7 Reasons to Include Press Releases as Part of Your Small Business Marketing Arsenal

Press releases aren’t just something you write and fax to the media anymore. Also referred to as news releases, they should be an important part of your online content marketing strategy. In addition to informing the media, customers and stakeholders about newsworthy events going on with your business, they also function as a tool for search engine optimization and thought leadership.

Facts to consider if you’re not sure about press releases:

• 61% of Americans get their news online. Think about it: when you’re trying to find information, you either head to your computer or mobile device to search Google or your social networks for an answer.
  
  
• 64% of journalists use search to find news. Journalists need sources for their stories.  Like us, they turn to Google to start their search. They also visit social media sites to search for information relevant to their stories.
  
  
• Press releases lend you brand credibility and expand your audience.
  
  
• They’re customizable with photos, videos and other media (which can increase your time on page by an average of 30 seconds).
  
  
• Press releases generate sales. In this example from a PRWeb client, Matt Landau turned a $199 press into almost $4,000 in sales. Not too shabby. In another case, this small business doubled their sales after distributing a press release about their invention.
  
  
• News releases are amazing for SEO (search engine optimization). Search dominates the way people find their news – and Google rewards consistent content that is original with higher search rankings. If you’re using a distribution service that hosts your content forever and distributes content to reputable sites, you can expect a noticeable SEO improvement.
  
  
• Increased traffic. If you’re using your press releases properly, you’re adding great keywords and anchor text as links to your other online properties. Whether you’re linking to your social media accounts, homepage or blog, your release can serve as a driving force for traffic and conversions.

Press releases are an important element that can help your online content come full circle. They’ve come a long way since their inception, and their evolution tells us a lot. From paper, to fax, to email and to social media – search and social elements make them essential to help get the word out about your biz and increase your online visibility.

Don’t know where to start? Find your industry in the PRWeb News Center and take a look at some press release examples. Notice the format that press releases are written in – it’s called an inverted pyramid. What this means is including the most pertinent, crucial info at the top to reduce reading time for those skimming and providing a hook for the audience to keep reading.