These days, the battle for supremacy in any field of activity is fought on overcrowded digital markers, and high-quality Web content in the form of landing pages, press releases, and blog posts offers any business a much-needed competitive advantage. All of these instruments have their own particularities, despite the fact that they serve the same end goal set by all company owners: bigger revenues correlated with an enhanced online visibility and maximized client engagement in the long term. In this context, is there a noticeable dissemblance between press release writing and advertisement writing? Of course there is! Read on to spot the 3 essential differences between these two concepts and come up with a correct, successful content market strategy for your brand.
1) Press releases attract free publicity while advertisements require a financial investment
Why do you write press releases in the first place? You write them to make an important announcement. Perhaps your company is about to launch a new product or service, to organize a prestigious event, or to implement an innovative technology. Either way, you want to make the most of extensive media coverage without breaking the bank to support your goal. Press releases give you access to free publicity by bringing your new achievement into the public’s attention.
On the other hand, advertising requires an allocated budget and forces a company to pay for the amount of ad space considered necessary. Moreover, while a press release offers you no control over the way in which your information will be interpreted and incorporated by journalists in their articles, a paid ad gives you all of the creative authority that you need in order to make your message heard when you want it and, most importantly, how you want it.
2) Press releases and ads have different lifespans
Your paid ad can be in the center of everyone’s attention for a long period of time. In fact, you can promote it on different media channels for as long as you see fit. When it comes to press releases and their highly beneficial, cost-free publicity, things are very different. You can only submit one press release announcing one achievement. This type of Web material has a short life span, taking into account that respectable journalists will include it only once in their articles, while it’s “hot” and newsworthy.
3) Press releases inform, paid ads persuade people to act in a certain manner
A well-written press release offers a considerable amount of information on a new event, product, service, organization, or brand and it is crafted by content writers who want to create buzz around a certain company and make it stand out. In other words, press releases inform, but do not try to talk people into testing a new service, buying a newly launched product, or subscribing to a newsletter. On the contrary, people who read an advertisement are fully aware of the fact that the company that paid for it is trying to sell them something. Press releases including a call-to-action component are considered low-quality material and are usually ignored by journalists. Moreover, a press release written and distributed to manipulate the targeted audience, which sounds pretty much like a paid ad, will most likely impact the brand behind it, compromising its credibility and affecting its popularity and profit margins for a considerable period of time.
Press releases and paid ads are two different, extremely powerful tools used by companies all across the globe to enhance their influence and their profit margins. If you want to grow the online presence of your company fast and cost-effectively, high-quality press release writing services are your best option.