PRWeb - Press Releases That Work

(source)“Press releases are still an important tool for PR professionals, but the broad range of benefits and increased accessibility have allowed a wider variety of professionals - including marketers and small business owners — to use the medium to share compelling stories,” commented Jiyan Wei, Vocus, online product manager, PRWeb and a member of the SNCR’s Vendor Council and Advisory Board. “News releases are not just for the Fortune 500, but have become a valuable tool for smaller businesses to increase their sales and create publicity.”

Whether your business has 1000 employees or it’s just you, whether you have an unlimited advertising budget or you’re trying to keep your marketing costs as low as you possibly can, press release writing can help you to get the word out about what your business does, what you have to offer, and what makes you different from all of your competitors.

Press release writing isn’t something that needs to be left to the PR pros; small business owners are going to find that the press release format is easy to follow and is something that they will be able to take advantage of. Not only will they find that press release writing helps to attract the attention of the media, but also they will find that they are able to reach bloggers, to connect with current and prospective customers and - in general - to grow their businesses with an extremely effective tool.

PRWeb - Press Releases That Work

Press release SEO is all about making sure that you’re getting information out there. Whether your press release story is picked up by bloggers, by news feeds that are related to the products and services that you’ve got to offer, by members of the traditional media and members of online news sites, you’re going to find that, provided you take advantage of SEO techniques that you use on your web site and blog, you are able to get quality links back to your site.

Ultimately, that’s what’s important about press release SEO - and about distributing your press releases to sites that have a high page rank. The quality links that come into your web site, the links from sites that have done well in terms of their own search engine rankings, are going to help you to boost the ranking of your own web site.

Press release SEO is all about building up the online reputation of your web site - in many cases, it’s also the goal of distributing press releases. Getting the right links is essential, and that’s why it’s important to look at the SEO techniques that you apply to each release you write and distribute.

PRWeb - Press Releases That Work

In part, therefore, creating a buzz is about writing press releases and knowing that you’re optimizing the for the web (and for each media target you have). In part too, creating a buzz is about making an effort to make sure that your target audience - your prospective customers and members of the media - know a little bit about your company.

By making sure that the keywords that you use within your press release are the same as those that you use on your web site and when you’re marketing your products, you can be sure that there are connections made. By making an effort to get your name out there, you’ll find that it’s a lot easier to create a buzz.

PRWeb - Press Releases That Work

Writing multiple press releases is better than taking a one size fits all approach is going to benefit you in a number of different ways. For starters, what you’re going to find is that when you are writing press releases for online distribution, you’re going to focus on using keywords and key phrases so that others will be able to find them; when you’re releasing news to the traditional media, however, optimizing your press releases may just be overkill.

Similarly, when you’re writing press releases to get the word out within your industry, you’re going to find that you want to include industry jargon - to use phrases that those who are in the know are going to be looking for; that same industry language, however, is not going to be something that general writers and editors are looking for.

Press release writing is about knowing your audience - and that’s the reason why writing multiple releases is often the best solution. When you recognize that different audiences are looking for different information, you’re going to be in a better position to get the attention that you want with your press release writing.

Here are some tips for making your press release writing successful:

1. Limit your press releases to newsworthy events. Simply put, if it’s not something the media would want to cover, the media isn’t going to pay attention to your press release.


2. Use the right format for your press release.


3. Keep the language of your press release writing clear. While you want to invlude keywords and key phrases and even industry buzz words, you’re going to want to be sure that you aren’t including so many of these terms that it’s hard for readers to get what you’re saying.


4. Remember that references to outside sources - when relevant and appropriate - are going to help to establish your credibility with readers and the media.


5. Write your press release like a news story rather than making it clear that you are using the press release to market your business: news shouldn’t read like an ad.


6. When you want to be sure that local media see that your release is important, be sure to add information about why it’s relevant to your local area.


7. Recognize that you may need to create alternate versions of your press releases so that you are best able to reach your targets.


8. Press release writing isn’t doing until you’ve made sure that you’ve used the right information, the right format and the right length.


