As the resident copywriter at Blue, I’ve written (and/or edited) my fair share of Press Releases. I’ve noticed that many clients and companies seem to think that press releases are only good for one thing—telling news outlets about potential stories. Think again.
PRs can do so much more than just create a news story. In fact, with the downturn in print news, it’s become more difficult for a PR to be anything other than a sheet of paper in a pile on an overworked journalist’s desk. So, why bother writing a PR at all?
It Can Be DIY.
Who says a newspaper has to print a story in order for it to reach people? Post the PR on your website, then mention it on Facebook, or Tweet about it. You just might get your story “Liked” or Re-Tweeted to an even bigger audience.
It Makes Great Blog Fodder.
Post your PR on your blog and it hits the RSS Feeds of all your subscribers. There’s another opportunity for Tweets, Re-Blogging or brand recognition.
It Improves SEO.
Every time you post a link to your PR online, it validates that your website is a legitimate place to find information about that topic. The more that people re-post that link, the better it is for your SEO. Similarly, the fact that your PR has its own specific url means that you’ve increased the number of pages that make up your site. That improves SEO, too. This PR hasn’t even hit a newsdesk and it’s working wonders as a promotional tool.
It Just Might Go Viral.
Just today I received a Re-Tweet of a Press Release about a new gym opening in my area. They’re giving away free classes, which I fully plan to use. I wanted to share the news with my friends, so I sent it out to my Twitter followers. Just a few minutes later, several of them (including a “local events” aggregate with many followers) re-tweeted MY re-tweet. Suddenly, thousands of people were aware of the grand opening of this new gym—no telling how many, as many people’s Twitter accounts connect to their Facebook, LinkedIn or another account. A small gym’s opening just went viral because they sent out a PR about free classes. I’d say that’s a pretty decent way to start your new business.
It Could Be a News Story, After All.
Hey, maybe that PR’s hit the top of the stack! If you’ve got a story that counts as real, genuine news, it just might be printed (and posted online and, perhaps, have a headline posted on social media). Think of all the extra promotion you’ve already done. At this point, a news story is just icing on the cake
So, do you still think that PRs are good for news stories and news stories alone? If so, try re-naming your Press Releases to Promotional Releases. Consider them just that: a way to promote your news to your followers in every way possible. It could open up new ways of looking at an old necessity.
