Practical Guide to Get Media Exposure and More Sales
Practical Guide to Get Media Exposure and More Sales
Though advertising has been proven effective in building the brand of a product or the company itself, the use of advertising to target mass audience has been declining. Why? Aside from allocating an enormous amount of budget, some companies especially small businesses can’t afford the cost of media advertising. Another factor is that it might not be applicable to the changing customers’ behavior and market trends.
Many are not interested in TV commercials. Some are ignoring commercials or switching channels in between TV shows. In fact, most people nowadays are unable to spend much time watching TV shows due to their busy lifestyle. They are busy with their computers, cellphones, business dealings and recreational activities. That is why, marketers are turning to press release to promote, maintain or protect the brand image of the company or its individual products.
A press release is a smart promotional marketing strategy to direct customers to the company. It is used to present news and information about the organization. It plays a decisive role in assisting the company in repositioning its products that are in its mature phase.
Example: Pepsi had reached high sales with its offer at low price per unit. To protect its product from declining customers’ interest, they set up the Pepsi Challenge during summer. The company will be able to maintain brand awareness through the sports caravan as seen on media. It is all over the news from TV reports, newspapers, radio, Internet and social networking sites.
In considering press release as a promotional marketing strategy, marketers must understand when it is best to use and what are the key decisions needed to target the right audience, get media exposure and attain positive customers’ feedback.
Here’s how to place your press release and get leverage media exposure.
Set the Marketing Objectives
Marketers or PR practitioners must establish a PR plan based on the marketing objectives set for the company. Such objectives are identified as follows:
„X To build awareness and excitement for the announcement of new product offers
„X To build credibility through editorial content
„X To maintain favorable relationship with the loyal customers
„X To build and maintain relationship with existing buyers, especially those who are influential people, so that they can bring new customers to buy the product
„X To influence satisfied customers to refer the products to their family, friends and colleague
These customers will serve as the spokesperson for the product through their testimonials.
Identify the Message and Communication Platform
The PR manager or practitioner must make interesting news angles about the product or company. In a stream of news widely available for the public, particularly in the Internet, your news must be appealing and attractive to get the attention of media men, reviewers, customers and even competitors. When you promote your press release strategically, your news might make a buzz to these people. You might be surprised how your press release suddenly becomes great news that appear on media television, radio, newspaper, Google, yahoo news, and other search engines, and of course talked about by the general public.
Press Release News Angles
1. New product or service launching
2. Blog or website launching
3. Product or website enhancement
4. Publication of new content
5. Upcoming event
6. Contest announcement
7. Promo or sale announcement
8. Joint venture or new strategic partnership
9. New team hire
Implementation of the Plan
Treating media editors as the market or customers is indeed necessary. Giving them great stories along with considerable personal and business relationship will make them continue to use your PR news. Press release is marketed using different promotional tools, so its effectiveness is difficult to measure.
Major Tools in Marketing Press Release
„X Publications – reports, articles, company newsletters, magazines and newspapers
„X Events – news conference, seminars, trade shows, exhibits
„X Sponsorship – sponsoring events such as sport and cultural events
„X News – factual stories
„X Speeches – trade talks, sales meeting, press conference
„X Public Service Activities – money and effort contribution for good causes
„X Identity media – company logos, brochures, stationery
Measurement of Effectiveness
Three most common measures of PR effectiveness include exposure, awareness as well as change in buyer behavior, and profitability.
Exposure deals with all the media that carry news about the product and summary of media coverage including news and photographs published, copies of press release circulated, airtime minutes on TV and radio, estimated number of audience and cost rate. A survey must be done to measure the impact of press release to the audience. How many of them recall the news about the product? How many of them would refer the product to others? How many of them are influenced to switch brands or buy the product? Such questions are necessary to measure how the marketing PR creates product awareness, change buyer behavior and how the public comprehend. The most significant measure is the sales and profitability. To say that the PR is successful, there should be a high return on PR investment, sales increase due to PR and overall profitability.
It is noteworthy to understand and follow these major decisions to make your press release heat up the market as this may take your business to success. Press release can create a buzz for the product providing the benefit to multiply and eventually become great news not only for the company, but also for the media men and most especially, the costumers. Customers can enjoy the benefits of the product while the company can enjoy profitability.
Get High Traffic Conversion to Sales
The use of press releases is an essential key to support search engine optimization (SEO), as well as attracting traffic to your website content. A well written press release can make the news or content multiplied and create a great buzz, attract media editors to use your PR news and eventually more customers to visit your site. However, this is not just about getting more visitors to visit your website. The main objective would be to convert the rate of traffic generated from your website visitors to sales.
To get started, listed below are the contents needed in writing a press release together with lists of some PR service providers, which give a privilege to put an active hyperlink to press releases free of charge. This will put up the necessary inbound back link towards the article content.
This is also a good reference for those who are starting an online business, professional writers, marketers or PR practitioners.
Press Release Structure
Timing: Press release can be “for immediate release”, or “release on a specific date”. It is recommended to use the first preference since the latter may not be honored at all times.
Target: To whom the press release is intended. When targeting a specific group of people or professions, it may read like the following: Attention sports editors, Attention business editors, Attention entertainment editors
Headline: This can be opted to write in all capital letters. Consider using shorter titles and make it interesting. Alliteration can be of help or giving tips.
Sub-Headline: This is optional. However, sub headlines are used to get the attention of readers and audience. This also provides a description of the target niche or specific topic.
Date: It is necessary when reporting, such as news clip or other events specified with a date. For example, a press release written for some key speaker for a current convention will not give relevance to readers when found a year after. Omitting the date in press releases is recommended.
Introductory paragraph: Get the interest of the reader. It answers the common questions what, who, when and where. Always remember to write it short.
Subsequent paragraph: Presents the facts and other information that support the subject of the press release. This may contain no more than two paragraphs.
Further Information: Contain some more information in order to encourage the reader to follow the link towards the primary article. Somehow, if the readers reached this point, they will most likely to follow on the link.
Contact: The portion, where to place the information in order to be contacted. Usually it is sufficient to provide your name and contact email address. However, if you intend to sell some product or provide a service, then placing the contact telephone number is necessary for them to be able to call.
Below are the links from which to register and be able to begin posting the press releases. There are many works to be done, but the gain would be beneficial.
• Pressbox
• Newsblaster.com
• PRESSbooth.ORG
• Free Press Release Distribution Service
• Press About
• PRWindow
• Search and News Enhanced Press Release Distribution
• Index/Press Release Forum
Online resources have been prominently used by most consumers to search for information that they need. They look for items, services, enterprises and other ideas. Audience is directly targeted. There will be no intermediaries or editors to screen the content. They need up-to-date information and instructions on how to use the product. Keywords that are optimized correctly will get to organic position to the search engines. For about a week, the press release can make it from the searches of news to the searches on the web.
A press release that is optimized correctly will most likely be chosen and published at other sites in relation with the information being shared. This will eventually increase the volume of traffic toward the website content. Keywords that are linked properly will create inbound links in relation the content. Afterwards, it will have a positive impact on the ranking in the search engine. It is essential to keep the keywords at the top of the press release within the primary phases.
