Press Releases

Are they effective?

[mdean]

Does anyone feel that press releases are an effective form of marketing? How does one control the recipients of a press release so that you are speaking to the right market?

[piatkow]

In the right sector with the right recipients, yes.

It will take a lot of hard work and research to build up a list of contacts. Consider outsourcing the whole thing to a freelance press agent.

[dickbaker]

I've used some of the online press release services in the past, and have been very satisfied.

My initial reason for using them was that I was told by someone here on this forum that press releases are considered to be "value-added" incoming links. I don't know if they're "value-added," but they certainly count as inbound links.

But the press releases also went to sites within my niche, and brought me additional inquiries about my site. And that led to additional business.

[Lobo]

If you have something of interest to say then it will be taken up...

I don't think any of these online press release services are worth your time.. go directly to newspapers, industry magazines and online magazines.

You'll get more feedback and response from forums and blogs than from online press release service.

A viral campaign would be a better way to spend your time or standard print media..

[dragsterboy]

The most important thing about press releases is their newsworthiness. You have to deliver your story to the right audience, at the right time, and you have to make sure that your readers get the story the way they want it. This means that you have to know your readers very well.

[pbradish]

I have found press releases to be extremely effective.

Last November, I ran a release for my E-Commerce venture and traffic, sales, and buzz spiked. The site (no longer under my control) still receives traffic from the release as it was picked up by both Yahoo and Google.

I wrote the PR myself, but from what I hear issuing a release can be hit or miss. If you do a paid release, make sure that you have the funding to do it right!

[Habtom]

Press Releases - What are they?

I have been around for quite a while on webmasterworld, one thing I can't understand clearly is what are press releases? Sending out emails = spams?

:)

Habtom

[Grandmas Cookies]

Press releases are a good way to start your marketing campaign. And don't worry if it doesn't work from the start. Sometimes some badmouthing is good for the business. The human being is a curious creature and he/she is like, let me check this company that everybody's booing. There's no such thing as bad PR. PR is just exposure in its core, exposure to the public all over the world. And the press release is yet another way of getting it.

[Lobo]

It's not spam if you are sending it to the people who want press releases, EG newspapers wanting a story, industry magazines looking for an interest, related websites looking for content etc ...

there is no point randomly spamming a press release it has to be targeted ...

[piatkow]

Wearing my other hat as a specialist magazine editor on-topic press releases are always welcome. Press releases on topics outside of the magazine's subject area on the other hand are spam.

Identifying the correct contacts can be a big job. It really is worth employing an agent who specialises in your field. Not an on-line service but a real person who knows the sector and who will handle both email and snail mail.