Three Ways to get More Digital Bang from Press Releases
Public relations has morphed in a big way in the past few years- especially the last two years. If you aren’t optimizing your content in releases or any announcements or posts so that people are pushed to you digitally, listen up.
1. Use a service such as PR Newswire to reach the right media. Or if you just have a local or regional release, make sure your media list is updated and that you follow and communicate with the appropriate editors or reporters. If you can’t afford a wire service or don’t have the staff or PR savvy to do this on your own, hire an expert. Giving this task to a professional will save you time and money in the short and long run.
2. Optimize your release with the right keywords. You can use Google’s keyword planner that links to their adword program. Or use an SEO professional who has a subscription-based program showing the best keywords as well as other latest techniques to optimize your content for web searches. Also, relying on skillful SEO consultants is a smart move since they know the latest in tech and algorithm trends.
3. Follow editors and reporters who cover yours or your clients’ industries. Take some time to find the reporters who write about your industry and actually want valid, topical information sent to them. Learn their interests and beats via their posts on Twitter, LinkedIn and other relevant social media channels. Some will even post questions or their editorial needs regularly. And of course with LinkedIn, follow groups or association groups tied to your industry. For example, if you are in search of food service group professionals, there are more than 600 groups just in that one category on LinkedIn. Taking some time to identify the appropriate decision makers in these groups will ensure you are spending your time wisely in the LinkedIn world.
Overall, the content that you use when communicating via releases or posts is critical. Your content should scratch an itch for bloggers, online and print journalists. And for the best marketing results, integrate your PR with a comprehensive content marketing plan.
