Forum Moderators: martinibuster
It would seem that many people believe PR's are a pretty mediocre tool to increase link popularity.
I've recently started a fun, VERY UNIQUE free site that definitely has "viral" spread potential. Would this type of site lend itself to an effective Press Release?
Thanks so much.
You see what happens is Journalist A will check a Newspaper and if they like the story, it will make it's way to Journalist A's paper and so on.
I think many underestimate the raw power of Press releases - for one thing they are 100% free, and the papers themselves are read by millions. So if 1 release in 1 paper is read by 10 million, how much exposure is that..... Now multiply that by 10 papers.
Cool eh.
Lots of people, and hopefully, a lot of them will be for the media. We don't pay much for press release submissions when we even *do* pay for them, but even then, our releases have gotten read numbers in the four digit arena (at one of the bigger known online services alone) in less than two days - in niche and not broad (i.e. not everyone cares about the topic) areas.
The press release itself isn't of much value - it is what can happen if a reporter does find your release interesting enough to do a story about or feels you have sufficiently come across as an expert to consult now or in the future on topics in your industry.
>>>But Journalists won't necessarily check online PR sites
Not true. Granted, not all of them will, but dig deep into some of the PR sites and you'll see they actually have some inkling of how many media members pick up releases.
VERY UNIQUE free site that definitely has "viral" spread potential
Been there, done that - press release was extremely effective.
Don't skimp on it - pay top dollar. Getting into Google News is extremely valuable if it's a popular niche. The bigger PR News agencies for the right price can usually secure that - although there's no guarantee with G News as it's automated. Lots of people use Google Alerts...
Couple of others you may have considered, but just in case:-
One really really simple thing you can do that is surprisingly effective is an "e-mail this to a friend" script on your site. Especially with something that has viral spread potential - make it easy for users to kick start that by removing the need to copy/paste the URL and write a mail. All they need to do is enter an email addy. That has been extremely beneficial to me.
Make the most of your growth by displaying growth statistics on site (Skype honed that skill to a fine art). People like to see what they're involved in, and when they see exponential growth, they're more likely to mail other people about it for the "I put you onto that one" kudos.
If the site is not a community site, make it one. If you have lots of people signing up in a short space of time, the probability is they'll be interested to talk to one another.
>>>But Journalists won't necessarily check online PR sites
SugarRae is right - they do. National newspapers have picked up on mine in the past. And the larger PR outlets will show you how many times a .pdf version of the release has been downloaded (a useful indication that it may have been printed and dropped on an editors desk).
TJ
Thanks for the idea.
That's no guarantee of anything. So what if somethings been downloaded. So this site tells you who has requested each release does it. I can't see it lol.
My friend is actually a Press Officer and deals with Journalists for a living, and I'm telling you for a fact that Journalists will read newspapers over these PR websites as the tabloids carry more weight and are more established forms of media. There are lot's of people claiming they are experts,and you'll find with a little research, that they aren't.
Either deal with a Media Agency, Ex journalist or forget the idea of your Press release ever being selected for any paper. PR websites indeed.
I think I'll set a PR website of my own - lots of cash to be made and I don't have to guarantee the quality or anything. Easy money hehe. I'll call it 'PR Media Publishing.com' and include the letters BA (Hons) Media Studies with Communications - after all who's going to prove otherwise. Wack up a few well written testimonials and hey presto - instant cash generator.
I'm a PR Guru, Honest!
Yep, sure does - as long as you pay something. You usually don't get something for nothing.
>>>or forget the idea of your Press release ever being selected for any paper
Yet, TJ and others have said they work. Worked for me as well. For less than 100 bucks at some of the online firms you can get your release into G and Y news and on the latter, it is actually published on the Y site (granted without links). But, what good journalist checks Yahoo or Google news... they don't see them as established media sources - they only have over 25 million combined links. ;-)
There aren't an abundance of good PR sites- true - but there are a few that are regarded well by the media.
If your experience has been that no online press release agencies work, then maybe you need a better press release writer or a more worthy topic to write a release about. Not every site and or topic and or release gets "picked up" - but if it does, it can mean a lot of traffic and some good links.
You have to pay to get a Release listed online. My method is Free - so what's better hehe. No links to a website either for the cash outlay, sounds a bit naff to me. I bet most online PR sites are scams, just waiting for some sucker to blead dry. $100 a time eh, woooooo, hey not bad!
Tell me, how many of these 'sites' will you have to pay for until you find a genuine expert Press Release writer. Like I said, get a professional that charges by the hour, and actually produces something that works. If a release is badly written no journalist is going to waste their time with it, when they can select a superior idea that's sold in the right manner and that'll make the newspaper more money. Journalists work for the publication and not for the business the release happens to mention. No online PR company forces a Journalist to use their client's releases, and most online PR sites charge a 'listing fee'. You don't want a listing service, you need a guarantee it's going to be accepted by the passing Journalists. Like I said, if the release doesn't make it into the press, you have no exposure.
A release has 2 objectives:
A) To get the Journalist to 'authorize' it for publication.
B) Releases make businesses sound good ie it sells them.