9. Don’t forget that proofreading is an essential part of press release writing.

When you are able to keep the basics in mind while writing press releases, and when you know that you’re making an effort to reach out to the media effectively, your press release writing will be more successful.

These days, however, press release distribution is something that needs to take place on the web. For the most part, the reasons for this are simple:

• online press release distribution gets your story in view of far more news agencies
• online press release distribution gets your release out to those individuals who, because of their web presence, are a part of the media who you otherwise might not be able to get a hold of
• online press release distribution gets your story out there for your current and prospective customers to see

When you take your press release distribution online, what you are really going to find is that you have taken your press release distribution to the next level. You will be able to reach out to more people, generate additional publicity and get more mileage out of each press release you send out.

Most of the time, however, you’ll find that the frustrations that can come with press release writing all come from a single source: not starting out with a plan already in mind.

When you establish a plan for press release writing - a plan that includes who you want to reach, what you want to say and what you want the end result to be - you will find that a lot of the potential for stress fades. Simply put, the more that you are prepared before you sit down to work on writing a press release, the easier that it is going to be to get the results that you are looking for.

More importantly, however, what you will find is that, when you establish a plan for press release writing, it will quickly become a part of your routine. When you sit down, think out your options and have a strategy in place before you start to write, you’ll be in great shape to real your press release writing goals.

In part, the simple reason for this is that press release writing is an effective way of getting word out to the media that you have a new site - or you’ve added features or you’ve listed additional products, services or events. Depending on your field of expertise, you’ll find that members of the media (both traditional outlets and online) will see your press release and make a note of it; if it fits with something that they are running a story on or it seems as though your site would appeal to their users, there’s a good chance that they will include your news and direct people to your web site.

Of course, press release writing can also help to ensure that your current and prospective customers are able to find you online. When you write press releases and focus on associating keywords and phrases with your site and you know that you’ve included the right links and landing pages with your message, you’ll find that customers who might not immediately find your web site stand a great chance of finding your press release.

While press release writing in and of itself may not be enough to get you the traffic that you are ultimately looking for, it’s a great way to make sure that you are spreading the word. By writing and distributing press releases when you have relevant news to share, you can be sure that you are able to get the word out and to build your reputation.

Press release writing is all about getting the word out about your business; by making an effort to get the word out about your business and to get others talking about your products and services, you will find that you are in a better position to get people familiar with your brand. Whether you focus on a particular market or you are looking into getting media attention across the board, you will find that press release writing can help you to establish your brand.

With press release writing, you will be able to:

• Focus on getting other people to talk about your products, services, company or events.
• Let the media develop a sense of why they should be interested in what you have to say.
• Reach out to both your current and prospective customers and the media to let them know about those things that are important to your business.
• Market your business and get people thinking about your company image as a brand.

When you are able to market your business with press release writing and you are looking to establish your brand, you will find that the two goals do not need to be separate: with the right guidance, the right strategy and the right plan, you will find that you are able to accomplish both at the same time. Press release writing can help you to make sure that you are able to push your brand forward - it’s as simple as that.

When you want to be sure that your stories get noticed and attract the media attention that you’re looking for, the first thing that you need to do is to make sure that the stories that you are releasing really are newsworthy - and sometimes that might mean making an effort to tie your product into something bigger. If you’ve got a great endorsement from a celebrity or your product is going to be featured in a major presentation or even a film, you’re going to want to include these details in your press release because that’s something that will be noticed even on a quick scan.

Sometimes attracting media attention is all about knowing what will grab someone’s eye. Sometimes attracting media attention is about making connections. While you want to be sure that you have a relevant, newsworthy press release of its own right, you’re going to want to be able to be sure too that members of the media take notice - and sometimes that means thinking beyond the news itself.

When your press release distribution is affected by the work that you do for yourself - making sure that you distribute information to those on your email marketing list, making sure that you are including either your press release or more detailed information about the product, service or event that you are writing about - you will find that your press releases are more effective.

