An excellent form of online marketing many business owners omit in their planning is using Press Releases (PR).
One of the reasons is that the more effective sites to use for PR are “paid services”. But, there are times in business where you have to look at something as an investment not an expense.
Paid Press Releases can range from $20 and into the hundreds of dollars, you will want to look at the return on the widespread coverage before deciding which type may be yours…the decision may also depend on the ‘news’ you have to share.
What is a Press Release?
A Press Release is an announcement meant to reach members of the news media with information that has ‘news value’ to the media. The PR is intended to encourage journalists to pick up the story and possibly write an article on the subject. The additional attention gives you more exposure (and generally from reputable news sources) for free.
What is newsworthy for a PR?
Press Releases can contain various types of information about your business – things like: events, awards, new services or products, sales and promotions, and, for some organizations, financial news.
What are the benefits of using a Press Release?
- Boost visibility online
- Build credible backlinks to your website
- Establish expertise
- Viral marketing reach
- Reach potential clients
Are they worthwhile?
My recent example…
Last year I was elected to the Board of Directors for IVAA – The International Virtual Assistants Association. We are a non-profit trade association for Virtual Assistants all over the world. This year I moved into the Vice President role, which means next year I will take on the role of president. I am the first Canadian member to take on the VP role. This is news. I did a Press Release and the PR article was released throughout the US and Canada and included the Canadian Press.
This happened in mid-April and it was originally scheduled for Tuesday, April 16, the day after the Boston Bombings, so I held off until the 18th and then the Texas Explosion happened. There was a lot of competition for news that week.
Online, I had all sorts of reaction and sharing of the links from some of the articles. The ones that were on NBC News and the Online Wall Street Journal got the most traction, it seemed.
So what, you say? Traction means nothing on the revenue charts, but traction, indeed, can lead to revenue. One of my PR pieces was shared on LinkedIn. Several of my contacts clicked the Like button or made a comment. The next day, I received an email from someone who was not connected to me but one of the “likers’ on the news article. He was looking for a virtual assistant for his business. We set-up a consultation to discuss working together.
I also had a reporter contact me to get more information on the news I had in the PR…that will lead to an article in his paper and online journal.
On average, you may pay $300 to $400 for an effective PR with widespread coverage. So, if I sign one client for a monthly support package, in one month I have more than paid the PR fee and have 11 more months of income. Traction leads to Revenue.
So, yes, indeed being on Yahoo Finance, NBC and the Wall Street Journal can get you some PR, which can lead to visibility online and traction and, yes, revenue.
Some top PR submission sites to consider using are:
- Marketwire.com
- Ereleases.com
- OnlinePRnews.com
Don’t neglect the opportunities you can see from doing a Press Release.
Have you had success using online PR services? Please share in the comments, or on my Facebook page.
