Many marketing experts will tell you when you have company news, you should put out a press release. However, there’s a saturation of news related items in the digital age. In short, with more than 50,000 announcements get published. And that means knowing how to give news every opportunity for traction. Doing so, entices a media publisher to write about your story.
Despite the tens of thousands of news announcements getting published on a monthly basis, tangible reasons exist to do so:
- For instance, it helps increase public aware of your organization.
- Also if an editor picks up the release and writes a piece, more people become aware of your story.
- Further, Google will index your news. And that’s a good thing in the digital age (SEO).
- Finally, annoucements create inbound marketing opportunities.
Press Release Basics
When you draft a news announcement, various take into account various elements before it gets published.
Headline for Your Announcement:
The headline’s always important, and you want to grab peoples’ attention. So remember the headline’s the first part of the announcement seen by a reader before they decide to continue. Meaning, make it a point to spend a little time thinking about it and capture reading curiosity.
Link Usage:
Make sure to include links going back to your site when you draft your news. Remember, an announcement is an excellent opportunity to get your name out to the public. However, there’s a rule of thumb to should follow. Use no more than 1 link for every 100 words. By doing so, you’ll increase the chances Google will index your release correctly and not treat it as spam.
Grammar Counts:
If you write your press release poorly, it won’t get picked up by a media editor. Meaning, editors expect to write stories about credible organizations that know present themselves well. So, it’s vital to ensure your statement properly uses grammar and has no spelling errors. So when drafting the copy, read it thoroughly. Also have a good editor on your team read the document.
Real News:
When you are draft a press release, you want to have news to announce. That may seem obvious, but your announcement should highlight something happening beyond the day to day. For instance, you may want to announce a new hire, hitting a nonprofit fundraising target, an event, or some other milestone.
Focus:
When you write a press release, it’s ideal to keep it to one topic. So, if you have several things occurring, consider publishing several press releases over the course of a few days or weeks. Distributing multiple announcements with strategy in mind could keep your organization at the top of the news in your community.
Imagery:
By now you know that photo images and video are great ways to capture the attention of editors and the public. Moreover, it’s now acceptable to include a picture in your press release. And the rule of thumb is that if you decide to add a photo or video for your press release, include an image that captures someone’s attention.
Syndication:
There was a time when syndication helped organizations putting out press releases as it relates to SEO. As a result, nonprofits would publish their press releases on directories to amplify the news. However, this approach doesn’t work as well because of the changes in search engine algorithms. But it may still help. So, consider syndicating your press release.
Digital Promotion:
When you publish your press release, make it a point to promote it across all your social networking platforms. Doing so helps attract readers to your news. So, use Twitter and Facebook, particularly. But if it’s business type news, remember to also post it on your LinkedIn newsfeed.
Follow us on our YouTube channel, or like our Facebook page for more fundraising, marketing, and social media strategies.
© 2018 Funds2Orgs. All Rights Reserved.