BM connection: Derailed by a press release
For immediate Release: Press Releases are Old School
Want a fast way to DERAIL your prospective customer? Just mass blast those press releases to media resources and hope somebody publishes it.
Press releases are just so old school.Every business knows the press release drill. Write up the who, what, where, when and why of an announcement and blast every media site you know with the information. Sometimes you get lucky and your missive gets printed. More often than not, only a media outlet looking to augment ‘content’ publishes your post to their website community page without editing or any further thought. Go online and you can choose from the many paid Press Release distribution services that are out there.
This behavior is just so Old School. There is already so much noise out there. With every one vying for our attention, the last thing consumers want is to be bombarded by repetitious, random or lame advertising masquerading as newsworthy. Many press releases are blatant self promotion with little reader value. You need to look at the media point of view. Why would we want to publish the identical thing that can be found in a number of other places? Don’t waste our most preciously nurtured resource – that of time and attention.
Today, you have the ability to fine tune and reach the best prospects if only you take the time to understand your potential customers, learn where they get information and then cultivate relationships to those key access points.
The publishers I work with don’t want your random documents. They would rather you build up good will by helping do the hard work of connecting readers with information truly of value to the readership. Befriend a publisher and you’ll learn what is needed for a mutually beneficial approach.
In print media, the focus on educating, informing and connecting also means helping to pay for the ink and paper. Make it a two way conversation and consider exclusive and right to first publish.
The digital world hates identical and duplicate content postings. So do humans. Nobody wants to wade through pages of sameness. We look for the most authoritative voice. Readers also dislike paywalls and are quick to find paywall free alternatives to the information they are seeking. Have you considered why you create and send out press releases? Is it because that’s the way it has always been done?
Our clients are learning to be savvy and selective in where and how they post information. Here are three tips to growing your credibility and reach in print and online:
- With the endpoint of value in mind, think EDUCATE – INFORM – CONNECT. Be specific in how you can show value and to whom and don’t be boring.
- Forget the spray and pray approach. Choose only one publication that you know is well aligned with your readership and or customer base. Develop a relationship with the people who make the decisions on what gets posted. Learn the criteria for successful listing.
- Test for reach. Place a paid Ad and get the analytics of results. Do readers share, comment on or reach out to you? If so, go deeper in creating a steady stream of valuable information. Remember that “once and done” rarely works. You need a steady stream of useful information to build credibility as the authoritative voice. Make that your goal. Track and measure your results
Don’t derail your project before you start.
For more specific help on how to be seen, heard and found in a fast changing world, reach out to me by email. I’ll explore some of your best questions here in this community setting.