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How to Distribute a Press Release for Maximum ROI

May 8, 2020/3 Comments/in Press Releases /by Julia McCoy

This post was originally published in October, 2013 and completely updated in May, 2020.

Your well-crafted press release is sizzling and ready to see the world.

There’s just one more hurdle to leap over before the job is done: who (and where) should you send it to?

There are two main tactics for how to release a press release. The first stems from the old days. It involves subscribing to a syndication service. The second is a modern approach: developing personal relationships with journalists. Both are valid options, depending on the needs and budget of your brand.

We’ll explore both methods, as well as best practices for releasing your news so you can make a solid press release plan. Let’s dive in!

Your well-crafted press release is sizzling and ready to see the world. 🔥 There’s just one more hurdle to leap over before the job is done: who (and where) should you send it to? Find out via @JuliaEMcCoy: Click To Tweet

The Traditional Method: Distributing Via the Wire

Want to read thousands of journalists, influencers, bloggers, reporters, and editors in one shot? Consider using a press release syndication service. Here are a few of the top service providers:

While this method is fast and easy, it isn’t free. Leading distributor Newswire costs between $150 to $800 for a single PR, which may push it out of the price range of up-and-coming brands.

If your brand has the budget and is looking for a wide reach, the time-saving investment may be worth it. However, it’s worth noting that professionals report high ROI from relationships with journalists, and caution against sending too many cold, impersonal PRs via the wire.

Let’s say you’re still growing your media list, though, and you’re not sure where to pitch. Using a syndication service can quickly reveal which publications are interested in your news, allowing you to skip the step of in-depth research in your quest to build lasting relationships with journalists. That’s why using distribution services are part of a balanced PR strategy.

The Modern Strategy: Building Your Media List on Relationships

Beyond saving time, the biggest benefit of investing in big-name syndication services is that they build a media list for you and track your results. If it’s your first rodeo, that simplification can seem like a boon. But it comes at a cost: By relying on press release distribution services rather than building a personalized media list, your brand will grow to depend on those same services.

However, it’s possible to construct a valuable media list on your own and start building relationships right away. According to Gil Eyal from the Forbes Agency Council, this improves PR results because you’re pitching to people who are genuinely interested in your news. It’s a more personal approach, and it’s the way the PR industry is moving.

It isn’t hard to future-proof your brand’s media outreach and drive down your PR budget. It all starts with building your own media list. Here’s how.

1. Find Your Target Audience

Consider who you’re trying to reach with your press release: customers, investors, or industry leaders?

Ask yourself a few simple questions:

How old is my audience?
What background demographic do they come from?
Where do they get their news?

Here’s an example of how to find your target audience.

Let’s say you’re writing a press release for a portable blender brand. Your goal is to increase sales for the newest model and spur brand awareness, so your audience is potential customers.

Your audience includes:

Health-conscious people
Fitness-minded people
Gym owners
Eco-friendly people
People who enjoy tech and gadgets
Retailers who sell cooking gadgets

Based on this target audience, your media list should start here:

Fitness and health magazines
Food and cooking magazines
Home and lifestyle magazines
Fitness and health influencers and blogs
Eco-friendly, yoga, and vegan influencers
Trade press publications targeting retailers
Journalists regularly curating kitchen gadget lists and smoothie recipes

Stumped on which publications to pitch to? A quick Google News search with your keyword or topic will help you brainstorm.

2. Zero In On Your Goal Publications

Always read a few articles, posts, or blogs first. This will save a TON of time in the long run, and prevent you from making the reputation-damaging blunder of barking up the wrong tree.

Short on time? Here’s a quick checklist.

A. Check the publication’s reach. For blogs, check the Alexa ranking. A score 100,000 or below means they have a wide reach. For social influencers, look at their follower count. For news publications, check out their social media activity as well as the average comments per article.

B. Watch out for low activity. Any online publication, influencer, or blog that posts less than once a month (a snail’s pace on the internet) is likely not reaching enough people to warrant sending a PR. The exception: monthly print publications like trade journals.

C. Look for articles or posts in your niche. If you can’t find any, it’s probably not the right publication for you.

D. Click on the byline and read the bio. Most writers include social handles in their bios. Jumpstart your online relationship by sharing one of their articles on your brand’s social media page.

E. Reach out on Twitter. Many journalists include a work email in their Twitter bio. If they don’t, try sending a professional direct message.

F. No luck on Twitter? Try LinkedIn. If you’re looking to pitch to a large news outlet, you can often find their roster in the “People” section of their company LinkedIn page.

G. If you can’t find who you’re looking for, call. Dust off your landline and look for the editor’s phone number of the section you’re pitching to.

3. Create Your Media List

Use a simple, easy-to-edit spreadsheet. Journalists change publications often, so the focus of the media list should be on specific publications interested in publishing your news.

Here’s a sample media list I built from the brainstorm above:

Don’t forget to regularly update the contact details for your target journalists, influencers, and bloggers. Now your media list is ready for action!

Double-Check Submissions Guidelines

You’re well on your way toward sending your red-hot press release. Before submitting, pore over the submissions guidelines to ensure you haven’t forgotten any important steps.

This quick but critical step can be the difference between your PR getting published or getting trashed. Don’t skip it!

It isn’t hard to future-proof your brand’s media outreach and drive down your press release budget. 📉 It all starts with building your own media list. Learn how to do it here: Click To Tweet

How to Send an Email Introducing a Press Release to Journalists

Nail your first impression by following email etiquette for press releases. Etiquette 101: write your PR in the body of your email. In-body PRs allow for more personalization while simplifying your target journalist’s job, which in turn will increase your chance of getting published.

Before you hit “send”, make sure your submission email has all of these elements:

Subject – Don’t use the phrase “press release”. Instead, use the topic of your PR.
Greeting – Do your homework: address the person you’re pitching to directly. Skipping this step can make your message seem cold and out of touch.
First Paragraph – If it’s the first time you’re reaching out, this is where you should introduce yourself.
Second Paragraph – Elaborate on the purpose of your email here.
Third Paragraph – Your call-to-action should go here.
Closing – Thank your contact, and open the door for them to follow up.
Signature – Provide your full contact information here.

Here’s a sample press release email from Prowly:

Send your press release to all relevant contacts on your media list. If you don’t get a response, don’t take it personally. Instead, follow up your press release with photos. Even better: if you didn’t include one initially, now’s the time to send a press kit. For inspiration, check out Kickstarter’s press kit.

A press kit should include:

An about section
Bios of important company figures who are available for interview

Recent, important press releases
Fact sheets for products or services
Case studies, surveys, stats, or testimonials
Notable press coverage
Notable awards

Multimedia, including high-quality images
Contact information for your marketing team
Notable FAQs

Press release etiquette 101: Write your PR in the body of your email. This allows for more personalization while simplifying your target journalist’s job, which increases your chance of getting published. 💯 Click To Tweet

Send a Story That’s Ready to Publish

Make it easy for reporters to envision your story as a published piece by submitting a PR that’s copy-paste friendly.

What makes a PR ready to publish? Here’s your DIY press release format.

Style – Learn the voice your target publication uses and parrot it. For example, influencers often use a conversational 2^nd person, so a blog-style PR will likely see more success.
Format – What kind of font and subtitle style does your target publication use? What color palette do they prefer?
Multimedia – Consider the media they regularly post, and emphasize that media type.
Social media optimized – Don’t forget to include all of your social media handles for easy sharing.
Press kit – As mentioned above, a press kit will make it easier for the journalist to craft a story.

For more guidance, check out our sample press release template.

Always Follow Up

Immediately after sending your submission email, reach out directly via email, Twitter, or LinkedIn. If you have a standing relationship, consider calling. In a brief message, let them know you’ve just sent a PR and share a few intriguing teasers. Provide your contact information for further questions and exit gracefully.

Even if your original PR isn’t published, following up can establish a cordial line of communication, improving your chances of publishing PRs down the line.

Leverage Social Media

Before publication, optimize your headline and intro for different formats. Think about how each social platform best serves the message of your PR, and what kinds of engagement you’re looking to push forward.

Here’s an example of what happens when a brand misses the mark:

Between 2 identical posts, the topic garnered only 7 likes. With so little interaction, the wording wasn’t relevant enough to hook their Facebook audience.

Here’s an example of a press release optimized for social media:

Reebok’s #PermissionToPause press release was primed for Twitter from the get-go.

By reworking the headline, too, Reebok stimulated engagement, which drove their posts to the top of the trending hashtag.

Make it Shareable

Many brands craft shareable versions of their press releases for their websites to show transparency.

If your brand decides to go this route, be careful not to use the exact same PR, especially if it was published as-is. Google will demote it, which could cost your website valuable SEO.

Some brands get around this by creating an investor portal and fan portal, with formal press releases and blog versions of PRs, respectively. Others have a news section of their website that includes PRs published by major publications, which works as a credibility-booster.

No matter which method you choose, adding social buttons for easy sharing will boost the reach of your PR.

Ready to spread the word? Leap from sideshow to main stage with the help of our expert on-staff journalists.

Hit “Send”

By now, you’ve got the tools you need to know how to distribute a press release. By building a tailored media list and sticking to submission guidelines, you’ll have a publish-ready piece at your fingertips. You’re ready to email your press release to journalists with confidence. Now it’s time to hit “send”.

Need to sharpen your news before sending it to the press? Check our Content Shop.

15 Rookie Press Release Mistakes (And How Pros Avoid Them)

May 4, 2020/1 Comment/in Press Releases /by Julia McCoy

This post was originally published in October, 2013 and completely updated in May, 2020.

