Saturday, December 17, 2005
Get Thee a PR Strategy: Two Case Studies for Driving Web Site Traffic with Press Releases
You may already be saying “PR? Doesn’t that mean an expensive Public Relations firm on retainer month after month?” Well, maybe. I’m not a PR guy and there are probably many good firms out there that are worth the money, but if resources are tight you can start small on your own and still see measurable results while working up to a full service PR firm.
If your goal is to drive increases in qualified web site traffic, a PR strategy in general and press releases in particular contribute significantly to web site traffic, which when combined with robust and continuously updated site content leads to greater brand understanding and ultimately greater demand creation for the business.
Two case studies illustrate the traffic building potential of news releases, one for a “material” (financial) press release and one for a non-material announcement of participation in an industry conference:
It’s important to note that these traffic gains will be short-lived if you constantly dump un-newsworthy fluff on the wires or if your site is not kept fresh with content of interest to your target audience (and the media). Achieving both of these goals is not easy, but well worth the effort.
What is Press Release-Worthy?
Press Release-worthy Topics can include:
Keep in mind that although there is an art to writing a good release, if you have decent writing skills and a thorough understanding of your company and its value proposition to its various constituencies you can write and submit a decent release on the newswire. The site PRWeb.com not only provides good tutorials on how to write a release, but also allows you to send out releases for FREE (there are fees for certain value-added packages).
Sources:
1 Internal Study, August 2004
2 Internal Study, June 2004
If your goal is to drive increases in qualified web site traffic, a PR strategy in general and press releases in particular contribute significantly to web site traffic, which when combined with robust and continuously updated site content leads to greater brand understanding and ultimately greater demand creation for the business.
Two case studies illustrate the traffic building potential of news releases, one for a “material” (financial) press release and one for a non-material announcement of participation in an industry conference:
- Two days after the material press release, traffic to one section of the web site showed a 185% increase over normal traffic 1
- After the non-material press release, two different sections of the site measured 260% and 271% increases in traffic 2
It’s important to note that these traffic gains will be short-lived if you constantly dump un-newsworthy fluff on the wires or if your site is not kept fresh with content of interest to your target audience (and the media). Achieving both of these goals is not easy, but well worth the effort.
What is Press Release-Worthy?
Press Release-worthy Topics can include:
- New contracts & extensions
- New business acquisitions & alliances
- Additions and promotions of senior management
- Important additions, upgrades or changes to business functions
- Industry awards and recognitions
- Speaking engagements and media exposure
- Participation in media forums
- Business milestones (when appropriate)
- Positive industry milestones that can be commented on by senior management
Keep in mind that although there is an art to writing a good release, if you have decent writing skills and a thorough understanding of your company and its value proposition to its various constituencies you can write and submit a decent release on the newswire. The site PRWeb.com not only provides good tutorials on how to write a release, but also allows you to send out releases for FREE (there are fees for certain value-added packages).
Sources:
1 Internal Study, August 2004
2 Internal Study, June 2004
Joseph Mann Saturday, December 17, 2005
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