Companies and businesses use all kinds of tools when it comes to their advertising and marketing campaigns. Press releases have long since been a popular tool to use, providing companies with a quick, easy, and specific way to get their message out to the media.
However, living in the digital age where social media has become such a huge thing, companies are now re-examining their marketing strategies—and according to new research from digital marketing agency Single Grain, they are left wondering if press releases still have a place in the age of social media.
Speak to the Experts
The answer for the question isn’t one that seems cut and dry. Rather, it seems to change depending on who you ask. If you speak to a PR agency that deals with traditional forms of marketing and advertising, they are the first to tell you that a press release does in fact still have a place in today’s landscape.
Press releases allow companies to convey a message and provide backup information and facts. They use headlines that are meant to attract the attention of readers, they make people ask questions so they “want more”, and they can be delivered to targeted recipients.
However, when you speak to an advertising agency that specializes in digital marketing tools, they may be quicker to discredit press releases and suggest you focus on other tools.
Use them properly
It seems as though the trick with press releases is to understand how to use them best and understand what they can’t replace. Yes, a well-written press release can be picked up by the ideal news source and then further researched and discussed, but let’s be clear, a press release is not meant to replace your SEO tools.
A press release should be able to stand on its own and achieve its’ own goals, which should be totally different to your SEO tools. That’s not to say your press release can’t include links in it because it can, but a press release should be an announcement. It needs to be newsworthy, not packed with SEO keywords.
When it comes to the proper use of SEO tools, this is when you need an expert such as Single Grain, who offer all kinds of services such as retargeting, mobile advertising, Facebook advertising, video advertising, and more.
Think about the audience
There is another angle that is important when it comes to press releases: the audience. Digital marketing campaigns have a strong focus on social media nowadays, which means the message is going directly to the consumer. A press release is one that is picked up by journalists. Should a journalist write about your press release and cover it in greater depth, it will help to build instant credibility since it’s not coming from you—the company.
Don’t ditch the traditional press release just yet
It seems as though the traditional press release still has a role in today’s advertising landscape. It shouldn’t take the place of digital marketing; rather, the two need to work hand-in-hand with one another to achieve maximum benefits.
