of it could be worth a thousand words, and a demonstration video tens of thousands.

5-The opening paragraph

In journalism, journalists are trained to include the 5Ws in every news story:

This is a checklist to make sure none of the most important facts is left out. Use this formula in your press release and journalists will be more likely to give you a pickup because they have everything they need to write their own story in time for their deadline.

6-An interesting quotation, facts, figures, and so on

Quotations can liven up a story and grab attention, especially if the quote is from a big name in your niche or industry. Facts and figures can provide a context as to why anyone should pay attention to your press release and care about the information enough to pass it along.

7-A call to action

Your call to action should be based on the goal of your press release. If you’re announcing a new product, for example, your call to action might be, “Please visit URL to learn more.” If you want to get more subscribers, you could say, “Download your free ebook at URL.” If you are hosting a live event, you would send them to a URL where they could buy or get their tickets.

8-The boilerplate

The boilerplate is like a mini-template in its own right. It is a description of your company that you can use in all of your press releases to provide a context as to who your company is and why you are worth paying attention to.

9-Your contact information

This can also be a mini-template. Include the contact information for whoever is going to follow up with journalists about your press release. Provide the name, phone number and email address.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post Are There Press Release Templates? appeared first on PressRelease .

Are Press Releases Copyrighted?

Fri, 07 Sep 2018 17:03:00 GMT

A recent concern related to press releases is whether or not they are actually copyrighted. This is an interesting question because up until recently, press releases were issued with the express intention, and understanding, that they were to be picked up by journalists and either used as is or turned into what is termed a derivative work. In other words, the journalist would get, or derive, information from the release and use it as part of their quota of written work to satisfy their bosses that they are producing good content and meeting all their deadlines.

But recent issues regarding plagiarism, work ethic, and search engine practices have called into question whether or not a press release is copyrighted, and what counts as fair use when it comes to derived works.

Is a press release copyrighted?

The short answer is yes because it is being written by a person on behalf of a company.

Having said that, facts, figures, and statistics cannot be copyrighted. In this case, it is only good manners to cite the source of the information.

In fact, the citation will usually mean a fair use of the content of a press release. It’s when journalists and writers try to pass off the work of others as their own and use them word for word in many cases that the trouble starts. That is considered plagiarism.

The work of the modern journalist

Certain news outlets have recently fired staff for using press releases without any significant alterations or citations. The feeling here is it is not just plagiarism, but a breach of contract.

Plagiarism is the theft of a written work with an intention to deceive others by trying to pass it off as one’s own original work. This is a crime and can result in litigation.

In terms of breach of contract, the journalist lifting the entire press release without any changes is seen as being lazy, ‘cheating’, and not fulfilling their professional obligation to actually write something from scratch. Yes, they are submitting an article for their deadline, but the work is not theirs – it is the work of a corporate marketer.

Being paid for basically doing nothing is, of course, an issue, but there is a broader one than that now, thanks to the nature of the Internet and search engine practices at Google: the issue of duplicate content.

Duplicate content problems

The whole point of having a website is to get traffic. In the case of an online periodical, they need readers, either because they will charge them for a subscription to their work, and/or they will run ads on the site, and get paid on a pay per view (PPV) and pay per click (PPC) basis for every reader who comes to a page and takes action. As you can imagine, online periodical sites are huge, with many pages, so there is big money to be had from subscribers and ads.

However, Google has recently imposed a duplicate content penalty. The first page which is published with X content on it will be visible in the search engines. However, later pages will not be ‘seen’ by the search engine, which means the chance of it getting any traffic is very low.

If every journalist were to copy press release X word for word, only one would be a winner, and the rest would miss out on subscribers and ad revenue. Re-writing the release, however, and providing a citation for where the information came from, would be derived content, which would be acceptable to the search engines.

This being the case, no matter how perfect a press release is, journalists should quote, cite and re-write.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

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Am I Overpaying For Press Release Distribution?

Thu, 06 Sep 2018 16:40:00 GMT

Many large and small companies are always looking for ways to save money and get the best return on investment for their efforts. Public relations, including issuing press releases, can be time-consuming, and costly if you use a press release distribution service. One of the most common questions in relation to these services is whether or not they are overpaying.

What is a press release?

A press release is a statement issued by a company to journalists about the latest news related to their business. The goal is to get media pickups from the journalists through offering information that is so interesting, they will be happy to use it as the basis of one of their columns and pass the news along to their regular readers.

What is a press release distribution service?

Not all press release distribution services are the same, but the general idea is for companies to publish their press releases at one or more of these sites so that the largest number of media representatives possible will see it and hopefully pick it up.

However, each service operates in its own way, so it is important to be clear about how each one works. There are free services and paid services. If you are using a paid service, you definitely need to be clear about what is on offer so you don’t overpay and can get the best return on your investment. Here are a few things to look for.

Where are the press releases distributed?

Some firms will release your material on a range of websites they are associated with. This might sound useful, but in many cases, there is no human or editorial input—they just publish your release as is. If no changes are made, your press release will incur a duplicate content penalty for appearing word for word on more than one site. Only the first site that publishes it will show. If this is your own website, then you’ve wasted time and money using one of these services.

Who writes the press release?

Some companies include the writing of the release as part of the service. This might be an attractive option for new marketers who are worried about writing their press release correctly or are not very good at writing. However, since most press releases are only around 400 to 500 words long and there are templates to help new press releases follow the rules of effective release writing, in most cases, you would be overpaying for this service.

Some services will include an editorial review, that is, making sure your release is error-free. Again, in most cases, you will be overpaying. Run a spelling and grammar check on your work, print it out, and read it through on paper to make sure no errors have slipped through the cracks. Get someone else in the company, or someone you trust, to review it, as well.

How many journalists use the service regularly?

You will often see claims of 40,000+ journalists using a press release distribution service as a database for article ideas. But how many actually use it regularly? Being registered and being an active user are two different things.

What is their reporting like?

Whenever you issue a press release, you should always set a goal, such as how many pickups you would like or new subscribers to your email marketing list. Some reports will show the results as broad numbers. Others will be more granular and list exactly which media outlets picked up your story. Also, check to see how long the reports are “live”-is it always, or only a 30-day window of reporting?

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post Am I Overpaying For Press Release Distribution? appeared first on PressRelease .

A Guide On How To Calculate Press Release ROI

Wed, 05 Sep 2018 12:01:00 GMT

There are a number of ways to calculate the ROI (Return on Investment) of your press release. It all starts with what goal you have in mind when you decide to issue a press release, and whether or not you are paying for press release distribution services.

What is a press release?

A press release is an official statement issued by a company to journalists about the latest news related to their business. The main goals of a press release are to announce important news, and hopefully to get media pickups from journalists who receive the release. The information should be so interesting, they will be happy to pass it along to their readers by writing an article about it.

Why issue a press release?

Every time something new happens in your company, you should issue a press release in order to keep your brand in the public eye. Good examples of newsworthy material include:

And so on.

What are the main goals in issuing a press release?

Every press release should have a goal. Do you want to:

By setting the goal from the start, you will know what to track.

Brand Reach

Brand reach can be difficult to track. In general, any media pickup or social media referral will be useful for this. It’s really a question of how many pickups, and how many readers the periodical or site claims it has.

On the other hand, sending out a press release is always a brand awareness exercise. People can’t do business with you if they don’t know you even exist.

If the press release is genuinely newsworthy, media personnel will begin looking forward to your releases because of its quality.

The calculation will then be how much you are paying for the press release distribution service you are using, if any fee, and the amount of time it is taking to create and then promote the press release. Since all businesses need to do public relations and marketing, a press release will be a relatively inexpensive and cost-effective method of doing both.

Media pickups can also be difficult to calculate due to the nature of the reports or how long they track your press release (such as a week, versus 30 days), but pickups are always a sign that your press release distribution service is worth the money, provided you are not spending a small fortune on it.

Subscribers

Subscribers will be easier to measure because you will have the press release distribution service reports of clicks, but also the new subscriber information at your email marketing platform. Once people are on your email marketing list, you can build a relationship with them and present them with the types of special offers they will be interested in. The income won’t be direct, but you can place a dollar value estimate on each new subscriber you sign up in order to calculate your ROI for the cost of the press release distribution.

Sales

This is the hardest goal to accomplish with a press release, but not impossible. It is also the easiest way to calculate ROI. See how many sales you get, and whether or not they cover the cost of the press release distribution.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post A Guide On How To Calculate Press Release ROI appeared first on PressRelease .

Write A Press Release For A Book Launch

Tue, 04 Sep 2018 14:36:00 GMT

A book launch is a golden opportunity for an author to help their book sell well right out of the starting gate. It can even boost them to bestseller status if they write an effective press release that gets a lot of media pickups.

Why send out press releases?

These can actually be one of the most effective methods of promoting a book and a writing career if they are written according to a few simple rules.

