PUBLICATION CENTER

When start-up firm Canvaspop.com wanted to let the world know they could make canvas prints from any resolution image, they bought space on a Times Square billboard, then issued a press release announcing that customers could have their own images displayed on the billboard

If you set up a Google Alert for “Digital Printing” you’ll discover that more and more producers and users of digital graphics are using online press-release distribution services. These services can help you: (1) tell your company’s story as you see fit; (2) get coverage in dozens of different online and print publications; and (3) attract potential new customers to your website.

In some respects, using press releases to build an online presence for your company has become a substitute for the cold call, particularly now that it has become difficult to identify specific individuals who actually make the buying decisions for trade-show graphics, banners, signs, and other graphics. Your online press release can either be found by individual buyers when they are looking for large-format graphics, or picked up by bloggers and editors and published to a broader pool of readers.

That doesn’t mean you should stop sending press releases directly to editors in your targeted markets. An experienced editor might be able to help you tell your company’s story from a news angle you hadn’t considered. And the editor may also have connections that can help your business in other ways.

If you don’t think your firm has anything newsworthy to report, look at how other graphics firms are using press releases. We easily found at least ten different types of releases:

New Equipment: Banners and Signs Plus of Washington, DC recently used PRWeb to issue a news release announcing the addition of their Scitex XL 1500 grand-format printer. The release was accompanied by photos that showed the printer as well as the company's quality-control procedures for managing color. (TIP: Providing photos with your press release increases your chances of getting coverage because editors and bloggers like getting non-stock photos relevant to the content of their publications.)

Creative Marketing Promotions: FASTSIGNS®used BusinessWire to send out a release showing how four different types of small businesses had received a “sign and graphics makeover” from FASTSIGNS. The release explained the value of good signage and noted that prior to each makeover, FASTSIGNS had consulted with each business to understand their visual communications needs. The release included this “before” and “after” picture of one the stores that had undergone a makeover.

A start-up company, CanvasPop.com, used PRWeb to announce that that the first 100 customers to have a photo enlarged onto canvas would have the opportunity to have their print displayed on the Reuters billboard in Time Square for 15 seconds (shown above). A time-stamped photograph of the Times Square display was sent to each customer as a memento. In the release, the co-founder of CanvasPop claimed that “We’re the only large-format photo-printing company that works with any resolution image,” including images posted on social-media sites or shot with an iPhone.

New Materials: Signazon.com used the 1888 Press Release.com posting service to announce they were launching canvas prints, canvas backdrops, and canvas posters. Company officials used the release to explain that canvas can be used for more than art reproduction and photographs: “Canvas Backdrops block light due to their material and are, therefore, perfect for news conferences, press conferences, product releases, general backdrops, and photo shoot backdrops, as well as background sets for theater, film and television.”

New Forms of Advertising: UltraPure Bottling Systems recently introduced Billboard on a Bottle, a custom-labeling program for advertisers who want to get their message directly into the hands for their prospects. If you've come up with a new form of advertising, an online press release would be a good way to promote it.

New Types of Graphics: Start-up company LTLprints announced they would publish a collection of Big Wall Graphics created by artists and designers curated by the Start SOMA Art Gallery in San Francisco.

Local Connections: In September, Fathead.com sent a press release to editors and bloggers in Ohio noting that Fathead.com carries graphic products for fans of the Ohio State Buckeyes football team. A cover letter to editors and bloggers noted that the company’s president was raised in Columbus and attended OSU.

Special Events: A Speedpro Imaging franchise in Plymouth, MN announced a community open house to help thank members of business and minority communities who helped make the new minority-owned business possible. Manuel Santana bought the large-format graphics franchise earlier this year after having served 12 years as an executive with Cargill in Minnesota and Latin America. The release stressed the graphic company’s ability to help clients capture opportunities in the growing Hispanic market.

Mergers and Acquisitions: T&R Graphic Imaging and Colorado Print & Digital used BusinessWire to announce their merger and the formation of T&R Colorado Print and Imaging.

Support for the Environment and Other Causes: AlphaGraphics used BusinessWire to promote the fact that 64 AlphaGraphics locations have received Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification and are contributing to the nation’s overall recycling efforts.

Customer Education: FASTSIGNS frequently issues press releases to educate potential buyers in specific markets (e.g., property management, construction, real estate) about the value of signage. They also write news releases that provide basic education and tips to potential buyers of vehicle graphics, banners, and trade show graphics. New sign buyers (e.g. owners of small start-up companies) are entering the market all the time. They appreciate finding answers to questions on subjects you may assume is already common knowledge.

Whatever type of news release you choose to create, the three major distribution services (PR Newswire, PRWeb, and BusinessWire) all offer all have educational resources that can help you get started. They provide specific guidance on how to develop a PR program and write press releases optimized for search engines.

For maximum effectiveness, plan on sending out one release every month or six weeks. Then, give your PR program sufficient time to work. According to a webinar presented by PRWeb, the results won't be immediate but they will come. It may take six to eight months before you start seeing an uptick in web traffic resulting from your steady, consistent online PR efforts.