How to Track the Success of Your Press Release
Writing and publishing a press release is hard work. You strive to make sure the press release is written perfectly and that it’s been distributed well – reaching as many of the target goals and eyeballs as possible. So how do you know if your work is worth the effort? How do you know if you’re reaching your goals? And perhaps most importantly, how do you know where to make changes to your future press release marketing efforts to get the best results going forward?
Leverage Your Resources
The first step is to make sure you have the tools you need to measure results. There are a few tools to consider. The first is some sort of website analytics. For example Google Analytics is free and easy to install and use. You can use this tool to help you track and measure incoming links from your press release as well as traffic to specific web pages.
If you’re emailing your press release to media connections or your email list, be sure to use an autoresponder service that provides analytics. You’ll want to check for open rates as well as clicks.
And when you use your press release distribution service, make sure they provide reporting functionality. You’ll want to know where your press release has been published so you can measure exposure and impressions.
What Do You Measure
There are many criteria and analytics to take a look at. We’ve already discussed backlinks and web traffic to specific pages. For example, if you invite readers to visit your sales page in your call to action, create a unique sales page URL so that you can accurately track and measure traffic to that page.
We also talked about measuring impressions or how many people actually see your press release. Also look at referrals by source and by search engine on your analytics, so you can assess which sites and browsers your audience is using and which have the most power for your press release campaigns.
Finally, analytics should be able to tell you which keywords your audience is using to find your press release and how they’re getting to your website. This is key information and can help you fine tune your press release marketing so that you get the biggest bang for your buck.
Press releases are a powerful way to build your business. However, they’re more effective when you understand your audience activity and how they respond to your releases. Use analytics to measure your success and build upon it.
