Using Press Releases to Promote Your Events or Your Brand
Chris Wechner
Director of Marketing
The Ultimate Analyst
I used to be a poor writer!
• Childhood & College
• Career / Work World
• Today in Business
Tonight’s Goals
• Provide Background Knowledge
• Show Different Uses for PRs
• Demo
– Writing a PR
– Submitting a PR
• Give Ideas of when YOU can write a PR
Why I Like Press Releases
• SEO: Good backlinks, esp. for Tier 2 or 3
• Strong Branding SEO – Builds Credibility
• Great Citation Support (Directory Listings)
• Broadcast Events – Some people read these!
• Not many people feel confident about them
• They’re shorter than articles (on average)
First, let’s discuss some basics…
Press Release: What is it?
• A Public Relations Announcement about an– Event
– Performance
– Some Other “Newsworthy” Item
• It is issued to the news media and targeted publications to be distributed to editors and reporters
• A BIASED Publication from the Company or an Individual—Not a Reporter
Press Release: What it is NOT!
• It is NOT an.......Instruction
• It is NOT a……….Product or Service Review
• It is NOT a……….List of Facts
• It is NOT………….Sales Copy
• It is NOT…..……..General Information
• Note: A press release may CONTAIN these things, but these are not the MAIN topics of a Press Release.
Press Releases vs. Articles
• Many writers mix-up articles and press releases.
• Press Releases: Identify an event.
• Articles: Provide Information(may not necessarily be about an event)
Press Releases vs. Articles (Cont’d)
• Articles1. Focus on Facts, Tips, Opinions, etc.
2. Meant for People to read
3. Length: About 500 to 800 Words (rough estimate—not official)
4. Example Headline: “6 Tips to Writing Great Press Releases”
• Press Releases1. Focus on Newsworthy Events
2. Meant for Journalists to read (so that they write an ARTICLE)
3. Length: About 300 to 500 Words (rough estimate—not official)
4. Example Headline: “Author Creates Helpful Guide to Improve Press Release Writing”
What makes something “news?”
• News Elements– Conflict
– Progress and Disaster
– Consequence
– Eminence and Prominence
– Timeliness and Proximity
– Novelty
– Human Interest
– Sex and Romance
Press Release: Example
Press Release: Sections: Example
Headline
Summary
Body:-Dateline-Lead Paragraph-Main Body
Press Release: Sections: Example
Company Boilerplate
Body:-Last Paragraph
Press Release: Sections: Example
Contact Info: PR Person(at the very end)
Press Release: Sections
• Headline: Grab Attention; Briefly Summarize Press Release
• Summary: Provide enough info to entice reader to read more
• Dateline : Release Date and Originating City
• Lead Paragraph: Lists event(s) and generally answers the basic questions of Who, What, When, Where and Why
• Body: Further Explanation/Additional Information
• Company Boilerplate: Short “About" section, providing independent background on the issuing company, organization, or individual
• Contact Info: Contact Info for PR Contact Person
Backlinks: Basics
• Backlinks are links from another location that point to your website.
• Standard Backlink
– Example: http://www.TheUltimateAnalyst.com
• Anchor Text Backlink
– “Clicky” Text that takes you to another website
– Example: Chris Wechner’s blog site is helpful.
Backlinks: Quick Tips
• Use “http://www.” in your linkDon’t just use “www.” otherwise, it might not register as a backlink.– Correct: http://www.TheUltimateAnalyst.com
– Wrong: www.TheUltimateAnalyst.com
• Try to use words within your Anchor Text that relate to the website it is linking.– Example: “I really like yams on Thanksgiving.”
This should NOT go to a mechanic’s website, because it does not relate to neither yams nor Thanksgiving.
Now, let’s discuss some tips for
writing effective press releases…
Writing a Good Press Release:
SEO for Backlinks
• Title
• Summary
• Text Body
– Keywords
– Naked URL Links
– Anchor Text Links
• Pic & PicDescription
Main Goals
1. Provide Relevant Backlinks (related to the subject)
2. Affect Anchor Text Percentage (Dilute or Increase)
Writing a Good Press Release:
Branding SEO
• Title
• Summary
• Text Body
– Keywords
– Naked URL Links
– Anchor Text Links
• Pic & PicDescription
Main Goals
1. Look good to anyone reading the PR
2. Look good on search engine result when people type name or brand
Writing a Good Press Release:
Citation Support
• Title
• Summary
• Description
• Pic – Logo
• Boiler Plate “About Us” with Phone #
Main Goal
1. Mention
a. Brand Name
b. Location (at least the City)
c. Phone Number
Writing a Good Press Release:
Broadcast Events
• Title
• Summary
• Description
– 1st Paragraph
– Middle
– Last Paragraph (KEY)
Main Goals
1. Rank for Relevant Keyword
2. Prompt Readers to take certain action (register, visit, buy)
Demonstration:
Let’s Write a Press Release
Places to Submit (Free)
• PRLog.org
• BuzzFeed.com
• PRUrgent.com
• PR.com
• PR-Inside.com
• iNewsWire.com
• OnlinePRNews.com
Places to Submit (Paid)
• PRWeb
• PRNewsWire
– iReach
• EmailWire
• PRBuzz
• BusinessWire
• MarketWire
Demonstration:
Let’s Submit a Press Release
• Press Releases are overlooked(but not that hard)
• There are plenty of places to submit(even free)
Go Press Releases!
Press Release: Topic Ideas
• Website– Website Launch
– Change to a Website (Website Update/Improvement)
• Company– Owners/Management/Employees
– Customers/Suppliers
– Earnings Report
– Community or Charity Involvement/Contribution
• Industry– Sales Trend
– Big Concern
Topics: More Ideas
• Announcing a new branch/ subdivision of a business
• Announcing a partnership
• Announcing a public appearance
• Celebrating an anniversary
• New laws that affect the business/Industry
• New management
• Obtaining a new, significant customer
• Offering an article series for publishing
• Reaction to new developments, laws, etc.
• Using new technology
Topics: Places to Get Ideas
• Google– Standard Web Search
– News
– Trends
– Blogs
– Timeline
• Company Website– About Us
– News/Press Room
• Industry Journals
Press Release: Topic Ideas
• Website– Website Launch
– Change to a Website (Website Update/Improvement)
• Company– Owners/Management/Employees
– Customers/Suppliers
– Earnings Report
– Community or Charity Involvement/Contribution
• Industry– Sales Trend
– Big Concern
Topics: More Ideas
• Announcing a new branch/ subdivision of a business
• Announcing a partnership
• Announcing a public appearance
• Celebrating an anniversary
• New laws that affect the business/Industry
• New management
• Obtaining a new, significant customer
• Offering an article series for publishing
• Reaction to new developments, laws, etc.
• Using new technology
Topics: Places to Get Ideas
• Google– Standard Web Search
– News
– Trends
– Blogs
– Timeline
• Company Website– About Us
– News/Press Room
• Industry Journals
Review: Tonight’s Goals
• Provide Background Knowledge
• Show Different Uses for PRs
• Demo
– Writing a PR
– Submitting a PR
• Give Ideas of when YOU can write a PR
• What is YOUR objective?
• How can you benefit from press releases?
• What will you write your NEXT PR?
• What’s stopping you?
Final Questions
Using Press Releases to Promote Your Events or Your Brand
Chris Wechner
Director of Marketing
The Ultimate Analyst