Press releases have radically transformed along with technology over the past decade.

In days gone by, PRs followed a traditional format, ignored social media, and left crafting a story up to the journalist who received it. These days, it’s just the opposite.

If you’re a new PR writer, or if you established your career more than 10 years ago, brushing up on these common press release mistakes will help you incite more action and gain more media traction.

Let’s deep-dive into how NOT to write a press release.

Press release rookie? 👶 Brushing up on these common press release mistakes will help you incite more action and gain more media traction. 📰 Read all 15 here: Click To Tweet

1. Write a Bland Headline

Journalists slog through hundreds of PRs daily. If your headline doesn’t sizzle, your press release may not be read.

Here’s an example of a boring press release headline:

While it’s direct and concise, the formal investor-facing tone waters down the hook.

And here’s an example of a headline that pops:

Adobe’s news appears as a blog. This allows for a shift toward a conversational tone, boosting the PR’s relevance.

The takeaway: craft an intriguing, relevant, and to-the-point headline. Make sure it’s immediately clear how your news engages your target audience.

If you’re new to writing for the web, consider using a scoring tool to measure potential engagement. My favorite headline analyzers are from AMI Institute and Co-Schedule.

2. Use the Same Headline And Lead for All Pitches, Regardless of Audience

Think sending everyone the same announcement press release will lead to the best results? Think again. For the wire, a generic PR will do. For your website, a reformatted version can appear on your blog.

However, don’t risk alienating your network of journalists by using the same copy for everyone.

Eileen Baumann, a leading PR writer on the Forbes Agency Council, recommends boosting your coverage by “taking the time to customize a headline and/or lead when sending to individual press contacts.”

3. Forget Your Audience – It’s All About You

While a PR may feel like it’s about you and your company, successful PRs focus on how their news is relevant to the target audience: journalists.

It’s bad enough when news orgs just run press releases.

This is a press release about a PR agency. It’s essentially an ad.

[slowly bangs head against counter] https://t.co/UMJcM9MXA4

— Steve Cavendish (@scavendish) April 7, 2020

Before hitting the send button, make sure your PR is providing real value for your readers. Ask yourself: how is this news relevant to my audience? If your copy doesn’t answer that question, it’s time to edit.

Remember, the goal of any marketing endeavor is to drive action – not to pat yourself on the back.

Garmin demonstrates how to send a press release to announce an award and keep it relevant:

4. Rely Solely on Distribution Platforms

In the past, blasting the wire was sufficient. Websites like PR Web, PR Buzz, and PR Leap allow you to jump directly into journalist’s inboxes nationwide.

In 2020, the context has changed. Fewer journalists are wading through WAY more PRs. News outlets are web-focused, which means content optimized for social media, with video, images, and graphics are often published over traditional news articles.

For goliath brands, crafting traditional PRs and distributing to thousands of publications makes sense. For up-and-coming brands, it’s significantly more cost-efficient to invest in relationships with a select group of journalists.

Think of journalists as influencers rather than merely writers: add value by sending them a full media package, including product samples, images, videos, and pull quotes. Organize interviews, or reveal an industry viewpoint. The more you simplify covering your news, the more journalists will want to work with you.

5. Focus on Driving Traffic to Your Website

The game’s changed: PRs aren’t about driving traffic or SEO anymore. Modern PRs focus on promoting transparency, growing brand awareness, and audience engagement.

If the sole target of your PR is building backlinks, your announcement is likely not newsworthy enough. However, if used sparingly, dropping links in your PR can be a great way to boost your credibility and promote audience action.

6. Don’t Optimize Your Press Release Format

Publish your PRs as content marketing on your company blog, or reframe them for social media. Nintendo separates their advertorial, fan-centered “news items” from their investor-facing PRs.

Notice the different press release formats: the fan-facing PRs break the rules and use 2^nd person. They’re sharable, and images are embedded.

The investor-platform takes a traditional approach to PRs. They use concise, direct headlines and 3^rd person to emphasize the business focus of these PRs. This simple separation is an effective way to target two very different audiences.

7. Don’t Cross-Pollinate on Social Media

For every piece of news that goes out, at least 2-3 social media posts should follow.

Here’s a fun example press release from Sesame Workshop.

The 2 goals of this PR: announce their TV special and extension of the #CaringForEachOther initiative.

Here’s that same release after getting picked up by The New York Times.

NYT writer Melena Ryzik spins major details from the PR for a touching micro-story and adds a new link to the PBS YouTube channel, which was likely included in Sesame Workshop’s press kit.

Then Sesame Workshop turned to social media to promote their special.

Afterward, they followed up with fans on Twitter, fulfilling their second goal: engaging and caring for children.

This strategy can work for a variety of brands. The most important takeaway: read the room. If your news is getting lots of engagement, continue the ripple-effect with more content. Write a follow-up blog post, create a video, craft an image. Most importantly, stay on-message.

If your news isn’t gaining traction, don’t exhaust your audience. Instead, focus on other aspects of your brand’s social media strategy.

Press release DON'Ts 🙅‍♀️: 1) Write a bland headline, 2) Forget your audience, 3) Rely solely on distribution platforms, 4) Forget to optimize your PR format. Read 11 more here: Click To Tweet

8. Send Press Releases for Every Little Thing

If it’s not relevant to your audience, it’s not news.

PRs should be part of your brand’s timeline. Send out too many, and you’ll cultivate a spammy image, lowering your credibility. Your readers don’t need (and won’t read) a separate PR for every micro-update. Save those for social media, your blog, or the updates section of your website.

Google uses a simple yet sleek solution: it separates PRs into relevant blog categories.

For a company that updates as often as Google, this avoids unnecessarily spamming tech journalists.

Regardless of your press release format, place your audience first. What are they looking for (and what will turn them away)?

9. Make It a Chore to Share

The goal of your PR is to spread the word. The wider your reach, the more successful you’ll be.

How do you optimize a press release for social media?

Start by crafting a 140/280-character tweetable headline. Suggest hashtags and Twitter-ready pull quotes. Don’t forget to include high-quality multimedia (images, video, GIFs) and provide several formats. Drop in links to your brand’s social media accounts and website to bring it full circle.

10. Don’t Follow a Press Release Template

Too much (or not enough) information is kryptonite for PRs. Successful PRs are concise and focused on the message. Leave the deep dive for other media.

The ideal press release length is:

1 page, 1.5 pages max
300-500 words (400 is the sweet spot)
Skimmable: Headline, subheader, and introduction answer the key 5W questions

Build your PR on a strong foundation with these templates for specific purposes:

Book Releases – Dave Chesson’s book press release template is ideal for PRs in the Kindle Direct Publishing sphere.
Events – Co-Schedule has a great mini-template for event press releases.

Music Release – For a free music press release template, try this foundation. Need inspiration? Check out the album release above for inspiration and a great example of how to stay fun, upbeat, and
Social Media News – Reach a follower milestone? West’s social media release template is a great base for your announcement.

For more guidance, press release examples, and a fill-in-the-blanks press release template, explore our Ultimate Guide to How to Write a Press Release.

11. Use the Wrong Voice

Are you using 2^nd person in your press releases? This voice is well-suited to blogs and social media. PRs are a different story. At best, it reads like an advertisement (not news). At worst, it sounds like a cheesy commercial.

Use 3^rd person for an AP Style news-voice to boost your authority and secure audience trust.

However, there’s always an exception.

This PR for Purina breaks the 2^nd person rule to optimize for Twitter. Tread carefully with this strategy – it instantly shifts the tone toward advertisement.

BIG press release mistake: Using 2nd person voice in your PRs. 💬 At best, it reads like an advertisement (not news). At worst, it sounds like a cheesy commercial. 🧀 Click To Tweet

12. Set the Wrong Tone

Tone sets the mood. It’s your attitude toward your content, and how the reader receives that feeling. While PRs have transformed, some common misconceptions linger behind them.

Here are a few:

Conversational = Unprofessional – Excessively formal language is boring to read! Ensure you’ve got the facts straight and clarify the value of your news, but don’t be shy about letting your personality shine through.
Jargon = Smart – Remember your audience. Journalists – not industry professionals – are in charge of spreading your message. Instead of jargon they have to look up, provide authority quotes and stats and clearly outline why your news is relevant.
Generic Quotes = Acceptable – Instead of building authority and humanizing your brand, robotic quotes make it clear to your readers that you didn’t actually talk to an authority, robbing your quote of value.

13. Don’t Bother to Proofread

In the PR world, nothing burns your credibility faster than a failure to proofread. It’s easy to see why: even a simple typo can damage journalist and publication reputations as well as yours.

For example, consider receiving an email from a major brand with this as a subject:

Thankfully, these issues are easily solved with free Grammar checkers like Grammarly, readability checkers like the Hemingway tool, and Microsoft Word’s basic spellcheck. Combine this with a final human read-through to ensure your PR is read (and not posted on Twitter for a laugh).

The worst part of “let me send you a press release” is usually the press release is terrible and I still have to badger you to get answers to simple questions. pic.twitter.com/WwgUXKfEH9

— Ty Rushing (@Rushthewriter) April 9, 2020

14. Release It at the Wrong Time

Just like you, most reporters have more interesting things going on after 6 on a workday. They’re likely not checking their work emails on the weekend, either. This means that PR you rushed to get out is getting buried by hundreds of other emails (and it’s way less likely to be read).

To avoid this, distribute your press release on a Thursday. According to Prowly’s press release analysis, you can boost your open rate even more by emailing your press release between 10:00 AM and 2:00 PM.