1-It must be newsworthy

Some press releases are really just ads in disguise. But a book launch is real news people will want to hear about. Think of the fanfare every time Stephen King publishes a new book.

2-It needs to be written for media representatives

Most promotion online is targeted at consumers, in the hope that they will buy the book once it is launched.

By contrast, a press release should be written for journalists and other media representatives who are interested in specific topics, such as books.

They might work for prestigious newspapers, magazines, blogs, or local papers.

Media reps are always looking for fresh, interesting content to write about. Issue your press release via a distribution service and media reps will be able to search by topic and keyword. Your well-written press release could be just what they and their target audience want to learn more about.

Publish it at a press release distribution service to gain the highest visibility and see who picks up your story.

3-It needs to have an angle

Find the angle or hook to reel in your audience. It can appeal to human interest, such as a problem many people in your niche have which your non-fiction book can help them solve. Fiction might not be as compelling, but there are a lot of fans of romance and mystery who are always on the lookout for a great new book to read.

4-It helps convey your expertise

Most people give credit to authors of books as being skilled and knowledgeable enough in a particular niche to be worth paying attention to. A book conveys authority status almost instantly. This means your target audience will pay attention to you, and the media might even wish to follow up with you. They might request an interview, or your feedback on a story in the news, and quote you. This will further extend your authority.

5-It contains a call to action

Every press release should have a call to action (CTA). What do you want readers to do after they have seen your press release or the media pickups you have received? Create a special URL with more information about the book. It can be a sales landing page to help you try to sell the book directly from your site. You could also include details about which bookstores it will be in, and any book signings you will be doing as part of the launch.

You can also write a separate press release for each signing, with a call to action to encourage people to attend.

6-It contains media

Include an image of the book cover, one of the author, and any other images or video clips that will support your release. Press releases that include media tend to get picked up 4 to 7 times more than ones that don’t.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post Write A Press Release For A Book Launch appeared first on PressRelease .

Why Inverted Pyramids Make Better Press Releases

Mon, 03 Sep 2018 14:33:00 GMT

Inverted pyramids make better press releases in the eyes of the people who count most, the journalists and media representatives you are trying to connect with in order to promote your business more widely. Master the inverted pyramid and you should start to get more media pickups than ever before because your work will reach a whole new level of professionalism.

What is an inverted pyramid in journalism?

Writing for newspapers is different than telling a story or writing a product brochure. Mastering these different styles can help you become a more effective marketer.

An inverted pyramid is broad at the top and gradually tapers to a narrow point. At the broad top are the main details of the news story. Later paragraphs, as the story tapers off, give useful but not essential details. News stories are, therefore “front-loaded”, with the most important information right at the start of the piece of writing. Stories and marketing materials, by contrast, usually use pyramids, with more and more important information being added until the piece of writing comes to an end.

Mastering the inverted pyramid

One of the main reasons that online marketers fail to get media pickups for their press release is that they have not mastered the inverted pyramid. They write their releases as though they were ads. They also include hype, and in many cases, the release is not genuinely newsworthy.

By contrast, a good press release that will make journalists and other media representatives sit up and take notice is real news, with no hype, and in inverted pyramid format.

The structure of a good press release

1-The headline

The first thing a reader will see is the headline. It should command attention and have at least one keyword in it to tell the audience what topic it will be about.

2-The subheadline

The best way to spread the word about your press release is to use a free or paid press release distribution service. Most of these services have a field in the interface to add a subhead, which can have keywords and give more information about the headline, and about the story that the person can expect as they read on.

3-The first paragraph

Journalists train to try to get all of the most important information in the first paragraph if they can. They use a little memory aid to help. It’s known as the 5Ws.

The 5Ws are:

The 5Ws should be the basis of your inverted pyramid, so you have all of the most important information right at the start of the story.

4-The second paragraph

In this paragraph, include any of the 5 Ws you didn’t manage to get into the first paragraph. Include quotations, media such as an image of what you are writing about, and so on.

5-The third paragraph

This paragraph can include more useful information, such as quotes, a context for why the product is so useful, and so on.

4-The fourth paragraph

This should include a bit about the company and give detailed contact information in case any media representatives want to get in touch and follow up.

All 4 paragraphs will be important for different reasons, but the main thing is to follow the inverted pyramid so media reps can get the gist of the story quickly and decide whether or not they want to pick it up.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post Why Inverted Pyramids Make Better Press Releases appeared first on PressRelease .

When To Release A Press Release For An Event

Fri, 31 Aug 2018 14:07:00 GMT

If you are planning to host a live event in your business, a press release can be an effective way to get the word out and increase attendance so the event will be successful. The big question is, when is the best time to issue a press release for an event?

Timing is everything

Timing is everything and needs to be planned strategically. On the one hand, you want journalists, and the readers of any media pickups you might get, to attend the event, so you need to give them time to see your release, publish it, and for the readers to take action.

On the other hand, you don’t want to publish it so far out from the date that people forget about it, or too close to the date so they have no real chance to attend.

There are a couple of ways to handle this. The first is to publish a press release about 2 weeks prior to the event. You can also send it out sooner by including an embargo date. Write “Embargoed until DATE”, and journalists should not publish it prior to that date. However, note that not every media rep respects the request for an embargo. They might miss the note at the top, or just be eager to publish something in order to meet their deadline.

Be clear about the benefits of attending the event

Issuing a press release about an event you will be hosting will hopefully entice the journalists seeing your release. If you want the wider public interested in your niche to attend as well, be clear about this. Include day, date, time, location, a map to the venue, and so on.

Outline the overall shape of the event, such as meet and greet at 7:30, the keynote speaker at 8 PM, and so on. Make it sound exciting. Create a list of bullet points about the benefits of attending.

A second release?

Some companies issue three press releases related to the event they are hosting. As we have discussed, the first one should be one month to 2 weeks prior to the event.

A second release can be issued around 3 days prior to the event. This press release will help remind people that the event is taking place and the benefits of attending. Many people might not have seen the first press release, but this second one will give them enough time to pencil in the event on their schedule.

Your third release

Many companies issue a third press release after the event has taken place. In this case, it is a genuine news story about something that just happened. In this third press release, you can include photos and video clips of the events, quotations, key points covered during the evening, and more. Provide details that would make people interested in your niche feel sorry that they did not attend this time around.

If you have any future events scheduled, list them on their own page and include the URL. Place related content for the event you just held on that page as well, so people can learn more and get the impression that you are worth paying attention to.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post When To Release A Press Release For An Event appeared first on PressRelease .

When Should You Write A Media Release?

Thu, 30 Aug 2018 14:37:00 GMT

Many marketers get confused about when they should issue a media release. The short answer is whenever something new and exciting happens at your company. But let’s take a deeper look to help you decide when to send out media releases.

What is a media release?

A media release is a document issued by a company or other official entity to release important news and information about the company to journalists and other media representatives. The most important aspect of the media release is that it be genuinely newsworthy. It is not an ad or a chance to hype your business, but rather, to spread the word about a significant change in your company.

What kinds of things are newsworthy enough for a media release?

There are lots of occasions that can be covered by a press release. Here are a few suggestions:

And so on.

Press releases should help convey the impression that your business is a “mover and shaker” with a lot going on that is worth paying attention to. This lends an air of expertise and authority. It can also open the door to other opportunities. Interested journalists might want to interview you personally, use you for comments whenever they are writing about your niche or industry, and so on.

Issuing releases regularly

You should also try to issues releases regularly, such as once a month. This will not be too difficult to do if you are growing your business strategically, because chances are you will have at least one thing from the above list that you can report about. Press releases are most effective if you publish then steadily, rather than one and done. It keeps you in the news and can get you, even more, media pickups because you will start to expand the reach of your brand.

Using a press release distribution service

The easiest way to expand your reach is by publishing each of your press releases with a press release distribution service. They vary from free to paid, but they are all used by journalists searching for ideas for stories so they can keep their target audience happy.

Add keywords related to your product, niche and/or industry and your steady flow of press releases will soon start to earn you media pickups, for more traffic, subscribers and sales.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post When Should You Write A Media Release? appeared first on PressRelease .

What Is The Press Release Inverted Pyramid Style?

Wed, 29 Aug 2018 13:37:00 GMT

The press release inverted pyramid style is the best format for your press release because it gives it an air of professionalism that will help it stand out from the thousands of press releases issued every week. Knowing when to write a press release and how can get you the kind of media pickups you want to spread the word about your brand and bring traffic, subscribers, and sales.

Why publish a press release?

As the name suggests, a press release is a release of information specifically for the press, that is, journalists and media representatives. A press release should provide important news about the company, such as:

And so on. It should be real news that people interested in your niche or industry would really want to know about.

Press release essentials

There are two essential aspects to an effective press release:

1-It is genuinely newsworthy, not just an ad or another type of marketing material in disguise.

