In the past, we’ve touched on PR distribution and how businesses like XpressWire can not only offer efficient distribution but also faster. Working with us, you can have PRs distributed to various sites in your matter of hours, and this has proven to be very useful for customers.
But why exactly is fast PR distribution beneficial? The truth is that it is very important, especially because we live in the age of the internet. Any business looking to succeed, especially online, will need Swift PR distribution for the following reasons:
The Endless New Cycle
If you’ve been on the internet, you’ll know that there is something new and interesting every day, and consumer attention spans are not what they used to be. From the perspective of a business trying to gain consumer attention, this means that whatever PR is you’re putting out has to reach consumers as quickly as possible to gain their attention.
Say a new development takes place within your business on Monday, but your PRs don’t reach relevant websites until Thursday. At that point, you will essentially be reporting on old news and are less likely to get consumer attention. But by ensuring that PRs are processed quickly, you can grab customer attention when it counts.
Getting Journalist Attention
The most ideal situation for a business’s PR is not only the general public seeing it, but journalists picking it up and making it part of a bigger news story. A mention from a journalist with a respected publication can be thousands of dollars worth of free PR, but to do this, your timing has to be impeccable. Say a new law has been passed regarding your industry, and your business happens to put out their product or service that has to do with it, or even a public statement from your executives.
As we’ve noted before, the new cycle is very fast, and you only have a few hours’ window to get the attention of these journalists. But by having swift PR distribution, you’re more likely to catch the news cycle while it is still ongoing and thus, reap the benefits.
Product Rollouts
PRs are often put out when your products or services are being launched or revamped. In this case, you’ll need PR to go out as fast as possible to drive awareness. You rarely get a second chance at the first impression, and so getting the public aware of whatever part of the service your business is putting out is extremely important. This is especially true if you are putting out a product in competition with other businesses. In that case, it is survival of the fastest and falling behind your competition puts you at a long-term disadvantageous position.
Crisis Management
Because things will not always be smooth sailing, your business will inevitably find itself in a position where it has to put out a public statement to quell a scandal. But as internet users, we know that narratives spread very fast online, and public opinion can shift in an instant. If a rumour has been spread about your business online that you need to refute, you do not have days to wait for your press release to circulate, as irreparable damage could have been done to your reputation by then.
In the time of crisis, you want the fastest PR distribution you can lay your hands on, and this is where we come in. This is also true when it comes to consumer protection in times of product recalls, security breaches, and so on.
PR Distribution For Capitalising On Trends
Depending on the industry you work in, chances are that you will try to capitalize on some sort of trend in real-time. Think of the companies that have put out merchandise based on popular culture or products to capitalize on current consumer demand. Because trends, especially trends in the age of the internet, are so fickle, anyone looking to take advantage of them has to move with a certain level of speed.
If your business has launched a product to take advantage of a trend and you only have a year to effectively do so, you need to have PRs going out as quickly as possible to avoid getting left behind. In that case, you need a partner who will get your releases out in good time.
Navigating Publication Complexities
Always keep in mind that when you put out a business PR, you’re not simply publishing it into the ether. Chances are that you will be working with a myriad of publications to achieve wider reach. All of these publications will have their own rules regarding how and when press releases must be submitted for effectiveness.
For example, many publications have cut-off times each day after which PRs will not be accepted. If you’re working according to a specific PR schedule, you do not want to miss such deadlines. Having fast PR distribution means that you’re likely to get your document submitted in line with publication guidelines and thus, you’re less likely to ruin your publicity schedule.
Search Engine Optimization
Virtually no business can succeed in the age of the internet without good search engine optimisation (SEO) practices. This refers to activities that will help you rank higher on search engines and boost website traffic. Timely and well-placed business PRs will allow you to achieve backlinks from high-level publications, and this, in turn, means that your own website and social media profiles will rank highly on search engine results. This will go on to raise your business’s profile, curate a positive online presence, and even ensure more sales.
Conclusion
Swift PR distribution is not just a perk in the age of the internet but also a necessity. If you’ve been on the fence about investing time and money into fast PR distribution, consider the points we’ve highlighted above. From developing a good relationship with the press to bailing you out in times of crisis, you should never underestimate the benefit of a press release that goes out in good time.