15. Fail to Give a Clear Course of Action

Newsworthy PRs provide clear value and propose to solve a problem. For example, if your press release announces an event, then signing up for the event is the next step you want your readers to take.

If it’s not obvious how to take that next step, your PR is not accomplishing its goal. Simplify the leap from PR to website to social media accounts. In addition, make sure to provide accurate contact information for journalists to follow up.

Prefer to leave it to the pros? Our on-staff journalists create epic press releases for maximum reach.

Write a Professional Press Release Every Time

Whether you’re a rookie writing your first press release or a veteran brushing up your skills, you’re ready to hit the ground running. Put your new knowledge into practice and start crafting amazing press releases today. Happy writing!

Does your press release need a professional boost? Check out our Content Shop for journalist-written press releases.

When to Send a Press Release: An Expert Cheat Sheet

April 29, 2020/1 Comment/in Press Releases /by Julia McCoy

Your mouse is hovering over “send”.

Are you ready to make the final leap?

The path from PR to published is crisscrossed by hurdles to overcome: crafting a story tailored to the publication, developing lasting relationships with journalists, supporting your news through social media, and more.

Before you click “send”, check your watch. The time and day you send your PR is critical to its success.

When's the best time to release a press release? Before you click 'send', check your watch. ⌚ The time and day you send your PR is critical to its success. @JuliaEMcCoy breaks it down here: Click To Tweet

What’s the Best Day to Send a Press Release in 2020?

In a 2015 study of 100,000 press releases, Ragan suggests Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday are the best days to distribute a press release.

However, a 2020 analysis by Prowly found that PRs sent on Wednesdays were not opened as often, with an open rate of only 15%.

According to Prowly, Thursday is the best day to send a press release, when email open rates climb up to nearly 27%. The next best day is Tuesday, which averages a 19% open rate.

What average open rate should you be shooting for? Freshmail recommends an open rate benchmark of 18-30%. This number fluctuates by industry, as some niches receive more mail than others.

However, if your open rate is significantly lower, it’s time to brush up on how to pitch a press release via email, check your email etiquette, and most of all, reevaluate your timing.

Let’s look at press release standards of when NOT to send a press release.

Don’t Send a Press Release On Monday or Friday

Every morning, journalists have an average of 300 emails waiting for them. On Mondays, that number toes the line toward 1000. Short of wizardry, there’s simply no way for them to read everything. By issuing your press release on Monday, you risk it going unread.

How about Friday, when most of the week’s work is complete? Prowly’s study notes one of the worst days to send a press release is Friday, especially Friday evenings. Just like you, at the end of the day on Fridays, most journalists are wrapping up and getting ready for the weekend.

Don’t Send a Press Release on the Weekend

Journalists don’t open their work email on the weekend. If they do, it’s likely not to read your PR. At an open rate of barely 2%, it’s not worth it to send a press release on the weekend.

What’s the Best Time to Send a Press Release?

Roughly 33% of all PR emails are opened between 10:00 AM and 2:00 PM. However, it’s not as simple as sending your email in that time frame.

Many companies – especially those that use distribution services – schedule their PRs ahead of time. Whether for simplicity or due to technological limitations, the bulk of scheduled emails arrive on the hour or half-hour. This means your target journalist might be dealing with hundreds of new emails exactly at 10:00 AM or 10:30 AM.

By choosing a slightly different time, such as 10:23 AM, you’ll sidestep the competition and increase the chance that your PR is read.

Don’t Send Press Releases in the Early Morning

Even on Thursdays, open rates plummet between 6:00 and 10:00 AM. According to Cision, a leading press release distribution service, 9:00 AM is the most popular time to send press releases. Unfortunately, that popularity means much more competition for your PR.

In this case, the early bird does not catch the worm. Leave the wee hours for the rookies.

Don’t Send Press Releases At Night

The same logic applies to press releases sent at the end of the day, or late at night. If you’re heading home from work or sleeping, your journalist is likely doing the same. Unless it’s absolutely necessary, it’s best to avoid these low-open rate times.

Example exceptions include financial releases sent after the market closes to comply with regulation, and breaking news.

Be Aware of Your Target Journalist’s Time Zone

With a growing remote workforce, being aware of varying time zones is more important than ever.

Consider this example timing fail: it’s 11:23 AM CDT on a Thursday, so it should be an ideal time to send a press release. You proofread, add a press kit with multimedia, and hit send.

As the release jets off into the ether, you realize you’ve forgotten some key details. Your contact is located in Egypt, where it’s already past the end of the workday. What’s more, the local workweek starts on Sunday and ends on Thursday. Unfortunately, your PR has a very low chance of being read.

This fumble could have been avoided by doing a quick search for the time difference, holidays, and local customs using tools like Time Zone Converter or Time and Date. If you’re working across time zones and cultures, consider including this game-changing information in your media list.

For best results, DON'T send a press release out in the early morning or at night. Instead, keep tabs on your target journalist's time zone and send during the day. ☀ Click To Tweet

How Far in Advance Should You Send a Press Release?

The short answer is: it depends. First, consider the nature of your news and current events in your industry. For example, political press releases will gain the most traction before or after an election. Why? An election is major news, which will create tough competition for your PR.

Next, determine whether it would be more newsworthy now, or at a later date. Also, consider whether your news needs to remain confidential before a certain date.

If journalists must wait before publishing your news, use an embargo.

Here are a few examples of when to use an embargo:

Funding announcements
Mergers
Acquisitions
Partnership announcements
New Leadership

Not sure if you should release your news in advance? Let’s explore how far in advance to send a press release in specific situations.

Press Releases for Breaking News: To ensure your brand sets the narrative, follow up on the day of the event, or as soon as possible. Instead of an embargo, use “FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE”.

Press Releases in Response to Ongoing News – A prime example: responses to the ongoing COVID19 crisis. If your PR contains essential information for public health, release it immediately. If it’s relevant but not immediately essential, follow the general guidelines for when to send a press release.
Press Releases for Events: Grand openings, conference spotlights, and industry trade show press releases should go out at least 3 weeks in advance.
Press Releases for Product Launches: For highly timely news, send these PRs at least 1-2 weeks in advance.

When to Send a Press Release During the Holidays: The Importance of Timely Press Releases

Whether it’s a three-day weekend or Christmas Eve, avoid sending PRs the day before holidays. These days fall under the same rule as Fridays. Journalists will have tons of emails coming in that day and will be less likely to open your PR.

Instead, send PRs at least 2 days before a holiday. In addition, reference your media list for local holiday customs. For example, Jewish holidays start at sunset, so PRs should be sent 3 days before the calendar holiday. If in doubt, respectfully ask your journalist if they are celebrating any holidays this month.

For holiday-related news, send it at least 3 weeks in advance to give your journalist adequate time to get it out for the holiday.

Should anything be sent on holidays?

Here’s the exception: breaking news. Be aware even this PR risks getting buried by the time your journalist returns to their inbox, so be sure to follow up with a direct message or phone call.

When should you send out press releases around holidays? Short answer: It depends. First: ☝ Consider the nature of your news or event. Next: ✌ determine whether its newsworthy right now or later. Learn more: Click To Tweet

Press Release Timeline: What to Do Before and After Release

Want your press release to find maximum traction? Follow this press release timeline.

Before You Hit Send

Proofreading is essential. Typos and broken links can quickly damage your brand’s credibility.

When you find a typo in your press release seconds after hitting send pic.twitter.com/sYoRtROks0

— Andy Bixler (@bixlerandy) April 11, 2020

If your contact details are incomplete or missing, follow up becomes impossible. Add an impersonal press release format or flabby press release structure, and your publication chances will take a serious nosedive. To avoid this, follow a press release template.

After Publication

Using a syndication service? Hop on your dashboard and zero in on the major publications where the service distributed your press release.

If you’re new to the game, check out our blow by blow of how to distribute a press release on a budget.

For peak engagement, follow this checklist:

Take hyperlinks from major news outlets where your PR was published.
Choose a different news source for each of your social media arms.
Write a tailored description for each link.
Post and repeat.

According to Neil Patel, the goal of following up with social media is not about boosting SEO, or even driving traffic back to the press release section of your website. Instead, it’s all about brand awareness, growing credibility, and community engagement.

Looking for peak engagement? Consult our journalist team to learn the most opportune time to issue your news.

When to Release Your Press Release

The reality is: context is everything. What’s killer timing one month may change during the holidays. What works in your country may need tweaking internationally. What makes a splash for product launches may require a new tactic for breaking news.

How can you boost your press release’s success, no matter the situation? Keep track of the time and date you send each press release, as well as which media outlets published it. Then, with each new PR, adjust one variable in that dataset to measure when is the best time for your particular type of news.

With these best practices in mind, your PRs will be making headlines in no time.

Ready to hit the headlines? Head over to our Content Shop.

How to Write an Epic Press Release: The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide

April 28, 2020/5 Comments/in Press Releases /by Julia McCoy

This post was originally published in October, 2013 and completely updated in April, 2020.

Let’s face it.

Some press releases are anything but epic.

Flavorless headlines and dry, unemotional storytelling can fumble a potentially great PR. If you’re new to PR writing or looking to boost efficiency, templates are a dependable solution. However, relying too heavily on a standard copy will leave your PR sounding bland and cold.

So what’s the secret ingredient that makes your reader’s jaw drop? How exactly do you write a good press release?

Newsflash: there’s no secret. Like all great writing, it starts with hooking your audience.

