Small businesses with blogs generate 126% higher lead growth than those without. In fact, over 30% use blogging to boost brand awareness. Another 90% of marketers use digital content to approach customers.
It’s not enough to create blog posts on your website anymore, though. Instead, consider creating a newsworthy press release. Developing a PR strategy can boost brand awareness, site traffic, and help you generate leads.
Not sure how to submit a press release to a publication? Here are the three steps you need to take.
With these tips, you can increase the chances a media outlet will publish your press release submission.
Get started with these easy tips today!
- Know Where to Go
Before you start working on your press release strategy, consider who you’re submitting the press release to.
It’s important to create a list of media outlets that are relevant to your business. Make sure each outlet reaches your target audience. Otherwise, the press release you create won’t matter to that publication’s readers.
If journalists don’t think your story is relevant to their readers, they won’t publish it. Instead, they’ll toss your story in the trash bin.
Choosing media outlets based on their target audience can benefit your business in the long run. You can focus on readers who actually want your product or service. Then, you can start drawing high-quality leads to your business.
Make a list of different media outlets you want to reach. For example, you might want to consider a mix of:
- Blogs
- Newspapers
- Magazines
- Radio
- TV
- Influencers
- Social media accounts (Facebook groups, LinkedIn communities, Twitter lists, etc.)
- Medium
Take the time to learn more about each publication’s readers. Try to gather demographic information about each group. Then, make sure those demographics suit your target audience.
When working on your press release writing, keep that target audience in mind.
If you’re struggling with your press release writing, that’s okay! Consider hiring professional press release writing services. Working with a professional can save you time and effort.
You can make sure your writing appeals to the right audience on the right publication.
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- Organize Your Pitch
As you develop your press release strategy, it’s not enough to write a great press release. You need to create a strong pitch email, too. Otherwise, journalists won’t read past the subject line.
Here are a few tips that can help you craft a strong press release submission. As you use these tips, make sure to adjust your submission for each journalist.
No two publications have the same exact goals or audience. Researching each publication is essential. Otherwise, your press release submission won’t suit their needs.
Each publication will have its own guidelines. Take the time to read those guidelines and requirements in depth. If you ignore those guidelines, journalists might not keep reading.
Here’s what you need when creating an effective, attention-grabbing press release submission.
Create a Compelling Subject Line
Journalists receive hundreds of emails every single day. If your email doesn’t stand out from their inbox, they won’t click on the email. They might never even look at your press release submission.
Instead, you need to hook their attention from the very start.
Make sure your email subject line is strong and relevant. It should highlight the value your press release can offer the publication. For example, maybe you’re giving them an exclusive.
Keep the message short, sweet, and concise. Don’t use clickbait language.
Instead, give the journalist a reason to open your email and read on.
Keep It Short and Sweet
First, greet the journalist by name. Using their name can make the message sound personal. Otherwise, it might sound like you created a mass email.
Then, consider why the journalist should use your press release.
About 84% of marketers claim their content marketing creates brand awareness. Another 75% say it educates their office. Meanwhile, 65% say their content builds credibility and trust.
Consider the value your content is offering readers. Why should the journalist care?
Think about the journalist as you draft your pitch, too. Have you read any of their work in the past? Let them know you appreciate their posts.
Remember, you don’t want to make it seem like you created a mass email you use on every journalist.
As you write the body of your email, keep it short and sweet. Let the journalist know why the submission is ideal for their audience.
Then, close it up! Keep your closing professional. Let the journalist know how they can contact you in the future.
Add the Press Release
After creating your pitch email, add the press release underneath. Copy and paste your press release into the body of the email. Add any images, videos, or other sources of multimedia, too.
- Avoid Costly Mistakes
Once you’ve created your press release submission, read it over multiple times. Consider having someone else in your office read it over, too.
Otherwise, make sure to avoid these mistakes while editing your submission.
Don’t Add Attachments
Don’t add unnecessary attachments or links to your email. Instead, put everything they need within the email’s body. Otherwise, the journalist might feel like you’re wasting their valuable time.
Keep It Brief
Remember, journalists receive multiple emails throughout the day. It’s likely they’ll skim read your email. Try to keep it short and sweet.
Remove any fluff from your email before you send it. Otherwise, the journalist might stop reading halfway through.
Avoid Mass Emailing
Remember, you don’t want it to sound like you copied and pasted the same email. Instead, write each email with a specific journalist in mind. Make sure your message sounds genuine.
Otherwise, journalists won’t feel like you’re offering an exclusive.
Try to foster a relationship with each journalist, too. You can leverage that relationship when developing your press release strategy in the future.
Proofread (Twice)
Check your submission, the actual press release, and all other materials for typos. Fix any spelling mistakes and grammatical errors right away. Otherwise, your submission will look messy and unprofessional.
The journalist could toss it out, simply out of frustration.
Gaining More Media Coverage: How to Successfully Submit a Press Release
A strong press release submission can help your business gain fresh media coverage. You can reach more customers and remain top-of-mind. Build your press release strategy using these easy tips today!
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