You’ve just crafted a compelling press release, but why limit its reach? By turning it into a blog post, you can maximize its impact and engage a broader audience.
Why Transform Your Press Release into a Blog Post?
You might wonder if it’s worth the effort to repurpose your press release as a blog post. The answer is a resounding yes, and here’s why:
- Expand your reach – While press releases target media outlets, blog posts speak directly to your audience. By transforming your announcement into a blog post, you cast a wider net and increase the chances of your message being seen and shared.
- Boost SEO – Search engines love fresh, relevant content. A blog post allows you to incorporate keywords naturally, improving your website’s search rankings and driving organic traffic to your site.
- Engage your audience – Blog posts offer a platform for two-way communication. Readers can comment, share, and discuss your news, fostering engagement and building community around your brand.
- Showcase your expertise – A well-crafted blog post demonstrates your industry knowledge and thought leadership. It’s an opportunity to provide context, share insights, and position your brand as an authority in your field.
- Create long-lasting content – Unlike press releases, which have a short lifespan, blog posts can continue to attract readers and generate leads long after publication. They become valuable assets in your content library.
- Humanize your brand – Blog posts allow for a more conversational tone, helping you connect with your audience on a personal level. This can help build trust and loyalty among your readers.
- Provide more value – With a blog post, you have the space to delve deeper into your announcement, offering more details, background information, and practical takeaways for your readers.
- Fuel your content strategy – Repurposing your press release into a blog post gives you additional content for your marketing efforts. You can share it on social media, include it in newsletters, or use it as a starting point for other content pieces.
By turning your press release into blog posts, you’re not just disseminating news – you’re creating an opportunity for meaningful interaction with your audience while boosting your online presence.
How to Transform Your Press Release into an Engaging Blog Post
Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to convert your press release into a traffic-generating blog post:
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Reframe the angle
- Start by shifting your perspective. While your press release targets journalists, your blog post speaks directly to your readers. Ask yourself: “What’s in it for my audience?” Highlight the benefits and relevance to them.
For example, if your press release announces a new product feature, your blog post could focus on how this feature solves a common problem for your users. Think about the “why” behind your announcement and how it affects your audience’s daily lives or work.
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Craft an SEO-optimized attention-grabbing headline
- Replace your formal press release title with a catchy, SEO-friendly headline. Make it intriguing enough to entice clicks while accurately representing your content.
Consider using power words, numbers, or posing a question.
For instance, instead of “Company X Launches New Software,” try “5 Ways [Company Name’s] New Software Will Revolutionize Your Workflow.”
Use tools like CoSchedule’s Headline Analyzer to refine your headline for maximum impact.
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Reorganize the content
- Ditch the inverted pyramid structure. Instead, open with a hook that draws readers in. Weave your key messages throughout the post rather than front-loading them.
Begin with a compelling anecdote, a surprising statistic, or a thought-provoking question. Then, structure your content in a logical flow that keeps readers engaged.
Use subheadings to break up your text and guide readers through your post.
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Inject personality
- Breathe life into your writing by adding your brand’s unique voice. Use a conversational tone, incorporate anecdotes, and don’t shy away from showing some personality.
If appropriate for your brand, use humor or personal stories. Address your readers directly, using “you” and “your.” This creates a more intimate, relatable reading experience.
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Expand on key points
- While press releases are concise, blog posts allow for more depth. Elaborate on important aspects, provide context, and include relevant examples or case studies.
Dive into the details that make your announcement significant. Explain the process behind your new product, share customer testimonials, or discuss industry trends that led to your decision.
This added depth provides value to your readers and positions you as an industry expert.
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Add visual elements
- Break up text with images, infographics, or videos. These not only make your post more engaging but also help convey information more effectively.
Consider creating custom graphics that illustrate key points. If you’re announcing a new product, include high-quality photos or a demo video.
Infographics can be particularly effective for presenting data or explaining complex processes.
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Include a call-to-action
- End your post with a clear next step for readers, whether it’s to leave a comment, share the post, or learn more about your product or service.
Make your CTA specific and compelling. Instead of a generic “Contact us,” try something like “Start your free trial today and experience the difference yourself.”
Ensure the CTA aligns with the goal of your blog post and your overall marketing strategy.
