How to Create A Powerful Multi-Channel Press Release Distribution Strategy
Gone are the days where your press release gets sent to the local paper and it stops there. Today, with a good plan and the use of technology, your release can be viewed by thousands in a matter of minutes. It requires careful planning and a solid strategy.
Establish Goals
Goals are the foundation of a strategy. Without them, it’s almost impossible to create an effective press release distribution strategy. However, even the best intentioned goals can lead you astray. Your press release distribution goals need to support your marketing goals.
And your marketing goals also need to support your business goals. The more your goals are aligned and complimentary to one another, the bigger your return on investment. Keep in mind that good goals are also measurable. What do you want to achieve with your press release distribution strategy and how will you know you’re successful?
Plan a Year Out
It’s a common mistake to only plan press releases a month or so in advance. You’ll gain more power from your releases when they’re aligned with your other company initiatives including brand marketing, email marketing, social media, and content marketing.
Make your press release strategy proactive instead of reactive. Decide when you’re going to distribute a press release and why. A general rule of thumb in terms of frequency is to distribute one press release a month. You can publish more often, if you have newsworthy content.
Review Your Sales and Marketing Strategy
What products, services, promotions, and events are you holding this year? When you’re planning your press releases, you’ll gain more traction from them if they’re aligned with your sales and marketing efforts. For example, if you’re hosting a webinar next month then issuing a press release is a logical tactic. Look for opportunities to distribute press releases based on your upcoming company actions and launches.
Coordinate Your Efforts
Make sure that your team is all on the same page. They know when press releases are going to be issued and how they’re going to be distributed. It’s always good to have one person who is responsible for distribution across all channels.
For example, if you’re using a press release distribution service to send to social media and the news wires, you also want to be able to publish the release on your blog and to email it to your media contacts and list at the same time. This requires a good degree of timing and coordination.
Leverage Technology
Finally, there are many systems that can help you streamline your multi-channel distribution strategy. For example, a press release distribution service can help you achieve your big channel goals, and a distributor with social media functionality can also reach that audience. Autoresponders, analytics, and social media management tools are also technologies that you can leverage to reduce time and increase efficiency.
