Easy Tips For Managing Your Press Release Distribution
There are a number of ways to manage your press release distribution in order to get the most out of every release. This is particularly important if you are using a paid service, so you can get the most return on your investment.
1-Make sure it is real news
Don’t issue a release just for the sake of it, as if part of a quota system. Product launches, live events, and milestones are all newsworthy.
2-Make sure it is error-free
A release with typos will be passed by as unprofessional-looking.
3-Be sure to include at least 1 image
Press releases with images have been shown to get far more media pickups than ones that don’t have them.
4-Include your contact information
In this way, anyone interested in more information can follow up.
5-Create a media page
It should have all of the most important information about your business on one page so journalists do not need to hunt all over your site to find it. Include a link to your media page in every release.
6-Have a great headline with at least 1 keyword in it
This will help interested media representatives find your information more readily.
7-Write a great sub headline
The sub headline can perform a number of functions, depending on the press release distribution service you are using. It will support the headline. It can also serve as a summary and “teaser” of all they will learn if they take the time to read more.
8-Follow the dashboard 100%
Every press release distribution service, paid or free, has its own layout and little quirks. Try to fill out every relevant field as best you can.
9-Double-check everything before publishing
It’s easy to get excited and miss out on something that should be posted in.
10-Set your dates correctly
If you are launching a product, issue the release when it is on sale. If you are hosting a live event and want people to attend, don’t wait until the day before. In this case, give it about 1 week so people can schedule it on their calendars.
11-Try a range of free and paid channels
Some are better than others in term of visibility, pickups, and reporting. Some are also easier to use, and in terms of paid service, more affordable. In general, free services are not going to get you major pickups like Google News, so budget accordingly. Be sure you understand pricing and the extent of the release. Some have tiers, with the price increasing with the more tiers you add.
12-Share your release
Once the release has been distributed, use the social share buttons at the distribution service, if any. Otherwise, link to it on your media page and post about it on your social networks.
On your media page, add a few teaser sentences and then the link so you don’t get penalized by Google for a duplicate content penalty.
13-Track your pickups
Be sure to master the reporting at each distribution service so you can determine how well you did.
14-Link to your major pickups
Create links from your media page to your main pickups for each release.
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