News Releases for the Web
Writing an optimized press release can increase awareness of your brand, heighten your website's search-engine visibility, and boost its traffic from potential journalists (and maybe clients).
Keep the following in mind before you go ahead with a press release:
Is it newsworthy?
While you may think it's the best news in the world, a press release isn't effective if there isn't a hook. Did you just receive the highest honor in your field? Is there a new, super-powerful feature on your website? Do you have a new, buzz-worthy product? Did you just complete a study that readers will find insightful?
Keep it short, yet substantial.
If the news release is more than 800 words, you're saying too much. If it's fewer than 300 words, you don't have enough to say, at least according to online news release publisher PRWeb.com.
Research, research, research.
Think of what your target audience is searching for and what keywords could possibly drive visitors to your news release.
Write a quality headline.
With keywords whenever possible, of course. It's the first thing your reader will see. Make it an H1 header tag for even more emphasis.
Keyword distribution.
Add relevant keywords in the "boilerplate" and body if applicable – don't overdo it.
Link to your site with keywords.
Send visitors to your website, possibly to a specially designed landing page.
Track it.
Use the power of web analytics to measure your success. Evaluate release views, syndicated pick-ups, and referral visits to your website.
Respect your company tradition.
Many companies still use a traditional service like PRNewswire, which has a reputation for distributing news releases offline to traditional journalists. Depending on how "newsworthy" your announcement is, you may still want to use this service.
Use direct contact. Identify suitable publications, blogs, newsletters and websites that may be interested in your news. Promote your brand and form new relationships with prospects.