Like all great writing, a press release starts with hooking your audience. 🎣 Get more tips AND a fill-in-the-blank press release template right here ☑: Click To Tweet

Who is a Press Release Written For?

A PR is your direct line to journalists, influencers, and news editors. They receive a deluge of emails every day, so they only read the best PRs. Unfortunately, if yours isn’t up to snuff, it’s likely not even opened.

Want to write PRs journalists can’t resist opening? Make sure your PR hits these three points:

It’s relevant. Your content is newsworthy and cutting-edge timely.
It’s straightforward. Your formatting is consistent, clear, and ready to print.
It’s juicy. Your story is engaging and gets people talking, which results in increased ROI.

Types of Press Release (And What a PR Can Do for Your Brand)

In this ultra-digital era, brands can tap into countless channels to announce innovations to the public. So, are press releases outmoded? No way! PRs are still one of the most budget-friendly ways to hit diverse brand targets and gain news coverage.

Check out these 5 examples of press releases from 2020 to see what your brand can do with a PR.

1. Shine a Spotlight on New Products and Services

Apple is constantly innovating, so to foster serious buzz for the iPad Pro they make sure to announce cutting-edge new features. It’s a stellar example of how to write a press release for a product. Here’s why: it’s social media-ready, with plenty of images and to-the-point details. Consider using this press release as a sample for your next product launch.

2. Highlight How Business Partnerships and Developments Connect to the Public

Google’s short and direct PR announcing a new business partnership is ready to be published as-is. By emphasizing fan experience, Google and MLB keep it hyper-relevant to the public.

3. Reveal Events

From conferences to concerts, 2020’s events are going virtual. Social Media Week is no exception – they created #SMWONE and used this PR to announce their agenda and speaker lineup. It’s a solid example of how to write a press release for an event, even the way we host events is changing.

In true SMW fashion, they keep it fun with emojis, hashtags, and plenty of ways to share.

4. Build Brand Awareness and Bolster Reputation

PRs help new brands cultivate a name for themselves. They’re also integral for pivoting from a social media snafu (it happens). For research-driven organizations, PRs can announce new studies to show authority on a subject.

Cisco’s summary of their Digital Readiness Index works on several levels: it displays social responsibility, demonstrates industry leadership, and provides an opportunity for backlinks.

5. Beware the Bandwagon

In the thick of the COVID19 crisis, this is one aspect of PRs we can’t ignore. Journalists’ inboxes are stuffed daily with brands eager to weigh in. Whether well-intentioned or opportunistic, this type of behavior isn’t new. However, it’s more concentrated than ever before, causing facepalms and frustration across Twitter.

It’s enough to make any company wary of sounding tone-deaf, but KFC gets it just right.

Partnered with non-profit Blessings in a Backpack, KFC’s PR focuses entirely on supporting food-insecure children. Here’s why it works: it’s 0% focused on selling.

Getting It Right the First Time: A Checklist for Beginners

Wondering what to include in your first press release? Use our sample press release template below to check you’ve covered all the key elements. It’s especially well-suited for traditional press release distribution services, such as PR Web.

Building your own media list? Check out our distribution guide for new press release formats for 2020.

Fill-in-the-Blank Press Release Template

[PRESS RELEASE]

[SUMMARIZE THE TOPIC OF THE PRESS RELEASE IN AN EYE-CATCHING HEADLINE]

[Provide Key Additional Details in the Subheader. If the Headline Reframes News to Amp Up Excitement, Here’s Where You Can Be More Direct]

[DATE AND LOCATION]

[This first introductory paragraph contains the most important information in the PR. It answers who, what, where, when, and why.]

[Give secondary details in the next paragraph, if necessary.]

[In the body copy, include authority quotes and stats. “If your organization has a chief spokesperson, remember to name them in full and give their job title,” said Jane Doe, CMO of XYZ Company.]

[Next is the boilerplate. It’s a precise about section that gives insight into your organization.]

[Include your press contact details last.]

### = Bold and centered, these three pound signs signify the end of your PR.

How to Format Your Press Release

Should you use Word or submit a PDF? A quick perusal of 3 press releases from major companies reveals that in 2020 PR writers:

1. Provide Several Formats

Chipotle’s PR keeps it professional by offering PDF and print format. For larger publications, RSS and email buttons make sharing easy.

2. Don’t Embed Images in the Document

Providing downloadable images makes your PR easier to copy-paste. By making them available in several formats, you’ll reach a wider array of journalists.

3. Write With Copy-Paste In Mind

Disney’s recent news is a great example of a good press release headline. Here’s why: it’s direct, relevant to the reader, and primed for Twitter.

Looking For More Examples?

For more killer PR samples, check out this Google Docs press release template. If you’re writing a more traditional PR, the American Library Association provides a useful sample press release pdf.

Let’s dive in and explore the anatomy of amazing press releases.

Press Release Structure

Follow this roadmap to build a solid, professional press release from the ground up.

Step 1: Craft a Headline That Pops

Killer PR headlines are eye-catching, relevant, and to-the-point. Let’s explore three samples of press release headlines from 2020.

Netflix nails it with this release for Bert Kreischer’s new comedy special. It’s intriguing, edgy (which follows Kreisher’s brand), and primed for social media.

Lego’s headline uses wordplay to put a brand-specific spin on their product launch PR.

Adobe cleverly shifts the focus to celebrating a well-loved product while introducing new and revamped features as a “gift” to Photoshop fans.

Step 2: Lead With the Crucial Facts

In the age of clickbait and misleading articles, new writers risk picking up bad habits.

To avoid this, stick to the inverted pyramid. Not familiar with this journalism standby? This checklist will put you on the right track to writing a good press release.

Most Important Details – Answer who, what, where, when, and why.
Supporting Details – Carefully chose quotes and stats.
More Information – Adda boilerplate and contact information.

Take NASA’s recent press release as an example. They hit all 5 W questions without wasting any time:

Who: 12,000 applicants
What: Applied to become astronauts
Where: Every US state
Why: Selected astronauts will explore the moon and their research will be used for future human missions to Mars.
When: New astronaut candidates will be introduced in summer 2021.

Step 4: Show Your Authority With Stats and Quotes

Microsoft recently partnered with C3.ai and leading universities to create a consortium dedicated to AI research. This high-level, complicated endeavor is brought to the publicly relevant level through an emotionally-charged, authoritative quote. “I cannot imagine a more important use of AI,” C3.ai CEO Thomas M. Seibel says.

A rule of thumb when choosing quotations: use it to drive your story forward, and be sure to stay true to the voice of the quoted person.

Pampers uses stats as a driving force to announce their partnership with Shay Mitchell and Chrissy Teigen, who led an Instagram mom-chat. By pushing stats to the forefront, the personal anecdotes from both actresses are transformed into a positive response to Pampers’ initiative.

Step 5. Make It Easy for Readers to Follow Through

By now, your readers are hooked, excited, and eager to act. Want to hit your brand goals? You’ll need a call-to-action. Skipping it can mean reduced ROI, whether that means sales or engagement.

Take your CTA to the next level by adding direct action verbs, as Old Spice does here:

Their goal: announcing new products. Why it’s awesome: they bring back a beloved marketing campaign and release new products through storytelling. By giving readers a chance to Tweet their glee, the news stays upbeat and spreads organically.

For a more traditional CTA format, check out how McDonald’s uses curiosity to drive action.

Step 6. Keep it Concise

“Brevity is the soul of wit (and engagement),” Shakespeare wrote. OK, maybe we added “engagement”, but it’s still essential advice for writing effective PRs. Restrict yourself to 1-1.5 pages (about 400 words max). Remember, journalists often only read through your first paragraph and skim the rest.

Domino’s keeps it brief by using a simple rhyme as a hook and immediately jumping in.

The main takeaway: push toward your PR’s goal, then get out. Save the purple prose for Shakespeare.

Step 7: Use AP Style

Make it easy for the press to print your PR by writing it in AP Style. It’s standard at most news organizations, which means if your PR isn’t AP-ready, someone has to rewrite it before printing. Unfortunately, that can be enough for journalists to hit the “delete” button.

Not sure if your recipients use AP? Consider creating two versions. This will double as an A/B test, too.

To be a real winner, your press release must be concise, properly formatted, authoritative, fact-driven, and more. 📝 Learn the essentials of press release structure via @JuliaEMcCoy 📰 Click To Tweet

Ready to take your press release from boring to brilliant, but not sure where to start? Check out our journalist-written press releases.

Write a Jaw-Dropping Press Release

It’s time to put your new skills to the test! You’ve got all the tools to start writing epic press releases that get results.

Prefer to leave it to the pros? Learn more about how our on-staff journalists craft all-star PRs by visiting our Content Shop.

The Wicked Witch of Online Syndication is Dead: Why We’re No Longer Offering Syndicated Press Release Distribution

October 31, 2016/4 Comments/in Press Releases /by Julia McCoy

$6,100.00.

That’s what one big brand was spending per month on press release distribution, according to a study by marketing agency owner Tim Grice, posted on Moz in 2012.

That’s a huge number.

For the past year now, at Express Writers, we’ve offered syndicated online press release distribution to all of our customers, at rates well below what our former news partner charged on their own site. Our clients got a good deal—and we felt happy to offer it to them.

That is, until this October—when we stood back and looked at the actual benefit of online, syndicated news. I even got two experts on the line to help me dig up solid truths about this industry. (I’m indebted to Steve Rayson at BuzzSumo for pulling metrics and data for me, and Tim Grice at Branded3 for an updated quote.)

Our findings weren’t good, by any means.

