Why Press Releases are Essential to Every Business in 2021

Why Press Releases are Essential to Every Business in 2021

Press Releases Can Increase Sales in Your Business

A press release can do a lot of good for a business. But perhaps the benefits business owners may love the most is that they can increase the sales in any business. And that’s the main reason why so many business owners invest in them.

So how can press releases do this?

Discover the 5 critical reasons why every local business should use a press release

They do it by allowing businesses to promote their new products and new services offered. By simply getting the word out, (something many businesses struggle with) that alone can increase sales and get more business through the door.

But that’s not all a press release can do, either. Press releases announce successes the business has recently achieved. Maybe a business received an award or a respected industry association noticed them. Maybe they recently embarked on a new technological development or joined with another prominent company to better serve their customers. All of these are great things businesses should want their customers to know about.

Why?

A customer automatically elevates a company in their mind when they make progress. If a business gets rewarded, they likely did something really great and know their stuff. If a business is a leader in their field, they must be the experts for their customers.

All of these benefits translate into new customers for the business. After all, the better a business is for the customer, the more customers will want to use that business. And that is always good news for both the business owners and the customers. A winning combination for all parties involved, and all thanks to a simple press release!

A Press Release Can Bring More Traffic to Your Website

One of the little-known benefits of press releases is that they can help businesses get more traffic to their website. While many business owners embark on press release marketing for various reasons, they may be surprised to find that traffic to their website also gets a boost.

This is because, in every press release, one or two links to a company’s blog or website can be included. If the press release is interesting, and the business knows how to establish themselves as an authority and provide useful, helpful content within the press release, customers will want to learn more. Customers will click on the link to learn more about the company or the product that piques their interest.

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But it’s important that business owners understand that they must be careful when inserting links to their website or blog into their press releases. This is because Google, the biggest search engine in the world and the to most likely get a press release the most amount of views, will penalize shady tactics in which business owners are simply placing link after link in their press release.

Instead, inserting links within the contact information fields, or ending the press release content with one simple link after including “Learn more here” will be very effective. Google will not penalize such links, and both new and existing customers will flock to those one or two links.

Business owners try many tactics to get more customers to their site. This includes optimizing their website and blog with SEO tactics, including keywords, descriptions, and meta tags. Press releases are not a reason to stop using those strategies, but they definitely give them a very big boost!

Get More Organic Traffic By Optimizing A Press Release

Do a quick Google search on how to increase SEO, search engine optimization, techniques on your website, and you’ll find a whole slew of websites and links that will tell you how to do just that. There are different ways businesses can increase their SEO efforts, but creating press releases is one of the best ways.

This is because press releases can be optimized just like the content on a website or blog is. Search engines pick up press releases that include valuable keywords or keyword phrases any time a user searches for those same words or phrases.

Press releases sometimes include metadata for titles and descriptions, which also helps search engines pick them up. Metadata entices people to click on your link and get more organic traffic to your website. It’s also used by Google and other search engines to understand what your page is about. Since press releases are released online, they can also include these, too.

Press releases optimized for SEO climb higher in the search engines. The company’s blog and website that publish the press release may also climb in those search engine result rankings, too.

Increasing organic traffic to their website or blog is something all business owners want to do. The more traffic that’s coming to a site, the more word is getting out about that business, and the product or service they offer. And perhaps best of all, getting organic traffic is absolutely free. All it takes is some strategizing and determining what SEO tactics to start including, and where to include them. Spreading the word for free? That’s something any business owner can get behind!

press release marketing stats and facts

Press Releases Make Archiving Easy!

Ask anyone in any business to dig through their archives, and you’ll likely be met with some reluctance. And perhaps your own business has a stack of archives that you dread having to go through at any time. Even when archives are kept digitally, finding that exact thing you need at the exact time you need is difficult. But, press releases can change that. With a press release, you just need to keep one folder on your computer, transfer all press releases to that folder, and find whatever you need in just one click.