When you have news, you want to be sure that you are doing everything in your power to get the word out; while that means having a focus on press release distribution, it is also important to do some of the footwork yourself. Be sure that you’re including information in your newsletters, in email mailings, on your blog, on your web site and even in the RSS feeds that other sites have picked up.

By doing your own marketing in addition to press release distribution, you will find that you are able to get the word out with far less effort.

(source)I’ve seen many articles and posts online that advise that you send out a press release for every little thing that might possibly be news for your business. This might be effective if you are only trying to improve your presence online through search engine optimization, but if you’re looking for media coverage this strategy will not work.

I’m assuming the premise behind this advice is that you never know when it’s going to be a slow news day and you just might get picked up. The reality is that following this advice is counterproductive and may be detrimental to your public relations efforts.

Press release writing is a great way to gain publicity, however, the above writer did have it absolutely right: if you’re writing and sending out press releases you’re going to find that if you send out too many that are not really newsworthy, editors, bloggers and others who could run with your story aren’t even going to see that it’s out there. Simply put, when you send out too many press releases that are not newsworthy, when those editors, writers and others see your company name or your name attached to a press release, they aren’t going to bother to look at it - even if the release that you write is extremely newsworthy.

When you focus your press release writing on newsworthy topics - when you make sure that you are focused on keeping your press releases meaningful - you will be able to know that members of the media are going to recognize that you’ve got something to say (even if they don’t run with every story). By keeping your press release writing focused, you’ll be sure that you are in a better position to reach your PR goals.

Specifically, though, you can expect to find the following 5 benefits when you have a strong press release distribution network:

1. With press release distribution you can be sure that your local media outlets are aware of a product, service or event that you want people to know about. Couple that with a well written press release, and you can be fairly confident that the story will get out.
2. With press release distribution online, you can be sure that you are reaching out to podcasters, videocasters and bloggers who can do a great deal to create a buzz about the products, services and events that you are letting them know about.
3. With press release distribution online, you can be sure that you are making news available to your current and prospective customers.
4. With press release distribution on your own web site, you will find that you are able to add content to your site that gets the search engine spiders coming in.
5. With press release distribution via email to your list, you can be sure that you are reminding those on your mailing list that there are still things going on - which will get them to come back to your web site.

In other words, all of the different benefits of press release distribution tend to come down to one thing: increased exposure for your business, your products or services, your events and - ultimately - your web site.

Even when you are looking for the opportunity to attract the attention from members of the media who work for traditional publications, you will find that putting the press releases that you write online that they get noticed. Simply put, when you want to attract media attention to your press releases, you need to consider the fact that many members of the media spend time browsing the web for key bits of information that can lead to a great story.

If you are able to put your press releases online and to make sure that you are using those keywords that will attract the right attention, you will find that the web is a great ally - especially when you do more than simply adding your press releases to your own company web site. By distributing press releases online, you’ll find that it is more likely that they will be discovered; if your press releases aren’t noticed, after all, how can you be sure that you are attracting the media attention that you’re looking for?

There is an art to attracting media attention; you’re going to want to be sure that you are doing everything that you can to get noticed. Putting your press releases online is an important step.

(source) Incorporate Keyword Phrases into Promotions – whether it be press releases, online advertising or social media promotions, using a keyword phrases along with yours or your client’s name can enhance how searchers search for the website in the future.

By making sure that you are focusing on consistent usage of keywords - both on your web site and in terms of press release SEO - you will find that your business if far more associated with those terms. By knowing that you are able to consistently market your business and to associate a product or service with a certain set of terms, you will find that it’s a lot easier to build an online reputation.

Press release SEO will help you to build that reputation - in part because of the way in which you are building links to your web site and in part because of the focus on getting the word out about your business and the products and services that you offer as well as the events that you want to be sure that you highlight.

When you are able to recognize the value of keywords and key phrases, when you understand that press releases are a part of your overall SEO strategy, you’ll find that you are in a position to grow your business a bit more rapidly - and to succeed in the overall association of your keywords and phrases with the products, services and events that you have to offer.