Welcome to the August issue of Biz Talk! This publication is a free, subscription-based resource from Five Sparrows, LLC, which specializes in new web site development, web site re-designs, and complete online marketing services for small businesses.

We welcome your questions, comments, or inquiries at editor@fivesparrows.com. Enjoy!

The Power of the Press Release

In the past, press releases were mostly used by big businesses that were trying to get news coverage for their company events or announcements. Today, however, press releases are more accessible, more affordable, and a lot more powerful, making them a great addition to any small business marketing strategy.

The biggest reason for the change is of course the web and its many low-cost or no-cost media outlets that accept press releases from businesses of all sizes. Using web outlets for press releases means that once your company’s news is published to a web outlet, it creates inbound links to your site in several places. First, the news outlet site will post your release, creating inbound links to your site. But then, any other sites that decide to “pick up” your release and report on it creates even more inbound links. It’s like ripples in a pond; the more exposure your press release gets, the farther your links carry out onto the web.

What About the Wire Services?

Traditional wire services are still one of the most effective methods for sending press releases, but these services are often focused on the major players – big companies with big brands – and unless your press release is particularly newsworthy, chances are it will not be picked up or distributed on the web (or in other traditional publications like newspapers, either). That’s not to say you shouldn’t ever use the wire services for your press releases – it’s the first choice for many businesses when they have important news to share. But for many small businesses, the cost of wire service distribution can be prohibitive, and the results can be pretty disappointing.

The Web Has Changed Everything

Distributing press releases to web outlets has many advantages for small businesses, especially the lower cost and better accessibility. Chances are good that if you submit to web outlets, they will publish your press release on their sites, even if it doesn’t spread any further than that. But the big benefits of submitting to web outlets are realized when your press release is picked up by other sources on the web, creating additional inbound links to your web site and improving overall web exposure for your business. So how can you improve the chances that your press release will be picked up by the web outlets and spread like a ripple in the pond?

1. Be interesting and newsworthy – you can write a press release on employee promotions, client wins, or local events you business is involved with – but don’t write a sales pitch or use it as an advertisement for your business!
   
   
2. Include links in the body of your press release – this makes it easy for readers (and journalists) to access further information. Also, make sure that these links lead to a unique landing page specifically designed for your press release readers – don’t just send them to your home page.
   
   
3. Use current journalistic standards and formats – nothing screams “amateur” louder than a press release that’s in the wrong format or that isn’t well written. If you don’t know how to write and format a professional press release, hire someone who does.
   
   
4. Optimize for the search engines – since your press release will “live” on the web in possibly dozens of places, make sure it is optimized properly for your keywords and phrases, especially in the headline and sub-heads.
   
   
5. Publish it on your own web site – if you don’t already have an online press room or “In the News” section on your web site, now is the time to get one. Your press release can be re-used as fresh content for your site, and can continue to bring you additional benefits long after the news cycle is over.
   

Keyword Research: The Right Stuff

Who knows your business better than you do? I’ll bet there aren’t many (if any) people who can say that they do. So since you’re an expert on your business, it should be pretty simple to select the keywords that customers and prospect would use to search for your site on the web, right? Well, not necessarily.

Before selecting the keywords for your web site, you really need to know what people are actually searching on, not what you think they are searching on. Keyword research enables you to tap into how people are searching, and to know the exact words and phrases they type into the search engines to find information.

Let the Data Speak for Itself

For instance, if your business sells blue widgets, you may think that “blue widgets” is the way people would search for your product. But by using the right keyword research tools and analysis, you can find out in real time what searchers are really using, whether it’s “blue widgets,” “blue widget services,” “Michigan blue widgets,” and so forth. Why spend time and money optimizing for keywords that nobody actually uses? It’s typically less expensive (and far more effective) to do the keyword research up front so you can target the appropriate keywords and phrases based on actual user data.

Once you determine which keywords searchers are really using on the web, it’s important to understand how competitive each keyword is. If the term “blue widgets” gets lots of searches but is found on 10 million other sites, it might be nearly impossible for your site to rank well for this particular term. It may be better to go with a keyword that gets fewer searches, but also has fewer competing web sites. Of course, there is more to choosing a good keyword than just how competitive it is, but it’s a good criterion to include as you consider your keyword choices.

Don't Just Guess - Get It Right

Even though you may know your business better than anyone else, you can’t really know how others search for your business unless you do the keyword research. You may not realize how important it is to choose the right keywords, but if you don’t have actual user data to identify the terms that are being used in searches, your keyword choices are little more than an educated guess, and probably not very effective. The point is that keyword research matters if you truly want to improve your search engine rankings, and without this information, it’s less likely that you will be successful in getting good traffic to your site from the search engines.

Let Your Web Site Do the Selling

Getting visitors to your web site is important, of course, but what happens once they get there? Your web content must convince visitors that they have found the exact information that they need, reassure them that your company is credible and trustworthy, and lead them into taking action – whether that’s clicking on a link, making a phone call, or purchasing something online. Here are some tips for building web content that motivates visitors to take action, which typically leads to improved conversion rates, better response ratios, and ultimately more sales!

• Focus on the benefits. Make sure that your web site focuses on the benefits to the customer, instead of puffery about you and your company. When readers see “we” this and “our” that, it tells them that you are more focused on yourself than on how you can help them solve their problems.
  
  
• Repeat the “landmarks”. If visitors come to your site through a click ad, make sure they land on a page that has the same text as the ad. If a visitor clicks on an organic search result, make sure you repeat the search term (i.e., keyword) on the landing page, preferably in a headline or near the top of the first paragraph.
  
  
• Make it easy to take action. Use a strong call to action, and make sure it is highly visible on the page. If you want visitors to call, make sure your phone number is big and bold and not buried in the text. If visitors are there to buy, use a large, colorful “Buy Now” button so there is no question about how to make a purchase.
  
  
• Establish credibility. Your web site visitors may not already be familiar with your business, and you have very little time to enlighten them. Highlight your customer satisfaction guarantee, privacy policy, client testimonials, case studies, and your project portfolio to reassure visitors and build trust.
  
  
• Use the subliminal to your advantage. The quality of the design and layout of your site sends a subliminal message to your visitors the instant that they first see your site. Make sure this communication is working in your favor and reflects an image of quality and professionalism.

FREE Press Release Optimization

Many small businesses already know about the benefits of press releases (see Feature Article, above). But distributing an optimized press release can make a big difference in the results you get in terms of web exposure and traffic, inbound links, and search engine rankings.

During the month of August, Five Sparrows is offering FREE press release optimization ($125 value) when you use our low-cost Web Press Release Distribution Service.

FIND OUT MORE >>

Biz Talk is a Free Publication of Five Sparrows, LLC

Five Sparrows is a Michigan web site development firm and search engine optimization provider offering a complete line of web site marketing strategies and services designed especially for small businesses.

Because Five Sparrows specializes in working with small businesses, we understand their specific needs and challenges.  We offer a full range of products and services at a fraction of the cost of what traditional marketing and web site firms charge, all designed to help small businesses get a big-company presence on a small company budget.

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