Due to the spontaneity and instant nature of the Internet, many have started to forget about the power of a good, old-fashioned press release. Before the advent of social media and the Internet, press releases were the prime tool available to the organization to announce and to market new products or services. With the way popular media and newspapers are changing and the emphasis on instantaneous, some people view the traditional press release these days as quite quaint. However, you should keep this marketing tool in your arsenal and think about using it when you are rolling out a new service, or you have just completed work on that e-book.
There are a large variety of press release distribution outlets on the net and we have listed some beneath. Some of these are free, others charge reasonable rates while the more established outlets justify their significant prices on their reputations, clientele and reach. You might like to dip your toe in the water with one of the more established free services or go all out and send the press release to thousands of equally awaiting recipients!
The major search engines have quite friendly relations with some of the more significant press release distribution sites and you’ll often see search engine results in prominent positions. Bear this in mind when you are considering your next broadcast.
Some people shy away from press releases as they are confused by formatting and worried that they might not “do it right,” but so long as you adhere to certain precedents, then you should be okay. Fundamentally, a press release should not be a sales pitch, or it will be configured to the “favorites file” by the recipients. You must have a story to tell and be very factual. If in doubt, do a few simple searches online for press releases and see how professionals have configured their work.
Think about it, isn’t an endorsement or a mention on another site better than a paid advertisement? Even though you may have to pay for press release distribution through the more prominent sites, there is a certain additional amount of credibility associated with a story that is the subject of a press release.
Never approach this tool in a halfhearted fashion. If you’re not confident writing your own press releases, there are many organizations to help you. Press releases definitely speak to business credibility and even though your competitors might be focusing elsewhere, this is a still a very powerful way to communicate.
Some of the better-known and more respected paid services:
PR Newswire
PR Web
Business Wire
PR Leap
Some of the more highly trafficked and well-known free service sites:
PR Log
Free-Press-Release
1-888 Press Release
Do you have any favorites with good results?
Matthew Toren
Nice post.
I like press releases, but I think to make them work you have to use them in a big way.
Posting one once in a while to one or two places won’t bring you much traffic for your time.
This is a good reminder to still use the tried and true marketing channels to get your brand out there in the public. While I’m not sure of the impact a press release would have, I do know there are quite a few bloggers out there looking for fresh content daily and perhaps a well written release will result in a pick up by a blog writer.
With press releases, your content really has to be news worthy. Else I find it hardly brings traffic. But if it does have news worthy content, then its one of the best marketing forms online right now.
Press release has been tried and tested and had been proven that it still draws in the traffic. However, it has to be ‘eye-catching’ where at a glance the readers will be drawn by the news and that will lead to more intense reading.