One of the most appealing benefits of a press release is its flexibility as a marketing tool. This is expressed in many ways. For example, a press release can be an effective means of communicating news and announcements for almost any business. The press release is also flexible in the sense that it is no longer defined solely by text. Press releases can now incorporate social media, images, video, infographics, and much more. Furthermore, when you outsource your PR needs to an experienced digital marketing firm, you have the opportunity to explore these unique elements for yourself.
At the same time, there are consistencies among all press releases. This is particularly true in the criteria for a successful press release. While these metrics are not set in stone, they are largely agreed upon by everyone in the marketing industry.
There are a number of targets a business press releases must hit to generate meaningful results. Regardless of what you ultimately want to achieve with your PR, you will likely need to keep these in mind.
What Makes For A Successful Press Release?
Any campaign needs to have its performance tracked from start to finish. The press release is no different. If a press release is not successful, that doesn’t mean it was a complete waste of time. Various metrics can be used to figure out exactly how the press release performed.
Here is how any given press release is judged:
- How many reads? This is obviously one of the most important measuring sticks. Not only do you want to know the total number of times your press release was read, but you also want to be able to break down that information by location. Having a clear idea of where your press release is having the most engagement can lead to targeted ads and other digital marketing opportunities.
- How many clicks? What is the number of people checking out the links that work to drive to your site? This is another piece of crucial information. Obviously, you want to craft the best press release that is informative. At the same time, it should also engage the reader enough to click on those links that will take them to the next step. In this case, that would be going to your website.
- Where is the traffic coming from? Figuring out where the traffic largely comes from can show you exactly where people are most often connecting to your material. It can also be helpful to understand which keywords were used, and in which places those keywords were used. A press release can often be used to help you shape future content and goals. You can learn a great deal.
- Is it social? Social engagement is important in this day and age. This holds true for press releases as almost anything else a company puts out into the world. Knowing which social media hubs had the strongest engagements can obviously be helpful.
Other elements can determine a successful press release. However, in our professional opinion, the four topics covered above are the most important.
