Why media releases matter for businesses

When I was called for a job interview with a company, I wanted to learn about it beforehand. Apart from browsing through its website, I also did a google news search. 

There was not much news about the organisation. Despite being one of the renowned companies, the communications people, I thought, were not releasing as many media handouts as they should.

In fact, to my mind, the company's visibility in the news media was not at all satisfactory. It made me think, and I told myself that if they hired me, I would bring a significant change in its communication strategies – both digital and print media.

Yes, press releases are an effective way of reaching a wider audience online. They help your company gain an extensive presence on major social media sites. Imagine how many million people worldwide access the internet every day, and they may look your company up in their search engines. 

Hundreds of thousands of customers want to know about the company. If press releases are not found on the internet and in the top results, you may be losing out on many potential customers.

Press releases are also beneficial for search engine optimisation (SEO), primarily if they are written well. Media releases are equally important in print media. Creating a press release portfolio page is also an excellent way to increase your SEO. This way, curious customers and journalists can view your previous press releases and choose which ones they want to read more.

Press releases help build trust with the media. It also increases your likeability. Media releases help your company gain importance both in the media and in the society in which you do business. Getting published by leading publications can boost your credibility. 

Writing a media release is an exciting art. You must keep your customers in mind while drafting the release. You cannot send out everything that happens in the company as press releases. While writing a good press release, you should always think about what topic your readers would be interested in reading about your company. 

Consider whether it is relevant to a general audience or just journalists who cover business news. At the same time, you must think about why your topic would be newsworthy to your target audience. 

Why would the newspapers consider your releases newsworthy? This aspect is vital. You all know that the media is hungry for good content that can benefit their audience. Therefore, your releases should benefit both the media and their audience, who may already be your customers or potential customers.

With ample press coverage, you can refine your message and explore a more straightforward path to persuade customers.

Besides increasing traffic online, press releases also boost your brand awareness. By establishing a reliable reputation, your company may gain more customers and market share.

By distributing the published press releases online, you may increase your visibility and become a thought leader in your industry. Press releases can also help us develop your brand across multiple channels, including social media and blog posts. 

You can be seen as an expert in your industry when you use quotable quotes in your media releases. An industry requires thought leaders, and when you become that leader through your media releases, your customers will trust you more. Quotes work like miracles as far as a company's leading ability is concerned.

Apart from generating publicity for your business, press releases can also offer valuable contact information. The releases are archived in search engines and serve as useful tools for online visibility. The more inbound contacts your company has to potential customers, the higher your chances to be contacted and excelling in business.

So, think about the release needed out there, write it with care and disseminate the info you want to.

Ekram Kabir. Illustration: TBS

Ekram Kabir is a storyteller, a yogi and a communicator. He is just an email away: [email protected].

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and views of The Business Standard.