Over 70% of marketers say content marketing has quantifiably improved prospect engagement. Meanwhile, 66% of customers agree that companies should make it easier to access their content.
Creating a news release can help you appear in front of those customers.
You can generate brand awareness, build recognition, and expand your reach online. Then, you can draw more people to your business with ease.
Once people recognize your credibility, you could boost leads and sales, too.
Not sure how to grow your brand authority and reach using a press release? Here are nine essential tips that can help you get started.
With these tips, you can create a wow-worthy release media outlets will want to share. You can appear in front of their existing audience to boost your brand visibility.
Get started with these nine simple tips today.
1. Know Your Audience
Before you start writing your first news release, take a moment to research your target audience. Understanding your customers is essential. Otherwise, you might write a release that fails to match their interests.
If your release doesn’t appeal to a publication’s audience, the journalist that reads it won’t publish the release.
Journalists receive hundreds of press releases every day. They look for press releases that will excite or engage their readers.
Learning about your target audience can help you determine what they want to read.
First, try to segment your audience based on demographics and psychographics. Then, gather keyword research. Determine what your customers are searching for online.
Consider their pain points, too. What problems do your customers face on a daily basis? How can your product or service offer a solution?
Once you gather audience and keyword research, find a single focus point for your release.
Grab Their Attention
Sometimes, readers will only glance at a headline before deciding if a press release appeals to their interests. When writing your release, it’s important to grab the reader’s attention immediately.
Otherwise, they’ll skim by and turn their attention elsewhere.
Start working on your press release by creating an attention-grabbing headline. Focus on the release’s main purpose. Then, try to pack a punch.
Use strong, exciting action verbs and vivid adjectives. Avoid fluff, though. Instead, focus on the substance you’re trying to offer your readers.
Writing a strong headline can create a little trial and error. Consider finding a professional press release service. They’ll make sure your release is written with your target audience in mind.
With help from a professional team, you can grab the reader’s attention and keep it.
2. Focus on Newsworthy Topics
About 78% of content marketers use press releases as a part of their content marketing strategy. In fact, 92% of marketers report content as a valuable business asset. It’s not enough to create a news release, though.
You need to make sure the topic you cover is worthwhile to both your customers and news outlets. Otherwise, the news outlets won’t pick up your story. You’ll struggle to appear in front of your target audience as a result.
Instead, you need to find a newsworthy topic that media outlets will want to snatch up.
Determine why you’re writing this press release. For example, maybe you want to announce a(n):
- Upcoming content/competition
- New sister company
- New business location
- Change of ownership in the company
- Internship program or scholarship
- Partnership with another business
- Affiliate/referral program
- Merger, acquisition, or expansion
- New certification or credentials
- Upcoming tour of your facilities
- New executive you’re hiring
- Change in the name of the company
- Redesign of the company’s brand
- Redesign of the company’s website
- Upcoming special event
- Pro Bono work you’re doing
- New technology you’re developing
- Charitable contribution you’re making
- Upcoming anniversary
- Award or endorsement you’re receiving
Make sure the topic you choose appeals to your target audience.
3. Personalize and Localize
Once you determine the topic you want to cover, start outlining your news release. Make sure it’s personalized and localized.
About 74% of consumers get frustrated when content has nothing to do with their interests. Another 52% of consumers will switch brands if a company fails to personalize communications. Personalizing your content will help you connect with your audience.
As you write your press release to build your brand, focus on your customers, not your business. Write with their needs in mind.
Think about your local audience, too.
Consider any recent events that have occurred in your area. What’s on your customers’ minds right now? How can you leverage their current interests when writing your press release?
Personalizing and localizing your content will help media outlets recognize the relevance of your release. They could become more likely to pick up the story as a result.
4. Add Quotes and Visuals
As you start working on your press release, make sure it stands out among the rest. Remember, journalists receive hundreds of releases each day. You can improve your release by adding quotes.
Try to quote an authority figure. For example, you can quote an executive, CEO, project leader, or stakeholder. Focus on someone who has a leadership position if you can.
Focusing on someone who holds a leadership position will give your press release more credibility.
Journalists will have an easier time recognizing the value you’re offering within the release. A credible pull quote will back up any claims you make within your release.
Try to add visuals as well. Visuals like infographics, polls, or video content will help engage your audience. Visual components can also make complex concepts easier to understand.
Make sure to brand your visuals. Use the color palette and fonts that are relevant to your overall brand.
Brand consistency will help brand awareness and recognition grow. You’ll have an easier time as you build your brand reach as a result.
5. Make It Easy to Share
If you plan on posting your press release to your company blog, make sure it’s easy to share.
First, add social sharing buttons to your blog. Readers can post the release on their own social media platforms with a simple click.
Once a publication picks up your press release, share the link on your own social media accounts. Social sharing will help you build your brand reach online. It could encourage your followers to share the news release on their own accounts, too.
Then, you can reach an even larger audience, boosting brand awareness even more.
6. Use SEO
Nearly 70% of all online experiences begin with a search engine. Consumers are looking for your product and service online. With search engine optimization (SEO), you can make sure your news release appears in front of them.
Search engine optimization will ensure your release appears on search engine pages. When someone looks for your product or service, your content will appear. They can click on the release to learn more about your business.
SEO drives 1,000% more traffic than organic social media.
In fact, 60% of marketers say SEO and blog content are their highest sources of leads. SEO leads have an almost 15% close rate, too.
First, look at the research you gathered. Determine which keywords your customers use to find your business online. Then, include a target keyword within your press release.
Feature the target keyword in your:
- Headline
- URL
- A heading
- Opening and closing paragraphs
- Body text
- Image alt text
- Image file name
If you hire a press release service, ask if they’ll optimize the post for you.
7. Consider the Formatting
Take the time to review your press release’s formatting, too. You can find a news release example online. Otherwise, follow the general template, which includes:
- The release date for your press release
- Your company logo (which boosts brand awareness)
- A strong headline and subheading
- The dateline
- A strong, engaging lede paragraph
- Body text
- The boilerplate
- The end notation (“###”)
- The press contact’s information (name, phone number, etc.)
If your press release isn’t formatted correctly, journalists might not pick it up.
8. Use Multiple Distribution Channels
Before posting your press release on your own blog, consider contacting a press release company. They can help by distributing your release to multiple channels.
Sharing your release with multiple media outlets will expand your online visibility. You can generate brand awareness and attract more people to your website.
9. Review the Data
Once a press release company distributes your release, review the data. How many consumers saw your release? How many visited your website?
Reviewing the data from your press release will help you make more informed decisions in the future. For example, you can determine if you chose the right distribution channels. You might realize some channels worked better than others.
You can adjust your PR strategy in the future to expand your reach online. Otherwise, you might use the same outlets in the future, limiting your reach.
Boost Your Brand: 9 Tips for Using a News Release to Expand Reach
Ready to boost brand awareness and draw more customers to your business? Use these tips before sharing your news release with media outlets online. With these tips, you can generate more business than ever before!
You can remain top-of-mind with your target audience by posting releases throughout the year.
Eager to get started? We’re here to help.
Explore our pricing today to review your options.