Press releases are just written documents with no marketing value unless it is distributed via a credible distribution network. It is not always about crafting SEO-based PRs but also distributing them effectively which helps to gather maximum media attention. Press release distribution mainly takes place through news sites and media platforms that help to garner the attention of potential customers, journalists, marketers as well as investors from the niche industry.
Distribution for SEO-friendly press releases can take place in two ways. The first is the manual approach which is done via a DIY approach and the other one is a professional approach which is done with the help of a hired professional agency.
Manual Approach
This is the personal way of distribution where you do not hire an agency instead; you pitch the journalists to get your PR content distributed. You need to pitch the press release to the niche journalists and get them to publish your PR content. As a result, your business gains more organic popularity along with potential customers from the niche. The whole process of manual distribution is done by following a few simple steps which are given below.
- Find the Journalists– Firstly, you need to find the journalists who work in your niche and similar content. The journalists, reporters, and marketers who understand your industry will be more interested in your brand product or services which has an impact on the overall industry. Track them down and shortlist them along with the email ID and contact details.
- Craft Your Pitch Email– Now, you need to craft a pitch email that you will send to the journalists in order to get picked by them. The pitch must be perfect, brief (within 150 words and informative enough to let the journalist know how publishing this PR can help them or the industry. Based on the pitch, the journalists will decide whether to go through your content and if they find the PR interesting or empowering enough, they are more likely to publish it via media and other news platforms. Since they are quite busy and do not have ample time to read every PR; make sure to keep it easy, short, and quickly readable.
- Send the Pitch along with the PR– Once you have crafted your pitch, it is time to send the pitch email along with the PR content. Instead of sending an attachment of the PR, you can simply copy-paste it in the body of the email which reduces their time to download and read the content. However, some experts say that sending a PDF attachment of the PR is more professional.
- Send a Follow-up Email– As mentioned earlier, journalists are quite busy and it can happen that they have somehow skipped your email among others. So, do not be afraid to send a follow-up email if you do not hear from them. PR is time-sensitive and you need to pitch it at the right to keep its impact and relevance intact in the market. In case, you do not receive a response you can pitch again. However, do not be too pushy, or else you will ruin your bonding with the journalists.
Professional Approach
This is an easier approach where you hire a professional press distribution agency and purchase a package from them, based on your budget and requirements. Usually, professional agencies have a huge and effective distribution network through which you can easily gain more attention from niche and potential customers along with marketers and investors as well. Professional PR distribution packages can offer quick results that last with a longer impact and buzz. Hiring a professional agency also provides you ample time to focus on other aspects of your business while it takes care of PR distribution.
While both of the aforementioned approaches work well to gather attention; hiring a professional agency is more recommended as they are well-versed, knowledge, and experienced in this field.