2-It is in a format that journalists and other media representatives can use easily if they give you a media pickup. The best format for a press release is the inverted pyramid.

What is an inverted pyramid?

An inverted pyramid is broad at the top and pointed at the bottom. In terms of press release structure, the most important information is in the broad part of the pyramid, that is, at the beginning. You can add extra information about the story, but this will gradually become less important as the pyramid tapers to a point and the press release ends.

An inverted pyramid “front loads” the most important facts because:

1-Newspapers used to have a limited amount of space, so they wanted to squeeze in all the essentials

2-People are busy and don’t have a lot of time to read long articles.

3-Readers consume information in a particular way: Studies have shown that 100% of readers will read the headline, but only 70% will read the first paragraph, 50% the second, 30% the third, and 10% the fourth. The first paragraph will do most of the hard work.

What should you include in the first paragraph?

The most important information should be the essential facts, commonly referred to by journalists as the 5Ws:

Journalists use them as a checklist to make sure they haven’t left out anything important.

Paragraph two

If you don’t manage to fit all of the 5Ws into the first paragraph, include the rest of them in the second paragraph. Also include media, and quotations that help provide a context for why the information in your press release is important.

Paragraph three

The third paragraph will usually include more quotations or details about the product. A person working in your niche or industry, rather than your company, can help position you as an expert in your niche.

Paragraph four

The fourth and final paragraph will consist of two parts:

1-The boilerplate

2-Your contact information

The boilerplate is a description of your business, who you are and what your mission is. It provides a context for your press release and tells journalists why you are worth paying attention to.

Include your contact information in case any media representatives want to follow up with you about your press release or tap into your expertise in some other way.

Master the inverted pyramid style for your press releases and see how many media pickups you can get.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post What Is The Press Release Inverted Pyramid Style? appeared first on PressRelease .

What Is A Media Alert?

Tue, 28 Aug 2018 12:25:00 GMT

A media alert is different from a press release in a number of ways. Knowing the differences, and when to use which form of public relations, can help you get the kind of press coverage you need to grow your business.

What is a media alert?

A media alert is an invitation to the media for a live event you are hosting. It might be a press conference, grand opening, book signing, trade show, and so on.

What is a press release?

A media alert differs from a press release in a number of ways. Most press releases are about news related to your company that is worth telling journalists and other media representatives about. The news might relate to a new product launch, a successful round of funding, significant changes in staff, and so on.

A press release can also be used after a live event has taken place, reporting on the highlights and what the non-attendees missed.

A media alert is, therefore, an invitation which needs to be presented in a particular format.

The format for a media alert

On the top of the page, write “Media Alert” in a large font, bolded, and all capital letters.

On the left, include the date of the alert and your contact information: that is, name, email address, and phone number.

Format the invitation using the 5Ws of journalism:

Here’s an example:

Lakeside Jewelers

A free trade fair for Christmas

Central Market, 201 Main Street, York, PA 23001

8am to 8pm December 1st and 2 ^nd

Come see the latest designs from Lakeside’s workshop, plus finely-crafted jewelry from 40 other local vendors. This is the perfect chance to hunt for unique holiday gifts. There will be refreshments, a raffle, and jewelry-making classes and presentations.

As you can see, the why is the most important section, giving people at least one good reason to attend.

When you are happy with your alert, print it up on company letterhead so it looks official. Be sure to check for errors. Triple check the day, date and time and the address of the venue.

Sending out the alert

You should prepare the alert within 6 days of the event, and publish it within 5 to 3 days prior to the event. This gives journalists the chance to pass along the information, and attend themselves if they wish.

Next, prepare your list of who you will send it to. Aim for local journalists. Find out whether they want to email or fax submissions. Create a database of contacts you can connect with in future each time you want to send out a media alert. Make sure you have the contact information correct and spell their name right. Don’t be sloppy.

Following up

Follow up the media alert with a telephone call if you want to confirm that the people you have sent the alert to actually received it. This can be a problem in a busy newsroom with a shared fax machine. Be polite, and prepared to re-send the alert according to their instructions if they did not get it the first time.

Be sure to share the information on social media, and post it to your website. Create a special URL you can refer people to. Shorten the URL using tinyurl.com so it is something memorable like /jewelry fair.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post What Is A Media Alert? appeared first on PressRelease .

Understanding The Media Release Structure

Fri, 24 Aug 2018 11:45:00 GMT

A media release is one of the most effective ways of issuing information to media outlets about newsworthy occurrences in relation to your business. The purpose of a media release is to inform journalists and other media representatives about what’s changing in your business, such as a new product being launched, a new round of funding secured, and so on.

Using the expected media release structure can help you get more media pickups than your competition because your press release will stand out as being more professional. Here are the main sections that all add up to an effective press release:

1-A great headline

Use keywords and grab the readers’ attention.

2-A powerful subheadline

This should also have keywords, and give more information about both the headline and the rest of the story. Think of it as a quick teaser for your press release.

3-An information-packed first paragraph

Journalists use an inverted pyramid structure, in which all of the most important information about the news story is put in the first paragraph, and less important information in later paragraphs until the story finally ends.

Journalists also use the 5Ws, a checklist to make sure they include the most important facts about the story. The 5Ws are:

4-The story has to be real news

Your media release should report real news, such as a product launch, local lecture and book signing, a new round of hiring and corporate expansion, and so on. It should not be an ad or just hype but provide genuinely useful information for journalists, and by extension, their target audience who reads their articles, blog posts, and so on.

5-Include media

Releases which include images and video are much more likely to get media pickups than ones that don’t. Include high-quality images of your product, office, logo, and so on. Create a few brief clips such as interviews, behind the scenes looks, or demonstrations of a new product in action.

6-Include interesting quotations

Quotations from staff, and from leading figures in your niche or industry, can help provide a context for the information in your release. It also helps position you as an authority in your niche who is worth paying attention to.

7-Write tightly

Journalists are busy. Try to keep your media release to under 500 words.

8-Include an impressive boilerplate

The boilerplate is a brief history of your company, what it does, and why it is in business. It also includes your contact information in case any media reps want to follow up with you about your release. You can start with your business mission statement and discuss why you are different from the competitors in your niche. Once you have created a clear and concise boilerplate, you can copy and paste it into every media release.

9-Time your release correctly

If you want your release to go out right away, put ‘For Immediate Release’ at the top of the page. If you’d like to send out a media release in advance, include the word ‘Embargoed’ and the future date of Release.

An example might be, ‘Embargoed until July 1, 2018’. Not every journalist will respect your request, however, so be prepared for at least a couple of them to jump the gun.

10-Include facts and statistics

Including facts and statistics will give your media release more of a ring of truth and provides a context as to why your release is important.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post Understanding The Media Release Structure appeared first on PressRelease .

Tips To Add Personality To Your Press Release Marketing

Thu, 23 Aug 2018 16:00:00 GMT

Press releases can be a powerful tool for marketing your business online. However, it can be tough to stand out from the many press releases that are issued every day. One of the ways to stand out is to focus on adding personality to your press release.

What is your brand personality?

Every business has its own personality. It will usually be based on the mission statement of the company, the attitudes of the owner of their company, and the way the team works together. Your mission statement should state the reason you are in business. Be honest. What motivates you to do what you do?

If it is to help people, that should show in all you do, even in your press releases. But in case this sounds too serious, it will depend on the niche or topic you are working in. Investment advice will be different than dog training in terms of style and tone. Financial content will usually be more serious. However, you can differentiate yourself with more personality, such as they do at The Motley Fool. Their goal is, “Help the world invest better.”

What is your brand story?

Why are you in business? How did it come about? At the end of your press release, you should always include a “boilerplate,” which is basically the story of your company, and your contact information.

Using media to reveal your personality

The media you include with your press release can liven things up considerably. Sure, you want to show off your new product, but photos or videos of people using the product are worth a thousand words. Behind the scenes, videos, interviews with staff and so on can all boost the personality of your press release and help it stand out. It enables your audience to get to know you, and hopefully, like and trust you. People do business with people they like and trust, so it is a win all around. Whiteboard videos are very popular these days and can help give your press release a great deal of personality.

Other ways to inject personality into your press releases

The topics you write about also convey your personality. Imagine you would like to start getting more subscribers for your site. A free ebook or ecourse is usually an effective way to get people onto your list. But the topic you choose is entirely up to you. It should be something important to your niche audience, but the content can be presented in a variety of ways, from serious to comedic. Adding illustrations to the ebook, such as cartoons, can liven things up while supporting important points at the same time.

Include interesting quotations. Make sure there is some variety and that the contributors don’t all sound wooden and lacking in personality. Try choosing people who have different personalities, such as extrovert versus introvert. Extroverts will usually have more to say, in a more vivid manner. Avoid jargon or abbreviations. Make sure all the quotes sound natural and unforced. Your entire press release should have a ring of authenticity.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post Tips To Add Personality To Your Press Release Marketing appeared first on PressRelease .

