For nonprofits, working on a shoestring budget is a fact of life. It can be a struggle to justify extra expenses, especially for public relations and marketing.
However, there are certain communication tactics where it can pay off in the long term to invest more in the short.
Take press releases, for instance.
“Not all that long ago a press release’s effectiveness was measured solely in terms of earned media coverage and the ad equivalency value of that coverage,” writes Melissa Walsh in Proving It: Going from Press Release Performance to Measuring Brand Perceptions. However, she continues to explain, “the digital era has ushered in an array of other metrics that provide a more complete view of press release performance.”
Press releases are now capable of doing much more than landing media mentions. Below are three reasons press release distribution will pay off for your not-for-profit organization.
Increase Brand Awareness
“Acquiring new audience members is critical to the success of many marketing campaigns, while promoting solely in owned channels is ‘preaching to the choir’ of your existing and engaged audiences,” writes Eva Rohrmann in Top 6 Reasons to Send a Press Release. “Press releases can be syndicated to a variety of sites and media outlets, from major media to trade and niche sites, enhancing the chance that potential audience members and new prospects will come across your content as they research topics and issues.”
By distributing high-quality press releases frequently (read: not just sending press releases for the sake of it, but providing unique, actionable information in every announcement), you increase the potential for your nonprofit and its message to be discovered in search results.
Increase Fundraising Opportunities and Donations
When it’s distributed online, a compelling press release can drive traffic back to your owned channels to fuel fundraising and achieve other organizational goals.
“Since the press release, like the news, can be posted online, they not only draw media attention but also attract potential donors and volunteers to the nonprofit’s website,” writes Aaron Sarto in Why Nonprofits Need Press Releases.
People aren’t going to head to your website, though, if your press release doesn’t direct them there. It’s important to include a call to action that:
- Focuses on a specific activity (Donate to our nonprofit, Learn about our mission, etc.)
- Links to a website page where audiences can easily follow through on that action
- Is backed up with a reason why the action matters.
Increase Event Ticket Sales
One reason to send a release could be you are announcing an event that’s hosted by or benefits your organization. Distributing press releases and informing the media about your upcoming event are excellent ways to spread awareness and drive ticket sales.
I typically counsel not-for-profit clients to send out three press releases around an event: One release a month to a few weeks beforehand, one release the week of, and then a post-event release recapping its success.
Consider varying your calls to action for these releases. For instance, highlight an early bird ticket deadline or offer media interview opportunities in the first release, promote last minute ticket sales in the second release, and provide anyone who missed the event additional engagement opportunities in the wrap-up release.
As you develop your press release distribution strategy, it’s important to know how to monitor and measure the success of these individual press releases and overall campaigns.
Download our free white paper Proving It: Going from Press Release Performance to Measuring Brand Perceptions and learn how to make press releases work better for you and prove your efforts’ value to others.
Author Courtney Compton is a New Business Development Representative and Social Media Ambassador at PR Newswire. Follow her on Twitter at @CourtCompton13 and @PRNenv for environmentally-focused news. You can also connect with her on LinkedIn.
from Blogs http://ift.tt/2dNOfIn
No comments:
Post a Comment