That’s why we’re calling our findings the wicked witch of online press syndication and turning it into a Halloween post.

Here’s the (in the spirit of Halloween—cold, dead) truth: if you’re paying for syndicated news, you might just be wasting every single dollar you sink into that channel.

Don’t just be frightened by the witch: know the facts and make an informed decision the next time you choose to put your money into syndicated news (or not).

The Story Behind the Study: What Inspired Me to Take a Deeper Look at Press Release Distribution

I’d noticed a pattern: in 2012, when we started offering distribution, I saw amazing, fast results in Google. For instance, one press release we did back then was about a stuffed toy. Their keyword, a solid, low competition long-tail, ranked #3 in Google in just days—the #3 result was their actual PRWeb release. Now that was value!

But I haven’t seen this happen since that day. And we’re talking out of dozens to hundreds of press releases that our team has written and distributed by now. On average, we distribute 6-10 press releases for clients in a month. We have so many clients that complain about the reports we send them. “This is all the data and results we get?” And the truth is: we didn’t really have an answer for them. The quality of the news results online was finicky. I’d see an online Fox station pick it up—and then it would be gone the next day, when I was ready to send the link to the client. Results weren’t permanent. And nothing showed in the first page of Google for their (great) long-tail news keywords.

The more I saw this happening, the more I realized I needed to research syndicated distribution. A bad feeling in my gut drove me to do it before we renewed our contract this year. And sure enough, what I found was pretty dire.

To make my research and findings official, I got in touch with my friend Steve Rayson, Director at BuzzSumo, for an exclusive study: and even got in touch personally with Tim Grice from Branded3.com, the author of the Moz piece, for some updated findings.

Let’s dive in to the findings.

Interview with Tim Grice: The Cold, Hard, Dead Truth of Syndicated Online Press Release Distribution

Here’s what Tim Grice had to say, when I sat down with him to discuss his Moz post and what he’d say about online press syndication currently as it stands in 2016.

Julia: You shared your findings on how budgets are being wasted with online press release syndication, back in 2012. Would you say it’s become an even bigger waste of budget in 2016? Or have you seen brands adapting, and investing less in online PR?

Tim: The Moz post is specifically referring to online PR syndication (PR Newswire, etc). SEO agencies and in-house teams were using them as a primary link building channel, firing out boring stories that got absolutely no pick up and the online links created were from low value directories.

In 2008, it worked really well to game Google’s rankings: but by 2012, it should have been on its way out. Not so much. Link building was becoming difficult and it was the easy go-to option for many agencies.

Here’s the thing: if anyone is using syndication for links today, they should be fired.

[clickToTweet tweet=”There is no value in press release syndication for SEO purposes. – @Tim_Grice” quote=”There is no value in press release syndication for SEO purposes. – @Tim_Grice”]

Journalists are already inundated with companies offering up information for free, and there is no need to check a press wire.

Julia: Why is online PR a bad idea for a link building investment?

Tim: Online PR done right is not a bad idea, syndicating crap stories around the web for a handful of links on press wires is a terrible SEO strategy; no relevance, no authority, no trust. Creating genuinely insightful content or offering up unique data and selling it indirectly to journalists and bloggers is the right approach to online PR (done right, you can generate hundreds of high authority links from a single campaign).

Julia: Is there any good form of online syndication?

Tim: Not that I am aware of.

[clickToTweet tweet=”Anything designed to create quick, easy links is almost always a waste of time and money. [email protected]_Grice” quote=”Anything designed to create quick, easy links is almost always a waste of time and money. [email protected]_Grice”]

Julia: What is a much better way to invest revenue to boost your online marketing, instead of online PR?

Tim: Done right, online PR can return good ROI as well as high authority links, however the fact is that where you invest will depend purely on the gaps in your strategy.

From an SEO stand point, if you rank in the top five you’ve probably got enough links to be position one, and you should work on the technical side of it, CTR’s, mobile and great content.

Final word…

[clickToTweet tweet=”Syndication is never a good investment, and I would opt for any other tactic. – @Tim_Grice” quote=”Syndication is never a good investment, and I would opt for any other tactic. – @Tim_Grice”]

BuzzSumo: What Is The ROI Of Press Release Distribution (Syndication)?

To further dig into the reality of how ugly the press release syndicated world is, I asked my friend Steve Rayson over at BuzzSumo to get some exclusive findings. He was happy to accommodate, and here’s what we found. Ready?

To wrap up our findings…

On average, press releases on the top two syndication sites get a measly 24 shares–total. Fact: 24 shares don’t equate to people actually reading, yet alone someone clicking a link in a release. Over 50% of URLs shared on Twitter are never clicked (BuzzSumo).

Big ticket question:

Are shares inflated by syndicated press release distribution networks?

This PR was the most shared, according to BuzzSumo, coming in with 149,000 shares on Facebook.

Using Moz’s Open Site Explorer, we found out that the press release with 149k shares has only 1 backlink with a Domain Authority well below quality (19 on a scale of 100).

Investigating further, the backlink itself has 4 spam flags.

As we end, if you’re still choosing to go with PR syndicated distribution, I ask you to ask yourself:

If the highest shared press release in existence has only one backlink, which is spammy, what real value are you getting out of your syndicated press release distributions?

Are we still doing press release writing? Yes!

We still offer press release writing from expert journalists! A PR in and of itself, as Grice said, holds much value (as long as you’re using something a little better quality than the syndicated online network.) As of October 31, we no longer offer distribution only. Get your written press release here.

Comments welcome! Tell us your thoughts below.

How To Write A Press Release For A Book

November 20, 2015/6 Comments/in Press Releases /by Julia McCoy

You’ve just written a book, how exciting! Now that you’ve finished it, you’re probably wondering how exactly to go about promoting it.

You’ve heard about press releases, but are they a thing of the past?

Great news, they aren’t! Since the SEO landscape has changed, quality is the name of the game for worthwhile press releases. You should have a solid journalist expert writing it, and a top notch news network. As long as you’re not distributing a PR for links only, you’re going to get a lot out of it.

Press releases are perfect for books whether they are paper copies or in ebook format, and they are perfect for spreading the word about your new release. Let’s talk more.

How to Write a Press Release for a Book: The Basics

Here’s a brief overview of how to write a press release for a book.

1. Always Use Captivating Headlines

Press releases are similar to other content in that it needs a captivating headline. Without a great headline, people are likely to pass your press release off as a boring, typical PR with nothing interesting. Most press releases aren’t boring, especially yours, but if the headline is boring everyone will assume the PR is, as well.

2. This Is A Chance to Provide Information

Press releases do help you promote you and your book, but you shouldn’t make it super promotional. Leave that to your promotional campaigns. Instead, make sure your press release provides people with information regarding you, your book, why you wrote it, and what you hope readers gain from it. This will help people know if it is something they will be interested in reading or not. We are all so busy with different life things that we need to know if a book is worthwhile to read. When writing your press release, make sure to write it in the third person because it is much more professional for readers and it helps you provide all necessary information that first or second person writing may forget.

3. Make Sure It Goes To The Right Places

Before sending out your press release, make sure you are sending it to the right places. First, you should publish it online. This is the new wave of the press release, making it more available for people to read and learn about your book or company. You can post a link to it on any social site, giving people directions on where to look. Second, you need to consider sending your press release to your local bookstore, local magazines and papers, and other companies that will benefit from your book. Research these particular companies and make sure you know the different places that would like to sell your book. You may even consider sending your press release to your local library. When you send out your press release, consider sending your book or at least a snippet from your book to make the local entities feel secure with publishing your press release.

4. Press Releases Can Be Optimized For Google

The neat thing about the new press release is that you can optimize it for Google by utilizing keywords. You can put the keywords throughout your press release and in your headline to gain Google’s eye, but always remember to follow SEO (search engine optimization) rules when writing anything for the web. Google is known for slapping bans on anyone participating in negative SEO. A great way to avoid falling into this common pitfall is to use your keywords sparingly. If you stuff your press release, or any content, with keywords, Google will ban your site, as well as keep people from reading, and will just look sloppy overall.

5. Make it Fun, Make It Shareable

You can still make writing a press release fun while still having enough information available in the PR. One of the best ways to craft content these days is to add sub-headers throughout to give people the ability to skim over your writing. This works perfectly for PRs and you can also add funny little quips or one-liners. This makes people decide you are a fun author and they would love to give your book a shot. You can even put in a few quotes regarding your book, but only quotes that are important. Just don’t fill your PR with tons of quotes and sayings.

6. Aim For Top Quality

The chances of your press release being read before going in a newspaper is pretty slim. Usually, editors will get a press release and do a quick glance over it before putting it in the next paper or magazine release. This makes it crucial for your PR to be full of quality information. Avoid typos and grammatical errors, fact check yourself constantly, and make it sound incredibly professional. This will be perfect if a publisher reads it or if an interested party gets ahold of the paper. You want to impress them as soon as they read that press release.

Now That You Know How to Write a Press Release for a Book…

Press releases are crucial to publishing anything whether it is an app, a change in your company, event, or book. These give people necessary information about your product while piquing their interest in your item. This is particularly handy for books, and you will find more people asking to purchase a copy once you have published an incredibly crafted press release!

Need a great team that writes and distributes, with a 100% success rate? Order today with us!

10 Benefits of Press Release Writing For Your Business & Brand

October 8, 2015/6 Comments/in Press Releases /by Julia McCoy

Picture this:

You have tons of amazingly creative ideas and are starting (for real, finally) your new business. Or, you’re launching a book, or even a new service inside your existing company.

