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Why Press Releases Are (Still) Useful

for Marketers

Why Press Releases Are (Still) Useful for Marketers

ARIENNE HOLLANDCommunications DirectorWhat I do for Raven:• Communications, publicity,marketing (content, email, and social media) and generalgeek-wrangling stuff• Public speaking and teaching• Refrigerator organization

@RavenArienne

Why Press Releases Are (Still) Useful for Marketers

• Get the attention of a journalist (influencer).

• Get your message to your target audience.• Move your audience to action.

Press release goals

Why Press Releases Are (Still) Useful for Marketers

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.

How to meet your goals

Why Press Releases Are (Still) Useful for Marketers

Step 1:Build your journalistand influencer lists

Why Press Releases Are (Still) Useful for Marketers

• 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

Media databases - $$$$

Why Press Releases Are (Still) Useful for Marketers

• 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

Paid social lists - $-$$

Why Press Releases Are (Still) Useful for Marketers

• 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”

Free

Why Press Releases Are (Still) Useful for Marketers

Why Press Releases Are (Still) Useful for Marketers

• HARO: Thrice-daily emails with calls for sources on a ton of topics. (Tired of hearing about HARO? Read this: raventools.com/blog/haro-plus-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

Free

Why Press Releases Are (Still) Useful for Marketers

Why Press Releases Are (Still) Useful for Marketers

• 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)

Free

Why Press Releases Are (Still) Useful for Marketers

• 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.

Free

Why Press Releases Are (Still) Useful for Marketers

Why Press Releases Are (Still) Useful for Marketers

Step 2:Choose your distribution method

Why Press Releases Are (Still) Useful for Marketers

• 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

Aim carefully

Why Press Releases Are (Still) Useful for Marketers

Step 3:Craft your messagefor each distribution method

Why Press Releases Are (Still) Useful for Marketers

• 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

Details matter

Why Press Releases Are (Still) Useful for Marketers

Why Press Releases Are (Still) Useful for Marketers

Press Release Tips to Get You Noticed:15 Journalists Tell You How

Step 4:Measure results and analyze for next time

Why Press Releases Are (Still) Useful for Marketers

Which outlet performed the best for your goals?

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

Goal 1: Get attention of a journalist or influencer

Why Press Releases Are (Still) Useful for Marketers

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)

Goal 2: Get messageto your target audience

Why Press Releases Are (Still) Useful for Marketers

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

Goal 3: Move your audience to action

Why Press Releases Are (Still) Useful for Marketers

Raven tools that help

Why Press Releases Are (Still) Useful for Marketers

Why Press Releases Are (Still) Useful for Marketers

Why Press Releases Are (Still) Useful for Marketers

Why Press Releases Are (Still) Useful for Marketers

Why Press Releases Are (Still) Useful for Marketers

Why Press Releases Are (Still) Useful for Marketers

Why Press Releases Are (Still) Useful for Marketers

Why Press Releases Are (Still) Useful for Marketers

25% discount on all PR Newswire press releasessubmitted in October 2013! Try it now.

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