May 26, 2010
Press Releases… we always see them & your SEO/marketing/PR people tell us we need to write them, but why?
If you have something important to announce about our senior community &.or the services you provide, a press release is a good way to get the information out to those that may publicize it. These days there are numerous free distribution services, not to mention all the social media sites where you can submit your press release or links to it & announce your grand opening, new service, etc… I recently heard that a publisher at a large metro newspaper said, “Don’t send me a press release, Tweet it.”
But what else are press releases good for?
- It gives your sales team something new to talk about & a reason to reach out to long-time contacts/referral points/prospects & remind them about what you offer.
- SEO – search engine optimization! Your press release is sure to contain the keywords and phrases people use to find a community &/or the services you offer in your area. By posting a press release on your site, you are adding more keywords and new content to your site which the search engines love! The more often you update & add new content to your site, including press releases, the better your chances of getting more & better listings in the search rankings for those keywords. Plus, if other sites pick-up your release and link to your site, you just got an added bonus of an inbound link, which the search engines also consider important!
Tips to get the most from your press releases:
- Write them when you have something new to announce
- Use social media as well as online distribution services to distribute.
- Post releases on your site in a format the bots/spiders can read
- Create links in the copy back to related areas on your site
- Make sure site URL is listed on the release!