The rules of public relations have changed. Businesses are using press releases to a much greater advantage than in the past. Traditional press releases were meant for journalists; they highlighted crucial news announcements in the hopes that popular outlets would bite and write a story.
Now, with the content marketing revolution, companies use press releases to reach their audiences directly. The benefits of press releases are great, and leveraging them as part of your marketing is an essential part of getting ahead in online retail.
Below are a few ways you can optimize press releases to go further for your business.
General SEO: Today's most popular wire services offer you the ability embed links to your website using targeted keywords. Following SEO best practices, you can use press releases to ramp up your search presence, making your online store more visible to engines.
Taking advantage of trends: When news stories break, they hit the front page of Google News. Find a spin on a popular news story or trending item and create a press release relevant to your market. That way, when your audience searches for trending news, you'll have a better chance of being found.
Getting ink: The traditional purpose of press releases still applies in some ways. Create a press release that's newsworthy, and you may get some ink from popular news outlets. Hint: customer successes with a human interest angle may get you some traction with journalists.
Dominating search results: When shoppers research your online store, what's the first thing they'll do? A lot of times, they'll hit Google and search for information on your brand to make sure you're trustworthy. Wire distribution services tend to get good traction with search engines, so you'll have a good chance of dominating search results with brand-sponsored messages.
Outlet for information: Promoting new products, promotions and store changes extends beyond your newsletter. Use press releases to deliver new information and exciting announcements directly to your target audience. Save these kinds of releases for developments that are important to your customers.
