Are Online Press Releases As Effective As They Used To Be?

Getting Media Coverage For Your Business

Mainstream media can be pretty finicky about who and what they choose to run a story on. And they have more than enough choices when it comes to running stories on websites and new products or services.  Here are some tips for standing out in a very noisy arena.

It really only takes one good story from a journalist, to get other journalists to see the value or to not be worried about whether or not you or your product/service is the real deal. Journalists and other media are going to check you out to make sure that you are who you say you are or that your product or service is the real deal.

Online press releases can be a vital ingredient to your overall PR and internet marketing strategy. Good online press releases not only have a powerful effect in their own right, but they also have an effect on your other Internet Marketing mediums. Online press releases provide great brand exposure to help your general Online PR, builds authority within your industry and also provides great benefit to Search Engine Optimization. Online Press Releases can be done in conjunction and part of your overall online PR and internet marketing strategy, or in isolation, depending upon your online PR objectives.

Five Tips For Getting Media Coverage

1. Be newsworthy.

It’s not as difficult as it sounds. Hundreds if not thousands of small business stories are published every week in all the different media outlets. Look at these stories and analyze them.

2. Write a great press release and distribute it to a targeted group of journalists.

A good press release should at a minimum:

• A headline that says exactly what the story is about
• A great summary paragraph
• Quotes from people
• A link to more information on your site
• Contact details

3. Find and approach journalists who write about your industry, make yourself available.

4. Time your news story carefully.

What’s the best time to publish your story? Can you tie in with a national event? Sometimes having your story picked up does happen by accident, but if you plan and follow a clear strategy then your chances of success are so much higher.

5. Participate in the social media sites that your target niche is participating in.

Any links that you get as a result of media attention, like being featured on USA Today or NY Times, or GMA, etc are going to help you with your Google ranking (and all the other search engines). Search engines are likely to consider links from top media sites as authority links.

The themes of your online press releases are very important, and your press release must be news, not generic copy, or you run the risk of damaging your reputation. Online press releases must be interesting, reveal something unique and something people will want to read and share in order to benefit your online PR profile.

Online press releases typically don’t last longer than 60-90 days. Few press release services keep your press release any longer than 90 days, especially if you are using the free services. If well executed, you can really get a lot out of your press release. In general, online press releases flood the news-wire’s everyday. You may be getting your message out there, but, are you getting that message directly to the media in your niche? If you want to make the most out of any press release, you need to do a paid press release because they typically stay online longer and have more coverage.

These days hundreds online press releases and stories now compete to ‘get above the noise’ on the internet – all craving the attention of busy journalists and hopefully the interest of internet readers. You must also follow up that press release submission with that same press release being sent directly to the fax or email in-box of the journalists and media that report on your niche topic.

How can you get big media coverage?

The easiest way is to hire a publicist. Their expertise and range of contacts can be invaluable. Hiring a publicist can also save a great deal of time, and may just prove to be the best investment you make. Making sure that you send your press release (or media release) directly to the media’s email or fax is extremely important. As with any press release, it is only going to be as effective as the writing of the press release. Most media contacts do not spend the amount of time searching online press release sites as many of us would like them to. Its extremely important to give the media as many opportunities as possible to read your message.

Not everyone can or deserves to be on Oprah. 95% of people really shouldn’t not be on Oprah, but rather on other media outlets. Where is your niche audience congregating? Are they watching CNN, Larry King Live, Ellen, or the Today Show? Maybe your audience is actually more interested in NPR. Maybe the hang out almost exclusively on tech blogs.  Your audience may be more interested in reading niche specific magazines or newspapers. You need to know where and who is reporting on your niche topic, and contact those media people.

The Bottom Line:

Press releases are still vital to your online business, but, if you want to get the attention of the media (bloggers, popular websites, newspapers, magazines, radio, and television) you must contact them directly. You also need to know how and what to say when you pitch to them. Hiring a publicist for certain pieces of your media and press release submission can greatly increase your chances of getting noticed and reported on by Big Media Outlets.

If you would like to get in front of your target audience, you need to get your press release in front of the media’s faces. There are over 800,000 media sites and journalists waiting to see your message! Get a great deal on press release submission and your media release into the in-boxes of those professionals.

Related articles…

• Online Coverage is Harder to Get, or is it? (conversationagent.com)
• New Media PR: from Reactive, to Proactive, to Interactive (socialmediatoday.com)
• Creating the Desire for News (conversationagent.com)

Tagged as: buzz marketing, effectiveness of press releases, hiring a publicist, media press release, pr, press release, press releases, Publicity, seo