Press releases are among the most important marketing tools for businesses regardless of the dynamic industries. That is why most organizations and individuals prefer to hire professional writers for the service who can help to gain better results with high-quality press release content. With a simple search on Google, you can find plenty of PR agencies offering writing services that are exclusively meant to empower business owners like you. However, finding the most suitable platform among all press release writing websites is a more intricate process.
There are a few aspects you need to be clear about before hiring an agency for your press release needs. Since there is an array of professional PR platforms offering such services, you have the luxury of time and availability to find the most suitable one. You can also find freelance PR writers for the task.
Things to Check Before Hiring Press Release Writing Websites:
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Budget Comes First
Budget always comes as the first priority as you cannot spend it all in a single writing package. Before any agency you hire, make sure to check their pricing system and cost for the different packages. When there are diversified packages for writing, you can opt for any of them based on your budget and requirements. Also, check how the budget differs with different word counts and number of content to opt for the most cost-effective choice. Sometimes you might want to go for a small and brief press release and other times a long one with more details, or you can plan for aggressive distribution strategies. Therefore, you should also think about the bulk packages. PR writing packages fall under a reasonable budget than most other marketing methods.
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Experience in the Filed
Since you are spending money, you obviously want to hire someone who has ample experience in the field. Writers who have been writing PRs for a long time now are more trustworthy in this case as they already know craft a press release based on its urgency, target audiences, purpose, time-sensitivity, and other aspects. They will also know about the evolving market trends which can help the press release content more trendy and effective. Experienced PR writers are more likely to offer high-quality PR content that abides by industry trends. You can expect them to be more focused on your industry and niche.
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SEO Benefits
One of the prime purposes of PR is to secure the SEO benefits which allow gaining better visibility and presence in the online market and the web. Search engine optimization helps to appear with every relevant search request by the users. A professional writing agency is supposed to be aware of the SEO practices that help to optimize press release content in a way that helps to achieve the marketing goals for the business. Whether it is keywords with high search volume or embedded video links, professional writers would know how to incorporate every element.
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Check Previous Work and Portfolio
On websites of the professional PR agencies, they tend to show their best work and how they craft press releases for their clients. You can also ask them about their previous work to see if they are well-seasoned or not. Look for press releases that are particularly focused on your niche industry. This will you opt for an agency with expectations and quality that you can already predict.
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Complete Consultancy
An agency’s professionalism and transparency are often reflected through their consultancy services where they talk to you and try to understand your raw ideas in order to create PR content that can satisfy your needs. With consultancy, you can also get a free quote based on the service you are availing of. Consultancy is a sign of transparency since it allows you to communicate directly communication with company representatives and sometimes with the writers as well.
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Number of Edits and Additional Services
Sometimes, professional PR writing services can consist of additional features that make those packages more attractive and effective as well. While some agencies provide more number of edits, others can offer distribution features within the same package. These packages can cost you less than hiring separate agencies for the task.
These aforementioned key aspects should be present in professional agencies which can help you find a suitable agency after a fair comparison. There is also another option available and that is freelance PR writers.
Things to Check Before Hiring Freelance PR Writers:
Freelance writers are not always professionals but they can have ample experience in the field to offer the service. They cost way less than hiring a professional PR agency and are known to deliver the content within time. Still, you should focus on the following points,
- Years of Experience in The Field
- The response rate to the clients
- Sample of Previous Work
- Knowledge in Your Niche Industry
- Review and Reputation in the Market
What Should You Opt for, Freelance PR Writers or Professional PR Agencies?
Based on budget, you might always want to proceed with the freelancers as the packages are cheaper. But when it comes to cost-effectiveness, professional PR agencies can offer you a handful of benefits within a single package which makes it more recommended. Besides, in freelance you can hire a single writer but when you hire an agency, a whole team of professional writers will cater to your needs. Hiring an agency for your PT writing needs also helps to secure the fact that you are availing of authentic service and can always contact them back if any problem occurs with the help of customer services. You might not always get that sense of security with freelance writers. Therefore, professional platforms are always a more recommended choice.
How to Write a Press Release of Your Own?
In case you are thinking of a Do-It-Yourself approach, you must know the integral elements of a press release to craft it like a professional. It is a newsworthy document that comes with a formal and flat tone which offers certain information to the readers. Here are the elements it is made of,
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Headline or Title
The headline or the title of the press release plays a vital role in garnering everyone’s attention. Therefore it should be attention-grabbing and short which makes it easy and engaging to read. It is recommended to keep to title under 70 characters while making it keyword-enriched and attractive. The title offers an overview of the PR story and makes readers proceed with reading the whole content. Try to provoke some kind of emotion with the title which offers that human touch and makes it more organic.
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Dateline
As mentioned before, a press release is newsworthy and time-sensitive content. Without publishing it at the right time, the content can lose its relevance and importance in the market as well as to the readers. Therefore, a dateline must be added to make sure the PR is still relevant to read.
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Leading Paragraph
The leading paragraph is the introductory part of the PR content which creates the hook for the story. You need to create a compelling angle while utilizing the 5Ws (When, Where, What, Who, and Why). The part of the PR is what readers going to read first and it should offer all the necessary information so that they can have the outline of the story without even needing to read the whole story.
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The Body of PR
The body of the PR is the meat of the content where you offer a detailed description of the story with support to the information provided in the content. This portion of the content also includes keywords, embedded links, and quotes which make the content more authentic and enriched with marketing values. The overall PR should not be more than 300-350 words in length as it is easy to read for everyone. Remember, your target audiences are busy and impatient. Therefore, you need to provide them the real information quickly by making them read long content. You can also end the body with the summary paragraph.
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Boilerplate
Boilerplate is a small paragraph that comes at the end of the content and offers a brief and flattering description of the company that is issuing the press release content. It also proves the company and the press release content is authentic.
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Media Contact
The press release should end with the media contact of the business so that interested online users can visit the company website or contact them through social media handles. It should also consist of email ID, phone number, and other details.
Concluding Thoughts
Press release writing is an intriguing job and its success is very much dependent on its quality. While you can write a press release content of your own, it is better if you hire a professional for the task which ensures more success after distribution.
