There are many ways to market a brand online. Content marketing is a particularly effective option, but even then, there are many forms of content to choose from.
Press releases are one content marketing option that is often misunderstood. Here is a quick rundown of what press releases are, how they compare to other forms of content, and why you should consider using them in your brand’s marketing strategy.
What Is a Press Release?
Press releases typically focus on getting a specific piece of information or a significant event distributed to journalists and members of the media as quickly as possible. They are also called news releases and PR (public relations) releases.
While packed with important information, press releases tend to be clean, streamlined pieces of content. They are written in the third person, dated on a specific day, and practical in nature. In other words, they aren’t meant to be opinion pieces or to speak in “you” language.
Instead, it’s best to treat a press release as a concentrated batch of key information that you are primarily handing off to industry journalists and media sites. These can then use that information to inform their own content. This makes press releases streamlined and powerful forms of communication that should be an essential feature of any marketing strategy.
How Do Press Releases Compare to Other Forms of Content?
There are many forms of content that can effectively promote your brand. Social media marketing can help you build online communities and interact directly with consumers. On-site blog articles can help you establish thought leadership, educate consumers, and improve search engine optimization (SEO).
Digital PR is another form of content that can take your brand’s message off of its own website and social feeds. This can come through guest posts written for industry publications and major journalism sites. However, generating guest posts is a time-consuming and difficult process.
Digital PR can also come from press releases.
Press releases represent a way to get a concise and impactful message about your brand (that is in your control) out to a large audience quickly. They help you gain rapid exposure with a large audience as other sites pick up (i.e., repost) releases. They also help growing companies establish connections and build relationships and credibility with journalists and media outlets that can provide future coverage.
When a press release is reposted by other sites, it also boosts credibility. By seeing your company talked about on unaffiliated third-party sites, your target audience begins to develop trust in your brand. They see that others are willing to talk about you without the promotion coming from a paid ad or recruited influencer.
How TruLife Uses Press Releases With Our Clients
At TruLife, we believe synergy is the key to helping our clients grow their businesses. That means we use press releases as part of a larger marketing and distribution strategy that often includes social media and on-site content and is always tailored to the specifications and needs of each brand.
We use press releases to create powerful, relevant messages about each brand we work with. These are quickly pushed out in front of a national audience, establishing instant brand recognition and authority. We then use this initial base to build on, using both future press releases and other content initiatives to inform, educate, and engage with a company’s target audience.
We also use the powerful and instant impact of press releases to create clout with brick-and-mortar retailers. When a brand like CVS or Walmart sees that a company has an established presence online and that third-party sources are talking about them, they’re much more willing to consider carrying their products.
Press releases may feel like a simple, easy-to-overlook, and at times even perfunctory part of running a business, but they’re the opposite. They should function as part of a powerful and effective marketing strategy that builds awareness, establishes authority, and drives traffic to your growing brand.
