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1. Keep Your Audience in Mind
This simple, yet often overlooked strategy can help improve conversions, social shares, and pledges. How will you be using your press release? Is it to let family and friends know about your project? Is it to share with bloggers, journalists, or other influencers?
Maybe you just would like some exposure on the press release website and get featured in more search results on google? Knowing your reasons are important. So many people seem to create a press release just to be able to check that item off their box.
Rather than writing one release to satisfy all of these groups, it may help focus your message if you really concentrate on communicating to one audience and then writing a separate press release for another audience. For some audiences like friends and family, a press release may not be needed to explain your new project and instead a face to face or phone conversation may work better.
As a blogger at CrowdCrux, I usually feature campaigns that can pass on some great success tips to campaign owners that are just starting out, but the campaigns also have some kind of a compelling story behind their product. Certain portions of a press release need to be cut and dry and fill in missing gaps of information, but at the end of the day, relatable and compelling stories are what influence behavior and capture attention.
If your audience does not understand certain technical terms, does not know why this project is a life-changing opportunity, or has not ever heard of “crowdfunding,” this is the time to set things straight! It’s better to provide complete context and at times over-explain, than to leave people scratching their heads, only to close their browser window shortly after.
2. Highlight What’s Different
We are all extremely passionate about something, whether we have discovered that “thing” or not. However, it’s easy to get caught up in your fishbowl world, hyped up about how your product is going to change the world and why this is an awesome opportunity.
The sad reality is that most people either don’t see the opportunity you do, don’t see why your cause is so important, or simply don’t care.
The role of a salesman, promoter, or marketer, is to highlight what is exceptional. To explain why or how this product will make your life so much better because is solves this important problem that is costing time and money. I know that a lot of people don’t like the idea of being a “salesman” or pushing their project, but think of it as bridging that gap between individuals so that they too can become excited and passionate about your endeavor. Share your vision! To accomplish this, it is critical that you understand their mindset and motivations.
Many journalists want to write about emotionally relatable projects or exceptional early success. Are you writing for a news reporter? Highlight why your project is “news worthy.” Are you writing for a crowdfunding blogger like myself? Highlight your compelling story and the awesome tips and things you have learned and would like to pass on to future campaign owners. Are you writing for a blogger in your niche who is revenue-centered? Hash out a deal where they will feature your product from the information/images you’ve provided in your press release in exchange for affiliate commission.
3. Include High Quality Media and Personalize The Release
Just so you are aware, this advice may be contrary to what many PR professionals will tell you, however in my opinion, many of these professionals are living in the age of newspapers, not the world of social sharing, search engines, and microblogging.
There is a reason that every high-quality blogger that I know uses Google+ profile image linking in their articles, because when users search for keywords on google and they see a small image next to an article, they are more likely to click that article.
Despite what heavy traffic and a rushed city life may tell you, people like people, especially faces. Why? Articles that have rich images, faces, and people tend to engender more trust and rapport. It shows that you’ve put in the time and that there are real people working hard behind the project. If you don’t already know how, I will show you how to link your Google+ profile image to your press release in a future article.
We already include your video in your press release on CrowdfundingPR. If you’d like us to include any specific images, please include them in the release!
This article was written by Salvador Briggman
