The 12 Ironclad Guidelines for Publishing Press Releases
One thing that never changes is our desire to keep up with the news.
Most people these days prefer to read their news online. According to Pew Research, 89% of Americans get at least some of their local news online.
And it's not just consumers who read the news online. It's just about everyone. While some SEOs assume that press releases are just an SEO tool, this couldn't be further from the truth.
News reader statistics for the US population
In fact, press releases are branding and credibility tools, not SEO tools. They are a great way to increase awareness of companies, products and services and to identify brands more effectively.
If a publication is sufficiently appealing, it can generate social signals, promote approvals, direct targeted and organic traffic and arouse journalistic interest abroad. All of this in addition to the sweet maraschino cherry on top – the possibility of great media coverage.
To put a big red bow on all of these lovely amenities, you need to follow the rules.
With a press release you can publicize your company and its offers in an ethical, journalistic way, with an emphasis on the topicality and branding of SEO, social media or other topics. The simple principles of who, what, where, why, and when apply (the five Ws).
In order for it to work, you must follow these 12 unbreakable rules to receive advertising.
Rule # 1: Know how to write a press release
If you've never written a press release before, consider a professional content writer or service provider. Press releases are about telling a story. your story. Writing from a journalistic point of view requires years of learning and practice. That is not to say that a good writer cannot do this. It's just that you want to be as knowledgeable as you want to hire a pro or hire one.
Press releases have to cover something valuable. A PR Daily article describes six steps the AP Style Guide must take to draft your publication and ensure it is up to date.
These include: clearly stating your goal, using the five Ws, being careful of your spacing, using the correct grammar and style, and sharing names and titles correctly and appropriately.
The right format for writing an effective press release
Rule # 2: Know your audience
Writing for your audience is crucial when producing content. A bit of demographic and customer research will go a long way toward achieving this goal.
For example, if your target market is in the over 45 age group, using modern terms that don't appeal to them won't do much to help you stay grounded. Understand your audience and who you are writing for before creating your current release.
Rule # 3: Understand targeting
All releases are targeted when you set them up for distribution. Proper targeting can mean the difference between, or the lack of, thousands of reads and lots of traffic flowing back to your money-making website.
Make sure you research each of the industries that your company, product, or service applies to before setting your industry goals for pre-distribution.
Industry targeting options for your press release dissemination
Rule # 4: Make a Punchy Elevator Pitch
Remember that press releases are an important form of branding that is of exponential importance in today's online marketing world. SEO these days is often more about branding and engaging content than just getting backlinks.
The best way to write a posh elevator seat with viral potential is to make sure you know your brand, understand your market, and have a deep understanding of the competitive advantage you offer.
That said, you'll also want to add some spice, bravery, and bravado to your headline to get more exposure.
A stagnant headline might be timely, but that doesn't mean people aren't pulling their hairs out while reading it. Read more about this in an article from TechCrunch.
An example of the most amazing press release ever written
How to Write Bad PR Titles
Let's say you own a software company that is releasing its next version with a highly anticipated update that users have asked for over the past few years.
You could suggest a boring title like, "XYZ Software Company Announces Latest Version of XYZ Pro." This title is certainly current. It is definitely approved by the editorial team. The problem, however, is that it's boring. It doesn't do anything to keep the reader busy.
How to Create Great PR Titles
T.be more creative. Revise the title above to make it punchier, catchier, and more engaging. For example: “Almost human: XYZ Pro takes thinking out of doing; New update extends the user interface with a function for human reactions. "
Rule # 5: Follow the editing process
The editors at press release distribution services, newspapers and online news websites are strict. Remember, they are usually passionate about studying English, AP style, tone, and prose. They see no leeway in proper grammar or adherence to style. You only see black and white with no spatial gray area in between.
A Community Tool Box publication offers some tips for avoiding press release disapproval by using the correct grammar, spelling, title, style, and prose. Remember, the editors won't fix your document for you. it's up to you you could make minor changes.
However, if your release is not nearly perfect, it will be pushed into the reject pile along with any other poorly compiled (and instantly rejected) press releases that the editors are bombarded with day in and day out.
Read this Torontoist article to find out what editors – like the one mentioned in the article on the Star – do when they're inundated with error-prone articles and press releases.
Rule # 6: Working Together to Be Successful
Teamwork goes a long way towards developing an effective press release. Working together creates some of the best marketing articles.
