hello world!
Digital PR is about much more than link building; it’s a complex process of brand development, building an online presence, and increasing organic traffic. That’s why a press release for digital PR is such a precious commodity — but only when it’s done right!
The life of a modern journalist isn’t all Pulitzer Prizes and book deals. For most reporters, it’s a long, hard slog that doesn’t always bear fruit. But if you’re willing to do the slog for them, you have a great chance to bag a mention and a precious backlink on a high-authority publication.
Backlinks on high-authority domains are the currency of SEO and online brand building. But there’s no shortcut to success — at least not for you. While the journalist gets free content, you have to put the work in. Get it right, however, and the rewards can be substantial.
So let’s dive right into the art of writing a press release for digital PR.
We’re about to cover the following areas:
- What Is a Press Release?
- The Process of Creating a Press Release for Digital PR
- Create a Compelling Pitch
- Structure Your Press Release Appropriately
- Write the Body Text
- One Final Thing
- Useful Tips for Writing a Great Press Release
- Use a Tone That Will Resonate
- Optimize
- Create the Complete Story
- Double Check Everything, Then Check Again
- Become a Thought Leader
- Spend Time on Your Email Message
In essence, a press release is a new story — and not to be confused with an advertorial. Yes, you have something to sell (either a product, a service or a brand), but it must have a compelling angle if it’s going to be considered for publication.
The trick is to squeeze as many facts, figures and benefits into the press release as possible without boring journalists and editors to tears.
It’s important to think of this process as a quid pro quo situation. You’re lightening the workload of a stressed-out journalist, and they’re providing you with a backlink and some exposure in return.
But if you’re targeting high-authority domains, it’s worth remembering the value of a backlink. Not only are you getting guaranteed traffic for your website, but you’re also fuelling up with the SEO juice that Google and other search engines love so much.
In order to be considered for publication, your press release for digital PR has to make a positive first impression and deliver real value to readers. Nail both of these tasks, and you have a recipe for success.
There’s actually no hard and fast rule about what a great PR should look like. There are a few formats doing the rounds in publishing offices across the world — the most important things to get right are the content and the tone. However, aiming for an internationally recognised format will give your press release for digital PR the best possible chance of cutting through the noise and making it into your target publications.
But before you do anything, kick things off by choosing the most compelling angle and using it to create a pitch to editors.
This is your chance to attract the attention of journalists and editors. Bear in mind that the average journalist in charge of screening press releases is presented with dozens every day. If your pitch doesn’t stand out, there’s a good chance that your press release will be consigned to the dustbin for all eternity.
Start your pitch by telling your target audience who you are, but make it brief. Journalists want to know if there’s a genuine story there as soon as possible. After all, they have liquid lunches to enjoy!
Succinctly outline your story and why the publication’s readers will want to read it. If you can’t tell your story in a sentence, there’s very little chance of it being picked up by a publication. That’s why the title of your pitch is paramount.
Let’s increase your chances of making it to publication by giving the journalist a choice of five potential headlines. This is what will hook the readers, so it’s vital that you spend some time getting it right.
Again, there are no hard and fast rules about pitch headlines. However, you need to inspire the reader to take notice and want to keep reading in as few words as possible. And as any writer will tell you, that’s easier said than done.
Once you have a killer headline in place, move on to the pitch body. Think of this as speed dating for journalists. Give yourself 10 seconds of reading time to make your case and inspire the reader to seek more information.
Here are a few tips for creating an engaging pitch body:
Well done! You’ve created a great press release pitch that is bound to get noticed by journalists, writers, and editorial staff. But you’re only 10% of the way through the process. This is where the really hard work begins — the structuring and writing of a press release that will compel editors to publish.
This is where it pays to be a little more structured in your approach. While the small details of press releases differ, the fundamentals always remain the same.
Remember those headlines you wrote earlier? That was a great way to get your creative juices flowing. Now, you can either use one of them or adapt one — now that you’ve outlined your approach.
Think of a newspaper headline: Concise, punchy, informative. That’s the recipe for a tasty press release for digital PR.
A good press release walks the reader through the story. Attention spans are painfully short these days, so you have to leave little crumbs of intrigue as you go. The headline got the reader this far; now you have to furnish them with a few more details to retain their interest.
Why is the story relevant? Who will find it useful? What are the potential benefits or consequences of what you’re about to write about? Answer these questions, and the intro should write itself. Just be sure to keep it as concise as possible.
Think of the body text as an upside-down triangle. At the top, you have short, snappy sentences that outline the most pertinent details…AKA the big stuff!
The further down the body text you go, the more details you add, which aren’t always as sexy as the stuff at the beginning. As you move down the inverted triangle, you can briefly mention the kind of background information people might find useful if they want to know more about the story. But don’t worry too much; if the reader has gotten this far, they obviously want all the details you have to offer.
All that being said, you should still err on the side of brevity. No one wants your life story. And it’s always nice to leave a little detail out, as this may prompt a few enquiries for more information.
A great body text in a press release for digital PR should include:
Make sure you signify the point at which the press release ends. The easiest way to do this? Yes, you guessed it; with the word ‘Ends’.
Every good press release should include a boilerplate — which is just a fancy word for a short ‘about us’ text. And, of course, you want people to reach out for more information, as this is a great opportunity to earn yourself even more backlinks. That’s why a section for contact details is vital.
Congratulations! If you’ve gotten this far, consider yourself an expert writer of press releases for digital PR. Now all that’s left to do is sit back and wait for the backlinks to come rolling in.
Not so fast! Let’s not forget that editors and publishers often have dozens of unsolicited press releases to sift through every day. To maximise your chances of impressing the reader, you’re going to need a few tricks of the trade. Fortunately, you’ve come to the right place.
Think about who you’re talking to. More importantly, research the tone and voice used by the publication and replicate it throughout your press release.
Use SEO-rich anchor text to get the traffic you’re looking for. Build anticipation, hit the reader with a key benefit, and finish off by adding an anchored link.
Don’t let the journalist finish your story for you. If they have to make calls, do research or ask a friend, they probably won’t bother. Include all the relevant information, benefits, contact details and background.
No high-authority website worth its salt is ever going to publish a press release for digital PR that’s littered with spelling errors and grammatical mistakes. If you’re not confident with these issues, ask a friend or colleague to proofread your work.
Think like a professional journalist. Your job is to tell people something they don’t know. Simply sticking to the main points of the story without any background, source material, or authority isn’t going to cut it. Write like an authority on the subject by using the Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness principle — also known as EEAT.
The chances are you’re going to be sending your perfectly crafted press release by email. So, you have to take the time to get this right. If you don’t, your message — and your PR — will either be delivered on delivery or banished to the hellscape that is a spam folder.
Creating a press release for digital PR isn’t a quick and simple process. Yes, we’re not talking about a lot of content here, but the research, preparation, and checking required make the task laborious and time-consuming. And when you’re creating killer press releases to develop your brand or garner backlinks, you’re not focusing on the everyday jobs that keep the wheels of the industry turning.
Fortunately, you don’t have to do all this yourself. Cupid PR is a backlinking and digital PR services company that creates snappy, informative, and attention-grabbing press releases that beg to be published. Reach out today to get started.
No sales techniques here. I'll let you know what we can do for you. And if I don't think your website is right for Digital PR, I won't try and sell you anything you don't need.
DLM Marketing - FZCO Trading As Cupid PR - Dso Ifza, Ifza Properties, Dubai Silicon Oasis, إمارة دبيّ, United Arab Emirates
