| What
Makes Online Press Releases Different From
Traditional Ones?
by
Dina
Giolitto
If you're newly intiatiated into the Web marketing world,
you may wonder about internet PR. Why do you need it? How
are Web press releases different than the traditional ones
you learned to write in Journalism class?
First,
the basic purpose in writing a press release is still the
same: announce a newsworthy story that puts your business
in a positive light. In your press release, cover the 5W's
and H: the Who, What, When, Where, Why and How of your news
story. Resist the temptation to use your press release as
a selling tool. This is not advertising; this is reputation
enhancement based on human interest.
Now
for the differences.
1.
Web PR is as much a search engine tool as it is a form of
journalism.
Major
news sites around the globe are hooked up to the Web PR pipeline,
running news across RSS channels that anyone in the world
can pick up and share on their own Web site. Thus, even if
you run four press releases over the next four months and
not one media contact reponds, you're still getting the good
effects of link-spreading.
2.
Web press releases bring you targeted traffic.
Just like
the world of article marketing, online PR is organized categorically.
The PR submission and distribution process is naturally designed
to channel in fresh, niche-specific leads who are already
interested in your products and services. Tip: to leverage
the most traffic potential of a single press release, submit
to sites that allow live links and be sure to HTML-code your
release before clicking SUBMIT.
3.
Web press release headlines allow for more flexibility.
If journalism
writing was never your bag, have no fear. The internet is
a much more competitive environment than the world of print
media and therefore some creative rule-bending may actually
get you noticed. Your primary goals: get your PR out there,
and make sure people read it. Web content is arranged in such
a way that you are placed alongside of rival companies 90%
of the time. This is your motivation to write as captivating
a headline as you possibly can.
Other
Key Points, Tips and Suggestions:
Submit
Web PR on a consistent basis.
Web
press release backlinks reach out twice as far, yet "expire"
much sooner than those generated by article marketing. This
is because Web PR moves much more quickly, with new stories
cropping up every second of every day which replace old ones
on the RSS media line. Use Google's search engine to monitor
your PR, see who's picked up your stories and how many links
are now pointing back to your site. You will need to submit
PR regularly (once a month is recommended) to maintain visibility
and leverage the power of PR linking.
Write
in the third person.
A
Web press release is a news story about your company, told
by an outside party. Unlike Web copy where you're addressing
and pitching to the customer directly, the news release is
a report of your latest accomplishments and developments.
Remember: articles offer advice. Ad copy persuades. PR tells
a story.
Look
for the human interest story in everything you do.
What advancements
has your company made recently? Have you offered up any charitable
contributions? Partnered with a fellow service provider? Received
any recent accolades or credentials? How does your organization
fit into the larger scope of your industry; what trends are
you helping to usher in? Are you testing out a new technology
or pioneering a new mode of thought? Who will your actions
benefit; how, and why?
Publish
your press releases on your own Web site.
Add an
"In the Press" section to your Web site, where interested
parties can go to get a clear picture of your brand image
and a better understanding of your social and professional
involvements. Readers place a high value in information that
has been released in news format, so don't overlook this huge
credibility builder that does double duty as a page rank helper
(search engines love Web sites that continuously add content).
Want
to build brand awareness for your company via press releases?
Have a gander at our Press
Release Service details and then email dina@wordfeeder.com.
Copyright 2006 Dina Giolitto. All rights reserved.
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