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November 19, 2015

The following was inspired by Shannon Ramlochan's article on PR Newswire's Beyond PR blog: A Quick and Easy Checklist to Vet Experts for Your Content Marketing.

As any marketing professional knows, there is more to sending out a press release than just "getting it out." Times have changed. If you haphazardly craft some material and send it out as a press release, just so you'll "have it out there," you shouldn't expect much visibility or viewership.

Another way of putting it is that the old school method of writing a press release is going by the wayside. The old school way is to simply write a press release about a new product or service, quoting someone within your business and distributing your content to the masses. 24-7 Press Release Newswire recognizes that unless you are a large business with a lot of clout, this type of press release will simply go unnoticed.

The reason is that competition within the online business world continues to increase. Content is officially king. Those who write extremely good content that is valued by their audience will continue to receive media attention and thrive; those who don't will see their information fade into the background, reaching a smaller and smaller audience.

A great way to not only increase your visibility but also raise your profile, is to find a well-known industry expert to talk about or review your business, widget or service. You also would want to include a quote from the expert within your press release. This may be easier said than done. You should take care to do your homework when finding that industry expert. You don't want to quote just anyone-you want to quote someone with credibility amongst your audience members.

When you believe you have found someone, there are a few background checks that you will want to do. For instance, does the individual in question have an association with another reputable business? You should confirm that the individual is highly regarded within the industry, perhaps by finding instances where the person has been positively referenced by a key industry association. Without doing your homework, you may find yourself quoting an individual who, by associating him or her with your company, might pose a risk to your reputation.

Have you looked at their LinkedIn profile and their work timeline? Have you seen any discrepancies that may raise any flags? Timeframe gaps for employment could signify a lack of experience. You will also want to confirm who previous employers were, including potentially a competitor. Having a quote from an industry expert who worked at a competing business could potentially have negative ramifications.

Have you researched previous information that has been published by the expert? How well was this information perceived in the marketplace? Paying attention to the websites he or she has been quoted in, and the comments following the quotes, is also important.

How credible are the websites in which they have been quoted? Are they mainstream blogs, or are they fringe or amateur websites that don't have much influence? If the individual has made some previous posts or been quoted in high profile sites with positive comments, including this person in your press release can certainly portend well for your story.

24-7 Press Release Newswire has always remained an excellent source for press distribution (our pricing packages may be found here); however why not extend your reach by including some of your press release content in the social media of the individual who is talking about your business? This could be as simple as providing the URL or link of your press release to the individual and asking him or her to share it within his or her social media (along with your own, of course).

Another excellent way to increase viewership is to cross promote press releases. This is where you make mention, within your press release, of good news from a non-competing business. In turn, they would do the same in their news stories and mention your business's good news. This creates a win-win situation for both businesses.

Your business, as all businesses do, needs to keep on top of what is going on and how to be the leader. 24-7 Press Release Newswire keeps on top of what is current in news distribution and likes to share this information with you so you can maintain your business' competitive edge. Following a few of these simple ideas and concepts is an excellent way to get ahead of the competition and show who the expert within your industry is.