Why Press Releases Are (Still) Useful for Marketers
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The document discusses the continued relevance of press releases for marketers, outlining their goals of attracting journalists, reaching target audiences, and prompting action. It provides a step-by-step guide on how to effectively build media lists, choose distribution methods, craft messages, and measure results. Various resources, both paid and free, are recommended for finding journalists and influencers to enhance the effectiveness of press releases.
Why Press Releases Are (Still) Useful for Marketers
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- 2. Why Press Releases Are (Still) Useful for Marketers ARIENNE HOLLAND Communications Director What I do for Raven: • Communications, publicity, marketing (content, email, and social media) and general geek-wrangling stuff • Public speaking and teaching • Refrigerator organization @RavenArienne
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- 4. Why Press Releases Are (Still) Useful for Marketers Press release goals • • • Get the attention of a journalist (influencer). Get your message to your target audience. Move your audience to action.
- 5. Why Press Releases Are (Still) Useful for Marketers How to meet your goals 1. Build your journalist / influencer list. 2. Choose your distribution methods. 3. Craft your message for each distribution method. 4. Measure the results and analyze for next time.
- 6. Why Press Releases Are (Still) Useful for Marketers Step 1: Build your journalist and influencer lists
- 7. Why Press Releases Are (Still) Useful for Marketers Media databases - $$$$ • Cision: Traditional media contacts, social media contacts and “influencer lists” (e.g. fashion, tech, travel, health, personal finance, family) • Vocus: Journalists, bloggers and influencers • Gorkana: Journalists and bloggers • MyMediaInfo: Media contacts and social media contacts
- 8. Why Press Releases Are (Still) Useful for Marketers Paid social lists - $-$$ • MuckRack: Journalists and bloggers on social networks, searchable by topic, publication, beat and what they link to • PressPass: Journalists on Twitter organized by beat, media outlet and region
- 9. Why Press Releases Are (Still) Useful for Marketers Free • MediaUK: Websites, addresses, telephone numbers, email and more for all areas of the online media, including 830 radio stations, 514 television channels, 1,591 newspapers, and 1,974 magazines - from 301 media owners. • Journalisted: “Independent, not-for-profit website built to make it easier for you, the public, to find out more about journalists and what they write about”
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- 11. Why Press Releases Are (Still) Useful for Marketers Free • HARO: Thrice-daily emails with calls for sources on a ton of topics. (Tired of hearing about HARO? Read this: raventools.com/blog/haroplus-raven-press-success/) • FlackList: Create a “press room” for your brand • MuckRack newsletter: Daily, with witty, oft snarky roundups, journalist-of-the-day profiles and changed-jobs sections
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- 13. Why Press Releases Are (Still) Useful for Marketers Free • Twitter advanced searches: Try advanced searches such as “journalist OR reporter OR blogger OR news” in any language or region. • Twitter lists you make: If your list is public, name it “Smart Journos” or “Influential Journos” • Twitter lists other people make: Start with @Scobleizer and @AntDeRosa (check their lists and lists they’re members of, then subscribe)
- 14. Why Press Releases Are (Still) Useful for Marketers Free • Facebook Graph Search: This is for serious stalking. Even if a journalist keeps his or her profile private, many of them show off their music, TV and movie likes. • Contently: This is one of several new “portfolio” or “digital clipping” websites aimed at journalists, guest bloggers and other online writers. Good place to stalk.
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- 16. Why Press Releases Are (Still) Useful for Marketers Step 2: Choose your distribution method
- 17. Why Press Releases Are (Still) Useful for Marketers Aim carefully • PR distribution services • Personal emails (no BCC lists!) • Person-to-person outreach (remember the ethics and small budgets of today’s newsrooms) • Social media sharing
- 18. Why Press Releases Are (Still) Useful for Marketers Step 3: Craft your message for each distribution method
- 19. Why Press Releases Are (Still) Useful for Marketers Details matter • Consider subject line for emails • Consider headlines for releases distributed online • Consider “tweetable” press releases with factoids for versions that you post on your website • Be as direct as possible, as quickly as possible • 0% JARGON, 100% NEWS
- 20. Why Press Releases Are (Still) Useful for Marketers Press Release Tips to Get You Noticed: 15 Journalists Tell You How
- 21. Why Press Releases Are (Still) Useful for Marketers Step 4: Measure results and analyze for next time Which outlet performed the best for your goals?
- 22. Why Press Releases Are (Still) Useful for Marketers Goal 1: Get attention of a journalist or influencer What to track and report: • Number of journalists contacted • Number of journalists who responded • Number of mentions (citations) in print and online • Number of links online • Number of social shares by journalists or influencers
- 23. Why Press Releases Are (Still) Useful for Marketers Goal 2: Get message to your target audience What to track and report: • Increase in brand mentions • Increase in new website visitors • Increase in social followers (especially if your news is about a contest or special promotion that requires entry via social media)
- 24. Why Press Releases Are (Still) Useful for Marketers Goal 3: Move your audience to action What to track and report: • Increase in conversions during the press release peak • • and following major links / coverage Increase in conversions from new website visitors Increase in conversions from new site visitors from social paths
- 25. Why Press Releases Are (Still) Useful for Marketers Raven tools that help
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