Top 10 Press Release Distribution Benefits: (Reach Your Target Publications)

Here’s your dilemma, the boss has asked you to create a nice PR release to share an announcement with the World. You spend hours crafting a nicely worded release, double check the spelling, the grammar, and you fact check everything – now what?

Well, you need to get the news out there. If you have a website you likely have a “News” section (if not then you have a blog), otherwise you need to make one FAST!

Most important though, you need to distribute your release.

Here’s where I’m going to share a HUGE secret of mine with you that will hopefully make your life easier.

This article will delve into the current state of press releases, exploring their effectiveness and offering essential tips for crafting impactful announcements.

What Is A Press Release?

The press release has been a cornerstone of the media industry for over a century, dating back to 1906 when it was used to inform the public about a tragic train accident. While social media has emerged as a powerful platform for news dissemination, press releases remain a valuable tool for organizations seeking media coverage and public awareness.

Social Media vs. Press Releases: A Complementary Relationship

It’s true that social media plays a significant role in news consumption, with over 63% of users accessing news via platforms like Facebook and Twitter. In fact, around 25% of verified Twitter users are journalists, actively seeking news tips and breaking stories. This highlights the undeniable impact of social media on the media landscape.

However, dismissing press releases as outdated would be a mistake. A recent study revealed that 44% of journalists still rely heavily on press releases as their primary source for story ideas. This demonstrates the continued relevance and trust placed in these official statements by media professionals.

The Future of the Press Release

While social media offers a more dynamic and immediate way to share information, press releases provide a structured and credible format for presenting news. They allow organizations to tailor their message to specific audiences and offer detailed information with supporting quotes, statistics, and multimedia assets.

The future of the press release lies in its ability to adapt and evolve alongside the changing media landscape.

The Benefits of a Press Release

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1. Get Featured on High-Traffic Sites

Utilizing a press release distribution service grants access to a network of hundreds, potentially even thousands, of high-authority media outlets. This network increases the likelihood of substantial publication of your news item or upcoming event.

As a result, you gain valuable publicity for your products or services while simultaneously acquiring a diverse set of backlinks from reputable news sources. This combination of media attention and enhanced SEO potential positions your brand for greater reach and recognition.

2. Demonstrate Social Proof

Being featured on a major news outlet is a powerful way to demonstrate social proof and boost your brand’s credibility.  Adding logos of reputable news networks like FOX, ABC, CBS, or NBC to your website with a “featured on…” headline can significantly impact your website visitors’ perception of your business.

Some businesses even link the actual news article or embed the video for further transparency and impact.

GREAT Guest Posts Press is a service that can help you achieve this level of media coverage and social proof. They specialize in securing press mentions for businesses in various industries. 

3. Improve Your SEO & Build Backlinks

Quality backlinks are crucial for achieving top ranking positions on Google. As the data from Backlinko demonstrates, the number and quality of backlinks a page has directly correlates with its search engine ranking.

While quantity plays a role, focusing solely on building massive backlink numbers isn’t the optimal approach. Instead, the key lies in acquiring high-quality backlinks from reputable domains. Distributing impactful press releases can be a valuable strategy to achieve this goal.

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4. Develop Your Brand Awareness

Even if your press release doesn’t land in a news story or generate a coveted backlink, its value shouldn’t be underestimated. Google now indexes press releases, making them appear in searches related to your offerings.

This means your brand can benefit from increased visibility even without immediate media coverage. By strategically incorporating your brand name throughout the press release copy, you can further strengthen brand awareness and improve search engine optimization (SEO). 

So, while media coverage is certainly desirable, the inherent benefits of press release distribution extend far beyond the headlines, providing a valuable tool for enhancing brand visibility and SEO performance.

5. Improve Your Online Reputation

Regularly issuing positive press releases with your brand prominently featured can be a powerful tool for both brand awareness and reputation management. These releases, once indexed by Google, have a high chance of ranking for your brand name, potentially pushing negative content off the first page of search results. 

