You’re this far along in the school year and you haven’t put out a press release yet? Really? Is there nothing going on at your school? Let’s revisit this issue.
First of all, whether you’re reading this 2 weeks after opening day, or if it’s 2 months before school’s out, everything still applies. Press releases are not the same as they used to be. Press releases have gained alot of press (pitiful pun intended) for their amazing functionality. Rather than clunking out a hot story and running it (or faxing it) to the local press, today’s press release has a broader audience.
MEDIA
Yes, we do not overlook who one obvious audience might be to read a press release by your private school. Some journalists scour search engines for recent, local content about a news story that might make either a good story in and of itself, or lead them to a subject matter expert who can coherently speak and understand the issues (or represent well one angle of a story). A consistent feed of news from your school reminds the local journalists that you are there, that your school is always making news, and that you might be a trusted resource should they need a quote or interview later on. When issues of public funding for schools come up, there’s always a possibility the journalist may look at the impact of vouchers or decreased state budgets on private schools. Or when issues of gangs and violence in public schools arise, perhaps a newspaper blogger may reach out to a Christian school for another point of view. Who are they going to call? You’d make a great selection if they know you are around (Twitter is another good tool for this relationship building). During the school year, you can publish online press releases about great enrollment figures, athletic achievements, community events hosted by your school to address bullying in schools, or any number of items that make your school stand out in the community. What about during the summertime? Click here to read “11 Things To Post During the Dog Days of Summer“!
SEARCH ENGINES
Not only is the local media your audience, do not forget that online press releases (distributed via a third-party site) offer significant links to your website and, because they are posted on high traffic sites, often rank really high on search engines. Searchers of solutions CRAVE relevant content, and press releases feed this content to the “beast” that search engines become. They house the links from solution to result – so go ahead, feed the beast. While there are paid distribution services, I prefer free press release distribution services because you can publish an UNLIMITED number of press releases – and for a school with SO MUCH NEWS, you might need that unlimited feature. But you’ve got to provide the search engine the content so that they can link your content to the families actually searching for a solution.
Borrowed from our Christian small business marketing blog, below are 4 recent articles that will help you further understand the power of online press releases:
- 5 Reasons to Use Press Releases to Promote Your Blog
- How a Small Business Should Use PR
- Using Your FREE Press Release As An SEO Tool
- How to Use Press Releases to Create a Steady Social SEO PR Downpour
– Randy
* Did you sign up for our Sept 6th webinar, “7 Tips to Getting More Likes and Comments on Your School’s Facebook Page“? See the ad in the top right corner or click here to register for this free webinar.
