Create and submit a press release

 


Press releases are an instant way to gain online exposure; they are a time-tested online marketing strategy. With a great story and savvy promotion you will be immediately indexed by Google News/Bing News and be featured on the first page of the Google search results. Press releases are usually displayed in the format ‘News for (keyword)’ section, as shown below:

1(a)

The point of a press release is to create some buzz in your industry. If you do this well you might even have popular journalistic sites or magazines pick up and re-publish your news, thus promoting your brand further. Pick an interesting angle and push press releases about your events, personnel promotions, awards, case studies, announcements, sales accomplishments and innovations.


Step #1: Create the Press Release Content
Some simple rules:

▪ Plan the content well.

▪ Stick to one topic.

▪ Be relevant: Announce seasonal sales, latest achievements, product launches, noteworthy accomplishments, awards, etc.

Content Structure
Press Release Title:
The headline; this must compel the reader to engage with your PR from top to bottom. 
Here is a good example: Flipboard Launches Its Social Magazine On Android Phones Worldwide.
It is an advantage to choose a keyword that is trending at the time of your press release.
Press Release Summary:
An expanded form of the title and summary of the press release. It must also contain your keyword. Keep it catchy! Make people want to read on. 


Press Release Body:
First Paragraph: Reveal the details of your announcement in the first paragraph. Make sure to include one or two of your keywords.
Rest of the Body: This can include the following:

▪ In-depth details about the news topic.

▪ Quotes from the company spokesperson to keep it personal.

▪ Answers to the ‘who, what, why, when and how’ questions.
Note: Avoid hype and stick to factual information that is useful to your readers.

About Section: The last paragraph of your press release. 
This should be a concise description of your business and is a chance to set your company apart by highlighting your unique selling proposition (USP) in the description. Use one or two hyperlinks or urge people to read further by giving a direct link to your web page (home page or inner page).

Step #2: Promote Your Press Release
A normal press release strategist would hand-pick press release sites, submit to them and expect targeted traffic. Try this list of sites to be a step ahead of the crowd; they do the job of a press release site as well as help your company news gain popularity in social media.


14 Press Release Sites (FREE):

▪ 1888PressRelease

▪ AddPR

▪ BigNewsBiz

▪ BusinessPortal24

▪ ExactRelease

▪ FreePressIndex

▪ I-NewsWire.com

▪ NewsWireToday

▪ OnlinePRNews

▪ PRLog

▪ PressBox

▪ PressExposure

▪ PressMethod

▪ Free Press Release Center
Social Media Business Pages: 
Create company pages on these sites, if you do not have them already. Promote press releases on your Social Media profiles.

▪ Facebook

▪ Twitter

▪ LinkedIn

▪ Google+
Bookmark your press releases (use a preferred version of the release):

▪ Reddit

▪ Digg

▪ StumbleUpon

▪ Delicious
Post Your Press Release on Document Sharing Sites (Prepare a word doc or PDF version of the release and share it on these sites. Make sure it is a descriptive and keyword-rich transcript):

▪ Slideshare

▪ Scribd

▪ Issuu

▪ Docstoc

▪ 4Shared
Other ways to promote your press release:

▪ Collect news editor email addresses in your niche and individually email them your release. (Though time consuming, this can provide great results for a news story and is worth the trouble.)

▪ Email the release as a newsletter to your existing clients.

▪ Publish the content on your blog page.

▪ Add Social Share buttons (Facebook, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn and Pinterest) to your press release content. Read more about it on WooRank Blog.

▪ Create a video about your PR content and distribute it to video sharing sites.

▪ If your press release has images, promote them on image sharing sites likePinterest.

Step #3: Read the Policies
Read submission guidelines/policies on each of the sites and follow them. Double-check these every time you make a submission.