Things to Keep in Mind When Distributing Press Releases

A press release is a communication tool that can be digitally presented, recorded, or written. When you are distributing a press release, what you are actually doing is communicating to your audience through the press. Whichever form you use isn’t important as long as the way you deliver the information is effective, because when you are delivering news, effectiveness is key so you can get more coverage and reach your target audience. However, writing a press release isn’t as simple as you may think as it requires a very specific structure that includes important details, engaging and relevant content, and background information. The most important thing about a press release is to keep it short and simple. There are other things you need to keep in mind before you start distributing press releases, so continue reading to have a better understanding of press release distribution.

How to Write a Press Release

A well-written press release is an output that not everyone can produce, even if you are a skilled writer because writing a press release requires more than just talent. You need to be someone with journalistic experience or hire one to be able to tell a story from a journalist’s point of view. A press statement must cover something that is newsworthy, you have to state your objective and be very clear about it. The statement should contain enough information so your audience and journalists understand why your news is important, moreover, there should be a hook to encourage more questions. If you are going to tease people, it is preferable not to tease them too much as most people won’t dig around for more information.

Remember to answer the audience’s questions before they even ask them, you have to give them as well the who, what, when, where, why, and how. Sharing the correct information is also extremely important to make your statement undeniably reliable. You can share likely information by using the correct titles and names, and of course, use the correct style and grammar.

Know Your Audience

While writing a press release, it is always tempting for any writer to flex their metaphorical writing muscles and use their best marketing speak. However, you don’t have to use big words because these big words are unnecessary and usually fall flat with the audience. You must also be aware of your target audience, do plenty of demographic and customer research so you can reach them easily. You have to know and learn to speak the language of the specific people you are targeting just so you don’t lose them. One great example is if your target audience is people in their 50s and over. People in this age bracket are somewhat outdated with the present-day terminologies so it’s best that you avoid the use of modern expressions. Instead, your language and terms must be targeted and appropriate for their age group.

Professional Emails

There are a right way and a wrong way to write an email. Learning the proper email etiquette for PR people is key when they are communicating with different media outlets. Badly written emails don’t reflect well on the people who are writing them, both on a personal and professional level. The most important rule to sending an e-mail is the subject line because it informs the recipient of what the email is about. You must also use the email recipient’s name to convey professionalism and show respect. Prior to sending the email you wrote, it is important to read the email carefully to make sure that there aren’t any spelling or grammatical mistakes. Remember to be professional, use a proper greeting, and keep your email short and to the point.

Get Ready to Answer Questions

Once your press release is out, there are going to be many phone calls from people who have questions and are eager to know more. You have to make it easy for the press to reach you by displaying your contact information on all your releases and make sure that your staff is available to answer any questions. If you go silent after a press release, this will show a lack of care on your end. Remember that the whole point of any press release is communication, and in order for communication to take place, there must be two sides involved so your side must be ready to deliver.

Visuals and SEO Skills

Including visuals in a press release is always a good idea, like images and videos. If you don’t know, visuals increase engagement by a lot and they are the best method for delivering information, and short videos illustrate the notion behind your statement. SEO is another way for your report to get noticed and get more engagements. You have to enhance the SEO in your statement so you get noticed on Google searches and other websites. However, be sure not to go overboard, as you are writing for the people first and foremost not for the search engines. In this day and age, press releases aren’t what they used to be, they are more a form of branding now and this is what SEO is for. You have to be aware of the market and learn everything about your brand. Like the visuals and SEOs, the headline is essential so make your headline catchy so it grabs attention.

Use High-Quality Distribution Channels

If you want to distribute a press release then you have to do it the right way. The right way of distributing a press release though isn’t always cheap, however, investing in paid distribution channels is really worth it as these channels have close relationships with popular websites. If you are on a budget, you can use free services but you will get exactly what you paid for, or in this case, what you didn’t pay for, because free services post to lower quality websites. The best option for you is to use both paid and free services to get your message out and to reach as many audiences as possible.

Remember that you can get more from your press release than just press. A press release is also a great tool that can boost your SEO efforts. It is important to keep in mind that you are not only promoting your company, but you are also communicating what is going on behind the scenes. If you carefully apply the tips mentioned above, you will be able to create and distribute effective content that will be widely noticed.