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Optimize for SEO
- Research relevant keywords and naturally incorporate them into your post. Don’t forget to add meta descriptions and alt text for images.
Use tools like Google Keyword Planner or SEMrush to identify relevant keywords with good search volume. Incorporate these naturally throughout your post, including in your headline, subheadings, and first paragraph.
Optimize your meta description to encourage click-throughs from search results.
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Link strategically
- Include both internal and external links in your post. Link to relevant pages on your website to keep readers engaged with your content.
Also, link to reputable external sources to back up your claims and provide additional value to your readers.
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Edit and proofread
- Before publishing, thoroughly edit your post for clarity, coherence, and grammar.
Read it aloud to catch awkward phrasing or overly complex sentences.
Consider having a colleague review it for a fresh perspective.
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Promote your post
- Once published, share your blog post across your social media channels.
Consider sending it to your email list or reaching out to industry influencers who might find it interesting.
By following these expanded steps, you can transform your press release into a dynamic, engaging blog post that resonates with your audience, extends the reach of your message, and contributes to your overall content marketing strategy.
Now that we’ve given you the step-by-step, here are some other things to consider as you convert your press releases into blog posts:
Types of Press Releases
There are several types of press releases. The first type of press release is a general news release, which means you’ve taken the release and covered general information.
For example, something that is trending in the news in your industry is something you might have decided to zero in on and craft a piece for your audience to review. Another type of release is known as an event press release.
This is useful when you plan to host an event or attend an event you want to let people know about. In this release, you’ll provide information about where, when, and who will be there as well as how people reading the release can enter the event to interact with your brand.
Is your company hiring or bringing on experienced executive staff members? If so, the best way to announce this to people is to issue an employee press release.
This is a great way to provide the public and your staff with information about the new hires and the experience they plan to bring to the company. It’s also a great idea to provide information about the vision for the company as you move forward with onboarding new staff members.
Other forms of press releases include:
- Expert position release
- Product release
- Launch release
Each type of release serves a different purpose, and you’ll include various pieces of information for people to consume when they read it. Now that you’ve got a better understanding of the different types of press releases you can use, let’s dive into how to turn them into compelling blog posts.
Choose Your Press Release Carefully
Before you can begin turning press releases into blog posts, you’ve got to use the right press releases to use carefully. Whenever you produce any form of media for people to consume, you need to ensure that it’s newsworthy.
If people don’t care about the topic you’re writing about, it’s essentially a waste of time to create that piece of media. Sit down with your team and review the press releases you’ve created up until this point.
Carefully consider the title and the information you’ve input in the press release. From there, you can decide if this is something people want to obtain more information about.
We recommend you create a running list as you choose press releases to convert into blog posts. This will help you to plan the posts you’re going to create as you move into the future.
For example, writing a blog post about internal company accomplishments may not be seen as newsworthy to your target audience.
Remove All Sales-Like Verbiage
A blog post isn’t meant to sell your products to your target audience. Instead, it should be seen as a think piece that you can use to expound on a specific topic and provide more evidence and information to support what you’re saying.
Most press releases come from a sales-like tone, and that’s okay, but it’s not something that should be used when converting it into a blog post. In fact, if you choose to come from a pitching tone of voice, the chances of your blog posts accomplishing what you want it to may fall flat.
Even if you decide to sell something within the blog posts, it shouldn’t be overly obvious because this can be off-putting to people reading it.
Instead, provide relevant information that’s needed and think about inserting links to products or other blogs if that’s something you want to do.
Insert More Media
A press release is cut and dry as far as what it provides before it’s sent for press release distribution. However, writing a blog gives you more freedom to insert videos and different images.
If you want to take your press release turned blog posts to the next level, we recommend taking advantage of inserting more media for free. Adding media to the blog post will further support the information in the blog posts.
The average person has an attention span of 8.25 seconds, which means the more media support you provide, the better off the blog posts will perform and the easier it will be to hold your audience’s attention.
Turning Your Company Press Release Into a Blog Post
When you’re turning a company press release into a blog post, there are several things you need to consider. First, choose the press releases you will use, and don’t forget to include more media for people to watch when they are reading the blog posts.
Are you looking for help with press release distribution? There’s only one place to turn. Contact E-Releases and let our experts help you make the most out of press release writing and distribution for your business.