Press releases are a time-honored way to generate traffic for businesses. They’re used in offline business to alert the media and the public about a new business, new product or service, etc.
Press releases are also very widely used in the online world. Again, they can be designed to alert the media and the public about a new business, new product, new service, some point of success the business has had, etc.
Press releases are essentially statements put out to alert people to something— in this case, business related.
They generally contain information about the company, its founders, top products, statistics, response, product specifics, company quotes, etc.
If you’re curious as to what a real-time press release looks like, head to Google and type in “your niche press release.” You’re sure to find several great examples.
Why Is a Press Release Useful?
Well, no one is going to know about your new business, product, or service, unless you tell them. There are often niche journals, newspapers, and individuals who are looking out for the latest happenings. Many of them look to press releases to find this exact information.
Press releases are also a good traffic strategy. You can get others picking up the announcement, linking to your business as a result.
Depending on where you submit your press release, you can get links and some traffic directly from the press release site as well. Some people, journalists, bloggers, newspapers, and more subscribe to services like http://prweb.com, so your press release can potentially get you in front of a lot of people. If you want to get traffic, then you need to get in front of newsmakers and thought leaders.
There are certain services out there that will mass-distribute your press release for you.
It has to be said that many in online business have blindly written and submitted a press release, only to have little to no results.
You have to ask yourself WHY you’re writing a press release and why people will be interested in what you have to say with your press release.
Are you going to be able to get people talking? How can you shake things up? Will you be able to rank in the search engines for the press release you create?
Sure, there’s a typical way to write a press release and all that, but you also have to think out of the box. Find ways to stand out in your niche.
Hiring Someone to Write Your Press Release For You
If you take a look at the press releases out there and are really unsure if you can write one yourself, know that there are definitely people out there who will write them for you.
Find a service provider who has a lot of experience writing press releases. That can work well for you and can be more effective than trying to write one yourself but having it turn out to be a waste of time.
There have even been former newspaper editors and reporters offering their press release writing services on sites like Fiverr.com and Upwork.com.
You might be surprised at how little you can pay for a really high quality press release.
What to Include In a Press Release
Remember— you don’t want your press release to be boring. You should only write and release a press release that is exciting and newsworthy to your audience. A new business launch or a new product is an example. But what will the people of your niche really care about? What innovations have you made?
Make sure you have a great, catchy press release title or headline. Try to include a benefit, a newsworthy event or action, etc.
Try to slip in benefits and features. Try to make the press release relatable to your audience.
Your press release should be written very professionally. Try to include facts, statistics, and quotes that are relevant to the reason you’re writing the press release in the first place.
There’s a certain way you should format your press release as well— consult with the PR distribution services you’re using for their rules and guidelines on this. Again, you can get some great clues by researching effective press releases from others in your niche.
Press Release Distributors
There are some free options and some paid options for submitting press releases.
There are also mass distributors out there, that focus on the freebie options. You can use Fiverr.com to hire someone to distribute to the free sites for you. Note that paid sites are generally much more effective. While they obviously cost more, you don’t want to waste your time on sites that don’t have any real distribution.
Examples of sites to check out for submission:
There are sites like this in abundance, but these are some of the top to check out.
Consider the pros and cons of the distribution service you use. Consider what you’re willing to spend.
Do Press Releases the Right Way
I also urge you to really study and learn what you can about press releases specifically for your niche.
This is one of the lesser known and lesser practiced traffic generation strategies in the Internet marketing space. I believe it’s that way because there are, honestly, easier ways of getting traffic and this works better in some niches and with some projects better than others.
Still, submitting press releases is such a time honored tradition that has worked so well for so many businesses over the years that it’s a strategy that just can’t be ignored.
Research press releases in your niche. Spend time writing (or hiring someone to write) a great press release on a newsworthy topic related to your niche. Then, pay for distribution from a reputable PR distribution source. You want to get your press release in front of as many people as you can.
If you do those things, then you just might be able to generate a lot of chatter, links, and interest in your business, product, service, or project. That can generate you some great traffic.
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