Build Your Online Reputation With Press Releases
Press releases can grow your reputation through earned media. Building up your reputation online begins with getting others to talk about you and your brand in a positive light. Media outlets look for news stories to share in their publications, but often continue sharing those stories through their online outlets (social media and websites). Getting the media outlets to tell your story will get you in front of unexpected target markets that can help to grow your platform and online status.
The good news is that there are more media outlets seeking stories now than ever before. The bad news is that your press release must be strong enough to rise above the crowd of hundreds that bombard the outlets every day. Creating an engaging story, that follows the industry format, and that makes sharing the story easy are essential to getting noticed. Once you get noticed by the media outlets and they share your story, you will find that other media outlets and individuals begin to look to you in that area, as well.
Benefits of Press Releases for Growing Your Online Presence
- The more your name, your story, or your brand gets shared with regard to a particular subject, the higher you will rank with the search engines for that subject. The more the search engines trust those linking to your website, the more the search engines will trust your website. Getting your press releases shared across media outlets and websites helps elevate you, your brand, and your website to the top of the crowd.
- The more times press releases are shared, the more potential customers and clients will see your story and your name. Experts have said that it takes a person seeing a name or a product seven times before that person will follow through on a call to action. The more sites that share your story, the more times a person may have the opportunity to come across you and your brand.
- The more places that share your press releases, the more unexpected customers you may encounter. Your business plan has you aiming at a particular audience with your marketing efforts. Earned media that grows up from press releases will move out well beyond your target and often produces surprises results. People that may not have otherwise known about you begin to learn about your company and your services.
- The more that you are acknowledged by sites through the release of press releases, the more sites will begin to look to you to be a source for stories in that (or related) fields. Your reputation grows as your story is shared.
- The key to getting earned media is having a great story. Strong, engaging stories that others want to share will get the attention of the overwhelmed media professionals. The competition covers up the mailboxes of the media outlets, but the right surprise angle can help you push to the top. The more your story is shared, the more you can grow your online reputation with the use of press releases.