You might be able to pull a few strings to get an event going to celebrate your achievement, put out a blog or video about it.

Then, you start listing all the things you need, and press coverage comes up as your biggest challenge.

It’s easy to imagine the next part.

You have (almost) no money left and absolutely zero ties with bloggers and journalists.

So now what?

10 Advantages That Press Release Writing Will Help You Unlock

You might be asking yourself:

How am I going to get press coverage? How could I share my news with the whole world without depleting what’s left of my marketing budget?

All the best answers point in the same direction: press release writing services represent the key to efficient and affordable self-promotion.

Press releases deliver exceptional results for virtually any business, regardless of its size, profit margins, profile and industry; which means that this type of content could also work like magic for you. This brings us to the next question: what exactly should you expect from world-class press release writing services? Here are the 10 main benefits of press releases that are constantly witnessed (and appreciated) by our clients.

1. Instant Exposure

As a small or medium business owner with limited resources, how could you spread the word about your company and products in the most effective manner, without breaking the bank to reach your target?

Because you know that content is king and distribution is queen, you want to bet everything on stellar copy that will sweep your potential buyers off their feet and make them daydream about your merchandise and talk about it in their sleep. In this moment, the question that you should ask yourself is this: how do you choose the right type of content and distribution services to achieve this specific goal? On second through, why choose when you can benefit from a complex content strategy based on an ideal combination of expert articles, blog posts, killer landing pages and press releases?

Each type of content plays an important part that you simply can’t afford to ignore. For instance, while landing pages help you introduce your brands and goods to the world and convert leads into customers, blog posts allow you to establish a more personal connection with your readers, by answering some of their most burning questions, offering advice, expressing your expert opinion and sharing your insight with your audience.

On the other hand, press releases let you build trust and authority on different fronts, by stimulating journalists and media outlets to cover your story, and also by giving your prospects a new reason to visit your store, land on your website, find out more about your most recent accomplishments and try, buy and spread the word about your new product or service.

2. Increased Sales Potential

Aside from bringing credibility and allowing you to stay in the public eye, press releases can also boost your profit margins, by highlighting the most remarkable key benefits and features of your products that position your merchandise on top of any other alternatives currently available on the market. You may feel the need to write and distribute press releases on different occasions, to announce a series of achievements, such as new technological developments, a product or service launch, a new partnership with a prominent company, a milestone that you have just reached or new acquisitions.

Each event that we’ve mentioned is newsworthy enough to command attention and put you and your business into the spotlight for a certain period of time. While the effectiveness of press releases can be difficult to measure, given that you can’t know for sure how many journalists have actually picked up your story and how many people have purchased your products as a result of this increased exposure, it’s safe to say that this type of content can be used to refine your message, get ample press coverage and explore an easier path to convince your potential buyers that what you’re selling it worthy of their attention, time and money.

3. The Chance to Boost the Effectiveness of Your Marketing Plan

Recent statistics unveiled by MarketingProfs indicate that 71% of all B2B marketers count on content marketing to generate new sales leads. This sounds amazing, but what if we told you that you could actually up this percentage by using every single tool in your content marketing toolbox to enhance your online visibility, become more popular and make more money? Press releases represent an exceptional, incredibly affordable marketing addition that you should add to your campaign. You simply cannot go wrong with these tools because they are designed to be controlled by their creators in terms of targeted audience and message.

4. The Opportunity to Brand Yourself as an Industry Expert

Press releases are a great way to build trust and credibility in your field of activity. An excellent PR campaign will offer you the chance to brand yourself as a high-authority artist/business owner and underline the unique attributes of your products.

5. Increased Traffic to Your Website

According to the data shared by ereleases.com, 80 million people worldwide go online daily, looking for unique insight and exclusive stories. This impressive number reveals just how important it really is to use every trick in the book to push your feature to the top of your prospects’ newsfeed and boost your exposure.

Using press releases, you can do that, while also including one or two links to your blog or website, to guide your reader towards other platforms where you promote and sell your goods. As Lisa Buyer from Search Engine Watch points out, while Google has stopped companies from squeezing valuable link juice from press releases by implementing penalties for shady, manipulative link building strategies, a more traditional kind of PR work still represents the key to a flawless communication with journalists, influencers, investors and potential clients.

Without trying to game the system, you could still boost website traffic via press releases (and any other type of quality digital content for that matter), by simply optimizing the key elements of your copy, including keywords, headlines, videos, photos, hashtags and description.

6. Important SEO Benefits

Press releases published by several media outlets will offer you valuable backlinks to your website. Moreover, by optimizing your content, you could increase its visibility online and make your articles searchable on the Internet. Tags pointing to your topic and a set of relevant, industry and company-specific keywords are extremely important elements that you should add to your copy to optimize your press releases and unlock instant SEO benefits.

7. A New Opportunity to Reach Your Targeted Audience

Press release distribution services are industry-specific and ensure location targeting, a prominent advantage that increases your odds of promoting your message in front of an audience that is more likely to respond to your CTAs. This type of services based on geographical location can maximize your reach and help you get in touch with people who share your vision, mission and interests and would be more inclined to test, buy and recommend your products.

8. The Perfect Occasion to Distribute Your Content Across Different Channels

When you’re striving to make a name for yourself on an overcrowded market, it is vital to explore all available mediums to express yourself, build and maintain a connection with your public, receive financial support for your upcoming project and lure customers. Press releases ensure media coverage and can help you see your story in newspapers and magazines or hear about most recent accomplishments on the radio. All these channels can support your marketing efforts, turning you into a more powerful player in your sector.

9. A Solid Relationship with Journalists

Press releases enable you to create stronger ties with journalists who are looking for a good story to share with their readers. A well-written press release will enable you to capture the attention of several media outlets and create win-win situations with influencers in your industry who need to cover interesting facts to stay relevant and competitive on their niche.

10. A Cost-Effective Method to Attract Deep-Pocketed Investors

Press releases offer you the simplest and most affordable method to build your online reputation and increase your visibility on your market. Aside from making your goods seem more desirable in the eyes of your prospects and attracting more clients, press releases can help you capture the attention of influent investors who could become your future sponsors, lift your startup off the ground and fuel your ascension.

How Should You Choose a Press Release Distribution Service?

Now that you are familiar with the benefits of press release writing, you are probably wondering how you could select the most suitable distribution service for this type of content. In this case, our advice is to stick to the options that are fully compatible with your needs, goals and budget.

With several free and paid alternatives at your disposal, it is extremely important to filter your selection based on the SEO benefits and traffic/exposure opportunities offered by each candidate. Also, you may want to go in favor of a press release distribution service with a high level of credibility and authority. You can narrow down your search by simply checking some of the most relevant metrics in the SEO industry, including Moz Domain Authority and Google PageRank. We highly recommend PRWeb, the leader in online publicity and news distribution. Its editorial team can support your business growth goals by reviewing, optimizing and distributing press releases to some of the most influential bloggers, journalists, media outlets and search engines.

Aside from getting the most reputable and efficient network to distribute your content, you should also pay attention to up the quality of the message that you are planning on promoting.

If you want to count on an uninterrupted flow of first-hand content with real substance crafted to increase your odds of staying in the limelight, check out on our exceptional press release writing services and find out how they could help you and your brand steal the show in any industry.

15 Tips for Writing a Great Press Release

June 11, 2014/5 Comments/in Press Releases /by Julia McCoy

Awesome content is involved in writing a great press release: from the newsy headline to the text body that gets read, quoted and shared by interested news audiences. All too often, businesses and brands have neglected these useful tools.

In The Power of the New Press Release, we recently discussed what exactly a press release is, what an amazing PR includes and why you should invest in well written releases. This blog delves a little deeper with the current rules involved in today’s successful press releases, and how to come out on top if your goal is writing a great press release.

6 PR Writing Do’s for 2014

According to PR News Channel, “for businesses looking for a different way to utilize the Internet and create an online profile, a press release can be a great way to spread news about your company, business, product or service.” Sounds great, right? The problem is that all too often people go about writing a great press release incorrectly. Somehow they miss the Do’s and do the Don’ts.

Do write for people, not search engines. We’ve seen a lot of articles talk about writing PRs for search engines, but this tactic changed in 2014. You see, in 2014 the world of SEO evolved. The focus is now on quality content written for people, not search engine crawlers or robots. If you write with your audience in mind, crafting a piece of copy people will want to read and share, search engine indexing will come naturally without any fuss.
Do optimize for keywords without optimizing. Wait, what? I know, it sounds redundant. But it works! It’s fine to have a keyword or two (even a keyword phrase) in mind. Imbed it in your copy by inserting it where it naturally (and logically) belongs. Never, ever force a keyword or keyword phrase. If it doesn’t read smoothly and logically, it will hurt versus help.
Do link to relevant web spots. You’ve no doubt heard of backlinking. Linking to relevant web spots (blogs, articles and content) by using words that accurately describe your company’s product or service will cause search engines to associate those words with your website.
Do link to social media. Use your press release as a window to social media. Link it to your Facebook and LinkedIn pages. Ask your audience to follow you and like your posts, including your press release. Don’t be afraid to ask them to share it as well.
Do include quotes. Writing a great press release involves personalization. It’s important to give the reader something memorable that they can connect to. Quotes are perfect for achieving this, and they even build relevancy and credibility.
Do embed a little extra value. PR News Channel recommends imbedding a complementary YouTube video in a press release, but they note that not everyone can (or will) apply this tip. Instead of pigeonholing a video, we think you should instead add a little extra value that fits your brand, such as a free gift or limited time offer.

