Press releases can be a great way to promote your business. They can get your name in the media, improve your search ranking and send you traffic, all without costing you a lot of time or money.
They may not land you on the pages of Time or other national media outlets, but a press release can get you on aggregators like Google News and Yahoo News, and a good one will increase your odds of landing in a publication that’s targeted toward your industry and customers.
Press releases should contain “substantive, timely and relevant information, not thinly veiled advertising,” advises Maryalene LaPonsie at Small Business Computing. They could be about new product launches, events, business milestones, or opinions about major trends in your industry.
Press releases should be well written and professional. If you can avoid jargon and explain the value of your product or service in easily understandable terms, even better. Include contact information so journalists and consumers can reach you, and include a link to your website.
Once you’ve drafted a good press release, you can distribute it via services like PR Newswire, Business Wire, PRWeb and eReleases, among others. Post it on your website and share the link through your social media accounts and email newsletters. Send it to journalists who cover your industry and offer to help them with any stories on your release or similar topics. With the right message, you could win customers and turn yourself into an expert in the process.
Adapted from Promote Your Business with the Power of Press Releases by Maryalene LaPonsie at Small Business Computing.