How To Write An Effective Media Release Boilerplate

Wed, 22 Aug 2018 11:27:00 GMT

The boilerplate for a media release can be defined as a template of information about who your company is and what you do. It provides essential information for journalists and provides a context for the content of your press release.

A good boilerplate helps you present a consistent image of your brand and helps you tell a compelling story that will enable those who encounter your brand to feel as though you are worthy of paying attention to and doing business with.

A good boilerplate also saves you a lot of time. You don’t have to keep creating new marketing material all the time. All you have to do is copy and paste it at the end of each press release.

The secrets of a good boilerplate

An effective boilerplate should be clear and concise, using ordinary language, rather than industry jargon or marketing hype. It should be interesting and convey the story of your brand in just a sentence or two.

It should also include your contact information for media representatives to follow up with you, and a call to action pointing readers to a particular URL to learn more.

A boilerplate template to try

Here’s a template for an effective boilerplate. Answer the following questions:

1-What is the name of your company?

2-What does your company do?

3-What kinds of products and services do you sell?

4-Why do people need your products and services?

5-In what way are you different from your competitors?

6-What is your business mission?

Formatting

Your boilerplate should be about 100 words long and also contain keywords related to your niche or industry.

Contact information

The second part of the boilerplate will include contact information:

Call to action

What do you want readers to do after they have read your press release? Set a goal for your press release and then match the call to action to the goal. For example, if you want more subscribers, your call to action might say, “Visit URL for your free ebook about X topic.”

Awards and recognitions

IF you have won any awards or gained special recognition in your niche or industry, mention them in the boilerplate.

Keep your boilerplate current

Review your boilerplate every few months to make sure that it contains the most up to date information about your company.

A boilerplate example

Here’s a boilerplate example you can model your own on. Personalize it with your own information.

NAME OF COMPANY is a TYPE OF BUSINESS founded in YEAR. We offer/sell/service clients who need X< Y, and Z. We specialize in A, B and C. Our business mission is to D, E and F. Please contact us at URL to learn more about all we can offer.

ADDRESS

Please contact us at EMAIL or PHONE if you would like more information about this press release.

If you get stuck writing your boilerplate, just think of it as your “elevator speech” that you would give in person if someone were to ask what you do for a living, and what your business does. Keep it short and sharp and it will be sure to impress.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post How To Write An Effective Media Release Boilerplate appeared first on PressRelease .

How To Write A Press Release That Gets Noticed

Tue, 21 Aug 2018 11:00:00 GMT

Hundreds of press releases are published every day in the US alone. How can a marketer rise above that noise to get their press release noticed?

There are a few tried and tested methods that will work. Here are a few suggestions:

1-It must be real news

A lot of press releases sent out in the past 5 years have been thinly disguised ads. They have also been an attempt to influence the search engines by getting more links back to their websites from reputable and popular sites. Journalists can smell spam a mile off. And Google no longer rewards backlinks the way it once did. Make sure your press release is genuine news that is worth reporting. Think about the impact the information would have on people’s lives. If it will have a positive impact, issue a press release.

2-Write a great headline

Everything starts with the headline. It will be visible in the interface of the press release distribution services you use, and needs to grab the attention of any journalist hunting for inspiration related to your niche or industry.

It should have at least one keyword and a strong verb. It should also make the reader curious to know more.

3-Write a great subheadline

The subhead is visible along with the headline in some interfaces, giving you an additional chance to hook the reader. Include keywords and a summary of the interesting information that the reader will discover if they continue.

4-Include media

Press releases that include media are far more likely to get picked up than ones that don’t. Include an image of the new product you are launching, a picture of your office, your logo, and so on, whatever fits with the topic of the press release.

You can also include video, such as a demonstration of your new product, reviews and testimonials, and so on.

5-Include relevant quotations

Relevant quotes from people in the know can help provide a context for your press release and give your content an air of authority. It’s fine to have a quotation from your own CEO, but even better to have one from a person outside the company who is well-respected in their niche or industry. Cultivate relationships with one or two key influencers in your niche and mutually support each other in your press releases, as needed. Always tell the truth, of course. Don’t endorse products or companies you don’t believe in, because it can damage your reputation.

6-Set a goal for each release

Do you want more:

Setting a goal will help you focus all of your content on achieving it, and your work will stand out because it is not vague or trying to be all things to all readers.

7-Add a call to action for each release

Once you have set your goal, you can create a strong call to action related to it. This will make your press release stand out because it is actionable, not just something to be read and forgotten. If you want more traffic, for example, your call to action might be, “Please visit URL to learn more about X topic.”

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post How To Write A Press Release That Gets Noticed appeared first on PressRelease .

How To Write A Press Release Inverted Pyramid

Mon, 20 Aug 2018 15:18:00 GMT

Press releases have become an increasingly popular way to market businesses online. However, not all online marketers have mastered the art of the press release, which means a lot of their efforts are going to waste.

There are two essential aspects to an effective press release. The first is that it is genuinely newsworthy, not just an ad dressed up as a press release. The second is that it is in a format that journalists and other media representatives can really use, namely, the inverted pyramid.

Why write a press release?

As the name suggests, a press release is a release of information specifically for the press, not consumers or potential business partners. A press release should provide important news about the company, such as:

And so on.

What are the most important pieces of information in a press release?

The most important information should be the essential facts:

Commonly referred to as the 5Ws, journalists use them as a checklist to make sure they haven’t left out anything important.

The inverted pyramid explained

Journalists also use the inverted pyramid in conjunction with their 5Ws. News stories include all of the most important facts in the broad part of the pyramid and useful but not as essential information as the story ends at the narrow point.

In other words, a good news story “front loads” the most important facts. Studies have shown that 100% of readers will read the headline, but only 70% will read the first paragraph, 50% the second, 30% the third, and 10% the fourth. Therefore, when you are creating your own press release, aim for no more than 3 or 4 paragraphs, but cram all your key details into the first, if you can.

The basic structure

The first and second paragraphs of the inverted pyramid will have all the facts, and perhaps some supporting detail, such as an image of the new product you are launching, a video clip, or both.

The third paragraph will usually include a quote from someone in the know in your niche to help provide a context for your information.

The fourth paragraph will usually be what is termed your boilerplate, your standard corporate information and contact details. The boilerplate also provides a context that tells journalists reading your press release who you are and why you are worth paying attention to. The contact information is essential in case any media representatives want to follow up with you about your press release.

Mastering the inverted pyramid

The inverted pyramid can seem very strange at first because we are accustomed to telling stories in a different way. In a fairy tale, for example, the most important points come at the end, with a surprise or twist in the tale, and hopefully a happy ending. News stories, on the other hand, are interested in facts rather than artistry or opinions.

Master the inverted pyramid and you should start to get more media pickups from happy journalists who can see you know how to write an effective press release.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post How To Write A Press Release Inverted Pyramid appeared first on PressRelease .

How To Write A Press Release For An App

Fri, 17 Aug 2018 16:13:00 GMT

Press releases are an effective tool for promoting almost anything you wish to give away or sell. Apps are hugely popular, especially for the iPhone, but it can be tough to get people to pay attention to your new app because there are already so many free and cheap ones available.

However, if you know you’ve created a killer app that your target audience could really use, a press release could help it stand out from the crowd.

What makes a great app?

A great app is useful and helps solve one or more problems. Start organizing your press release by writing bullet points about why the app is so useful.

Also, take screenshots to illustrate the features you are talking about in the bullets. Seeing is believing, so high-quality images of the app in action can really excite your target audience.

What is a press release?

A press release is designed to convey important information to journalists and other media representatives. Media reps who write about technology and apps are always going to be interested in a useful app that really works and will pass along this information to their readership.

Press release distribution services

There are free and paid press release distribution services. Both give you the chance to publish your press release and make it visible to journalists. Busy media reps are always on deadline, and therefore always on the lookout for the kind of news, products, and apps that their target audience will find of interest.

A top tech blogger, for example, will always want to tell their audience what’s hot. If they like your release, they will pick it up, that is, transform your release into an article they will publish in their newspaper, magazine, blog, or at top sites like Huffington Post.

Press release distribution services are like a search engine for journalists. Write your press release in a factual way that answers the question, “Why should anyone care?” and you should soon see your app growing in popularity.

The essentials for an effective press release

There are several key elements every good press release should have:

1-An interesting headline

A good headline grabs interest and promotes curiosity.

2-A good subheadline

Most press release distribution service interfaces have a field for a subheadline. The subheadline supports the headline and also provides a summary of what readers can expect to discover if they continue to the end.

3-Keywords

Keywords make your press release searchable and discoverable to those who are interested in your niche or topic. App would be one important keyword. The category of the app, such as cooking or fitness would also be important.

