Small Business Press Release Secrets

In today’s social media focused world, the press release has emerged as a strong, but often overlooked marketing tool.

From micro/Solopreneur type businesses to the largest companies out there, press releases are adding low cost impact to any business building effort.

Here’s how to work with press releases in a small business marketing campaign.

Realize that press releases are not only for media outlets. Your clients and prospects read them regularly.

Google and other search engines find press releases easily because they are “new content”. As a result your potential buyers are finding and reading them to gain insight on making buying decisions.

According to David Meerman Scott, the Author of The New Rules of Marketing and PR, there are new rules to press releases. They are:

• Don’t send a press release when “big news” is happening; find good reasons to send them all the time.

• Instead of just targeting a handful of journalists, create press releases that appeal directly to your buyers.

• Write releases replete with keyword-rich copy.

• Create links in releases to deliver potential customers to landing pages on your Web site.

• Optimize press release delivery for searching and browsing.

• Drive people into the sales process with press releases.
  http://www.davidmeermanscott.com/documents/New_Rules_of_PR.pdf

·        Boston and San Francisco based PR Agency; Shift Communications even put together a new Press Release format for buyer specific releases.

This new thinking encourages press release users to link to RSS feeds, and include; photos, MP3 files or Podcast links, Videos, product graphics and links to relevant coverage to date. http://www.shiftcomm.com/downloads/smprtemplate.pdf

“How do I attract more qualified prospects into my sales pipeline,” is probably the most frequent question I receive. Press releases make an excellent vehicle to accomplish that.

Start by understanding your buyers and the keywords they may use in a Web search for your type of business. Get to know who your buyers are and what’s important to them.

Write consumer based releases that address the issues that are important to your buyers. Don’t wait for the big new to hit, get them out there in volume.

Add links that bring people to a landing page on your Web site that expounds on the idea mentioned in your release.

Write a release that communicates TO each client group and not AT them. Add the keywords and phrases your clients are most likely to use in your release.

Add a free trial or consultation offer to your consumer release to improve effectiveness.

Pay attention to major news stories, and tie in your product or service to that event. Link back to specific pages on your Web site to reinforce your story.

Once your release is done, send it to your clients as a marketing touch by email, direct mail and during live visits. Encourage them to share it.

Measure the results. Keep track of where your leads are coming from to see how many are generated from each release. Use that information to improve your content and press release program.

It takes work, that’s for sure. But the payoff is great.

Use consumer based press releases and you’ll have great content that attracts people who are most like your best clients, consistently.