HOW TO BUILD YOUR ONLINE REPUTATION THROUGH PRESS RELEASES

HOW TO BUILD YOUR ONLINE REPUTATION THROUGH PRESS RELEASES

Customers are researching brands and businesses online – in news portals, social media, and discussion forums. According to Global Media Insight, 99% of the UAE population is online. Out of this, 65.3% are looking for information, 55% are following news stories and current affairs, and 45.9% are researching brands and products. The rest we can safely assume are in some way or another influenced by the people who have experienced your brand online.

A strong digital and online PR strategy is the bedrock for survival for any business today. In this article, we are dealing with one of the most important tools of public relations, the press release. More specifically the online press release. A press release helps your business tell your story in your own words. It helps in announcing your success, acquisitions, accolades, or new launches.

Ensure maximum reach by appearing in top news outlets

The top 3 news websites in the UAE are Khaleej Times, Gulf News, and Yahoo! More than half of your PR efforts are successful if your press release has appeared in all these three news portals.

Counter negative news

The Internet has a long shelf life. Hence positive and negative information about your company exists online forever. Press releases are a great way to tell your side of the story. They are also great ways to ensure that there are enough positive stories on the Internet. When faced with negative news, evaluate what went wrong, be honest, and communicate how you can make things better. Support the truth with research, reviews, or credible testimonials if you are addressing rumors or false information.

Paid, earned, and owned media

These are the three main kinds of media available to build credibility and a press release will help in maintaining consistency across the media. Paid media are advertorials and paid influencers. Earned media are news outlets and reviewers. Owned media is your own social media channels and website. Use all the media outlets to maximize positive news about your company and brands.

Listen, understand, and react

Your customers are also your influencers. Businesses that do not listen to their customers rarely survive. Every customer has a megaphone in the digital age, and the scope of influence is also wide. So before writing your press release understand what the customer wants from your business and tailor your message to address their concerns or solve their problems. Your press release’s reach will improve when your customers share your news further. Hence, don’t get fixated on what you want to say, but think about what your customer wants to hear.

Your trusted digital communication and PR partner

Publsh ensures that your PR efforts get guaranteed results in all the top publications in the UAE and key markets around the world. We are a full-service public relations and digital communication agency taking care of your content, distribution, and reporting.