4-Where to get the app

Include a link to get the app. Link directly to iTunes, and to Google play if you have created an Android version of the app.

5-When to get the app

Announce the launch date and center all of your marketing efforts around it. Publish the press release at least 3 days prior so the news has a chance to filter out. This also helps journalists find a spot on their calendar to pick up your story.

6-Past experience

Be sure to mention the past experience you or the staff have which has led you to create the app. This will help position you as an expert.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post How To Write A Press Release For An App appeared first on PressRelease .

How To Write A Media Advisory

Thu, 16 Aug 2018 15:36:00 GMT

There are a number of differences between a media advisory and a press release. Learning how to write an effective media advisory can help you get the kind of press coverage that can take your business to the next level.

Modern marketing

Successful marketing these days is all about connecting with the media and key influencers who will be willing to share information about your company, products, and services with their followers. Press releases can help you get media pickups in newspapers, magazines, and at top blogs and websites. Media advisories can actually get media representatives to attend one of your live events.

What is a media advisory?

A media advisory is like an invitation to the press to attend a live event you are hosting. It might be a press conference, grand opening, book signing, wine tasting, live demonstration, and so on.

A press release is perfect for reporting on the live event after it has taken place, to report on the high points of the event. A media advisor is more than enough to grab local media attention and get them to attend.

Formatting your media advisory

On the top of the page, type “Media Advisory” in a large font. Bold it and put it in all capital letters.

On the left, including the date of the alert and your contact information:

Format the invitation using the 5Ws of journalism:

Your media advisory would look something like this:

Chelsea Wines

A free wine tasting event featuring the latest wines from South America

Chelsea Vaults, 91 Ninth Avenue, NY, NY, 10001

6pm to 11pm September 17

Come taste the latest vintages from Argentina and Chile. Sample reds, whites and roses, all accompanied with appropriate food pairings. All visitors will be given a discount on the purchase of bottles and cases of wine. There will experts available to discuss the wines, plus a raffle and fun wine quiz for prizes.

When should I write a media advisory?

As soon as you plan a live event, it’s time to draft your media advisory. However, you should not get ready to send it out until at least a week before the date of the event. Three to five days is ideal. It gives you enough time to notify people, and for them to decide to attend. It also gives them the chance to spread the word if you want to invite members of the public to attend.

Who should I send it to?

Create a database of all your local journalists for online, print and radio. Note their contact information, and how they prefer to receive their media advisories. Some will request an email, while others will want a fax. Make sure the contact information is correct and send out the advisory one by one so it does not look like spam.

Before you send out the information, be sure to check the day, date, time, location and address to make sure they are error-free and no one will miss out.

Following up

After you have sent out the media advisory, follow up with a phone call to confirm that the people you have sent the alert to have actually received it. Be ready to re-send the alert according to their instructions if they did not get it the first time.

Hopefully at least a couple of media reps will attend your live event and give you good coverage of all they saw and did.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post How To Write A Media Advisory appeared first on PressRelease .

Newswire Scores High as a Top Industry Marketing Platform from FinancesOnline Directory

Thu, 16 Aug 2018 15:14:00 GMT

The well-respected analytical review platform and software directory known as FinancesOnline ranked Newswire.com’s PR and Marketing Cloud. Our team at Newswire is proud to announce that we received a high-ranking overall score of 8.7. We also received the “Great User Experience” award and the “Rising Star” certificate as well.

According to the “How It Can Help” section of FinancesOnline’s detailed Newswire PR and Marketing Cloud features review, “ Newswire provides expert insights by listening to the specific needs of each client’s campaign goals and make personal recommendations to help them achieve that.”

The full review from FinancesOnline details all of the benefits our content marketing platform has to offer. For clients looking for an innovative marketing solution to drive more visibility to traditional or digital channels, we have a full suite of services that can help. Our press release distribution channels and influencer marketing software have proven to be very effective for businesses of all sizes.

Everyone at Newswire would like thank FinancesOnline for taking the time to review our content marketing platform . Aside from the thorough research FinancesOnline performs, the platform also uses complex algorithms to gather comments, feedback, opinions, and user reviews to generate accurate user satisfaction ratings, as well as an unbiased overall review score.

Visit their website for more software reviews listings, and comparisons.

The post Newswire Scores High as a Top Industry Marketing Platform from FinancesOnline Directory appeared first on PressRelease .

How To Write A Basic Media Release

Tue, 14 Aug 2018 13:21:00 GMT

Media releases also referred to as press releases, are an effective way to spread the latest news about your business more widely. Instead of writing publicity for consumers to see, the intended audience of a media release is journalists and other media representatives.

Media releases should all follow the same structure because journalists want information in a format that will be easy for them to turn into a news story and publish for their target audience. Here are the essentials.

1-A strong headline

The headline should have a keyword in it related to your niche or industry and get people curious about the story.

2-A strong subheadline

The subheadline should also have keywords and give more information about the headline. In addition, it serves as a summary of what the press release is about.

3-A strong factual first paragraph

Journalists write their stories in what is termed an inverted pyramid. That is, the broad part is at the top, the most important information, and the story gradually tapers off to a point, with the least important information at the end. Most journalists try to fit the most important information in the first paragraph. Anything left out would go in the second paragraph.

Journalists use a checklist known as the 5Ws to make sure they don’t leave out any important details. The 5Ws are:

Try to get all of these elements into the first paragraph.

2-An interesting second paragraph

If you can’t fit all of the 5Ws into the first paragraph, continue on to the second paragraph. You can also include images and video in this paragraph. Quotations from staff will also make the story more interesting and therefore more likely to be picked up.

3-A solid third paragraph

In this paragraph, include additional information to show why the press release is newsworthy. Include quotes from niche or industry figures.

4-An effective boilerplate

Your fourth and last paragraph will be your boilerplate. There are three parts to this paragraph:

1. The boilerplate is a description of your business, who you are and what your mission is. It provides a context for your press release and tells journalists why you are worth paying attention to. It positions you in your niche or industry and helps convey authority.

2. Your contact information is essential in case any media representatives want to follow up with you about your press release or consult you for your expertise in some other way. Many press releases don’t just get media pickups. They can often lead to interviews and other opportunities to spread the word about your business.

3. Your call to action should tell readers what you want them to do now that they have read the story. If you want more traffic to your site, send them to an URL to learn more. If you want more subscribers, send them to a page where they can sign up for your email marketing list and get a free item, such as an e-book or e-course.

Follow this structure for all your media releases and see how many pickups you can start to get.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post How To Write A Basic Media Release appeared first on PressRelease .

How To Promote Your Music With Press Releases

Mon, 13 Aug 2018 13:57:00 GMT

Press releases are an effective tool for promoting anything you wish to sell, including your original music. If you have a new single or album to promote, take the time to learn how to write an effective press release and see what impact it has on traffic and sales for your business.

What is a press release?

A press release is designed to convey important information to journalists and other media representatives. Your goal is to target these influential people in order to get them to report on your new music, rather than try to reach out to every potential customer you think might be interested in your music.

Press release distribution services

Press release distribution services are an excellent place to publish your press release because they are used by journalists to try to find story ideas. A top music blogger, for example, is always going to be on the lookout for new and noteworthy music. If they like your release, they will pick it up, that is, turn your release into an article they will share with their target audience.

Journalists win because if your press release is well-written, they get high-quality content and news to keep their readership happy. You win because you will be able to tap into their audience in a way you might not otherwise be able to.

What’s worthy of a press release?

A general rule of thumb is any major news in your business deserves a press release. In particular, if you are getting ready to launch any new song, album, or video, or will be giving live performances, you should write a press release.

Important information to include

A good press release needs a good headline to grab the attention. It should also be full of keywords like music, jazz, and so on. A high-quality image of the thumbnail for the song, or the album cover, will usually get your press release more attention than a press release without images.

You could include a brief audio clip of the song, or clips from the album. If you’ve created a video for the song, including a short excerpt, as well. Add a link to your video on YouTube.

If you are planning a live event, you should issue more than one press release. The first one should announce the event and invite people to attend. Issue this one month to 2 weeks prior to the event. The second should be like the first, except that you would issue it about 2 to 3 days before as a reminder that the event would be taking place.

The third release should be a news report on what happened, including highlights of the event, quotations from attendees, and so on. Add images and video clips as needed.

Other data to include

Include a brief biography of the artist. Mention where they get their inspiration from and what other music credits they have. Include full contact information in case anyone who sees the press release would like to follow up. Add information on how prospective customers can buy the music and download it.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post How To Promote Your Music With Press Releases appeared first on PressRelease .

How To Promote Your Book With a Press Release

Fri, 10 Aug 2018 11:00:00 GMT

Press releases are an ideal tool for promoting your new book. If you are an author wishing to gain awareness for your novel or non-fiction guide, taking time to learn the most important aspects of writing an effective press release could get your book sales off with a bang.

