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Posts Tagged ‘press releases’


Web.com Review: Small Business Resource: PressKing: Online Newswire Service

August 23rd, 2012 ::

PressKing

Yes, people still send press releases, and media outlets still read and use them. If you’re looking for an easy way to create and distribute news about your business, check out PressKing. You can use their user-friendly tools to create SEO optimized press releases with photos, videos, PDFs and more. Then you can share the press releases via social media channels and/or create targeted distribution lists from PressKing’s media database of over 200,000 contacts in 26 countries. Once the press release has been distributed, use analytics tools to find out how many people read it, how many clicked through to your website and more.

 

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Posted in Marketing, Resources, Small Business, small business | No Comments »

38 Free Marketing Magazines, Books, Conferences and Other Resources

December 29th, 2011 ::

Books

Are you resolved to become a better marketer in 2012? Then get a head start by checking out this list of 38 free resources – from courses to magazines to events – that cover branding, marketing, market analysis, and press releases. You’ll stay on top of marketing trends and news, and learn tips and tricks from the experts.

Courses & Classes

Magazines

Kindle Books

Marketing Associations

Events

Marketing Survey Resources

Press Release Resources

Image courtesy of creative design agency Arrae

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Posted in Marketing | 1 Comment »

4 Easy Ways to Get PR Like a Pro

September 26th, 2011 ::

Press Release

Just because you are not a public relations expert does not mean you should avoid writing and distributing press releases.  Take full advantage of getting your company’s news into the hands of bloggers, journalists and potential customers by thinking and acting like a PR pro.

Much has been written about what to include in your press release – strong headline, keywords, powerful quotes, detailed descriptions that explain the benefits of the product or service to your target market.  But what what do you do with the release once it’s written?  Distribute it, of course–just make sure you cover all your bases.

Here’s how:

1. Submit your press release to distribution services.

Google News and Yahoo! News should be considered different search engines. Get your content indexed in these places by submitting your press release to one of the recognized press release distribution services (see #2 below).

2. Submit your press release to important news stations.

PRWeb, PR Newswire, Business Wire, Marketwire and PrimeNewswire are the five big news stations to hit, but don’t forget about other, less popular services and free services you may be able to use. Just be sure that you have access to the main search engines and the capability to hyperlink from the press release to your site.

3. Include hyperlinks in your press releases.

Free marketing! Hyperlink relevant words that will direct users toward targeted pages. For example, if your press release is about a new product launch, hyperlink important phrases and send people to your website page that corresponds to it, reaping the rewards of search engine optimization.

4. Publish the release on your site.

Sure, you’re sending the press release to reputable distribution services, but so often companies forget to publish a press release on their own website! Stick that baby on your media page, in your blog, news feed, anything! That’s the best way to make sure it is indexed by the main part of Google.

Image by Flickr user Maurina Rara (Creative Commons)

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Posted in Marketing | 4 Comments »

How to Turn a Press Release Into a Marketing Campaign

May 10th, 2011 ::

microphoneSo your company has a big announcement to make.  You’ve released a new product, added a new service, published an eBook, or launched a webinar series.  Awesome!  Time to tell the world, so of course one of the first things you’ll do is write a press release.

Once you have written a press release that is chock-full of interesting information that your target market will just gobble up (fingers crossed), don’t limit yourself to distributing it on PRNewswire and PRWeb and, oh yeah, posting it on your website’s news page.  Go a step (OK, a few steps) further and turn it into a full-blown marketing campaign.

It’s not that hard—really. Here’s what to do (though not necessarily in this order):

Distribute on Social Media

Post your press release on Facebook, send it out to your Twitter followers, and share it with your network on LinkedIn.  You’ll reach a lot of eyeballs this way, and they’re not just any eyeballs, either.  They’re the eyeballs of the people who already know and like your company (and maybe you, too).

Pitch Bloggers

Now that I’ve been blogging for Tech Cocktail for a few months, I have started getting pitched directly by companies, which is not only rather flattering, but very helpful since I am the lead editor and therefore in charge of the editorial schedule.  I might not be able to write about the company immediately, but anyone who takes the time to email me gets a little gold star next to their email.

If there are bloggers who cover your industry that you read and admire, go ahead and send them your press release (especially if they have a big readership!).  

Include in Your Newsletter or Email Marketing

Though you may be very well connected on social media, don’t forget that we are all really busy, forget things, and don’t visit our social networks every day.  On the day you publish your big announcement, we could be on vacation.  So, distribute your press release in even more places by including it in your e-newsletter or creating a special email announcement.

Add Keywords

Once your press release is out there, you’ll want even more people to find it via search engines.  Make sure your press release is loaded up with relevant keywords that will ensure your news pops up when people, especially prospects, are searching for information online.

