We hear the lament that press releases are dead every so often. It’s true that the old press release, as it was first used more than 100 years ago now, is indeed no longer effective. However, the humble press release, along with everything else PR, has had to adapt and change with the shifting media landscape.
MEDIA SOURCE
According to the 2016 Global Trust Barometer search engines (read Google) are the first-used and most trusted media source. Yes, the public regards Google and other search engines as a media source. It’s where they go to find news and information. Yahoo News and Google News are #1 and #2 on the list of the Top 10 News Sites.
So how do you get your news and content displayed in these valuable search engines and new sites? Is it only for the big brands with a large PR budget?
Not at all – while technology has disrupted PR in many ways it has also made it more accessible to the small business owner with a tiny budget. You need to learn how to write your press releases so that Google will index and rank them. And then they have to be published on a website that is already a Google News source. And preferably one that has good Google rankings.
THE WIRE SERVICE
The best choice is a wire service. There are several to choose from. Some are free and some on the other end of the spectrum are very pricey.
What you want is one that is affordable and has all the latest technology and SEO tools built in. You should be able to add:
- Images
- Google maps
- Slide decks
- Videos
- Even your Facebook Page if you want to – all at no extra cost.
In my book Newswire is the best choice. They have lots of different packages to choose from, so you are sure to find one that fits your needs and your budget.
A recent prediction says that by 2018 84% of all content online will be visual. With Newswire you can make every press release you put out a truly visual experience without breaking the bank.