What is a press release?

A press release targets journalists and other media representatives. The goal is to get them interested in your content so they will pick up your press release and report the news of your new book to their target audience. They might be a book blogger, or write for one of the top book sites, so getting a pickup could spread the word about your book quickly to just the right audience.

Press release distribution services

When you are finished writing your press release, it’s best to submit it to a free or paid press release distribution service. These services are an excellent place to connect with journalists, who use them as databases to try to find story ideas. A top book blogger, for example, is always going to be on the lookout for new and noteworthy books to discuss or review and then pass along to their readers.

What do journalists really need?

Journalists always need a steady supply of well-written, high-quality content and news to keep their readers happy. As long as you write your press release in a factual way, not as an ad full of hype, you have a strong chance of getting a media pickup.

What deserves a press release?

The short answer is any important news in your business deserves a press release. In particular, if you are getting ready to launch any new book, are hosting a live event, or are doing a book signing, these would all be good times to issue a press release.

Important information to include

An effective press release needs a strong headline to grab the readers’ attention. It should also be full of keywords like book and the genre, such as romance, non-fiction, business book, and so on. Give a brief summary of what the book is about. If it is non-fiction, suggest who would benefit most from reading the book.

Media

A high-quality image of the book cover is a must for a book-related press release. Some people also create video book trailers to give a taste of what will be in the book.

Live events

There are many different live events you can center around your book, depending on the genre and topic. There are many book fairs and conferences throughout the year which you could attend. You could also build a name for yourself locally by giving talks and book signings at various locations. Good options include your local Chamber of Commerce, libraries, schools, and local fairs and events. If you have written a cookbook, you might be able to host live cooking demonstrations, then record them to use the video for future promotions.

If you are planning a live event, you will usually issue 3 press releases in total:

1-announce the event and invite people to attend. Send this out about a month to 2 weeks before to the event.

2-remind people the event is taking place, about 2 to 3 days before the event to help boost attendance

3-a report on the event after the fact. Include top moments of the event, images and video clips, and so on.

Other data to include

Include a brief biography of the author, where they get their inspiration from and what other books they have written. If it is the first book, mention what motivated them to write their first book. Also include any credentials they might have, such as 10 years as a chef at X restaurant.

Finally, include full contact information in case anyone who sees the press release would like to follow up. Add information on how prospective customers can buy the book in stores and online.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post How To Promote Your Book With a Press Release appeared first on PressRelease .

How To Manage Your PR During A Crisis

Thu, 09 Aug 2018 14:14:00 GMT

Press releases have been around since about 1905. The first one was written in order to manage the information to the media regarding a disaster which had befallen the company and its workers and customers. These days, press releases are used as more of a market tool, but they can still be one of the best ways to make sure the media is all on the same page if you have a crisis.

Crisis management

No one likes to think about their business suffering a huge crisis, but the truth is it can happen through no fault of their own. Hurricanes hit, lightning strikes, data gets breached. There are a few ways to manage a crisis through a press release if you are organized and use some common sense.

1-Tell the truth

Tell the truth as far as you are able in terms of what you know, and what you might be permitted to say if the crisis results in an ongoing police investigation.

The press release should include the essential facts, commonly referred to as the 5Ws:

Use this as a checklist to make sure you don’t leave out anything important. Also, use it so that your entire team is on the same page about what happened.

Avoid any opinions or speculation as to why things might have happened. Just stick to what you know to be the truth.

2-Accept blame if it is your fault

If you’ve made a mistake, apologize and reassure everyone you will make good on the situation. Even if the situation is no one’s fault, include a quotation from the CEO or other important corporate figure promising that everything possible is being done to look into the matter and resolve it.

3-Be humane

If there has been a loss of life, injury, or serious impact on staff and customers, be sure to express sympathy for all those affected. This helps show you care and implies that you are not hiding anything.

4-Be prepared for lots of questions

Include full contact information and make sure that whoever follows up sticks to the official press release and does not go off script.

5-Be prepared for social media frenzy

Social media is bound to light up as a result of the crisis. Publish the press release there, too, and try to put out any sparks before they become forest fires.

6-Act, don’t react, or overreact

If your business is liable in any way for what happened, an action plan that discusses what you will be trying to do to rectify the situation can boost confidence in your company.

In terms of questions, negative press and so on, try not to react or overreact without thinking. Do your best to take control of the narrative by using the facts in your press release. Don’t deviate from it or it might look as though you are aggressive, lying, or covering up things.

7-Consult with police and/or a lawyer

Show the police the press release you would like to send out to make sure that you are not giving away any sensitive information. Check with your lawyer about the legal liability of the situation, such as admitting that one of your workers caused a data breach. The last thing you want to do is make the situation worse by saying the wrong thing.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post How To Manage Your PR During A Crisis appeared first on PressRelease .

How To Engage Social Media With Your Press Release

Wed, 08 Aug 2018 12:25:00 GMT

Press releases are a great way to connect with journalists and other media representatives to share the most important news about your company. The goal of issuing a press release is, of course, to get media pickups in newspapers, magazines, top websites and blogs, and more. But you can get even greater mileage out of your press releases by adding social media to the mix.

Press release distribution services

In order to get the widest distribution for your press release, you should be using a free or paid service. Many of these services have social media share buttons. Therefore, you can click to share the press release as soon as it is up on the site.

Your blog

You can also publish the press release at your blog and include share buttons, which you can then use to post the link to your social accounts. If you are using WordPress, a plugin like AddtoAny Share offers dozens of sharing options.

Include multimedia

Images and video tend to make a press release more shareable.

Write a great headline

The headline will often create the link for your social media site, so be sure it is something interesting that commands attention.

Create “tweetable” quotes

Create call out quotes in reference to the press release that can work well as tweets. Try to stick to 100 characters or less.

Write naturally

Don’t fill your press release with jargon or industry terms. Instead, write naturally so the content is accessible to every reader.

Make your target audience your central reference point

While it is true that your press release is designed to grab the attention of journalists, it is also true that they are not the end consumers of your data. If they give you a media pickup, their readership will be.

The best press releases and content speak to the needs of their target audience. Imagine you want to get more subscribers. The best way to build a list is to offer a free item such as an ebook, white paper, special report, or e-course. But it is entirely your choice as to the topic. Think of a “pain point” or problem most people in your niche encounter, and build your free item around it. If the media reps can see it is genuinely useful, they will give you the pickup, and it will certainly also get a good amount of social media shares.

Include social sharing as part of your overall strategy

Don’t just hope for it as an end result of publishing a press release. Create content you know will be shareable by people interested in your niche. Consider posting the link in a group, running a sponsored post, or creating an ad. While it is true a press release is not a sales letter for your product or service, it is also true that it provides factual detail about it, which can be enough for some consumers to want to learn more. A press release has no hype, so it is less likely to turn off consumers who would otherwise feel there is some sort of scam going on.

Issue releases regularly

Many companies issue one release, don’t get great results and give up. The truth is that regular issuing of press releases will build your brand online and in social media, so more and more people will start to pay attention to you and be willing to share your content.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post How To Engage Social Media With Your Press Release appeared first on PressRelease .

How Many Words Should Be In A Press Release?

Tue, 07 Aug 2018 15:45:00 GMT

When it comes to writing press releases, there are a number of common questions newcomers to this form of publicity ask. One of the most common is how many words should be in your press release.

The answer is, it depends. There are a number of deciding factors to keep in mind as you craft your press release.

What is a press release?

A press release is a document issued by a company or other official entity to release important news and information about the company to journalists and other media representatives. Once considered as useful for large companies only, in the past 10 years or so, small businesses and new marketers have begun to use them in order to increase brand awareness and get more traffic, sales, and subscribers.

What is the format of a press release?

A press release is usually written in a certain format, so the length of a press release will usually be between 400 and 500 words. Journalists are busy people so they are interested in facts, not fluff or padding. Your press release can serve as the source of an article or blog post they will write in order to meet their deadline and keep their editor and readers happy.

Each press release has the same structure, so mastering it can help you write briefly but clearly and still cover all of the most important points. Here’s a checklist of what needs to be in your press release.

1-An interesting headline

It should command attention and provoke curiosity. It should have at least one keyword related to your niche. Aim for about 60 characters so it won’t get cut off in the search engines or press release distribution service interfaces.

2-A thought-provoking subheadline

It should give more information about the headline and contain keywords. It should also serve as a summary of what your press release is all about.

3-A strong first paragraph

Newspaper stories used to be permitted only limited space in the paper. While this is no longer true online, journalists are trained to write tightly and fit all of their most important facts into the first paragraph.

The most important fact is referred to as the 5Ws:

Try to include as many of these detail as possible in your lead paragraph.

