The Power of the Press Release: Increase Visibility, Searchability and Credibility
Hear Ye, Hear Ye. Back in the day, (yes, way back in the day) these are the words used by the town crier to catch people’s attention so that he could make a public announcement. While it may not have been the most efficient, it was certainly simple. Stand in the middle of town and read the announcement from a scroll. That is how the news got out way back when.
Today, it is not that simple. Sure you can post on Facebook and Twitter, but if no one passes along your post or tweet, did anyone really see it? So, what can you do to really get your news out in the public square?
One tool PR professionals use is a press release. A press release, more often than not, is a written communication directed at members of the news media for the purpose of announcing something newsworthy. (For more tips on what is “newsworthy,” check out our past blog!) And of course, you hope they will be thrilled with the news and report on it. But in this day and age, getting a news article is not the only reason to create a press release. Distribution of the release through a wire service will allow your content to picked up by a number of sites providing many benefits.
Visibility
There are a number of sites that are looking for content and will reprint the press release. While this is not an article, this tactic can work well as each site has their own users, which opens your release to a lot more readers. Hopefully, these users will be reading your press release learning about your company and visiting your website.
Linking to other sources
Additionally, these news sources that look for new material to publish may provide a natural link. Natural or organic link building happens when other sites willingly link back to a company’s site. Having a number of natural links leading back to your company website is a great way to increase your overall SEO (search engine optimization).
Take back some control
Since a press release is written by you, you have control over the message and how your company’s story is told. And when your company’s name is included in the release, search engines will give it a better ranking when someone is searching for your company. These releases can push down other news that may not be as flattering, giving you some degree of control over your online reputation when it comes to Google searches. Just remember, credible, newsworthy releases will have more staying power than a mass-produced approach some “SEO” companies may try to recommend to manipulate rankings. Search engines continue to grow smarter in recognizing original and valuable content and over-populating newswires with content will ultimately dilute your results.
Add Credibility
When a release is published by a news source looking for content, it is under that outlet’s masthead adding credibility to your release and your company. Sometimes, these outlets have been around for a long time and are very well known which can provide a valuable connection. Search engines will also give more weight to these credible outlets by recognizing their domain authority, which may result in higher placement rankings due to the associated outlet.
The ultimate goal of public relations is increasing awareness, and the distribution of a wire release can provide just that along with a host of other benefits. So, when you are creating a marketing strategy, consider adding in a release or two as part of an integrated approach for best results.
Need help creating a promotional strategy or PR campaign for your financial business? Learn more about our public relations services or contact us to discuss how we can be of help.