Extra, Extra! 3 More Tips

Copyblogger made an awesome statement about the modern press release: “Stop writing press releases, and start writing news stories.” In other words, when you sit down to brainstorm or write a press release, a key to success is thinking of it as a news story.

Ever notice how news stories go viral? Why is that? News stories cover a story, use a hook or two, and cover an angle. They make people care. Likewise, your brand’s press releases should hook the reader and cover the story from an angle that makes them care. Here’s how you do this:

Do tell a story. Everyone loves a good story. Tackle your press releases from the perspective of a storyteller. Understand why the reader should care and stay focused on the why throughout the copy.
Do present value. Telling a story is not in and of itself good enough. Readers want value. They want a reason to delve into your copy. Use your PR to present value by pointing them to your blog, requesting information or encouraging a purchase. In other words, slip in a call to action with attached value.
Do tart a discussion. People love social media. They love discussions. They love to get involved. Use a press release to encourage all of this. Link to your social media, encourage comments and jump right into the discussion.

Persuasive Tactics Are Key

Copyblogger published a copywriting 101 blog about the structure of persuasive copy. The accepted structure of persuasive copy is one of the best structures to utilize when writing a great press release for online (and even offline) publication. The epic thing about modern PRs is that they are published online “as is.” Therefore, the more care you put into structure and style, the better the resulting PR will be since standard publishing formats don’t apply. Modern PRs are savvy tools limited only by your creativity. As you write, consider the following:

Do be specific. Avoid vagueness at all costs. Vague information serves no valuable purpose. It wastes the reader’s time and detracts from your reputation and credibility. Your assertions, facts and statistics should be ultra-specific. Avoid general statements or unsupported information.
Do demonstrate credibility. Press releases are seen as excellent opportunities to build credibility, especially when treated like a news story or bulletin. Your can assert your credibility through statistics, studies, expert reference and appropriate testimonials.
Do assert authority. Writing a great press release involves asserting your authority on the subject. You accomplish this by being specific and demonstrating your credibility. If you aren’t already a recognized authority on the topic, you had better do your research. Ensure every aspect of your press release is based in provable and clearly supported fact.
Do make an offer. Explicitly presenting your product or service to your audience is vital. You need to be bold and firm. Address and relieve the reader’s risk of acceptance. Stand by what you say. Explain or illustrate why the reader needs to act on your offer.
Do cover 5 basic questions of copy. One of the first things covered is ensuring your PR covers the 5 basic questions of all copy: who, what, where, when and why. If you fail to provide the answers to just one of these questions in your press release, you risk losing your audience—or worse, damaging your credibility and reputation.
Do sum it up. As you conclude your press release, it’s important to sum up the key points. According to Copyblogger, “returning full circle to your original promise” is vital. It’s just as important to also demonstrate how you’ve fulfilled your original promise.

Bonus Tips for Writing a Great Press Release

Creating a great PR takes time and effort. A lot of big businesses (and even mid-sized to smaller businesses and brands) enlist the help of an experienced copywriting agency or copywriter when creating a PR. The writing behind amazing PRs is just as much a trade skill as it is an art. If you’re up for the challenge of creating your own PR, then we want to leave you with a few more awesome tips.

How do you feel about homework? Well, if you hated homework in school, we promise we’re handing you something you’ll enjoy. If you’ve found this blog informative and entertaining, you’re sure to love what else we have to offer. We’ve taken the time to prep 16 more helpful tips for writing a great press release in the following blogs:

5 Ways in Press Release Writing to Get Your PR More Publicity: a brief discussion designed to help you increase and gain the maximum amount of publicity out of every press release you publish. This is a must read, especially if you have trouble reaching a large audience or want to expand your reach.
6 Tactics for Getting More from Your Press Release Campaigns: even the most well intentioned PR campaign can fall short of expectations. Whether you’re campaign is handled by a content marketing agency or your personal expertise, learning how to squeeze every drop of awesome from your campaigns is important. Our tactics are designed to help you do just this.
Press Releases: 5 Best Ways to Optimize for Google and SEO: although SEO changed in 2014, it’s still important to ensure you know how to best optimize your PR for Google. In this blog we cover 5 of the best ways to optimize while linking you to extra material that backs up our strategies while also giving you some extra reading chalked full of educational information.

What are you waiting for? It’s time to utilize the sexy savviness that is the modern press release!

5 Ways in Press Release Writing to Get Your PR More Publicity

April 25, 2014/1 Comment/in Press Releases /by Julia McCoy

Here’s a riddle for you: what’s short, concise, compelling and newsworthy and can boost the online visibility and profitability of your business by spreading the word about your most recent accomplishments?

You know the answer to this one: it’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s a press release that travels fast to satisfy the universal hunger for premium content that is tormenting both bloggers and journalists every single step of the way. Press releases are extremely valuable content pieces designed to support your online marketing strategies and help you make a name for yourself.

How to Write Press Releases Like a Pro

Writing press releases is not art and it’s not science. It’s a combination of both elements. In order to create and distribute truly effective press releases, you have to understand how the mind of your targeted audience functions. Empathy is an important piece of the puzzle enabling you to perfect your press release writing skills and resonate with your public and also with your tastemakers, who amplify your message and make sure it reaches an even broader audience. Most people rely on a trial-and-error process to assess the quality and the effectiveness of their web writing. But you are not most people. You can do better than this.

According to Raven tips on press release writing, in order to convince journalists to take your masterpiece into consideration and include it in their article, you have to think like a journalist. It actually makes sense. Can you image how difficult it must be to identify truly amazing newsworthy facts when you are bombarded with tons of written junk and mambo jumbo on a daily basis, when you’re really craving for stellar content and accurate, trustworthy sources of inspiration? In order to perfect your press release writing, you must start by identifying and avoiding these 3 extremely common and annoying mistakes that could turn you into an average Joe instead of helping you enjoy the fair share of fortune and fame that great content creators are entitled to.

Press Release Writing Pitfalls That You Should Avoid at All Costs

a) Overkill Just Killed Your Press Release. Oops. Make sure you don’t start your quotes with the overrated, extremely irritating fragment indicating that you are really excited to let your clients know that you have succeeded in something. Of course you’re excited! You have all the reasons in the world to be thrilled: you’ve launched a new product, expanded your company or have recently invested time, money and energy in a new partnership. Nobody says that it’s illegal to show a bit of enthusiasm, but don’t overdo it. Keep the fact, but ditch the hyperbole. Downplay the “we” factor in your presentation; after all, your products should be into the spotlight, not your merits, your moneymaking efforts or your excitement.

b) Fabricated Facts Never Tricked Anyone into Buying Your Story. Don’t invent facts and don’t include statements that you cannot back with solid evidence.

c) Giving Up Is Not an Option: Write Killer Press Releases or Die Trying. Most importantly, don’t lose your hope. Keep your press release writing simple and straight to the point. Emphasize the novelty that is relevant and newsworthy and accentuate its impact on your targeted audience.

5 Ways to Bring and Keep Your Press Releases in the Public Eye While Boosting Their Effectiveness

Press release writing is not as difficult as you may be inclined to think. As a matter of fact, there are at least 5 foolproof methods to bring your press releases into the attention of a broader audience and maximize their influence fast and with minimal effort.

1. Create Better Stories. Don’t write press releases just to generate inbound links. It won’t work. Google is already one step ahead of you on this one. By cataloging links in press releases as unnatural, it basically forces content creators to use the rel nofollow attribute. So instead of treating your press releases like plain SEO tools, give them a little bit of credit. They are food for thought consumed on a daily basis by millions of journalists worldwide who are constantly looking for genuine, attention-grabbing stories. Think first, optimize second. Make sure your story sounds too good to be true when it actually is. Self-indulgent sales pitches are so yesterday. They no longer prove their utility, so unless you want to bore a journalist to death, don’t invest your time and money in them. Create stellar stories that can be quoted, which are based on 100% verifiable facts.

2. Keep It Simple. Always write in the 3^rd person, present facts from the readers’ perspective and keep it short and simple. A good press release shouldn’t count more than 500 words to prove a point. You are not writing a novel and you don’t get paid by the word, so don’t hesitate to be brief. Get to the point fast and don’t use tons of adjectives to highlight your authority or your amazing capabilities, experience and accomplishments.

3. Rely on First-Class Distribution Strategies. If content is a powerful king, then proper distribution is its influent queen. Make sure you email your press releases to your targeted audience. According to a Copyblogger post on how to use the modern press release, a human touch is what makes the difference between great press releases that are being shared and quoted and mediocre ones that sink into oblivion since the very beginning. Pick up the phone and make sure your targeted bloggers and journalists actually managed to read your story. Distribute your press releases via a good wire service, but don’t forget to explore marketing opportunities brought to you by social media platforms. Sharing your press releases on social networking websites can only work to your advantage, allowing you to raise the online visibility of your brand.

4. Optimize with Maximum Care. Optimize your press releases, but always remember that Google is breathing down your neck. You wouldn’t want to rely on shady optimization tactics that could turn out to be counterproductive. Use relevant keywords in your headlines and body copy, but don’t overdo it. Keyword stuffing is one of the capital sins listed in the SEO Decalogue.

5. Opt for an Ideal Format. How you write web content is almost as important as what you write. This rule applies also when it comes to crafting result-oriented press releases. The standard format comprises a few key elements that you should not omit, including headline, dateline, introductory paragraph, body, boilerplate, source and media contact information. According to iReach, subheads are optional, but they can help you put your ideas in order and organize your material more effectively.

