How do you tell people about recent news and new products for your business?
Don’t miss out on the effective opportunity to tell people about your business through press releases.
Vocus PR is a popular online press release service. It is currently the most highly trafficked news release site on the Web. A partner with the largest and most interconnected news agency, Associated Press, Vocus PR provides a great media network for users to utilize. We, at Funderstanding, use its services to send out press releases about our authors and recent company news.
3 Great Attributes
1. Targeting your press release
Vocus PR gets your press releases onto major news sites like Google and Yahoo! News. It also has a syndication network of about 600 local websites.
Amidst the vast media outlets that Vocus PR provides, how do you get your press release in front of the people who actually care about what you are writing?
The Vocus PR service allows you to pinpoint certain areas you want to target with your press release.
It gives you the option to select up to 5 major cities in the US to target your press release. So, if you have a major event or story about let’s say, coffee, target your press release to prominent coffee-drinking cities, like Seattle and Denver.
In addition, Vocus PR allows you to target specific industries that are relevant to your press release. You can choose up to 10 industries from over 150 choices that Vocus PR provides.
Did your publishing company recently publish a new educational book? Then, refine your targeted industries to publishing, books, education, and other specific industries that Vocus PR provides that are relevant to your press release.
2. Link Building
Press releases are typically 300-800 words. Vocus PR recommends having at least 100 words for each link you provide in your press release. Depending on how short or long your press release it, you can safely have 3 to 8 links on your press release, which is a good opportunity to get link backs to not only your website, but also to product pages.
However, do not just stuff your press release with links just for the sake of link building. Make sure your press release is a great piece of content. Link building is the result of providing high-quality content. Vocus PR gives you an effective platform to do so.
3. Multi-media integration
Infographics, videos, audio files, and other multi-media are effective ways to engage with your audience. Readers will most likely not read a dense, 800-word press release in its entirety. Adding a picture of the event with a catchy caption or a video snippet of the actual reading can make the piece more engaging and vibrant.
Vocus PR provides a user-friendly template to integrate videos, images, and files. We have actually seen our press releases gain more traction whenever it had an image and quote compared to ones without any multi-media.
Here’s an example what a press release with an image and quote looks like:
Be Careful!
1. Don’t Risk Not Getting Picked Up
As you are writing your press release, ask yourself, “Is my press release enticing, cogent, and well written enough for a reporter, blogger, or publisher to pick up?”
Writing a press release is not a 15-minute task. It takes time and effort to write up. Also, using a press release service like Vocus PR is not cheap. It is doing a disservice to yourself and your business to write a press release that does not get picked up.
2. Give Yourself Enough Time to Submit
Each press release that is submitted on Vocus PR is not immediately released on the scheduled date and time. Vocus PR, especially after a high-stakes, fraudulent press release in 2012, has put much more emphasis on going through each press release to make sure it is legitimate and newsworthy.
After you input all the content for your press release and select the regional and industry focus, you will be prompted to enter your personal contact information. Please do so! This is the only way Vocus PR can notify you on whether or not your press release has been approved for release.
If there is something problematic in your press release, Vocus PR will promptly tell you what it is that prevented it from being approved. Make the necessary changes and resubmit the press release for approval again.
Do Press Releases Have Any Value?
Is there any value to writing press releases? The head of Google’s webspam team, Matt Cutts has previously stated that links from press releases do not help a website’s search ranking.
We agree with Matt that links in our press releases will not directly help our search rankings. However, a powerfully written piece that ends up in front of the eyes of bloggers, reporters, and publishers who pick it up and link to it can indirectly help search rankings.
We view press releases in a simple way. Writing it should not be a dull task. It should be a passionate piece of writing. It is a way to show off what your company is doing.
Effectively executing press releases will have value in terms of introducing and inviting new consumers to your company while hoping for the indirect effects of improving search rankings in the long run.
Without press releases, you are creating a communicational rift between your company and audience. It could be stifling your business’ growth and exposure. Make sure to redistribute your marketing efforts to incorporate press releases.
What press release service do you use?
Share with us your press release success stories.