4-A supporting second paragraph

If you can’t fit all of the 5Ws into the first paragraph, finish them off in the second. Also include media, such as images and video in this paragraph. If you have any quotations about your news item, these can help provide a context for your newsworthy story.

5-An information-rich third paragraph

This can include quotes, facts, figures, statistics, and more. Continue to make your story worth reading.

6-The fourth paragraph-your boilerplate and contact information

Your boilerplate is a description of your company, who you are and what you do. Draft a boilerplate that gives an idea of your mission. Copy and paste it into every press release you issue.

Your contact information should include bricks and mortar address, email address, phone number, and anything else journalists might need in order to contact you for more information.

7-A useful URL

Boost your traffic by sending them to an URL where they can get more information. Grow your email marketing list by getting readers to sign up for a free e-course.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post How Many Words Should Be In A Press Release? appeared first on PressRelease .

9 Secrets To A Successful Media Release

Mon, 06 Aug 2018 16:05:00 GMT

Press releases are an essential part of any public relations strategy. They are your way of connecting with journalists and other media representatives and controlling the conversation in relation to your business, niche or industry.

1-The facts

There are many reasons for issuing a press release. The main reason is that you have something new and noteworthy you want to share with the media in the hope that they will pick up the story and report it to their target audience. If you work in technology, for example, there are journalists and bloggers always looking for news to share with their readers on their site, blog, in a newspaper or magazine, and so on.

2-The wow factor

Press releases offer information and also excitement if they are written well. Press releases with a “wow” factor are more likely to get picked up than ones with dull headlines. Write exciting headlines and you should soon get a steady stream of readers.

3-Great media

Adding media can also help give your press release a wow factor. High-quality images, infographics, and video clips can all give a better picture of your business. Studies have shown that press releases which include media are much more likely to get picked up than those that don’t.

4-Useful information

Your press release is certainly going to be about your company, but try to make it about your target audience as well. What problems do they have related to your niche that they need to solve? What kinds of facts, figures, and statistics can help keep them well-informed about your niche? Write a press release that goes beyond the corporate hype and you will soon gain a solid reputation as an expert in your niche.

5-Make it error-free

Check grammar, spelling, and punctuation so your work doesn’t look sloppy.

6-Include interesting quotations

Quotations help provide a context for the news in your press release. The CEO of the company talking about where the idea for the product came from, for example, will be of human interest to readers. Important figures from your niche or industry offering commentary about your story can give it an air of importance and convey the idea that you are worth paying attention to in your niche.

7-A great boilerplate

Your boilerplate is a history of your company and its mission. Give brief details about what you do and why you are in business. This also provides a context for the information in the media press release. Once you write your boilerplate, copy and paste it into every release you publish.

8-Your Contact Information

Include your most up-to-date contact information so media representatives can follow up with you as needed. Write a draft of it and copy and paste it into each release. Edit as needed by including a strong call to action.

9-A call to action

Your call to action tells readers what you want them to do once they have read your media release. If you want more traffic, send them to an URL where they can get more information about the topic. If you want more subscribers, send them to a page where they can sign up for a free ebook or e-course and get on your email marketing list.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post 9 Secrets To A Successful Media Release appeared first on PressRelease .

Tips To Write A Press Release For Investors

Mon, 30 Jul 2018 11:54:00 GMT

One of the most important uses of the press release is to keep investors informed about the success (or otherwise) of a company. Depending on the type of company, businesses often have financial reporting requirements they need to obey regularly, such as once a quarter (every 3 months). A good press release can sometimes also attract investors who are impressed with what they read.

What is a press release?

Press releases have been used for more than 100 years by businesses that wish to convey certain information to the media. These days, many press releases are published online, usually through a press release distribution service. Some services are used for all types of press releases. Others specialize in financial reporting. Those media representatives who cover business and finance will subscribe to the service so they can have the latest news at their fingertips and decide which stories they want to cover. If they find the story of interest to their target audience, you get a media pickup and all the publicity that goes with it.

So what are the most important elements of a press release targeted to investors?

A strong headline

The headline should contain your company name and a preview of results. “XYZ Company has record quarter.”

A powerful subheadline

In the distribution service interface, there is a field for a subheadline. What you write should support the headline by giving more information, and serve as a preview of what the rest of the release will say.

A subhead for the headline above might read: “The substantial boost in profits is due to streamlining, and their recent merger with ABC Company.”

Keywords

Make sure to use your company name and keywords related to your industry in your headline and subheadline so media representatives searching in the distribution service interface for stories to cover will be able to find your content.

An opening paragraph and overview

The opening paragraph should introduce what will be in the press release and give an overview of what happened and why.

When journalists write news stories, they use a formula known as the 5Ws:

If you put your press release in this format, you are more likely to impress journalists and get more pickups because you are making their job easier.

Mention new products or new staff who have contributed to the success. Also, mention any new people or companies you’ve partnered with that have helped boost the company’s bottom line.

Your numbers

Investors are interested in facts, figures and real numbers, so be sure to provide them. You can produce them in text and/or images like bar charts. Make the data visually attractive. Images will give you a greater chance of getting media pickups—seven times more likely, in fact.

Interesting quotations

Have a few relevant comments about the successful business quarter.

Add the boilerplate

A boilerplate is a standard paragraph about the company and how to contact you. Write it and use it as a template. Put it at the end of every press release. Give a brief overview of the company’s mission. Include your name, email address, phone number, and a URL to send them to.

Create a media page with all the information journalists would need about your company. Send them to that URL rather than just your homepage, where they could easily get lost and click out.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post Tips To Write A Press Release For Investors appeared first on PressRelease .

How To Write A Press Release For An Art Exhibition

Fri, 27 Jul 2018 16:44:00 GMT

A press release is used to connect with the media in order to relay important information, including live events such as an art exhibition. It is an ideal medium for artists to bring their art to the public’s notice through journalists and bloggers who pick up the press release and publish it in their periodical. This can lead to more traffic to their website, subscribers to their email marketing list, sales, and possibly even commissions. And course, it can also lead to good “buzz” about the exhibition and a large number of attendees who can help brand the artist and their work as worth paying attention to.

The best way to spread the word about the press release is to use a press release distribution service. You might also send a copy to the local paper and any art critics or bloggers to let them know your exhibition is taking place.

So what should you include in a press release for your art exhibition? Here are a few essentials:

A great headline

It should command attention and create some buzz.

Teaser copy

This is like a preview of what the press release will contain. It will be visible in most press release distribution service interfaces and should support the headline to create a buzz about your live event.

Keywords

Both the headline and teaser should include keywords that will make your release more searchable for those who are looking for your type of content. Include your name and city in most cases, and words related to your type of art, such as painting, sculpture and so on.

The date and location

The date and location of the press release are important because they can serve as keywords for anyone looking for the latest news in their area. It also provides a context. Publish your press release about 2 to 4 weeks prior to the live event in order to give journalists time to publish your story, and for them and/or their readership to attend the exhibition.

The opening paragraph

In journalism, the formula for writing an opening paragraph is known as the 5Ws. The paragraph should answer these questions:

For an art exhibition, therefore, you might formulate it this way:

The artist’s biography

The only way to get people really excited about an exhibition by an artist most people haven’t heard of is to outline their artistic biography and credentials. Mention where they trained, previous works, awards, style and inspiration, and so on.

Contact information

The contact information section contains the name of the issuing individual, telephone number, email address, and URL. Include a call to action such as, “Please feel free to contact us for more information.”

You can also remind them of the date, time and venue, and say, “We look forward to seeing you there.”

Include media

Include images of the artworks and perhaps a video clip of the artist at work, or talking about their work.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post How To Write A Press Release For An Art Exhibition appeared first on PressRelease .

How To Write A Press Release For A Webinar

Thu, 26 Jul 2018 15:55:00 GMT

A webinar can be one of the best ways to market a business online. It’s an opportunity for the experts on staff to talk about a particular topic, give a demonstration or offer how-to information to the people interested in their niche. Smart marketers will usually try to sell a product related to the topic, often at a special low introductory price. Webinars are, therefore, a great way to launch a brand new product or service.

Having said that, webinars do take time and effort to plan, create and present. They also require software, and some services can be quite expensive. You want to get the most “bang for your buck”. A powerful press release can help you get the level of attendees you need to cash in on your webinar.

The benefits of a press release

A press release is an ideal medium for informing journalists, bloggers and so on about important news and events. They are always willing to give media pickups, that is, pass along information about live events like webinars, if they think it will be of interest to their target audience.

The trouble is that around 300 press releases are issued every day in the US alone. To gain more visibility, you can publish your press release at a distribution service. If you do, here are some of the important features your release should have in order to boost your chances of getting pickups:

An attention-grabbing headline

This can help your press release stand out from all of the others at the distribution service.

A solid subheadline copy

A good subheadline will support the headline and summarize what the release will be about.

