The Power of the Press Release: an Important Business Tool

Press releases can serve as an effective means to share information about new product launches, promotions, sponsorships, awards, new team members or other significant milestones. The goal is to make sure that the information is newsworthy and doesn’t come across as an advertisement.

There are some people who don’t see much value in press releases, but I beg to differ because I believe these tools can help companies communicate on various levels. Here are five recommendations for how companies can utilize and benefit from press releases.

1)  Website. For inclusion on the company website. Reporters conduct research on a company prior to writing a story. By having press releases already on your website, reporters can easily access additional information they might not have known (e.g., earning an Inc. 500 status, a launch of a new product line, etc.). In addition, it’s good for investors and other website visitors to see background information on the company. Press releases can be powerful tools for attracting investors. I’ve worked with some organizations that have incorporated the press release content into their daily blog posts, and found this helps give the marketing department more material to work with.

2)  Trade shows and media kits. Before attending a trade show, companies typically assemble media kits for reporters covering the event that include various items such as brochures, photos, background on the company and management team and recent press releases. In addition, trade show coordinators often post press releases on the host’s website from companies exhibiting at the event and that’s a good way to garner some attention before the show begins.

3)  Visibility. Press releases provide a great opportunity to raise awareness and attract eyeballs to your company. For example, say you own a restaurant and you’re launching a unique campaign that will benefit a certain nonprofit organization. It would be an ideal opportunity to not only send the release to local outlets to get local patrons to visit your restaurant during the time of the campaign, but to share the news with hospitality publications so others in the industry can learn about the creative tactics other establishments have implemented. The publicity that press releases can generate is definitely a big plus!

4)  Future stories. Before distributing a press release, I always perform my due diligence and research reporters who have covered the topic in the past. Even if they wrote a story on this particular topic a week ago, I’ll still send the release with a note acknowledging I’m aware they already covered the issue, but am including them should they be interested in the information for a future follow-up story. This allows the reporter to keep the company on their radar and next time they write a similar story, the chances of them asking your company to contribute as an expert source are significantly higher. Last August, a New York Times reporter wrote an article that pertained to a Stalwart Communications client two days before I distributed their press release. I sent the release regardless and mentioned that I had read her story and if she was ever planning on writing a follow-up piece, our client could provide additional insights. Six months later, I received an email from the reporter asking to speak with the CEO and they appeared in the New York Times.

5)  Search Engine Optimization (SEO). While the information in a press release may be used in print publications, nowadays, press releases are shared via the Internet through online publications. Because of this, it’s highly effective to include links, but just remember not to overdo it. For example, if your company launched a new product, it would be wise to insert a link to the webpage of this item so readers can click on the link to learn more. Incorporating links is very important for SEO and while some publications might remove the links you insert, it doesn’t hurt to put them in and hope they stay.

The trick is to constantly think strategically on ways to use press releases to the best of your ability. Some additional tips to consider when writing and distributing a press release include:

• Create catchy headlines to grab the reader’s attention and compel them to read on.
• Place great emphasis on the first two paragraphs of the release but avoid information overload. Each should be around 30 words so the content is easier to divulge and you don’t lose the reader with too much information.
• If you’re distributing a press release to a news outlet, make sure you send it to the correct contact. For example, if you send a technology related piece to a defense reporter, I can almost guarantee that the release will end up in the trash. Do your homework and find the correct reporter.
• PRWeb and other newswire services allow companies to pay a fee to have their release sent to major search engines like Google, Yahoo! News, and journalists. Prices typically start around $80 and can go up to $360 per release depending on the outlets selected. However, there are many free press release distribution sites that I recommend to companies for gaining additional exposure.

With all the benefits that come from press releases, you’ll have a hard time persuading me otherwise that these tools aren’t extremely productive for businesses.