5 online tools to help you with your PR

Many of our businesses tell us that the hardest step in starting their PR journey is writing their first press release. Structuring a headline, sourcing images and even that first glimmer of inspiration are all normal hurdles to have in PR, but thankfully you don’t have to go it alone. There are many online tools out there to help you and they’re much easier to use than you think. Let us tell you how…

And to write the content of your press release, you can also follow our guide explaining everything you need to know for it.

Using imagery to your advantage

Did you know the brain processes an image 60,000 times faster than text? So nothing helps bring a story to life better than a picture. Using a stock free platform like Pixabay, will allow you to download great, high quality images in seconds. And even if the journalist decides to use their own stock library, your picture will make the press release all the more eye-catching when they see it in their inbox.

Finding new content ideas

Sometimes, the hardest part of writing a press release is finding an interesting angle and writing your opening paragraph. I’m sure you’ll already know of other competitors and stakeholders in your market, so be sure to keep an eye on them using Google Alerts. Set-up keyword reminders to follow latest news and events in your industry and you might just get that light bulb moment.

Creating a catchy headline

Writing a catchy headline can be a tricky and tiresome task that even the best of us try to avoid. So instead of leaving until last, make sure you make any notes of headline ideas whilst you write the body of your content and try to spend at least 20% of the time it took you to write your release on your headline. Yes, it really is that much of a priority - you want it to be clickbait, don't you? To help you with this, Advanced Marketing Institute have created a Headline Analyser that will tell you the Emotional Marketing Value of any headline.

Emailing large files and images

If you’re a fashion brand, promoting a new range of products or you’ve recently hosted a fantastic event, you may have large amount of file sizes or more than just 1 or 2 images to send over with your press release. Don’t panic, you can send them all using Dropbox. Simply upload the files, create a shareable link and post this in the notes of your press release. Easy Peesy.

Keeping up with key industry events

When we hold our PR workshops with small businesses we often talk about the golden PR triangle, that magic three point plan to guarantee you great coverage. If you can pitch to an appropriate publication, with a great inspiring story at a time when it’s newsworthy and relevant, you’re bound to grab the journalist's attention. That’s why we developed the Journolink Calendar, to help you plan your press releases and pick out key dates to add to your business calendar. 

Now you’ve got all the tools you need, whats stopping you? Start crafting the perfect press release today and access the power of PR for your small business!

Written by: Emily Jane Brown, Head of Partnerships

Emily is a core part of the team here at JournoLink. Nurturing key relationships on a daily basis, Emily ensures our voice is heard across a variety of small business networks throughout London and the UK.