Why Issue Press Releases?
Any time you send out a press release, you should have a specific goal you’re working toward. If you don’t have goals, your press release distribution will be aimless and ineffective, and you’ll never be able to effectively measure your results because you have nothing to compare it against.
Setting goals for your press releases gives you direction for your campaign, keeps you from sending out wasteful press releases, and allows you to more accurately measure the results of your PR campaign.
Here are some of the most common goals of press releases.
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Get media coverage –
In this era of online news releases and “free” press release distribution websites, it can be easy for people to forget that press releases are designed to, you know, get media coverage. Press release distribution can help you reach both traditional media and new media influencers. To capture the attention of reporters and bloggers, make sure your press release is well-written, has a strong headline, doesn’t read like an advertisement, and offers your contact information.
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Increase brand awareness –
Do customers know who you are and what you do? Is your company indistinguishable from your competitors? Press release distribution can help you boost brand awareness and highlight your brand’s unique characteristics. With a consistent press release distribution strategy, reporters and buyers will become more familiar with you, and with familiarity comes credibility.
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Position yourself as a thought leader –
You want reporters and customers to think of you as an industry expert. This can help you earn more media coverage, as reporters will be likelier to cover your stories and to come to you for quotes on relevant topics. As it relates to buyers, the more they see you in the news, the more they begin to trust you enough to give you their business.
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Get more sales –
Speaking of getting your customers’ business, bringing in sales is another common goal of press release distribution. It typically goes hand in hand with many of the other goals on this list, and it’s a fairly easy benchmark for you to measure.
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Link building and SEO benefits –
The other day, I revealed some statistics showing the importance of SEO press releases. The simple truth is millions of consumers and many reporters use the internet to get their news. By publishing high quality, fully optimized online news releases, you can spread your message further, build more back links, and improve the search rankings of your website.
How to Track Whether Your Press Releases Are Accomplishing Your Goals
To track whether press releases achieved their goals, you can use a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods. Here’s a detailed approach:
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1. Define Clear Goals
- Awareness: Increase brand visibility or public awareness.
- Engagement: Drive traffic to a website, generate social media interactions, or spark conversations.
- Action: Encourage downloads, purchases, or event attendance.
- Media Coverage: Secure mentions or placements in targeted outlets.
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2. Set Measurable KPIs
Align your Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) with your goals. For example:
- For awareness: Track impressions, reach, and audience demographics.
- For engagement: Monitor clicks, time on page, and shares.
- For action: Measure conversions, registrations, or sales.
- For media coverage: Count the number of articles, mentions, and their quality (tone and reach of the publication).
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3. Use Tracking Tools
- Media Monitoring Services: Tools like Meltwater, Cision, or Google Alerts can track press mentions, sentiment, and reach.
- Web Analytics: Use tools like Google Analytics to measure traffic spikes, referral sources, and behavior on the press release landing page.
- Social Media Analytics: Monitor metrics like mentions, shares, likes, comments, and hashtags associated with the press release.
- Press Release Platforms: If using distribution services (e.g., PR Newswire, Business Wire), utilize their built-in analytics for views, downloads, and pickups.
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4. Measure Media Coverage
- Quantity: How many outlets published or mentioned your press release?
- Quality: Were the publications reputable and aligned with your target audience?
- Reach: How many potential readers did the coverage reach? (Check publication readership data.)
- Sentiment Analysis: Was the coverage positive, neutral, or negative?
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5. Analyze Website and Social Media Impact
- Monitor website traffic patterns (e.g., sessions, bounce rate, time on page) after the release.
- Evaluate the performance of call-to-actions (CTAs) included in the press release.
- Analyze engagement metrics on social platforms if the release was shared there.
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6. Engage With Stakeholders
- Solicit feedback from customers, partners, or stakeholders mentioned in the release.
- Conduct surveys or polls to assess awareness or sentiment.
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7. Compare Performance to Benchmarks
- Use historical press release data as a baseline.
- Benchmark performance against industry averages or competitor activity.
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8. Track Lead Generation and Sales
- Use UTM parameters in links to track leads originating from the press release.
- Compare lead quality or sales before and after the release.
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9. Evaluate ROI
- Compare the cost of creating and distributing the press release against the value generated (e.g., increased traffic, conversions, or brand awareness).
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10. Generate a Post-Release Report
- Include metrics, media coverage, and qualitative feedback.
- Highlight successes, areas for improvement, and lessons for future releases.
By employing these methods, you can measure whether your press releases met their objectives and refine your strategies for greater impact in the future.
Consistency Is the Key to Success
If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times: There is no magic bullet press release. One press release isn’t going to help you achieve all your wildest dreams. Journalists usually cover hundreds of companies, and they receive press releases on a nonstop basis. The best way to get noticed is to create familiarity by sending quality press releases on a regular basis.
This is what’s known as the leaky faucet approach to PR, and it’s used by some of the most effective PR people I know. You drop a series of newsworthy press releases over time, and eventually, the media will take notice and grant you valuable coverage.
What are some of the top goals you have when writing a press release?
This article is written by Mickie Kennedy, founder of eReleases (https://www.ereleases.com), the online leader in affordable press release distribution. Grab your free copy of the Big Press Release Book – Press Releases for Every Occasion and Industry here: https://www.ereleases.com/free-offer/big-press-release-samples-book/