Smashing the Myth of the Press Release
When you've been in the digital marketing game for a little while, you run into all sorts of myths like the press release. They are so ingrained in the landscape they appear to be facts. I'm here to tell you that they aren't and I will do everything I can to smash these myths for you!
The press release is actually an effective tool when used properly. Some people believe that it's only appropriate for brand-new startups with no traction or monthly revenue numbers or any other such nonsense. The reality is that the press release is a powerful tool that can be used by any kind of business. If a business has traction or revenue and to draw in some attention, a press release is there for you.
Press releases have also gained popularity for their effectiveness every time someone mentions it online. You're reading it right now, so you know what happens! For some reason, people think that press releases are only written in English – so only red meat companies use them. Nope! It's only "hipster" companies that use them, or bad businesses that have little to no audience. Wrong!
If you have a business, you absolutely must start using the press release. You need to know how to use it and why it's so vital to your success as a company. After all, press releases are not just for internet-savvy companies that are close to reaching the mainstream - they can also be used by any kind of business at any stage in their growth.
The reason they're so important is because they:
● Draw attention to your company – this is one of the main reasons you release one. You're making sure people will see it and hear about your company.
● Spread the news – one of the most important aspects about a press release is that it spreads the word about your business.
● Provide instant credibility – with a press release, you'll be able to demonstrate to potential customers that you've got some real connections in the industry and they are credible enough to write you up. This will make them more likely to trust what you're putting out there.
● Increase website traffic – this might seem like an odd reason why press releases are so effective, but there's truth behind it. A lot of companies don't plan on having their site up for long so they don't check them daily. When they get a press release, they're interested and they come to visit your website.
● Drive sales – this is the most important reason of all. A press release isn't just a piece of paper; it's an advertisement for your business. You're releasing information about your product and hoping people will buy it. This is why you want to use them so often and in different ways that will drive the attention you need towards your company.
The key to using the press release properly is knowing what to write about, how to write it, who you're sending it too and exactly when you should send it out. All this requires research so that you fully understand what will be written, who will be reading it and when they'll be reading it. You also need to learn how to write a proper press release.
So, here's what you should do right now…
Step One: Find out who's your target market is. What are they looking for, what do they want, etc? You need to find out exactly who your audience is and tailor your content accordingly. Once you know their exact wants and desires, what they've seen before, the best way to give them just the thing they're craving.
Step Two: When you know the answers to all of the above, you can do a lot of things. You can sit down at your computer and write out exactly what they want to read. You can craft your message so that it's perfect and catchy - so it gets noticed by an audience that is already tuned in to your product or business.
Step Three: Now, I know this sounds a little strange… but take that press release, print it out and post it around in every restaurant and bar that has a Yelp link on its website (or any other review-based social network).
Step Four: This is the easiest way I know of to get your press release seen. It's a little bit of luck, but it's totally worth it. All you need to do is find a site that gets over 10,000 visits a month where 5% are from people with your target audience. So, if there are 10,000 people visiting the site every month and 200 people in your target market (5% of 11,000), then you can have at least 15 views on the website every month. If you send out a press release that isn't relevant to them and this happens once everyone will see what you're up to; however, if it happens twice… then people will take notice.
You can find such sites by going to Alexa and checking the traffic. Once you know how many unique views they get every month, you already have some idea of how valuable they are.
An even easier way to do this is just look at the last news story that was posted on the website. You'll see a section that says "Popular stories" or something similar. Choose a site with a high amount of traffic and go through all their popular stories. Now look for the ones that are from the same category as your business or industry - this will be invaluable in getting your press release read by those who matter most.
Conclusion
Press releases are great tools for getting your company's name out there. You need to use them every single month, even if it's just one or two (depending on the size of your company and the stage it's at). If you use them correctly, they can really help you get some attention and drive up your sales.