More Americans are turning to the web for news and information, beating out printed newspapers, magazines and radio according a study by Pew Research Center this year. What does this mean for businesses? Well, if you regularly write and submit press releases, it’s a good time to consider whether the traditional format is effective online. Writing for the web presents issues and opportunities different from traditional print media, such as SEO, sharing capabilities, content links, subscription links, video and images, ensuring the heading fits into Twitters 140 character box, 120 if you want a re-tweet, then there’s wire distribution and tagging. Below are some tips to help modernize and optimize your traditional press release for online distribution:
- Write newsworthy press releases
- One subject per press release
- Write for the customer, instead of the media outlet
- Write about topics that are interesting to your customer, not too much of a sales pitch
- Use Keywords
- Use Google’s free Keyword tool to find popular variations of your keyword/phrase
- Refrain from keyword stuffing, you want an article that your readers will be able to read and find interesting.
- Include backlinks to your site where appropriate
- Don’t be afraid to be conversational and interactive
- Allow users to leave comments and share the release
- Include a call to action
- Use Anchor text links
- Homepage
- Product/Service Page related to your press release
- Tag images and videos
- Post videos to YouTube
- Research wire services for distribution
- Try to use legit distribution sites, not ones that are known for spamming
- Measure views and traffic
