10 Tips for Joint Press Releases That Increase Your Online Presence

Press releases are a great way to communicate news or information about your company through carefully crafted messages that are under your control in terms of content, tone, and format. To expand the distribution of such messages beyond your company’s current base of customers and prospects, issue joint press releases with strategic business partners who target the same type of prospects through different channels or networks.

Learn about joint press releases and more by downloading the 24 Marketing Tips To Set Your Company Apart From The Rest.  

By focusing on a business problem solved by both companies, a joint press release becomes mutually beneficial and increases exposure of each company’s brand through the partner’s distribution channels. Both companies gain access to new leads along with the additional credibility earned by association with a respected partner.

Follow these 10 basic guidelines to maximize the potential reach of a joint press release and increase your online presence:

1. Define the keywords or phrases that will attract attention from the target audience. Include these words as focal points in the headline of the press release.
2. Create a meta description that accurately summarizes the content of the news article and reinforces its key value to the reader. Use that meta description as a subtitle under the headline.
3. Optimize the press release’s content for online search by including your defined keywords and phrases throughout the piece. Keep in mind, however, that it is important to avoid loading the article with keywords at the expense of readability. If the use of a keyword within a particular sentence seems awkward, then substitute a different word. The content of the press release should flow naturally, like a conversation with the reader.
4. For improved readability, use subheadings within the press release to break the text up into logical segments. This enables readers to scan the article and quickly locate the information that is most interesting or relevant to them.
5. Invite readers to learn more about the key topics covered in the press release by offering one or more calls-to-action for direct access to related information.
6. As part of the press release, include one or two links that connect readers to your website’s product page, home page, or company blog. If you know of a relevant educational resource that is related to the news in your press release, provide a link to that as well.
7. Perform search engine optimization (SEO) on the release PDF and place it on both companies’ websites. Even if the release is available online as a website page or blog post, it is important to provide the sharable and printable PDF version. Not only does the PDF enable sharing of the information; search engines will index the PDF’s text, increasing the possibility that others may discover it through online search.
8. Include high value photos and/or videos as part of your digital media kit for online versions of the press release. Although most press release distribution outlets do not typically place videos or photos in their newswire postings, other distribution channels such as online magazines and industry publications will often include them. Regardless, when publishing the press release on your company’s website, it is advisable to include videos and photos that complement the content of the release and enrich the reader’s experience.
9. Push the joint press release to the customers and prospects of both companies, using automated email marketing software. Utilize distribution services like Marketwired or PR Newswire to push the release to industry editors and bloggers for wider circulation.
10. Share your news on social media, using hashtags based on the press release’s keywords and phrases. Consider the press release to be another type of premium content and follow your standard social engagement strategies to promote it.

By issuing a press release in conjunction with a business partner, your company receives significant implied referral value from that partner. This helps to build perception for your brand among your business partner’s network of customers and prospects, which may be an audience that your company would not otherwise reach.

The use of a joint press release is an effective marketing strategy for both large and small companies that are competing for visibility and trying to establish stronger voices on the Internet.

By issuing joint press releases, your company leverages the goodwill of its business partners, thereby broadening its exposure and expanding its reach. Employ the 10 tips identified above to maximize the impact of every shared press release on the overall market perception of your company.

For information on other innovative marketing strategies that will benefit your company’s performance, please contact us or download our whitepaper “24 Marketing Tips to Set Your Company Apart”.

Bristol Strategy is a full funnel inbound marketing agency and inbound sales agency offering the full complement of services to enable our clients to surpass their business objectives by transforming the way they engage with their buyer on-line.  Reach out to us to learn more about how our experience and capabilities can help your business grow.