Should You Email Your Press Release To Your List?
When you write a press release you’re not limited to how you present it. You can publish it on your website or blog – in fact you should do this. You can and should also use a press release distribution service to make sure your release reaches all of the major media outlets and newswires.
You can post your press release on your social media pages. For example, you can have an “About” or “News” tab on your Facebook page and publish your press releases in reverse chronological order. One tactic that some people often disagree on is whether or not you should email your press release to your list. There are a few questions you can ask to decide if this is the right step for you to take.
#1 Will They Care?
Will your email subscriber list care about the information in the press release? In many cases they will. For example, if you’re announcing the release of a new product then your audience might care. If you’re announcing the promotion of a staff member, it’s not relevant to them and they won’t care.
#2 Would a Different Approach Be More Effective?
Assuming your audience would care about the information in your press release, the next question to ask is whether the press release is the best format to deliver the information. For example, if you’re making an announcement about a new product, perhaps an article, blog post, or announcement might be a better approach. You might tie the launch into a promotion or contest.
While a press release can lend credibility to your brand and your information, it’s not always the best type of content to help you connect with your audience.
#3 What Are Your Goals?
If you send the press release to your email subscribers, what action do you want them to take when they read it? What’s the goal for your press release? If you want them to make a purchase then a different format might be better suited to that goal. If you want them to share the press release with their friends and social media connections then emailing the release makes good sense.
If you do choose to email your press release to your list, consider tweaking it for that audience. You might choose to make it part of your “Weekly Roundup” message for example, and simply include a link to the published release on your website. Or you might change the headline to appeal more to your subscribers. Make sure to embrace autoresponder analytics and learn how your subscribers respond to your release and the information it contains.
