The information age came with
good tidings. However, it brought along a dark cloud called information
saturation. There is nothing new in that sphere. This information saturation is
an issue we need to take note of with all due gravity. Since, we are in the
business whose currency is information-spoken and/or written after all.
This has made our work as
communications professionals, difficult. Don’t you agree? Getting our press
releases ‘heard’ is a challenge we need to continuously ponder over, and find ways
to reach our audience. Press releases continue to be the most formidable tool
in our toolbox.
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Image Credit | Mark
Greenwood
On 22nd February
2015, Charity Maina was raped and killed in Moi University. In a bid to quell,
the heated outburst of the community-students-the Vice Chancellor Prof. Richard
Mibey issued a press release in the dailies the following day. Now, according
to critics, apparently it had many grammatical errors. A clear indication that someone
in the administration was in a hurry to correct a great wrong. I heard of it in
the social media. Whether it achieved its intended purpose or not, is an issue
at large, for us to vet. The question becomes; what could they have done to
gain traction?
In order to get our press
release ‘heard’ we need to use all media available. The internet being the most
important. Statistics indicate that 26.5% of the African Population use the internet.
Consider this percentage and the inadequate infrastructures that we have.
Factoring in that we are on the path to actual development this number will
soar. This is an indication for us (communication professionals) to prepare
ourselves to capitalize on this space.
With that in mind, here are 5
tips to make your press release standout online, working on the belief that it
will be your first channel to turn to, right? If yes, read on.
Write
Clear Headlines
It never gets old. In all
writing, headlines are your ticket to a reader’s time. If it stands out, then
you have increased your chances of getting your reader’s attention. If not then
we have to work on this. On that note, your heading needs to be 22 characters
or less.
The
Length
A press release is a document
that tells a synopsis of your company and or news worthy information in the
company. Answering the question of who, what, when, why, where & how of a
topic. This 5W’s and 1H make the body of the release as airtight as possible.
Keeping the release two pages or less or 600 words or less is a key ingredient.
According to Elizabeth Hillmann of Discovery Education says, ‘The length of the
press release should be under 600 words or no more than two pages to make it
the most effective, and will aid in optimization.’ Solid advice.
Keywords
What are these? According to Corry Janssen, Technopedia, He
says, ‘A
keyword, in the context of search engine optimization (SEO), is a particular
word or phrase that describes the contents of a web page. Keywords are intended
to act as shortcuts that sum up an entire page.’ With that in mind, Elizabeth
advices that we need to use at least we use two or three keywords throughout
your headline, subhead and first paragraph to ensure consistency of messaging
and increased chances of search results.
Rich Media
The saying that a picture is worth more than a
1000 words never gets old. However, if we could go back, something worth adding
is a great picture is worth so much more than a 1000 words. In writing that
press release, using high quality media-pictures, infographics, and video can
help your releases rise to the top in search.
Logo
In concluding our strategy of conquering the
online space, always make it a habit of incorporating your company logo in all
your releases. This makes it easier to find your release if someone searches
for your company or brand name; the images will come up.
Knowing how to make our press
releases ‘heard’ is our daily objective. Leveraging the online space is a step
towards making this objective a possibility. Try it out and let me hear from
you.
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