Tag Archive | "press releases"

Marketing to Millennials: 3 Facts You Can’t Ignore


When marketing to millennials, it’s important to get into that “millennial state of mind.” Doing so will improve your success rate and increase your engagement with that demographic. Here are some facts you can’t ignore when planning your marketing strategies to a millennial audience.

1. Don’t just treat them like a consumer.

Millennials are not just consumers but creators. With the rise of Pinterest and Etsy and influencers on Instagram and elsewhere, millennials are proving they are a force to be reckoned with and enjoy creating and engaging with the brands and businesses they use and like. Rather than just marketing your company to millennials, consider partnering with them to better market your products and services.

2. Personalize and customize.

While many tend to lump the millennial generation into one category and make assumptions for the demographic as a whole, you may be overlooking an important marketing strategy by doing so. Millennials are increasingly favoring products and services that can be personalized, customized, and that really show their individuality. Offering customizable options and considering how your business is different than other similar ones and further making it stand out will make your business more successful in the millennial market.

3. It’s all about connection.

We’re living in a digital age and most millennials have never experienced an era besides that. With a plethora of social media options out there to take advantage of, millennials are more connected and plugged in than ever — which means social media marketing is key to your success with this demographic. Engage with your millennial consumers online, gauge their interest in your products, ask for feedback on your services, and otherwise establish real connections and relationships with this crucial demographic.

Knowing this information about millennial customers and allowing these facts to influence your marketing strategies will only help you reach and engage the millennial consumer!

via Pexels.com

via Pexels.com

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Writing A Great Press Release: 5 Secrets Revealed


When it comes to writing an exceptional press release, there are some important strategies you can employ to ensure your press release gets people’s attention and does its job of publicizing your product or announcement. We’ve revealed five secrets to creating a great press release that you should know and use in the future.

via Pixabay

via Pixabay

1. Get to the Point. Those reading your press release, especially college students, don’t want to read a never-ending post. Assume the readers are busy people and may only read the first sentence or two before skimming the rest — so make that first paragraph count and get to the point quickly. Later paragraphs can be used for supporting information and other facts that are good to know, but not the most important points.

2. Include Hard Facts. A press release isn’t the time to be all creative; rather, your press release should include numbers and stats that support your overall announcement and the reason for the press release. Leave the imaginative words and phrases and stick to the cold, hard facts, with quantifiable proof and data to back up what you’re selling.

3. Spellcheck and Grammar Review. Nobody wants to read a press release (or any piece of writing, really) that’s riddled with spelling errors and grammar mistakes. Proofread, proofread, proofread. Consider getting a second or third pair of eyes on your press release before you send it out for publication. Even just one small mistake can cost you in the short and long-run.

4. Give Your Contact Info. Don’t forget to include your contact information in your press release. Those reading it may want to be able to follow up or get in touch with you about your product or announcement. At the bottom of your press release, include your phone number, email address, or some other information about where readers can learn more and reach out to you directly.

5. Leave Them Wanting More. Since press releases shouldn’t be very long (definitely less than a page), leave the readers interested in learning more and give them a way to easily do so. Provide links to your company’s website, and invite them to contact you or visit your website find out more. Don’t make it difficult for readers to access additional information because they likely won’t take the time or go the extra step and you’ll lose potential customers.

Use these five uncovered secrets to inform your press release writing and engage more readers in your press releases and products!

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4 Tips for Writing a Press Release that Will Grab College Students’ Attention


Creating a press release that will grab the attention of college student readers is key as you want to relay your newsworthy information to the right audience. In order to grab their attention, keep these four tips in mind.

1. Write a catchy headline.

The headline you craft in your press release is the thing that will get the attention of journalists, bloggers, and college student readers, so you have to make it count. Make sure your title is less than 20 words so that it’s succinct and effective and gives readers a good idea of what the press release is announcing.

2. Create content with a purpose

When writing a press release, you want to make it easy for those who may write an article on your release to do so. That means including all key information within the press release; who, what, when, where, and why. If your press release is written with bloggers, college students, and future articles in mind, they’ll find it more convenient to form potentially posts around your content. Additionally, including contact information about your company and how to get in touch will enable journalists to fact-check more readily and allow college students to follow up.

3. Include quotes.

To add weight to your press release, consider including relevant quotes or comments from people who helped make the news you’re publicizing. This way, you make it easy for bloggers to quote your press release and give your post more substance, which is crucial when college students are your audience.

4. Add an image.

Once college students and other readers have clicked on your press release to read it, you can keep their attention by making sure to include an image in your press release. Having an eye-catching and pertinent picture will make your press release look more finished and aesthetically pleasing, which will encourage readers to stay on the page and actually read through your entire press release.

Keep these four tips in mind when creating your press release and you’ll be sure to grab readers’ and bloggers’ attention!

via Pixabay

via Pixabay

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Using Multimedia in Your Press Release


Let’s be honest, nobody likes plodding through a massive wall of text. According to some surveys, viewers may be up to 85% more likely to buy your product if you simply show them a video. While there’s no way to guarantee that your press release will be a big hit, including one of the following forms of rich media can certainly help. Here are some quick tips for using media to enrich your release:

1. Video

With the explosion of video sharing platforms like YouTube and Vine, some brands are achieving a lot of success by getting out to consumers and journalists through digital video. It’s getting surprisingly easy to record and share videos online, so if you aren’t including videos (or links to them) in your press releases you’re missing out on a big opportunity.

audio-media-press-release2. Audio

As podcasts become increasingly popular, companies are finding the new form of online radio to be an excellent way to reach listeners. Whether this means starting your own podcast and linking to it in your release or referring to another podcast that helps make your message more clear, it’s definitely worth including some form of audio information for your readers.

