Five Steps to a Powerful Press Release

The number of Internet articles about how to use press releases to win more clients and get free publicity grows daily. At the same time, the number of articles and blog posts explaining why press releases don’t work - or worse, why they are a waste of time - is growing too.

What is a home business owner to think?

Press releases can be useful marketing tools so long as they’re accompanied by realistic expectations. A press release is NOT a magic wand. True, some small businesses and entrepreneurs have received exceptional exposure and media attention from their press releases. But even if yours is picked up by the media, chances are that it will not suddenly bring you truckloads of clients or make you instantly famous.

However, if you arm yourself with realistic expectations and a bit of expert knowledge, you can achieve impressive results with your press release. Here are five steps that you can take be to sure you benefit from yours as much as possible:

1. Ensure it’s a well-crafted press release.
If you’re new to writing press releases, it's a good idea to hire a professional writer. Besides conforming to a particular structure, a press release needs to grab the attention of its audience, present a newsworthy story in an engaging manner, and have perfect grammar and structure. If you’re not sure you can meet those requirements yourself, have an experienced writer write one for you or edit the draft you’ve already written.

2. It must be newsworthy... or not.
A good writer can spin almost any event into an interesting press release, but if it’s not news – real, honest, sink-your-teeth-into-it news – it probably won’t be picked up by the media outlets. Editors see right through veiled attempts at self-promotion, and won't give them a second glance. Rather than trying to invent news, wait until you have something with enough substance to issue a release.

However, with the recent growth of social media, this has become one rule you can break. If you're planning to submit your release online, you're no longer just writing for the media. Now regular people can find your press release when they search for keywords that you included in your release. They aren't as interested in cold hard news, but they do want interesting and relevant information

3. Use keys words and provide a link back to your site.
If your press release has your keywords and phrases sprinkled throughout, it has the potential to show up well in search engine results for those words and phrases. Include a link to your website, if you have one, so visitors and search engine spiders can easily find your site after they’ve found your press release. To find out what words are being searched on, a keyword suggestion tool such as www.wordtracker.com can give you some ideas.

Submit it to the free online press release sites, like PR.com. If they accept your press release, it will be posted on the web and has a good chance of showing up for searches on your favorite keywords and phrases.

4. Submit, but double-check before you follow up.
Submit your press release to every media outlet that might be interested in your story. This includes online press release sites, relevant magazines, newspapers, television and radio stations. Don’t just submit blindly – to be taken seriously, ensure your story is suitable for the media outlet and send it to the appropriate editor by name.

Should you follow up with the editors? Now there's a question. It really depends on who you ask. I've spoken with editors who recommend a follow up phone call or email. But others have warned me that they dislike follow-ups so much, a follow-up phone call will ensure your press release ends up in the trash. To be safe, I don't recommend following up unless you're sure your call will be welcomed.

5. Place your press release on your website or include it in an information package.
Even if your press release isn’t picked up by the media, it hasn’t been a waste of time. Start a new section on your website titled “News” or “Press Releases” and post your press releases there. This is an easy way to build credibility with your site visitors and to give them more information about your company.

You might also consider including the press release in an information package that you provide for new and continuing clients. When they are regularly informed on your latest business news, they will feel more confident and comfortable working with you.

Following these steps will help ensure your press release is as effective as possible. But remember, even the best-received press releases are not marketing magic wands. Consistency is key. Keep writing and submitting them. But don’t sit back and wait for your fairy godmother to show up.

Article Source: http://www.wahm-articles.com

Denise Willms is a freelance writer and virtual assistant at CassidarInk.com . Stop boring your website visitors! Subscriber to her bi-weekly newsletter, Inspiring Ink to get more tips on writing for the web. When you sign up, you'll also get a copy of her exclusive article marketing checklist.

Print This Article Comment on Article Email to Friends Ezine Ready

Please Rate this Article

5 out of 54 out of 53 out of 52 out of 51 out of 5 

Not yet Rated