So why limit the idea of the piece and its composition to your ideas? Instead, brainstorm with a few others and create and write the piece together. This improves clarity and can dramatically improve the quality of your press release.
Rule # 7: Cross-promote to Gain Credibility
Cross-promotion is often referred to as "free form of advertising," as the Edward Lowe Foundation refers to. Cross-promotion can help your information spread quickly across multiple platforms.
However, there are three inherent rules to cross-promotion: cost, control, and credibility.
Finding a cross-promotion partner is easy if you already do business with them. Imagine dividing the cost of distributing and syndicating press releases among a brand that improves your overall branding and reach.
If you want to reach out to a few business partners, you may need to find a cross-promotion partner for your next PR campaign.
Rule # 8: Use quality distribution channels
Cheap distribution is not good, and good distribution is not cheap. Selling it simply costs money.
There are many arguments online about which service is best for distributing press releases. From personal experience, there are only a handful that are worth using.
I've pinned the Wall Street Journal down to Berkshire Hathaway's Business Wire over and over again, but it costs $ 400 or more for a 400-word publication. (After that, there's a charge every 100 words.) You'll also pay a pretty penny to add photos, videos, social media signals, and more.
Marketwire offers good traction and has a fantastic dashboard with good analytics. PR Web is the most profitable of all sales services, but charges almost as much for tier one sales as it does for the other services.
With add-ons, you get more money on the PR Web because you can add videos, images and hyperlinks for free. Other services to consider include: PR Newswire, B Wire, and 1888PressReleases.
Distribution services offer different options for your press release.
Rule # 9: Syndicate After Distribution
Syndication of your press release is vital. Sure, it goes to all of these places. However, if you don't take additional "traction" measures yourself, you may be wasting your own time and money.
Make sure all of your social channels are set up to syndicate your press release. That means Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, Reddit, Pinterest, Instagram, Snapchat, etc. When you syndicate your press release, you'll want to access the dashboard and find various key media that it's posted on for distribution. Use a different medium for each social channel syndication. For example:
- I watch my PR go around the world. As soon as it hits important portals like the Boston Globe, the Sacramento Bee or the Houston Chronicle, I take these hyperlinks and use a different one with a clear description for each social channel on which I syndicate.
- I post my Boston Globe snippet on Facebook and say something like, "Boston Globe covers XYZ software release in Feature Publication."
- Then I take the Houston Chronicle list and post it on Twitter with a clear description and so on.
- Rinse and repeat. Don't worry about trying to get social traffic back to your website. Rather, focus on branding and creating viable credibility and amplified social signals that will ultimately do wonders for your website.
Syndicate your press release after distribution through your social channels
Rule # 10: Gain Social Traction
There is only one service I would recommend for syndicating your press release on social channels and that service is Pitch Engine. This is a social branding and marketing sales service that you take piggyback with your press release.
You can use it to keep track of social analytics and tractions as you make more progress. You want to write a unique copy of the current version for Pitch Engine for even more traction.
If you're syndicating your actual post on social media (as explained above), improve those posts to help spread brand awareness, get more social signals, and generate chatters.
Rule No. 11: Repost with discretion in terms of content
Avoid republishing the actual press release on your website as this can compromise the authenticity of your content and the ranking of the page results on Google and the other search engines.
Instead, write a distinct teaser paragraph or two, then link it to the posting on the host site that distributed it or to any of the major media that picked it up.
This greatly increases the credibility of your website visitors as they can see that you have just been featured in the New York Times (and they can read your full version on this portal instead of reading it on your website). Imagine how this would make them feel about your brand.
Rule # 12: Enhance Your Publication with SEO and Images
Most press release distribution services have some very rewarding add-ons. The first is the SEO improvement feature. Definitely go for do-follow links. A few more PR backlinks never hurt your website.
Consider expanding distribution to reach more sites, albeit at a higher cost. For example, if you're a multinational corporation, consider expanding it worldwide with AP Newswire Syndication. If you are a domestic business, target national regions to reach all of the major news outlets in the US rather than the limited news feeds in your designated geo-region.
After all, pictures, videos, and audio files say a million words. By adding these multimedia elements to your press release, you can get more exposure, improve social media reach, and increase brand awareness.
Ultimately, the future of your public relations – and your brand's reputation – is in your hands. Make the best out of it.
Has your company had success with press releases? Share your experiences below!