By doing so, you’ll quickly be able to see at a glance, all the events and activities your business has embarked on in the past. And that’s important, because sometimes you may want to revisit those events and let customers know about them.

And there are many times when business owners want their customers to know about events that happened in the past! Maybe you want to release a campaign outlining the history of your company. Or maybe you just want your customers to look back on the grand opening as you get ready for your business’ first anniversary. There are many times you may want to take a look back, and press releases can help you do it.

So forget about using that search function on your computer until it’s burnt out. And forget about sorting through all those archives that are down in the basement. Just start releasing press releases and then when you need to reach back into your company’s history, you’ll have everything you need at your fingertips.

Press Releases Can Follow Your Customers Wherever They Go

Did you know that 80 percent of all Internet users today own a smartphone? And that Google drives 96 percent of mobile search traffic? Or that over 50 percent of smartphone users grab their smartphone immediately after waking up? Why are these stats important, and what do they have to do with the press releases your company should be releasing?

The stats are important because business owners need to know that their customers are going mobile. And it’s not a trend that’s going to slow down any time soon. Most businesses think that this only concerns them when it comes to their website and blog. And still many business owners don’t bother to make their website or blog mobile-friendly. Not only does that get their page ranking docked with the search engines, but it also means that customers can’t properly view it when they’re on their devices.

But if companies just issue a press release, they’ll reap all the benefits of mobile usage by their customers regardless of the mobile status of their website. Since Google is optimized to perform well on mobile devices — as are the PR distributors that release the press releases — when a press release is created and viewed on these devices, business owners can still reap all the benefits.

That’s not to say that business owners who don’t have a mobile-friendly website and/or blog shouldn’t try to make it mobile-friendly by the time their press release is published. Ideally, links are included in the press release to both of those sites. Customers will likely click on those links when the press release is done well. And sending them to a mobile-friendly site will definitely be helpful for the customer.

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But press releases can definitely be an added boost to any business’ mobile efforts, particularly those that haven’t delved into the mobile-friendly world yet.

JVI Mobile Marketing will happily help your business send out your first press release. Just fill out the fields below and email us at support@jvimobile.com to get in contact with us!

What Will Digital Marketing Look Like in 2021?

What Will Digital Marketing Look Like in 2021?

people will still be told told to stay home in 2021

What Will Digital Marketing Look Like in 2021?

Although 2020 is finally over, there are still a lot of questions that we can’t answer.

How soon until we know how effective the new vaccine for COVID-19 is?

When will the pandemic end?

When will we return to business as usual?

For small business owners, that last question looms large. With COVID-19 cases spiking across the country and the probability that we’ll be back to only essential businesses opening their doors to the public, it’s crucial to take a long view of the marketing landscape.

Because there are so many unanswered questions, the marketing trends for 2021 have a slightly different focus than might be the case in a typical year. Here’s what’s on the horizon.

Focus on Customer Retention

I’ve talked a lot before about how much less it costs to retain customers than to win new customers. In 2021, it’s going to make a lot of sense to put your marketing budget into customer retention. Holding steady in a global crisis qualifies as a win.

Social media and email are the best tools you have available to drive customer retention. By encouraging existing customers to follow you on Facebook or subscribe to your list, you’re gaining the ability to stay in touch with them. You can offer special deals, keep them informed, and remind them of why they chose your product or service in the first place.

Product and Service Availability as a Priority

We’ve all experienced issues with product availability as well as with delayed deliveries due to the pandemic. The key to customer retention in 2021 is ensuring that your customers have access to your products and services. And, if they don’t, letting them know why.

If you have the financial wherewithal, then it may make sense to increase your inventory and beef up your fulfillment to make sure that you can ship products out quickly. For companies providing services, you may need to think about alternative or extended hours, curbside pickup, and other adaptations to meet your customers’ existing needs. At the same time, you’ll need to communicate clearly about delays and shortages to minimize the risk that customers will abandon you for a competitor.

