Free Foot Traffic via Press Release Marketing for Retailers

Before the internet era, it was hard to get your company mentioned on local or national media. You needed connections, a PR firm working for you, or even a full time staff to contact the media one by one.

When press release distribution has become a part of online marketing, these rules have changed. With the press release distribution sites, you need a good story and you need to know how to submit it to these sites.

I’m just a local retail store owner, how can I make national news with my story?

From a small story worth mentioning on a local paper to a true well crafted story worth mentioning on national media, you have a fair chance to get publicity if you know what you are doing.

Tips to Write a Great Press Release for Retailers

1. Research What Others are Doing

Before finding a topic for your press release, start researching on press release websites about what other popular press releases are. This will give you some great ideas to pick the right topic.

2. Write a Unique Story Instead of a Press Release

If you try to come up with an idea for a press release, you might get stuck. Instead, try to come up with a unique story. Unique and personal stories always get attention.

3. Which Local Stories Get Your Attention?

When you read the daily paper, or watch the news, what type of local stories get your attention immediately? Also ask the people around you for their favorite local story they have read or watched recently. This will help you to come up with some great ideas for your press release.

4. An Ordinary Story for You Might Be Interesting for Others

Let’s explain this with an example. You own a retail store in New York City. One of the popular TV Shows was shot in or in front of your store. This might be ordinary for you since many movies are shot in the city, but it might be a great press release if crafted and written well.

5. Hot Topics Always Sell

Nowadays, recession is the hot topic. People want to read stories related to recession. You might come up with a great story how you have doubled your store’s sales during the recession, or something similar.

6. Never Underestimate the Power of Local Media

A story you have might not be suitable for national media, but it might be a great fit for the local paper. You’d be surprised how much free retail traffic you might get with a successful local press release.

7. Blogs Rule, and It’s Easier to Get Featured On a Blog

Blogs, specifically niche blogs related to what you sell might be great places to share your press release. If they like the press release, they might come up with their own stories, and send you tons of targeted traffic.

8. Target Vertical Niches

Let’s say you own an auto parts store. Instead of writing a press release related to auto parts and your store specifically, come up with a story similar to “Smart Consumers Save 40% by Changing Their Cars’ Oil Themselves”. This idea just came to my mind, if you spend time, and be creative you can come up with many ideas focusing on vertical niches and interests instead of products you sell.

9. Expert Thoughts & Statistical Data

Media outlets absolutely LOVE press releases with statistical data, I mean any type of data. Let’s say you have a Vitamin Store, and you’ve received the monthly press release from FDC about Vitamin A usage. Come up with a story, add your expertise and write a press release like; “The Reason Americans Consumed 20% Less VitaminA This Year”. National media loves this type of press releases. Do not promote your store, instead add your title, name, and store name in the resource box.

Being creative and unique, you have come up with a great story for your press release, wrote it and got it edited by a professional writer. The next step is distributing it to the right contacts.

Tips to Distribute a Press Release

1. Use a PR Firm

If you have the budget, using a PR firm might the best option. Established PR firms have some tight connections with media outlets. Keep in mind that some PR firms have fee structure where you pay when your story is published.

2. Submit to Press Release Websites

This is your best option if you have a low or zero budget for the press release marketing. Most of the press release websites let you submit your story for free, and some of them charge to feature it.

3. Contact Media Outlets Yourself

What are you going to lose? You can start creating a list of media outlets, and contacting them one by one. Remember to contact the bloggers in your niche also. You can also use this option along with submitting to press release sites.

4. Use Social Media

Whether you submit your press release yourself or get help from a professional, remember to promote it through the social media channels. Remember, most of the journalists are using social media. Make a list, start following them (on Twitter, Friendfeed, etc.), you might get their attention.

Checkout some of these lists of free press release websites (1),(2)

I hope some of these tips will help you create a successful Press Release Marketing Campaign. Remember to share your success stories at the comments section.

*This article is a part of 10 article series; “10 Ways to Get Foot Traffic to Your Retail Store via Online Marketing“. Remember to read the other articles in this guide to increase your store’s foot traffic and sales.

Tagged as: Press Release, Press Release Marketing, Retail Store Press Release