It often happens that even after hiring a professional PR distribution agency, the clients complain about not getting enough exposure. Why does that happen? Are the PR agencies lacking in their responsibilities? Well, when a distribution does not offer fruitful results, it is partly the client's fault too. Most organizations and individuals make the common mistake of depending completely on the organization for distribution.
Even if you hire a professional agency, there are a few aspects you need to keep an eye on in order to churn out maximum positive results. That is why only hiring an agency is not enough, you need constantly monitor your campaign and make other significant approaches other than just depending on your press release distribution company. In order to optimize the process of press release distribution, you are required to follow the 12 steps given below which turns every PR campaign into a successful one.
1. Never Forget the Right Press Release Format
Journalists get serious about a press release only when it follows the correct format, proper manner, and tone of writing as well as offers legitimacy. The right format for a press release is perhaps known to everyone. However, revision never hurts. There is a total of 5 key parts of a press release. Namely,
- Headline of Title
- Time, date, and leading or introductory paragraph (5Ws)
- Body
- The supportive and ending paragraph
- Boilerplate
Following the right format helps to gain maximum media coverage. Also, the PR in the right format is what gets immediately approved by every professional agency for distribution. Also, when you are expecting to distribute in the largest and most reputable news database, your PR needs to be newsworthy first.
2. Inclusion of Images, Info-Graphics, and Clips
The modern press release trends do not just include words and written content as there is an option for multimedia attachments as well. Nowadays, PRs are comprised of images, graphics, and video content. So, do not forget to make use of them. Visual impact stays easy and long enough to quickly garner attention from the readers. Therefore, even if a reader does not read the whole content; the key points can be still found with a quick glance at the Info-graphics. Also, images are a great way to support and justify the information provided in the PR.
3. An Interesting PR Email Pitch
You might have already heard about the importance of an attractive headline in a PR but when it comes to distribution, the email pitch also plays a vital role. The pitch is essential and is the first official point of contact via email. Therefore it needs to be attractive, to the point, and transparent. The pitch becomes compelling when you craft it based on audience and characteristics, such as demographics, interests, and concerns. You need to provide a brief intro to justify your reasons behind choosing the platform while you establish the value of your story in the PR. Based on the pitch, many journalists and distribution platforms go through the content which eventually gets it distributed.
4. Press Release is Time-Sensitive
Since PR is a time-sensitive document, the time of distribution is crucial. While you might have decided on a schedule for your distribution, pitching them starts quite earlier. Here are some insights acquired in 2022 which will help you in your future distribution. Such as,
- Among all weekdays, Thursdays have the highest email open rate (26%).
- Wednesdays and Fridays are not recommended to send PRs as 85% of them stay in the inbox.
- The best time for sending a PR is considered from 10 a.m to 2 p.m; the most active office hours.
5. Choose the Right Press Release Distribution Agency
Now, this is the tricky part where many get confused. The web is filled with thousands of PR distribution agencies and it is daunting to opt for a single one. Here are some key factors to check that can help you find the right organization.
- Distribution network – whether it aligns with the industry you work in.
- Pricing system – Whether there are different packages with a reasonable pricing system.
- Client Feedback – Whether the previous clients are satisfied with the results.
6. Build Relationships with Journalists
A major part of distribution depends on how well are you associated with the journalists in the field. They help to reach your goals and when you can build a win-win relationship, there is a chance of getting each of your PR featured. It is a win-win situation since just like you gain the benefits of distribution, the journalists also get in touch with updated news that aligns with their field and niche. Here are a few ways to build a stronger bond with journalists and reporters,
- Engage on Social media and follow the journalists and respond to their personal content.
- Offers them valuable resources for cultivating news in the niche.
- Personalized your pitch every time which offers an organic feeling rather than a forwarded email.
- Express your appreciation for their work and articles.
7. Up-to-date Media Contacts
Email ids and phone numbers are often updated by individuals as well as companies. Thus, it is important to check the health of the email list regularly. It helps to determine which email ids are still active and which no longer exist. Keeping your media contacts updated helps to fruitful results with each successful approach. You can also take help from digital tools like LinkedIn.
8. Take Help from Bloggers and Influencers
The best press release distribution happens when you put your 100% into it and to churn out 100% of your PR campaign, you need to make approaches wherever you find the best possibilities of exposure. In today’s world, bloggers and influencers have a huge impact on the market and if you are able to hire them for your distribution; there will be a wider reach to the target audiences. With their daily activities and a huge follower base, they are capable of turning a simple story into a ‘Breaking story’. As a result, the story revolves around everyone’s attention.
9. Follow Up After the Distribution
Just because you have submitted the PR does not mean your work has ended. After submission, you need to give the platform or the journalist a minimum duration of two days to give it a read. They receive a ton of PRs and pitching emails every day. That is why you need to send a follow-up email in a respectful manner with courtesy just to remind them who you are and what PR you sent.
10. Share on Social Media to Create a Buzz
Most online users these days are active on the social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and many others. You can utilize these platforms to gain more traction through your personal social media marketing channel. You can add relevant photos, short videos, attention-grabbing captions, hashtags, and everything that helps to increase the web traffic on your channel. For added reach, you can also tag the journalist in the post who published it. This way, you will be able to tap into a huge number of audiences.
11. Paid Promotion and Sponsored Promotion
Paid social media marketing can reach a wider range and types of customers. Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and other platforms offer options for paid promotion through social media advertising. They also offer advanced targeting tools that help to reach more ideal types of customers who would actually like to interact with your business services and products. As a result, you can reach the desired target audience more effectively.
12. Press Release Analytics
Not only embarking on a PR campaign is enough since you are trying to make the most out of it. It is essential to keep track of the performance of the campaign that offers valuable insights. The analytics not only help in enhancing your PR efforts but also lets you understand your target audience and potential customers with pinpoint accuracy. With in-depth data based on various demographics; you can turn your PR campaigns into the most effective ones. Thus, each of your approaches becomes greatly fruitful for the business.
Quite evidently, not only hiring a PR agency is enough to gain maximum organic exposure. You need to follow the aforementioned steps to make the campaign more effective.
Concluding thoughts
You might think that following these steps is a lot of work and if you have done these, why are you even hiring an agency in the first place, right? Well, it is because there are a lot of other individuals and organizations looking for customers and exposure just like you. While professional agencies thrive to provide 100% professionalism and great results to each of their clients; the clients need to be more careful about their PR Content and how they pitch the content to the distribution platforms.