Branding

Think about all the big marketing campaigns from big companies you see every day.  Let’s take Gap, for instance.  Their emails, postcards, print ads, online ads and in-store signage all looks the same.  That’s because when it comes to marketing, consistency is extremely important.  That consistency is what we call branding.

So, no matter where you distribute your press release, keep the tone of voice, style, and look in perfect sync.  You should also make sure it is consistent with your overall online presence, from your website to your blog to your online ads.

Image by Flickr user Grant (Creative Commons)

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Posted in Branding, Email Marketing, Marketing, Search Marketing, Small Business, Social Media, social media | 1 Comment »

5 Quick Tips on Writing Press Releases That Will Get Read

April 15th, 2011 ::

Megaphone on the streetPublic relations seem to be falling by the wayside—when you can connect with your audience directly via social media and blogs, why bother with press releases?  There are three reasons, actually, but when your overall goal is to stay in touch with your target market(s), writing and distributing press releases is an important part of your marketing efforts.

The three reasons to bother with press releases:

  1. Improve your website’s search results
  2. Drive traffic to your website
  3. Increase brand/company awareness

Another reason not to write off press releases (pun intended) is because writing them is easy.  If you can write great blog posts, you can write a great press release.  Your press release need not be long, just relevant to your target market.  Come to think of it, there are a lot of parallels between blog posts and press releases, so if you want your press release to be read, just follow some of the same basic guidelines you use when writing blog posts.

Grab ‘Em With Your Headline

While incorporating keywords in your headlines are important, they shouldn’t take over and make the headline awkward.  The goal of your headline is to grab the interest of your target market. Use the keywords you can, and don’t fret about leaving some out.

Too many keywords: The ABC Group Launches New Social Media Marketing Consultancy to Build Brand Awareness and Generate Leads For Small and Emerging Companies

Better: The ABC Group Launches Social Media Marketing Consultancy

Rethink the Opening Paragraph

People love stories.  They’re engaging, interesting, dramatic and memorable.  Begin your press release with a story that draws in the reader, especially since so many press releases are now read directly by your target market (rather than journalists), whether they find it through search or a PR syndication service.  The traditional who-what-where-when-why model is dated.  If you want your press release to read like a newspaper article, have at it, but if you want to engage your audience, tell your story.

Add Lots of Hyperlinks

The more hyperlinks in your press release, the more engaged your reader will be.  You can link keywords to other blog posts you’ve written and pages on your website, thus leading your readers to more information on whatever it is you are promoting.

Include Calls to Action

In your press release, ask people to do something!  Whether you want them to subscribe to your blog, follow you on Twitter, like your Facebook page, sign up for your email newsletter or download an eBook, provide them with links to it.  Add an incentive if you’d like: bonus eBook chapter, new whitepaper, free hour of consultation, whatever.

Insert Photos and Videos

Insert photos and videos in your press release for a truly interactive, engaging experience.  You can show screen shots of your new app, photos of your new product, “how it works” videos, video testimonials and more.  Be creative!

Image by Flickr user Kimba Howard (Creative Commons)

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Posted in Marketing, Search Marketing, Small Business | 1 Comment »

3 Lead Generation Case Studies: How Content, SEO, Social Media, and Lead Nurturing Can Increase Sales

March 30th, 2011 ::

Lego sales meetingOne of the hardest things for most small business owners to do is generate leads.  Doing so effectively and efficiently is key, but of course that’s easier said than done.  However, if you don’t do something, your sales will growth might plummet, just like it did for the Legos at left.  Because it is best to learn from others than to make mistakes that can be avoided, here are three case studies, courtesy of an eBook co-written by HubSpot and Marketing Sherpa, that illustrate B2B lead generation problems and their solutions.  The results are outstanding!

Makana Solutions

What they do: Subscription‐based software that helps organizations perform sales compensation planning.

Problem: The software is a new concept (this task is normally done manually) and their target market is composed of companies with 50 or fewer sales reps.  Because prospects don’t know this software exists, they are not actively looking for it; therefore, creating demand and awareness are key to generating leads.

Solution: Makana transformed their website into an online destination for sales compensation planning best practices and practical advice.  To do so, they added educational content, such as sample plans and webinars, they optimized their website for search using high-value keywords, and they used paid search to generate additional leads.  They also added all Web leads to a customer relationship management program for follow-up.

Result: After three months, website traffic increased 200 percent, lead generation rates tripled, and lead conversion rates doubled.

BreakingPoint

What they do: Provide cyber-security solutions

Problem: They are a startup with limited funds and a target audience of security and quality assurance professionals in R&D laboratories who hate marketing.