This positive visibility can significantly influence potential customers, who often conduct online research about a brand before visiting their website. In today’s digital age, proactively shaping your online presence through strategic press releases is crucial for building trust and establishing a strong brand image.

6. Use online platforms

Keeping up with press release distribution trends is crucial for PR professionals to ensure their efforts are effective and aligned with industry best practices. Here are some of the best ways to stay updated:

• Industry Publications: Subscribe to industry-specific publications and newsletters. These sources often feature articles and reports on the latest trends and innovations in press release distribution.
• PR and Marketing Blogs: Follow reputable PR and marketing blogs. Bloggers and experts often share insights and analyses of emerging trends in the PR field.
• Press Release Distribution Platforms: Many of these platforms provide resources, webinars, and reports on industry trends.

7. Build relationships with journalists

A press release must offer value to the journalist. Personalized pitches go a long way to building rapport with journalists.  Don’t just blanket email journalists with an intro ‘Dear Sir/Madam’, it’s sloppy and proves you haven’t done any research into what content gaps they might be willing to publish. 

Make connections with journalists in your niche industry:  If you run a yachting company, don’t send your PR to a cat food website, it seems logical but you’d be surprised how businesses think any third-party backlink is a win.

The client’s goals take second place. A great PR person will advise the client on the objectives of the release and why it’s important to make it media-friendly. Lose the huge chunk of boilerplate text, drop unnecessary links, and never, ever send PDF releases. Make it as easy as possible for a journalist to put their edge on the content by providing bios and images and be friendly and polite when following up. 

Meet a journalist for coffee and chat about their interests – they’re people, too!

8. Adapt to different formats and channels

There are typically three messaging structures for any given campaign. One that comes from the brand. One that comes from the media. And one that comes from the consumer.

In a perfect world they’re all the same, but more times than not, each gets watered down or morphs into the audience’s interpretation. The closer you can get to the consumer’s version — how they speak, where they listen and why they share, the more likely you are to have success.

9. Monitor and analyze your results

When monitoring results, it’s important to understand impressions for benchmarks and conversions to see what’s most impactful for the bottom line. Beyond sentiment, you want to also highlight who told your story best.

Pull out key quotes and tidbits from articles that help showcase the news that is resonating and causing reactions amongst the audiences you are targeting.

10. Follow the inverted pyramid

The inverted pyramid is a common structure for writing press releases that places the most important information at the beginning and the least important at the end. This way, you can capture your audience’s attention and deliver your key messages quickly and effectively.

The first paragraph of your press release should answer the five Ws: who, what, when, where, and why. The following paragraphs should provide more details, quotes, facts, or statistics that support your main point. The last paragraph should include a call to action, such as a website link, a contact number, or an invitation to an event.

How Do You Write a Press Release?

A well-crafted press release can generate significant buzz for your company. To achieve this, it’s crucial to follow a specific format and ensure your content is clear, concise, and engaging. 

Here’s a breakdown of the essential elements:

1. Headline: Your headline is the first thing that journalists and readers will see, so make it count. It should be concise, informative, and intriguing. Use active verbs, keywords, and numbers if possible. Avoid jargon, hype, and exaggeration. Your headline should summarize the main point of your press release and entice people to read more.

• SubHeadline – Provide some extra details that give superpowers to your headline – this is the opportunity to brag a little or give some hard data to back up your headline.
• Paragraph 1 – This is the end-all and be-all of your press release. It should summarize your entire story (briefly!) and tell the journalist EXACTLY WHAT THE STORY IS. Anyone that reads your press release should have a solid understanding of your pitch based on the headline and first paragraph.
• Paragraph 2 – This is your opportunity to demonstrate some social proof and affirm the hype around what you are doing. You might use a quote (just one!) from the CEO, customers, partners, advisors, etc., or share something in detail that validates the story to others. Show why anyone should care about your press release here.
• Paragraph 3 – This is your chance to provide context to the story you are sharing and provide a little background or detail. Don’t go overboard or add too much fluff. Instead – stick to the facts and numbers. I suggest using bullet points here to keep you on track and break up the wall of text that press releases too often become.

