About 82% of consumers feel more positive about brands after reading customized content like blogs and press releases. A strong, well-written press release can help you engage your audience. You could generate more brand awareness, sales, and customer loyalty as a result.
In fact, over 90% of customers are likely to demonstrate loyalty when brands are transparent. About 61% of people are more likely to buy from brands that create unique content, too.
Not sure how to create a press release for your content marketing strategy? Consider using a sample press release template.
Here are a few ways using a press release template can make your life easier. Read on to learn more today!
1. Follow the Proper Format
Journalists look at hundreds of different press releases every day. For the most part, they only give press release emails a glance. If they open your email to review your press release, it needs to look properly formatted.
Otherwise, journalists will trash your emails, impacting your ability to reach customers.
Instead, you can use a sample press release template to ensure your press releases are correctly formatted every time.
It’s important to start by making sure your press release has a purpose. What message are you trying to convey? Make sure you’re giving customers (and journalists) something of value.
For example, you can discuss rebranding, a new business partnership, or an upcoming event.
It’s also important to make sure the press release is clear and concise. You’ll need to remove fluff or unnecessary information. The press release shouldn’t exceed a page.
Following a press release template in Word can help you remain within the page limit.
A sample press release can outline what you need to include, such as the:
- Headline
- A lede paragraph with a strong hook
- Who, what, where, where, why
- Supporting facts
- Pull quotes
- Statistics or research
- Multimedia
- Background information
- The boilerplate
- The closing paragraph
Including these elements will show journalists you know what you’re doing. They might feel more inclined to publish your press release. Then, you can start reaching customers and communicating your message.
2. Boost Brand Exposure
Nearly 60% of people prefer shopping from familiar brands. Unfortunately, it can take five tries with a customer before you become familiar. If you’re not generating brand awareness, add press releases to your content strategy.
You can use a sample press release to make sure yours is formatted properly. Remember, journalists are more likely to publish a press release when it’s done correctly. Otherwise, they might toss it aside.
Once publications begin sharing your press releases, your business will appear on different news outlets. Publications can feature your press release on their blog, social media accounts, or in emails.
Each time consumers see your press release, a little more brand awareness will grow. With repeat exposure and time, brand awareness will become recognition. Consumers will recall your company name and recognize your brand on-site.
Generating brand recognition can make it easier for you to remain top-of-mind. Consumers might even remember your brand before thinking of one of your competitors.
If you’re not using a sample press release template, you might waste time trying to figure it out alone. Journalists won’t publish your press release in a timely manner. You won’t get the chance to gain brand exposure online as a result.
Instead, consider hiring a press release writing and distribution company this year. They’ll ensure your press releases follow the proper template.
Then, they can help you spread the word about your business. More journalists will share your press releases, allowing you to gain brand exposure.
As you gain online exposure, you could generate website traffic and sales, too.
3. Increase Sales
Following a press release template can help journalists understand the purpose of your press release. The sooner they grasp the main message, the better. Otherwise, you could lose their focus.
You can use a well-written press release to increase sales. For example, consider using an event press release template. You can market an upcoming event and offer tickets in advance.
You might have an easier time gathering attendees for your upcoming event if your release gets published.
You can also use a press release to highlight the features and benefits of an upcoming product. Teasing a new product could encourage pre-sales.
Either way, you’re increasing sales and setting your business up to grow.
4. Demonstrate Credibility
If consumers can’t learn about your business, they might not trust your business. After all, many customers value transparency. You can remain transparent by publishing a press release the moment something notable happens.
Then, you can control the narrative and show customers you want to remain honest.
Following a press release template will ensure you don’t forget any important details. Remaining honest and upfront could boost your credibility. Consumers might feel more inclined to trust you in the future.
Once they start to trust you, they might start to shop from your store, too.
5. Benefit From SEO
About 68% of online experiences begin on a search engine like Google. Only 0.78% of Google users check the second page, though. People might not find your press release (or business) online if your ranking is low.
With search engine optimization (SEO), you can rank higher than competing brands online.
Following a sample press release format will increase your chances of getting published. You can optimize your press release with SEO in mind. Some press release companies offer SEO as an additional service, too.
Ranking higher on Google can help you generate more brand visibility. Then, consumers can click on the link to your press release to learn more.
It’s important to include your boilerplate when following a press release template. The boilerplate features your company website. Consumers can click on the link to visit your website directly.
When a link to your website appears on someone else’s, you’ve gained a backlink. Backlinks are important to Google’s ranking algorithm. The more backlinks you generate, the higher your site will rank on search engine results pages.
Higher rankings will ensure more people see your brand each time they search for relevant keywords online. Ranking ahead of competitors can boost your credibility, too. Consumers might feel more inclined to trust your business if you rank at the top of the page.
Following a press release template and using SEO could benefit your business long-term. After all, it will take a while before someone knocks your ranking back down.
You can learn more now before using press release marketing and SEO for yourself.
6. Use New Channels
Following a sample press release can encourage multiple publications to share your release with their existing audiences. Each publication might use more than one marketing channel, too. Each marketing channel gives you a new chance to reach customers.
It also allows you to generate multiple backlinks to your website.
7. Increase Website Traffic
If people can’t find your website online, they might struggle to learn about your business. Consumers might feel more comfortable choosing another brand instead. Remember, consumers value transparency.
You can use your press releases to direct more people to your website. Remember, the boilerplate portion of the template will remind you to include a URL.
If you’re not following a sample press release template, you might forget to add your company’s website. You might miss the chance to generate website traffic as a result.
8. Develop Relationships
If you learn how to properly format a press release using a template, journalists might take notice. They’ll appreciate that you’re not wasting their time, too. Remember, journalists might feel more inclined to publish your release if it’s formatted correctly.
You can continue leveraging that relationship to get future press releases published in the future.
9. Remain Proactive
Press release marketing will give you the chance to remain proactive. You can determine what message you want to send and control the narrative. Otherwise, someone else might speak up first.
What they say might impact your brand’s reputation.
Following the right press release format can help you remain clear and concise. You can get ahead of potential news stories before they go live. Then, you can make sure your story is heard, too.
10. Improve Your ROI
Remember, getting a press release published can help you generate brand awareness and website traffic. As more people visit your website, they might decide to shop from your business. You could begin generating leads and sales as a result.
Content marketing with press releases is a cost-effective inbound marketing strategy. You can use press releases to attract more people to your business. As you generate more leads and sales, your ROI will improve.
Then, you can spend more time and money on other marketing platforms and strategies.
Using press releases could give you an opportunity to grow.
Stress-Free Solutions: 10 Reasons to Use a Sample Press Release Template
Don’t let a lackluster, incorrectly formatted press release hurt your chances of gaining exposure. Instead, consider these reasons to use a sample press release template. Following the right format could help you get published.
Then, you can reach more customers and start boosting your business.
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