I read a lot of press releases as part of news reporting activities for the various sites I operate. Doing this regularly allows me to see who is doing PR right from a vendor standpoint.
My case in point for this blog is FlexJobs, the member driven job board with remote/flexible work. They push out press releases almost monthly that help tell a story and align with their core niche.
Here’s an example of a recent release;
FlexJobs Highlights 20 Fortune 500 Remote-Friendly Companies
Companies of all sizes, from small startups to major conglomerates, offer great opportunities for remote and flexible jobs. Fortune 500 companies, in many instances, are leading the way when it comes to integrating remote workers into their standard hiring practices, with many shifting to longer term remote work following the pandemic. Salesforce, for example, is allowing all employees to continue working from home until at least July 31, 2021. To showcase the major global companies embracing remote work, FlexJobs has highlighted 20 Fortune 500 companies that were also featured on FlexJobs’ Top 100 Companies for Remote Jobs in 2021 list.
“Despite changes to the workplace precipitated by the pandemic, this list of Fortune 500 companies that are embracing remote work shows just how far remote work options, and flexible work in general, have come,” said Sara Sutton, CEO & Founder of FlexJobs. “Moving forward, flexible options will no longer be seen as merely a perk for employees. Large and well-known companies recognize that this type of work can be a part of a smart business strategy so long as it’s implemented in ways that support both employees and the goals of the company,” Sutton concluded.
Below are 20 Fortune 500 companies recruiting for remote jobs that were also included on FlexJobs’ Top 100 Companies for Remote Jobs in 2021. The remote jobs these companies hire for span career levels and fields, and each offers some level of remote work (from 100% remote to the option for remote work, or remote during the pandemic).
1. Amazon
2. Anthem, Inc.
3. Cisco
4. Citizens Bank
5. CVS Health …
This is an excellent way to promote a job board in my opinion. It is directly related to their remote work theme and it highlights companies that they can use to promote. By awarding companies like Amazon, Cisco, CVS, etc., they attach their name to a number of top brands, thus leveraging their site promotion to potential employers that might become a customer.
Lists like this are also useful tools for journalists looking for stories. Notice how they put their name at the beginning of the PR? Thats no accident. It’s branding.
Their most recent release put out a list of 14 Common Job Search Scams To Watch Out For. Another excellent example of a story masquerading as a PR.
Press releases that read like a story and provide valuable data, survey results or things to watch out for tend to catch the eyes of news outlets. By writing the scams PR, FlexJobs is becoming a resource and advocate for job seekers. If I’m a journalist looking to do a story about remote work, FlexJobs would be a great source to quote from.
So when it comes to promoting your own niche job board think oof ways a press release can be used to position you as an expert in whatever niche you serve. Think of lists like those offered by FlexJobs that would be of interest to your industry.
Other types of press releases to consider;
- Launch – tell people when you launch your site.
- New features – announce new products or features.
- Merger/Acquisitions
- Funding news
- Events
- Executive changes
This year I launched my own newswire called RecTech PR which offers press release that reach a recruiting audience for $295. Sites like PRweb also have similar pricing.
ADDITIONAL INFO: see what job boards publish on PRweb.