SaaS marketers understand that public relations is vital in shaping industry perception and building credibility. But how do press releases play into a comprehensive PR strategy?
While we don’t believe press releases should be the center point of a PR program, they do aid in capturing share of voice in your industry and showcasing your brand’s accomplishments. When you have something newsworthy to share, it’s important you get the most out of an announcement and wring out its total value.
What to do with a press release
At BLASTmedia, our philosophy is that we don’t need a press release to secure coverage for our B2B SaaS clients. However, news still has significant value and a place in the PR coverage mix.
Pushing company news on your blog or via a wire service (like PR Newswire) amplifies your message and puts your news into the world – it becomes indexed and searchable. Press releases provide a marker in time that can be referenced for months, maybe even years.
Newsworthy announcements should have a pitch strategy in place, alerting the most-relevant editors (often under embargo or offering an exclusive) ahead of the announcement day to secure a feature article the day the news hits.
But what else should you do with the asset, in addition to a wire service and direct pitching efforts? Many media outlets provide the opportunity to post a press release, extending the reach of the news.
Securing additional press release postings
Take a funding announcement, for example. First, a client’s PR team would pitch a full feature story with an interview. If the story lands, press release postings on other sites provide even more exposure for the news, further amplifying the announcement.
Press release postings often result from one-to-one outreach to target trade media, wherein an editor or gatekeeper filters which news is most relevant for their audience and decides which releases to publish. Other outlets, however, provide an opportunity to upload a relevant press release directly to their portal for posting and make it into the outlet’s newsletter as well.
Examples of trade sites that offer press release postings:
- ITOps Times news digest: Moogsoft partners with Alesia Labs; Ivanti Neurons for IIoT; ReadyWorks Series A, IT Ops Times
- Influ2 Releases Buying Group Marketing Report, Showcases Benefits of Personalized Marketing That Goes Beyond ABM, AiThority
The press release caveat
Ever heard of relationship “red flags?” Of course, you have. Well, there are also agency red flags. If you’re ever talking with a PR agency and they only get coverage through press release postings and announcements, sound the alarm bells. You need a healthy mix of thought leadership articles, reactive opportunities, interviews and company news. Relying solely on press releases, though — that’s old school and largely ineffective.
Don’t underestimate your news
Company news may not always result in a feature article, but it can still get traction and realize value. While press release postings may seem minute, they’re an important piece of the overall PR strategy and play a role in amplifying news and increasing brand awareness.
To learn more about how you can improve your news strategy, contact Lindsey Groepper.