Marketing Automation

Marketing automation has been a trend in digital marketing for years now and that’s not going to change. 51% of companies were already using marketing automation as of the end of 2019 with a slight edge to B2C companies. However, 58% of all B2B companies said they planned to add automation.

Automation can include everything from simple fixes such as email autoresponders to complex solutions such as chatbots and digital assistants. Chatbot technology is within reach thanks to free chatbot builder tools like Manychat — which is what our company uses. You don’t need to pay a programmer to build an effective bot.

Want some creative ideas for a chatbot or want to find out if they are right for you? Check out one of our latest pieces on the subject

chatbot developer near me

Here at JVI Mobile Marketing, our CEO is actually a chatbot marketing expert and even wrote a book about it. We would love to help build you a bot that’s right for you and your business needs. Want to learn more about chatbots? Click here.

Interactive Content

There’s no doubt that there’s still room for static content, meaning content that your followers read, watch, or listen to on their own. That said, one of the biggest content trends for 2021 is the rise of interactive content as a way of engaging customers and providing value at the same time.

Interactive content can take many formats, including:

  • Calculators
  • Quizzes
  • Questionnaires
  • Games
  • Polls
  • Interactive Videos
Women interacting with phone in 2021

The reason for the rise is two-fold. First, interactive content is fun for your followers and can make them feel more engaged with your company and brand. Second, the data you collect – whether it’s in the form of quiz responses or information entered in a calculator – will help you learn about your audience. You can use the information you collect to fine-tune your marketing and increase new customer acquisition and customer retention.

List Segmentation

Another key element of customer retention is list segmentation. With marketing budgets shrinking, it is far more cost-effective to segment your list than it is to send the same emails to everyone expecting to get a high conversion rate.

Segmentation can be done using any factors you choose, including:

  • Previous purchases
  • Product preferences
  • Location
  • Industry

You have the option of segmenting your list based on the data you’ve collected from your subscribers or asking them to self-segment by sending out a survey or email where they can opt into and out of your content. Either way, the result is better targeting and a higher return on your investment.

Automated Bidding for Google Ads

In-house automation isn’t the only way to streamline your marketing in 2021. While automated bidding for Google Ads isn’t new – it was first introduced four years ago – it has been greatly improved in the past year.

The benefits of automated bidding are clear. By taking advantage of automation and letting it handle bidding adjustments, you can dedicate your valuable time to improving your PPC ads and increasing your marketing ROI.

Optimizing for Voice Search

Voice search optimization isn’t an option anymore – it’s a must. 40% of all internet users in the United States have used voice search and those numbers are only going up. So if in 2021 you’re ignoring voice search in your optimization efforts, you’re making a mistake.

You can optimize for voice search by making the content on your website conversational and accessible. Keep in mind that conversational still needs to apply to your audience. If you own a B2B tech company, your audience’s conversation may include jargon.

Instead of focusing on short keywords, try building your content around common questions and responses. Using questions in your blog headings and other content – and having a robust FAQ on your website – will make it easy for potential customers to find you using voice search.

Non-Linear Buying Journeys

The rise of digital has undoubtedly shaken up traditional marketing. When you consider the many ways that a potential customer can learn about a company or product, it’s hardly surprising that you can’t count on a linear buying journey to be the result.

How to respond? The trend is toward an omnichannel marketing strategy that includes:

  • Website content
  • Social media
  • Advertising
  • Mobile apps
  • Chatbots

Your goal should be to provide any customer or potential customer with a seamless experience across channels. Customers should get the same tone and information on Facebook that they do from a chatbot on your website, your mobile app, or your landing page.

Overall, agility is going to be the name of the game in digital marketing in 2021. We can’t know yet what the new year will hold, but businesses that remain flexible and adaptable have the best chance of continued growth and success.

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