Attract Customers and Make Yourself Famous
Writing a basic press release is easy. There are even templates you can use—just fill in the blanks with your information and go. But writing a great press release, one that grabs the attention of media and the public, takes skill and practice. The good news is that the skills needed can be learned, and as for practice…well, why not start right now?
You need a newsworthy angle and a great headline. Let’s look at the newsworthy angle first. [Read more…]
Free publicity is one of the single best ways for businesses to promote themselves. It is particularly attractive to new businesses and solo-preneurs with a limited marketing budget, but publicity is a powerful marketing method for more established businesses as well. Since the publication of Jay Conrad Levinson’s “Guerrilla Marketing” many marketers and business owners are aware of how effective this form of marketing can be.
It is important to note that the fact that free publicity doesn’t cost anything does not mean that it is necessarily lower quality. In fact free publicity can be much more effective than paid advertising. Studies have shown that people are becoming increasingly able to “tune out” advertisements. When reading a newspaper their eyes will naturally go to the articles and skip over the advertisements. Technology, such as Tivo and online ad blockers, has also made it easier for consumers to block out paid advertising messages. This means that if you want to get in front of your potential audience then free publicity may be the best way for you to do it.
Here are five great ways for you to get your message out to the public using free publicity: [Read more…]
Press releases can still be an effective way to get publicity, but distribution methods have changed. Before the internet, press releases were distributed by newswire, postal mail or fax. They may be sent by these methods today, but the vast majority are distributed online via email or online press release distribution services.
One advantage of online press releases is that they can be optimized for the search engines to help your site rank better for your targeted keywords. And, unlike the past where press releases had a shelf life of approximately seven seconds, online releases can be available for many years. I still get contacted occasionally because of releases I put online years ago.
Here are some of the best places to distribute your press releases.
PRWeb.com – One of the internet’s leading press release services, PR Web submits releases to a huge network of journalists and bloggers. They also submit releases directly to major search engines and news sites. PRWeb charges a fee for each release depending on the features desired, and subscription plans are available.
PRLog.com – PRLog does not offer as many features as PRWeb, but it is free to post your release on the site. All submissions are optimized for search engines, and premium distribution packages are available for a fee.
News outlets in your niche – If you can’t afford a paid submission service, it’s a good idea to submit your press release directly to some publications that are relevant to your niche. A quick Google search should bring up some options if you don’t have any in mind. Visit their websites to find out where you should send news releases. If you can’t find that information, email the editor to request it.
Local news outlets – Even if your target market is not local, your local news outlets may be interested in news about your local business. I once got stories in two local newspapers by sending a release announcing that I had been featured in a national magazine. The newspapers did not write about the fact I was in a magazine, but they became aware of me because of my release, and the fact that a national magazine found my story interesting made me more interesting to my local media. If they publish your release online, it could help bring traffic to your site. Visit the websites of local media to find contact information.
Your website – It’s always a good idea to add your press releases to your own site. Consider adding a media page to your site, with links to resources for the media, such as photos (both high-resolution and web-resolution), information about you, your company and your products, stories where you have been featured, videos of you and, of course, your press releases.That way any members of the media that visit can easily access your press releases and information about you that may entice them to feature you. At the very least, putting press releases on your site could help you get more search engine traffic.
Press releases are just as important today as they were when print publications were the primary sources of news—maybe more so. A good press release can go a long way in promoting your business.
After sending several press releases, you finally got a nice article in your local newspaper, a trade journal or a national magazine. Or perhaps you were interviewed on radio or television. You got some of your 15 minutes of fame. Now what?You may think that once the show is over or the publication is no longer on the newsstands, the value of your appearance ends. However, there are many ways to keep your publicity working for you.
First of all, if there is a call to action in the story you will hear from people months or years after the story ran. Always ask the interviewer to include information on how their audience can get something free from you (e.g., download a free report from your Web site) or how they can order your product. I often receive orders from customers who saw an article that appeared more than a year earlier. Although there is no guarantee that your call to action will get in the story, ask.
Here are some additional ways to continue getting results from publicity successes, long after your moment of fame. [Read more…]