Writing Publicity-Friendly Content
The content on your site is one of the best tools to attract traffic, customers, and even the attention of the media. If a reputable media outlet is going to print your article or refer to your business in theirs, it can go a long way towards establishing your brand and improving your overall search optimization ranking. What’s even better is that this is FREE publicity, likely in a publication that charges significant amounts of money for advertising slots. Here are a few suggestions on how to write content that attracts the media to your site.
1. This may go without saying, but your online content must be easy to read. Make sure the point of the content is clear and that the pages are formatted correctly. Journalists don’t have the time to sit and read articles on every single website they find to find print-worthy content. You may want to include subheadings, bullet points, lists, and more to make sure it is easy to follow and skim through, if necessary.
2. Add graphics, data, and other links to support your information. An article that is just words will likely not keep the attention of the reader and may even make them click away from the site out of boredom. If you are using someone else’s images or date, be sure to quote them as the source.
3. Always add a author ‘resource box’ somewhere in the article. This should contain your information and perhaps a short bio. Make sure there is a link to your contact page or ‘about us’ page. Don’t make a journalist that may be interested in printing your article spend extra time clicking around your site trying to find out how to contact you. Many webmasters are trying to figure out how to be at the top of a google search for their chosen keywords. This is a great way to get there.
4. If you want your content to be added to a news site, make sure it’s newsworthy. For example, if your site is about healthy eating and you write an article that’s specifically about your latest product, it might not be considered newsworthy enough for a wide audience. However, an article that’s written about a specific problem of nutrition in your area and the health problems that it can generate might be more appealing to the local media.
5. Make sure your article and website are properly optimized for the search engines. Journalists, like everyone else, use these search engines to find specific and relevant content. When they do, make sure your site shows up near the top of the results since they will probably not scroll very far down the page. The proper keyword research is still one of the most important factors for any company doing SEO services.
6. You may want to add a ‘media’ page on your website with contact information, bios of key business contacts, and photos. It can also contain links to your press releases and any other company news you consider interesting. This might be the first page that a member of the media visits after initially finding your site, so make sure it’s attractive and well done.
It can also be a good attention-getter to submit your own press release. If it’s a popular topic and is picked up by enough news sources, one of them might feel inclined to get in touch with you for more information. If you are able to establish yourself as an expert in your industry and become one of the ‘go to’ people for the media, the impact it will likely have on your business could be profound.
Related Article: Getting Listed on the Search Engines
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