Solution: A social media strategy that would create strong relationships with hard‐to‐find prospects and turn them into leads.  BreakingPoint took a multi-pronged approach that included:

  • Starting a blog
  • Scanning social media for relevant conversations to follow
  • Using Twitter to share info, post fun stuff and conduct informal polls
  • Creating a LinkedIn group that focused on the industry, not the company
  • Tweaking their press releases by adding links to their website and distributing them via Qeb-based services more frequently
  • Promoting their social media channels on their website and in e-signatures
  • Measuring everything

Result: After six months, leads from the Web shot up to 55 percent of all leads.

IBM Cognos

What they do: Business intelligence software

Problem: Longer sales cycles and buying committees composed of more people were making traditional tactics less effective at driving sales.  Email marketing, for instance, saw click-through rates (CTR) plummet.

Solution: IBM Cognos put lead nurturing processes in place that positioned the company as a thought leader, generated demand, and supported the sales team.  To read these goals, they overhauled their website to provide useful content, such as white papers and demos, and they organized all the content and information by product line and industry.  They also created a lead‐nurturing program based on the prospect’s profile, and they analyzed and tested the program to ensure they were getting results.

Result: Open rates increased from 13.2 percent to 33.3 percent, CTR increased from 0.09 percent to 15.5 percent, response rate increased from 0.05 percent to 17.5 percent, and costs‐per‐lead decreased by 30 percent to 40 percent.  Better alignment between sales and marketing goals allowed the marketing team to generate 30 percent of all leads per quarter.

Image by Flickr user Mark Anderson (Creative Commons)

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Posted in Marketing, Search Marketing, Small Business, Social Media, Thought Leadership | 4 Comments »

Public Relations 101

January 27th, 2010 ::

Doesn’t it always seem that the cool people in books and movies have jobs in fashion, advertising, or public relations?  The cutthroat fashion industry is equal parts glamour and anxiety, but hey, they look good.  Advertising jobs require patience, creativity, determination, and a thick skin.  Once you take away the cushy paycheck, you are left with demanding clients and a lot of stress.  However, if the entertainment industry is to be believed (ha ha), the people who work in advertising are young, thin, sartorialists of the highest order, and really, really good looking. 

The public relations industry is treated the same way, but only if you work in sexy fields—fashion, hospitality, retail, and interior design spring to mind.  At its most basic level, though, public relations is all about four things: generating interesting news (or press) releases, sending that news to the right people, pitching stories, and, if need be, containing damaging news/stories. 

For small business people, getting press is a great way to boost visibility and position yourself as a leader in your industry.  You are doing something newsworthy!  You must be important!  To get you started, here is a step-by-step guide to creating an in-house public relations machine.

  1. Before you even write a press release, you need to put together a targeted media list. Start with your local and regional newspapers and magazines.  They are always looking for interesting news stories, and, especially in this economy, they like to write about upbeat, local success stories.  Figure out who covers your industry by looking up the publication online; if that doesn’t yield a definitive answer, call them.  If you live near a major metropolitan area, repeat this process with that city’s newspaper.  Next up are the regional and national publications that cover your industry.   Again, repeat process of figuring out who to add to your list.
  2. Now that you have a targeted media list, sign up for a press release distribution service like PRNewswire, PR.com, or pressreleasepoint.com.  Your press releases will be sent out to thousands of media outlets and further your chances of getting press.
  3. If you’ve never seen one, surprise!, press releases are formatted in a certain way.  Use a search engine to look up “press release templates” for a visual example.  If I explained it here, I’d just be wasting space.  Just remember two things:   Write them on an electronic version of your letterhead and insert what’s called a boilerplate at the end (it’s basic information about your company, such as your mission, years in business, etc.).
  4. Time to think of newsworthy press releases to distribute.  It’s easier than you think.  One of my clients is a wine bar restaurant located in a quaint, historic town.  I write and distribute press releases for them twice a month (consistency is key in the restaurant industry).  Here are subjects I have written about: new menu items, new wine flights, profile of the chef, a wine cooler giveaway, a regular nutrition series they host that is led by a holistic nutritionist, wine dinners, a new produce vendor the supplies them with local and mostly organic products.  I think you get the idea.  
  5. When you send out your first press release to your targeted media list, preface the message by introducing yourself and saying “I’d like to add you to my media list”. 
  6. Once you are comfortable sending out press releases, you can pitch stories to writers (via phone).  If you are about to launch an exciting new product for example, decide where you’d like that story to appear most.  Call the writer at that publication and tell them why you think this story would be of interest to their readers.  If they say no, choose another writer to call.  Be persistent!   

Once you send out a press release, whether or not it’s published, put it on your website’s “news” page.  If you don’t have a news page, you need one!

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Posted in Marketing | No Comments »