Keywords

Include keywords in your headline and subhead to make it easier for media representatives to find your content. Include the names of the people who will be giving the webinar.

The date

Publish your press release about 2 to 4 weeks prior to the live event in order to give journalists time to publish the information and readers to register for your webinar.

The first paragraph

In your first paragraph, be sure to include the 5Ws of journalism:

For a webinar, your information might look like this:

The presenters’ biographies

Include the credentials of the people presenting the webinar. This will answer the question of why anyone should pay attention to them and give up their valuable time to attend the webinar. Make sure any material you include is brief and conveys an air of authority.

A brief outline of the webinar

Entice people to attend by providing 2 or 3 bullet points as to what is going to be covered during the webinar. Make the information to be covered sound exciting and important.

Contact information

Give your name, phone number, email address, and URL.

Include media

Include headshots of the presenters and video clips of them and/or of previous webinars you have hosted.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post How To Write A Press Release For A Webinar appeared first on PressRelease .

How To Write A Press Release For A Trade Show

Wed, 25 Jul 2018 13:17:00 GMT

Trade shows can create a great buzz in almost any industry. Professionals can share the latest technology and information, meet vendors to learn more about their products, and network with their peers. They can show off their whole new range of products, and even check out what their competition is up to. Many trade shows also offer interesting keynote specials and educational seminars to boost attendees’ skills.

However, it’s not cheap to attend a trade show or to display at one. A press release can help you get more bang for your buck. A press release is designed to inform the media about newsworthy events. A wide range of publications, from newspapers to blogs, are always looking for something to report to their target audience. Local newspapers, in particular, are keen to let readers know what is going on in their area.

The press release should convey that you are a mover and shaker in your niche or industry and your booth will be worth visiting. If you have managed to get a speaking engagement at the trade show, this could even be a second press release to entice people to listen to what you have to say. This can help position you as an expert with real authority that is, therefore, worth paying attention to.

Therefore, a press release can help you make connections with exactly the kind of people who can help you grow your business.

How can I write a good press release?

There are a number of important elements to include:

A good headline

Headlines should grab attention and create a sense of anticipation and excitement.

A powerful subheadline

The subheadline supports the headline and also gives a preview of what the rest of the press release will be about. It is a good chance to create even more interest.

Keywords and phrases

Use your business name and keywords and phrases that are common to your niche and relevant to the trade show.

Location

Include your location and that of the trade show. You could get two sets of local media pickups.

The first paragraph

Journalists use “the 5Ws” to make sure they don’t miss anything important. They are:

When writing about the trade show, for example, your most important information might look like this:

The company’s mission

Explain briefly what your company does, and why this trade show is important. Mention any awards or other details about your company that are sure to impress.

Contact information

Include name, address, phone number, email, and URL. You should create a special webpage with all the details about the trade show and photos of staff, the company, and so on.

Include media

Attach high-quality images of the items that will be on display. Press releases with media get more pickups than ones that don’t.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post How To Write A Press Release For A Trade Show appeared first on PressRelease .

How To Write A Press Release For A Sporting Event

Tue, 24 Jul 2018 14:03:00 GMT

A press release is used to inform the media about important information, such as a new product release or a live event such as a sporting event. Writing a press release and issuing it through a distribution service can be one of the best ways to ensure high attendance, for lots of buzz that will lead to a successful event.

Many marketers find it difficult to write a good press release. Here’s a simple formula that can help.

An attention-grabbing headline

Your headline is the first thing busy journalists will see when searching the distribution interface, so pique their curiosity.

A subheadline copy

This is a preview of what the press release will contain. It supports the headline and also serves as a summary of the press release. It is visible in the interface after the headline, and can therefore also help you grab journalists’ attention.

Keywords

Use keywords in the headline and subhead in order to make your press release more searchable for journalists who cover sports and local events. The type of event, such as a golf tournament or half-marathon, should also be used as a keyword.

The date and location of the press release

The date and location of the press release are important because the location serves as a keyword. The date and location provide a context for where the event is going to take place, and when. Try to issue your press release several weeks before the event to give journalists time to report on your press release and give people time to plan to attend.

The opening paragraph

The formula for writing an opening paragraph for a news story is known as the 5Ws. It will include the following information:

For a sporting event, therefore, your information might look like this:

Information and quotations about the event

In this paragraph, offer more information about the organizers and sponsors. Try to include quotes from them. You could also offer quotes from the venue hosting the event and the borough president. You could mention past winners, top participants, and prizes.

Other important information

Include any other relevant information, such as an entry fee for children who want to participate, the price of tickets if it is not a free event, whether or not there will be refreshments, special guests or prize presenters, and so on. Make it sound like a really exciting event no one will want to miss.

Contact information

The contact information area should contain your name, phone number, email address, and URL. Include a call to action such as, “Please feel free to contact us for more information.”

You can also remind them of the date, time and venue, and say, “We look forward to seeing you there.”

Include media

Include images of past events, if any, or major participants.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post How To Write A Press Release For A Sporting Event appeared first on PressRelease .

How To Write A Press Release For a Music Artist

Thu, 19 Jul 2018 13:10:00 GMT

Thanks to the wonders of the Internet, music artists can sell their work directly to listeners through services like SoundCloud or Amazon. However, the ease of use means a lot more competition. One of the best ways to get more media attention and boost your career and profits is to write a press release about your work.

What is a press release?

A press release is used to connect with the media to convey important information. Press releases are an ideal way to broaden awareness of your work among the general public through media attention. If you publish your press release through a distribution service, journalists and bloggers who cover music and the arts can publish the information in their periodical, leading to more traffic, sales and buzz about your work.

Writing a powerful press release is easier than you think:

It needs to be real news

Don’t send out any press release that is little more than an ad for your work. Make sure it is something new and noteworthy journalists will want to pass along to your target audience. Live performances, concerts, new singles, new albums, and awards would all be newsworthy.

The date and location

Put these at the top of your press release. You can get local media coverage by mentioning your city and state. The date is important if you are announcing a live event. Issue the release about 1 month prior to the event to give journalists a chance to pick it up and their readers the chance to save the date on their calendar.

A strong headline

It should grab a reader’s attention and create some buzz.

An effective subheadline

The subheadline gives more information about the headline and summarizes the main point of the press release.

The first paragraph

In journalism, the formula for writing any news story is known as the 5Ws. It is a checklist to ensure you don’t leave out any important information:

For a live performance, your main facts would look like this:

The musician’s biography

This basically tells them what type of music you play and why they should get excited about your music. Mention your musical background, awards, previous work, inspiration, and so on. Also, tell people where they can buy your music.

Contact information

This section includes the name of the contact person, their phone number, email address, and URL where they can find more information.

Include media

Include images of your album or singles covers, audio files with excerpts of the songs, and video clips of the musician performing or talking about their work.

Include a call to action

What do you want people to do after they read your story? Buy tickets, listen to the new song, or get a free download for a limited time? Tell them and see how much of a response you get to your press release.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post How To Write A Press Release For a Music Artist appeared first on PressRelease .

How To Write A Press Release For A Conference

Wed, 18 Jul 2018 13:54:00 GMT

Conferences and trade shows can create a great buzz in almost any industry. Professionals can share the latest technology and information, meet vendors to learn more about their products, and network with their peers. If you are organizing a conference yourself, you will no doubt have discovered just how much hard work it is.

If you are attending a conference as a speaker and are looking to get people to attend your talk, a press release can help you make connections with people who can help you move your business forward.

Issuing a press release

Write a press release about your conference’s organization or participation, and publish it through one or more of the free or paid press release distribution services. Journalists, bloggers, and other media representatives will then be able to find your press release if they are searching for particular types of stories. If they believe your press release is of real value to their audience, they will pick up your press release.

So how do you make your press release stand out, and impress journalists? Include the following elements in your press release:

A vivid headline

It should grab attention and create a sense of anticipation and excitement.

A powerful subheadline

Keywords

Both the headline and subheadline should contain keywords related to the topic of your press release, and to your niche or industry.

Location

Include your location and that of the conference. You could get two sets of local media pickups.

The opening paragraph

In journalism, the formula for writing the first paragraph is known as the 5Ws. It is a checklist to remind you not to leave out the most important information in a news story. The 5Ws are:

When writing about the conference, for example, your most important information might look like this:

The company’s mission

Explain briefly what your company does and why this conference is important. Mention any awards or other milestones. If you are hosting the conference yourself, include the names of your top guests or sponsors, with a brief word about who they are, which will convey why they are important.

Contact information

Include name, address, phone number, email, and URL.

Include media

Include images of your products. You might also include videos of your products in action. For example, if you are a bookseller, ask the authors to give a reading from their work, or create a book trailer that gives the audience an idea of what the book is about.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

The post How To Write A Press Release For A Conference appeared first on PressRelease .