3 Press Release Don’ts!
There is a debate as to whether writing and sending out a press release is actually beneficial for your business. On one side of the coin, naysayers state that press releases, when sent out in bulk, are actually detrimental. Why is this? Critics say that when you send the exact same press release to a multitude of outlets, you aren’t generating new content. On the other side of the coin, individuals claim that sending out a press release is extremely beneficial to a business. They claim that announcing new products and having these announcements broadcast via different outlets drives traffic and increases sales. The truth is somewhere in the middle.
Press releases aren’t optimal for all businesses but for many they are. If your business is one where writing and submitting press releases is a good idea, there are 3 things that you must never do.
Don’t Announce Everything
It is not necessary to write a press release to announce every single thing your business is doing. When you write too many press releases, they truly aren’t newsworthy. The purpose of a press release is to announce something big, something that will make waves and most importantly, something that people want to hear about. If your press releases aren’t interesting, they will not be read.
Keyword Stuffing
The use of keywords needs to be done sparingly. If you are just stuffing your press release with non-relevant keywords with the hope that it will come up on page one of every search engine, you will be disappointed. The same applies for the infamous buzzwords. Make sure that you aren’t stuffing your press release with phrases and sayings that are used by every other business under the sun.
Useless Quotes
How many times have you written and submitted a press release that has a quote from the head honcho in your industry or at your company that offers absolutely no value to your press release? If you choose to insert a quote, be sure that the quote adds something to the press release. In many cases, the quote will add nothing but more words that all say the same exact thing.
A press release can be an extremely effective tool to drive traffic and gain attention. They should be used sparingly and only when you truly have something exciting, interesting and have value to announce. If you find yourself just cranking out press release after press release, you will do more harm than good.
Another important thing to make note of is whom do you have writing your press releases? There is a formula for writing a great press release and not everyone has the necessary skills to write a great one. If you want to maximize your press release, consider finding a professional with that expertise.
Happy Marketing!
Sean
(Image Creative Commons)
Sean McPheat
Sean McPheat left the corporate world when he was 30 and risked it all to “See if he could cut it as an entrepreneur”. He’s been a serial entrepreneur ever since! Sean now owns several online and offline businesses in addition to one of the most successful management and sales development organisations within the UK. Sean is a bestselling author and founder and MD of international training firm MTD Training. Sean has been referred to in the media as a thought leader within the sales, maketing and busines improvement industry, and has been featured on CNN International, the BBC, ITV, The Guardian and in big name magazines such as Arena Magazine, Marketing Weekly and Business Zone.
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