Following the publication of your newsworthy announcement in a press release, the next step is to have it spread by gaining coverage in relevant media. To begin, create a media listof relevant journalists and outlets, compose your submission email, use a press release distribution provider to syndicate your release to thousands of outlets, promote your release on social mediafor increased awareness, and track its performance to determine its success.
When it comes to success, structuring your tale in an intriguing and easy-to-read manner can help you obtain media attention for your press release. Learn how todraft a press release if you haven't already. If you're short on time or want to make sure your news story is flawless, hire a professional to write your press release and distribute it to thousands of journalists using a service like eReleases.
Create A Media List
Now that you've made a noteworthy announcement, it's time to send out your press release. To begin, establish a media list of press contacts in your niche or sector, including their contact information.
To do so, make a spreadsheet with columns for the name of the media outlet. Include the press contact's name, phone number, and email address, as well as information about their target audience and submission rules. If you don't have time to construct a media list, consider using a press release distribution service like eReleases, which will send your release to thousands of journalists.
Prepare An Email Submission To Accompany Your Press Release
Indicate who you are, what company you work for, that you're sending a press release, and that you'd like the journalist to consider writing about it in your email. Keep in mind while drafting your submission email that you can't assume the writer knows why their audience is interested in your announcement, so you'll need to give them a compelling reason to cover it. Use this email template as a starting point.
After that, send an email to each of the media contacts listed in step one (unless the agency has an online submission form). If your press release is time sensitive, such as for a grand opening, send it out one to two weeks ahead of time.
Use A Distribution Service To Syndicate
A press release distribution service sends your press release to thousands of reporters, journalists, bloggers, influencers, and news organizations in real time. It could be disseminated through a news wire, direct emails to journalists or influencers, or targeted social media accounts. Distribution services often range in price from $99 to $199 or more, and typically include distribution to a specific number of outlets as well as the opportunity to include multimedia, expert evaluations, and analytics data.
Select a provider and plan, a release date, and a target audience, such as an industry, area, or demography, to syndicate your release. Then, upload your press release and any accompanying media.
Use Social Media To Promote Your Release
Once you've sent your press release and it's been picked up by big news outlets or important influencers, make sure to follow up to ensure that these placements help you gain credibility among your social media followers and target audiences. To do so, provide a link to your press release or links to pieces about your topic that have been published on high-profile sites on social media.
Republish your press release as a blog article or on a press pagewith social sharing icons on your website. Visitors will be able to easily share the article or page on their own social networks as a result of this.
Analytical And Reporting Tools Can Be Used To Track Performance
After you've sent out your press release, keep an eye on its performance to see how effective it was. If you utilized a press release distribution service, the service provider will normally send you a performance report documenting the amount of coverage your release received.
If you didn't use a distribution service, evaluating performance can be more difficult. You can track metrics like backlinksearned, which are sites that contain a link back to your site, website traffic, and conversion rate changes if you included trackable links in your press release. Check out the whole list of press release analytics for additional information.
Should I Send A Press Release As A PDF?
Journalists can access press releases from most companies that maintain a newsroom or pressroom on their website. In fact, it is recommended that you do so. When a newsroom just has PDF releases, the PR department loses out on conversion, engagement, and measurement.
Who Writes A Press Release?
Press releases are sent to reporters by PR experts to suggest article ideas. A press release is a brief, engaging news story created by a public relations expert and distributed to members of the media who have agreed to receive it. A press release's purpose is to pique a journalist's or publication's attention.
How Much Do Freelance Writers Charge For A Press Release?
You can hire a freelance writer to prepare a press release for as little as $30 per hour to as much as $182 per hour. Others will charge you a fee of from 50 cents to two dollars each word, or $150 to 750 dollars per page.