Now you know it. Great format, optimized, stellar content, a good story with a twist, world class distribution strategy and a refined, studied simplicity represent the main factors that could raise the visibility and the effectiveness of your content pieces and help you improve your press release writing skills in no time.

Press Releases: 5 Best Ways to Optimize for Google and SEO

April 16, 2014/3 Comments/in Press Releases /by Julia McCoy

Do you have what it takes to create and distribute stellar content in the form of press releases without terminating your friendship with Google? It’s no secret that search engines work around the clock to ensure a flawless web experience for all categories of web users. This means that Google is constantly plotting against content creators who rely on less orthodox search engine optimization to bring their websites on page 1 in search engine results, boost their online visibility and fill their own pockets the easy way.

Why Is Google Constantly Blocking Your Way to SEO Success?

Unfortunately, the never-ending string of sneaky changes sometimes manages to puzzle even the most experienced webmasters and stop them from getting a good night’s sleep. What seems acceptable today becomes intolerable tomorrow. Google, can you please make up your mind and surprise us with a little bit of consistency? The bad news is that it is not in our power to control Google, its plentitude of algorithm updates and its endless list of surprises, which is probably longer than the one that Santa prepares for us on every single year. The good news is that even though we cannot anticipate or correct Google’s independent spirit, we can adapt to these new challenges and breathe new life into our old content marketing strategy.

The Good, the Bad and the Dangerous of Content Distribution via Press Releases

You may be aware of the fact that Google has a real problem with bad link building strategies. And by “bad” we mean deceptive and designed to manipulate search engine results to the webmaster’s advantage. According to Search Engine Watch, Google may also be bothered by press releases that are created and distributed to help a certain website occupy a better position in search engines without actually doing readers any favors.

The same source mentions the fact that Google seems determined to squeeze every single drop of SEO juice from press releases; this appears to be a diabolic master plan that was rolled out quite some time ago. The most pressing problem that has recently come to our attention is this: Google is actually cataloging links in press releases as “unnatural”. As a result, it is compelling webmasters to nofollow them. So what does this major change mean for companies and organizations that depend on properly optimized press releases to highlight their mission, vision and purpose in business?

Search Engine Watch reveals that in 2006, press releases were a real gold mine for SEO experts who knew how to give wings to an inspired marketing message and optimize quality content for search engines at the same time. 8 years later, press releases are no longer considered the Holy Grail of search engine optimization. On the contrary, sloppiness and your refusal to comply with Google’s rules and guidelines while writing press releases can get you in serious trouble and expose you to considerable penalties. Don’t say you haven’t been warned: according to Search Engine Land, press releases won’t help your rankings. This statement is supported by Matt Cutts, who revealed that press releases cannot and will not improve your current position in Google.

So what’s the best method to keep risks at bay and still profit from the good that still lies in every single well-written press release? People who want to rely on press releases to spread the word about their companies by publishing their content via article websites or paid wire services such as Marketwire, Business Wire or PR Newswire are advised to nofollow their links, especially if they represent optimized anchor texts.

In this particular context, the rel nofollow attribute seems to be a life preservative that is your one and only hope when you are just about to sink in an ocean of gray hat SEO tactics and uncertainties. When in doubt, just use rel nofollow to stay in Google’s good graces. Rules may be created to be broken, but this is certainly not the case. The nofollow tactic seems a simple, easy to implement preventive measure that could enable many content creators to avoid penalties. But older press releases that have already been distributed and republished by countless sources are the real concern in this case.

Rel Nofollow: A Life Preserver That We Should Hold On to When It Comes to Optimizing Press Releases

In this particular context, one question is on everybody’s lips: will the ghost of already archived press releases that are all over the Internet haunt its creators and distributors? How much time will paid wire services need to clean up this mess and implement new sets of rules to avoid mishaps that could make Google really angry? At this point, nobody can provide an accurate answer to these 2 pressing questions that are on everybody’s mind.

What we do know for a fact is that nothing can stand in the way of clients who want to share their newsworthy facts with the whole world; not even Google’s mood swings. Businesses depend on press releases to boost their visibility, promote lines of products or new services, diversify their clientele and improve brand awareness. From this point of view, press releases are undeniably powerful allies and nothing can change this. There’s only one alteration that should be factored in at this point: links should be handled with gloves.

The rel nofollow alternative represents a viable option at hand for people who don’t want to let Google stop them from creating and distributing first-class press releases that have what it takes to inform and educate a broad audience. In other words, content creators shouldn’t exclude links from their strategy. On the contrary, they should include one or two to help readers land on a company’s blog or website and stimulate them to take action. However, the new changes made public by Google, related to link building strategies in press releases may bring us back to an old-school form of premium PR work, which is not necessarily a step back. After all, PR Newswire reminds us that we should write for living, breathing people, not for machines.

After all, press releases are the bread and butter of most journalists and respectable publications like The New York Times, Forbes and the Wall Street Journal, for instance. According to Search Engine Watch, excellent press release wire services, like PRWeb for instance, feed the content hunger of more than 8,000 websites and give millions of people something to talk about. This is only one reason why press releases are truly irreplaceable.

Breaking News: Press Releases are So Much More Than Mere SEO Tools

Truth be told, we can’t imagine how gigantic, prestigious newsrooms like Reuters and AP would manage to function without healthy feeds of quality press releases in their system. The problem is that some content creators craft and distribute content just to generate inbound links, which is precisely the thing that drives Google crazy.

To overcome this obstacle, writers, marketers and SEO experts should refresh their memory and remember that press releases are not mere SEO tools used to push a certain page on a privileged position in Google. Press releases should be perceived as high-value content pieces designed to generate authentic reads and clicks and enhance the online visibility of a brand in a natural manner.

Engaging, informative content is the key to success in what press releases are concerned. First-hand newsworthy facts are mandatory, not optional. The one or two links accompanied by the rel nofollow attribute are just the icing on your cake. If all this fuss created around links has made you feel confused, just take a closer look at the 5 foolproof ways to optimize your press releases without exposing yourself to any penalties coming from search engines.

5 Risk-Free Ways to Get the Gold Medal While Optimizing Your Press Releases for Google and SEO

1. Keep the Essential Links to Drive Traffic. The nofollow alternative sounds like music to our ears. Let’s be serious: you cannot ban the usage of links in your press releases. This radical decision would basically defy the purpose of this type of content pieces. How would users be able to spot the company behind the amazing technological breakthrough, the new affordable line of products or the innovative concept that you’re describing with so much enthusiasm in your press release?

2. Convert Press Releases into Useful Inroads to Killer Content Posted on a Blog or a Website. Raise the curiosity of your readers by creating short, concise, compelling press releases that represent the bridge between readers and a company’s blog or website.

3. Come Up with an Intriguing Story Idea. When it comes to stories that could be easily assimilated by the media, new is good. But new and memorable is always better. Try to present a certain fact from a different perspective. Thinking outside the box always pays off. This doesn’t mean that you should feel encouraged to lie or exaggerate facts listed in your press release. It just means that you have craft a compelling story around the news that you are getting ready to serve on a silver platter. Journalists have a nose for interesting facts that could capture the attention of their readers and boost their engagement. This is precisely why they are more likely to pay attention to press releases that come up with a genuine story with a twist, while avoiding dull content pieces that are mostly based on fabricated facts and nonsense.

4. Perfect Your Distribution Strategies. If you already count on an amazing wire service, like PRWeb for instance, to distribute your press releases, this doesn’t mean that the job is done and you can just cross your arms and wait for miracles to happen. You may not like the news that you’re about to hear, but here it goes: in order to connect with a large segment of readers/prospects, you have to play on multiple fields.

If you rely on a wire service, this means that you are already one step ahead of your main competitors. Keep up the good work by expanding your content distribution strategy. Post your press releases on some of the most popular social media platforms, where they could be read, filtered, assimilated, liked and shared by your fans and followers. Don’t neglect the enormous power of social networking websites. They are extremely valuable channels that enable you to interact with your targeted audience, inform and educate your readers, become a leader in your field of activity and build and maintain solid relationships in the long run.

5. Rely on Multimedia Content to Broaden Your Horizons. In an era in which the Gangnam Style clip managed to go viral and raise almost 2 billion views on YouTube, it becomes more than obvious that press releases based solely on text fragments are so yesterday. Step up your content creating strategy a bit by including multimedia elements in your informative piece. Videos, infographics and images correlated with well-balanced, short paragraphs increase pageviews and keep your readers on your side for the longest period of time (yes, even the ones with a very short attention span).

Create and embed stunning video content to convince journalists and bloggers that what you have to say is actually important, relevant and newsworthy. Remember that the Internet is highly polluted by junk and overly optimized content with very little substance. This is precisely why you have to rely on 5-start multimedia elements to prove the worthiness of your press releases and let the readers know that your content pieces could become the nucleus of high-quality, reader-oriented articles and blog posts. Furthermore, inforgraphics are hotter than ever. Turning your press release into an infographic will only support your content distribution efforts. Many newsrooms are crazy in love with this type of content, so they won’t hesitate to use it and link back to its original source.

These 5 suggestions reflect the fact that press releases are still alive and well. They may no longer be able to help you generate inbound links, create and implement more or less shady link building strategies, boost the link juice of your current optimization campaign, but this doesn’t mean that press releases are useless artifacts. On the contrary, optimized keywords, great attention-grabbing headlines, proper social media strategies, hashtags and stellar multimedia content can and will reward your legitimate SEO efforts and bring your message in front of a large audience who is ready and eager to take notes.