As the digital landscape continues to evolve, so do the strategies businesses use to get their product into the world. Since 1906 – when the first was believed to be released – press releases have been an efficient way to raise brand awareness and deliver facts to the public. Throughout the last century or so, it has evolved into what many know it as today. One thing is though, is that there’s plenty of misconceptions when it comes to press releases. So we want to try and set the record straight.
Press Releases Need to be Long
Some people believe that an effective press release has to be an in-depth description of the service or product; packed with keywords and links. In actuality, a good press release just needs the facts, it’s more about informing the public than advertising.
Keywords and links are a good addition, but only if they’re natural. Too many of these additions can appear forced and may actually cause search engines to hide your release. Google is scarily clever, and if it thinks you’re trying too hard, it will penalise you. By keeping things short, sweet, and simple, your press release is much more likely to be found online.
Google Will Penalise You for Releasing too Many
Online press releases are often used in conjunction with SEO. While producing a flurry of poorly written and keyword-stuffed press releases can harm your brand’s exposure (and image), if they are high quality this won’t be the case. Search engines want a wealth of premium content to present their users, so they’ll never penalise a company or brand for providing this.
A good press release is a way for a potential consumer to cut out the clutter and get to the facts efficiently. As long as this is bore in mind during writing, sending out multiple pieces of content shouldn’t cause an issue.
Press Release Results are Immediate
Unfortunately, nobody can predict the news cycle. Sometimes press releases can be bumped or not receive the attention they could have due to a bigger news story. Even if your press release is a success, as aforementioned, PR is an ever-changing landscape. As a result of this, triumphing in this area isn’t something that will happen overnight.
Advertising is Just the Same Thing
This comparison is understandable, but false. Whereas advertising openly tries to entice an audience to buy into a product, a press release sets out with the goal to build relationships between a company and its potential customers.
An important distinction here lies in bias. An advertisement will portray the product in an overtly positive light, with a clear intention to sell. On the other hand, a good press release is all about honest communication with readers. It will be an impartial account based on the facts of what the product or service has to offer.
Social Media is More Important than Press Releases
While it’s true that social media is an excellent tool for getting your business recognised and interacting with those who follow your pages, press releases provide a pathway to communicate with those who don’t use social media (yes there are a few people still out there who aren’t addicted to their smartphones)! By sending out a press release, you can reach a whole demographic that you may not have been able to interact with otherwise.
Press releases can be a great way to get the word out about your service or product. However, it’s important to remember that a good one isn’t used to directly advertise your brand. Although there is some crossover between both, the primary objective of a press release is to inform and not push sales.
If you’re still a little unsure about press releases, you should take a look at our blog post to find out more about what to include in one: https://www.colewood.net/blog/what-you-need-to-include-in-a-press-release/
