I was approached with this dilemma a few days ago when I decided I was going to go ahead with a press release for SEO Guelph. The only problem was that I’m in an industry that would be considered “too boring” for major media agencies to pick up. Don’t get me wrong, I love Search Engine Optimization but 90% of sites and media outlets subscribed to the press release feed aren’t going to find it exciting enough to run with.
Then I started thinking about what it was that I would be writing a press release on? Is it enough to send out a press release talking about how you have continued to deliver great SEO to your clients? This is what my press release writer suggested was the best way to move forward. Feeling defeated I decided to let it go for a few days and revisit the idea later.
Today I check my inbox to see that the local University is doing a sponsorship drive. I then have a light bulb moment. What if I sponsor the local University fundraiser, and write a press release on that? Not only did I write that press release and submit it to the press release feeds, but now I’m getting extra links from the agencies that picked up the story. It’s a win win situation. I give back to the local community in Guelph and get just as much value in return.
My only advice is to find a good press release writer. Find someone that has written hundreds or thousands of these kinds of things before and knows how to write a press release in a way that will maximise your chances of getting it picked up. Be sure to sponsor something worthwhile. Sponsoring your friends business isn’t going to cut it. Sponsoring something like a local food drive, or giving clothes to the homeless will.
Contact the company you are donating to and ask for a discount. They will always tell you they will upload a banner to their site advertising your business. Ask for a text link in exchange for a reduced amount. SEO wise I want anchor text of my choice over an image. Chances are that they aren’t going to include an “alt image” tag with the image which lessens the value of the link anway. Go for the text link for the cheaper price.
There you have it. You donate to a good cause and get some worthwhile links in return from not only the company or business you are donating to, but the agencies that pick up the story via the press release.