Note: This is Part VI in an seven-part series I’m writing about Press Releases. Press releases are possibly an overlooked item in the enterprise social media toolbox, so I’m going to cover a few points and talk about how I’ve used them successfully for client campaigns.
The overall picture: Where do Press Releases fit? When I develop an online campaign, I consider short range, medium range and long range tools. In the case of a new business or product line, Press Releases can be an excellent short range tool for gaining visibility on search engines. But Press releases don’t last forever! So they must be followed up with medium range and long range tools that do have staying power. Social media and websites, for example. Blogging is another great way to feature yourself more permanently.
When I say Press Releases don’t last forever, I really mean they don’t stay on the first page of Google and other search engines. Of course, they are still online and can be found through search. There are a number of factors affecting how it shows up in search. Long tail keywords are a big one.
However, if you know your target market well, writing relevant content that will be popular should be fairly easy to do. If you’re not going to ask the actual people you’re writing for (or lacking the services of a market survey company), at least consider the kind of information you’d be interested in hearing. Or read articles written by others on the same topic to get some ideas.
By writing on relevant topics that are unique, useful and interesting, you’ll find the time, effort and money invested into a typically short-range, instant-visibility tool just might extend into a long-range visibility tool. We’re all busy getting the show on the road, so try to make each effort into an effective marketing plan count for the long term. Don’t brush off anything, be as thorough as you can considering the resources you have, then push it a little more.
Here’s to the success of your 2011 market development strategy!
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