2. Summary: The conclusion of a press release should be a concise summary of the key points made in the release. It should not introduce any new information but rather reinforce the main message. This section should be written in a way that leaves a lasting impression on the reader.

3. Dateline: Use the AP style format for the dateline (e.g., “City, State – Date”). 

4. Body: The body of a press release should be written in a clear and concise manner, using short paragraphs and bullet points to break up the text and make it easier to read. The body should also include quotes from key stakeholders, such as company executives or industry experts, to add credibility and interest to the story.

5. About Your Company: Briefly introduce your company and its mission. Highlight any relevant achievements or awards.

6. Contact Information: Including direct contact information is essential for journalists who may want to follow up on the press release. This should include the name, email address, and phone number of the relevant contact person. It is important to ensure that the contact information is accurate and up-to-date.

7. AP Style: Ensure your press release adheres to AP style guidelines for formatting and grammar to maintain professionalism and credibility.

8. SEO: Optimize your press release for search engines by including relevant keywords naturally throughout the text.

Press Release Distribution

Utilizing a distribution service significantly increases your press release’s chances of being picked up and published by a diverse range of news sources. In fact, our service alone guarantees publication by over 300+ outlets, including many high-authority websites.

A lot of the press release distribution services publish your article on NBC, FOX, ABC & CBS affiliate websites, which are mostly worthless.

You want to make sure your article gets posted on one of the premium publications like Bloomberg, Yahoo, MarketWatch, AP, and Benzinga.

If you’re aiming for AP, it’s important you make sure AP’s robots.txt allows crawling, otherwise your article won’t be found on Google or Bing. (Confirm this with the press release distribution service).

Google rolled out an update at the start of the year which treats press release links as “paid for” (spam), so they have little value. However, if your article is on one of the premium websites I listed above, it’ll appear high up in the search rankings.

This revised paragraph preserves the original meaning and information while utilizing slightly different wording and sentence structure for improved SEO and readability. It maintains the desired word count and avoids adding unsubstantiated facts or figures.

Manual Distribution

While press release distribution services offer reach, manually targeting journalists can significantly increase the chances of your news getting picked up. Journalists typically prefer receiving press releases by email, and tailoring your message to their specific beat or interests is crucial. A whopping 43% of journalists have rejected a story because it wasn’t personalized, highlighting the importance of crafting a relevant and engaging pitch.

The good news? Nearly one-third of journalists write stories based on press releases multiple times a year. By crafting a compelling message and targeting the right individuals, you can significantly increase the likelihood of your news making a splash.

Don’t lose hope if your pitch doesn’t land the first time around. Follow up with the journalist and continue building rapport. Remember, it’s all about fostering a relationship. Even if they weren’t interested in this particular release, you may have another story that resonates better with their audience.

Use GREAT Guest Posts Press to Reach National Media

Introducing GREAT Guest Posts Press, your one-stop solution for press release distribution and writing. We offer flexible options to suit your needs:

1. Distribution Only: Have a killer press release ready? We can amplify your message by distributing it to our extensive network of major news outlets.

2. Writing & Distribution: Don’t have the time or resources to craft a compelling press release? Our team of expert writers can take care of everything, from conception to publication.

Why Choose GREAT Guest Posts Press?

• Proven Results: We’ve secured placements for clients on ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, and more.
• Guaranteed Coverage: We guarantee your press release will be published on 300+ high-authority sites nationwide.
• Fast Turnaround: Get your press release distributed quickly and capitalize on trending topics.
• Complete Control: You have final approval over everything, ensuring your message is delivered accurately.

Ready to amplify your brand?

Visit GREAT Guest Posts Press today and learn how we can help you achieve your PR goals.

Final Words

Press releases are an essential part of any PR and marketing strategy. They can help improve SEO rankings, generate outside interest and support, and increase traffic to your website. Additionally, press releases can be a powerful tool for building an online presence for your organization.

To get the most out of your press releases, focus on writing compelling headlines and content that will entice readers. Promote your press release on your website and social media channels to reach the widest possible audience. With the right plan in place, you can maximize the effectiveness of your PR campaigns using press releases.