3. Photos

It should be obvious by now, but good press releases, blog posts, and marketing materials have to include some form of attention grabbing image. You’ll notice that we don’t add anything to our College Media Blog here on UWIRE without posting an image, and there’s a reason for it.

4. Infographics 2.0

You might think that by now infographics are a bit overdone. So many of them seem to be cheap novelties that you might be telling yourself that it’s time to move on to something better. Well, that something better might be  coming sooner than you think. In 2013, you can expect to see more interesting and interactive infographic designs that take advantage of real-time data as well as advances in HTML5. Check out Prezi or Infogram if you’re interested in creating your own.

What multimedia elements have you found to be helpful in your press releases? Would you prefer to use a PR Distribution company that allows rich media? Let me hear your take in the comments below.

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Writing a College Press Release Title That Grabs Their Attention


college-press-release-titleEven experienced public relations professionals may struggle when trying to connect with younger readers. College students are a special case; they’re smart, social, and very savvy to “trickery,” which makes it even tougher to connect with them through a press release. That said, they are curious and often willing to try new products or services if the value proposition makes sense. Here are four tips for writing college press release titles:

1. Put Yourself in College Students’ Shoes

First of all, think about the things that a college student needs:

  1. Food
  2. Money
  3. Grades
  4. Friends

If your product or service relates to improving any of the above areas of the student’s life, you’ve got a potential winner. The challenge now is to offer it clearly and succinctly.

2. Get to the Point

Students are busy. Between classes, seeing friends, keeping up with their favorite TV shows, working, and trying to stay in shape, they are constantly browsing the internet for interesting tidbits of information. The problem is that they don’t spend much time with any one source, so you’ve got to hit them quickly and often if you want to get noticed. The title of your release should be short (one sentence or less), and it should tell the reader what you’re offering and why it appeals to one of the above “college student needs.”

3. Don’t Demean or Deceive

A title is like a promise, so it’s really only half the battle when writing your press release. Even if you have a very appealing title for your college press release, it won’t mean a thing if the content in your release doesn’t measure up. College students are constantly bombarded with ads and the increasing number of deceptive marketers out there tends to make them wary. It helps if you include some social proof in either your release title or content.

4. Think about Share-ability

Social media is the channel of this generation. Newspapers, blogs, and even search engines are continually being set aside as students spend more time sharing and consuming media on social networks. For press releases, this means that your title has to be “click-worthy,” and “share-worthy.” Here are some great things to consider (via Moz.com):

“Assuming all other factors neutral for the moment, let’s look at what I think are 7 most important ingredients of your titles;

  1. Curiosity
  2. Benefit
  3. Emotion
  4. Tangible
  5. Appearance
  6. Sound
  7. Expectation”

Do you have your own tips for writing college press release titles? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.

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Reaching College Students Through Press Releases


College students are an important market for advertisers and public relations professionals. They are forming habits and relationships with brands that will continue throughout their lives, and even though many of them are relatively poor now, they’re likely to make more than $1 million more than those who stop their education at high school.

Because college students are such a highly sought demographic, they tend to get bombarded with ads almost all the time. It’s difficult to walk around a major college campus without seeing dozens of posters, banners, promoters, and coupons attempting to lure college students into giving their brand a shot.

Content Helps You Cut Through the Noise

Fortunately, there are ways to get in front of students and grab their attention without adding to the noise, and one of the best ways is through press releases. College newspapers are still a major source of entertainment and information for students, and at some schools their daily print circulation might be in the tens of thousands.

Getting a story in just two or three major college newspapers or a couple college blogs can be an invaluable way to create a buzz around your product or service. Plus, with the advent of the internet, your message that starts at one school can easily spread its way virally around the world. It’s easy to see the advantages to getting a story published, but the better question is how can you do it?

Getting Student Journalists to Read Your Release

There are a few things that you can do to instantly boost the credibility of your release, whether you’re using UWIRE or a similar press release service:

1. Use a trusted source – Sending a release from your company or personal email address can work, especially if you’re just trying to reach a few college campuses. Unfortunately, it’s nearly impossible to reach hundreds of campuses quickly unless you have an established relationship to begin with. Sending your release from a trusted source will ensure that

2. Be genuine – One of the biggest mistakes we see in press releases for students is a lack of honesty. You’re a real person writing a release to reach other real people, right? Treat them as such.

3. Offer links, quotes, and follow-up information – Sending a release that leaves the reader with more questions than answers is probably a bad idea. While good journalists will certainly double-check any information you include in your release, they appreciate being given as complete of a picture as possible.

4. Don’t forget online news – With over half of students using a smartphone every day and nearly all of them in possession of a personal computer or laptop, it’s hard to deny the role of online media in their daily lives. If you only get in front of print journalists, you’re missing a massive share of the market for student written news.

If you’re a PR professional who’s had success reaching students, we’d love to hear your story! Just email info@uwire.com for details.

college-newspaper-press-release

Photo by NS Newsflash on flickr.com

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