The Journalist has 2 objectives:
1) To authorise something to print so it's appealing to readers. This may secure advertising revenue from the business owner the release was written about. That's good for the paper, and furthers the Journalist's career.
2) To promote the paper and secure return buyers for that paper. So I'm saying if a release isn't written perfectly - it won't get in. Period.
No 1 priority for any Journalist is to the paper and NOBODY else. If a release is badly written, then it's gets binned. No business can afford to waste cash on 20 attempts before they get a mention in whatever paper. Oh yeah, and if you send too many bad releases (the same company owner) you'll get a reputation as a time waster and that particular paper won't deal with you anymore. Journalists also meet up, network etc. So if a bad release 'does the rounds' then you've really had it.
Na, I'll get mine out by effective means first.
Not every site and or topic and or release gets "picked up"
Yep, I'd say the percentage of Press Release failures is higher than most can put a figure on.
a more worthy topic to write a release about
Oh please lol.
A release has 2 objectives:A) To get the Journalist to 'authorize' it for publication.
B) Releases make businesses sound good ie it sells them.
A release has one objective, and it's neither of the above.
The purpose/objective of a press release is to present facts to journalists/news agencies to enable them to write news stories or offer coverage on a particular market sector.
Journalists do not "authorise" press releases for publication. In fact, press releases are not "published" except by other news agencies (syndicated news feeds). Editors (and sometimes journalists) use press releases as a feed for new stories. The journalist then writes an article on the subject himself. He doesn't publish the release verbatim.
The Journalist has 2 objectives:1) To authorise something to print so it's appealing to readers. This may secure advertising revenue from the business owner the release was written about. That's good for the paper, and furthers the Journalist's career.
A valued journalist is indeed appealing to his/her readership. The value is in what the journalist thinks about, or how the journalist interprets, a given story from a news agency.
2) To promote the paper and secure return buyers for that paper. So I'm saying if a release isn't written perfectly - it won't get in. Period.
A badly written release probably won't get any bites - but not for the reasons you think. They are not published verbatim. The art in drafting a good press release is in creating enough interest in a story or topic about your product or service that entices the journalist to write about the *story* behind it, not print the release.
Any fool can write a release and have it published across the syndicated agency feeds. Actually having someone write about you is where the real skill, and real value, is in a press release.
TJ
[edited by: trillianjedi at 9:27 pm (utc) on Oct. 17, 2005]
[edited by: martinibuster at 9:34 pm (utc) on Oct. 17, 2005]
According to you, yours don't get picked up - according to those of us who have utilized online PR firms, ours do. You tell me.
>>>Tell me, how many of these 'sites' will you have to pay for until you find a genuine expert Press Release writer
None. If you pay attention, we never ever said we looked for someone to *write* a press release for us. My writers take care of that. I hire huge PR firms/portals to put my release in front of journalists that those firms and portals spend thousands in advertising dollars to be known to so that I *will* pay them money to post my release. By gosh, and they expect a fee - go figure.
>>> You don't want a listing service, you need a guarantee it's going to be accepted by the passing Journalists
The PR firms who guarantee that must have their website SEO done by those SEO firms who "guarantee" top rankings </sarcasm>. No one can guarantee a reputable journalist will take interest in your press release. They can only guarantee they will put you in *front* of journalists. Being moving enough to get picked up is the job of your release - i.e.your business and your writer.
>>>A) To get the Journalist to 'authorize' it for publication.
Um, yeeeeea. Seriously. Journalists are not looking to print a press release. a press release is a release to the *press* saying LOOK AT ME, I'M INTERESTING. The intent isn't to get the *release* published. It is to get the release to get a reporter interested enough in your/your business to do a story on it or include you in a story on your industry. I'm not sure where you got your definition of press release.
>>>bad releases
Again, then maybe you should hire a new press release writer or come up with a better angle. How is it the online press release distribution website's fault that *you/whoever* submitted a crappy press release?
>>>Na, I'll get mine out by effective means first.
All I've ever heard you say in this forum is that no method you try is effective and that everyone else is crazy for saying any method works that didn't make *your* site a success.
Edited to add: <Dang it TJ, you were faster than me>
One question. A few of you have mentioned that are only a select group of quality PR sites, care to point those out?
Thanks so much.
Actually it's the Editor that has the final say in whether it gets published, BUT the Senior Journalists do get paid tons to select the best stories. Experienced Journalists do eventually write their own columns or become 'feature writers', where they produce articles. So in a sense they DO have a say in what gets published. I'm not completely wrong.
The journalist then writes an article on the subject himself. He doesn't publish the release verbatim.
They only get to write once they gain the post of Feature Writer, and you are correct about the publishing bit, to a point only - the publishing is done by the Production Manager (the real official title) and any 'Cutting' or rewriting is done by Sub Editors.
I did use to work in Marketing, and dealt with some Media personnel.
The value is in what the journalist thinks about, or how the journalist interprets, a given story
Yes, I agree with that, as they do have a great deal of authority.
I get the feeling that many on here will just say anything to be heard and that's fine. If they really want to believe they are right, I just hope they don't learn the hard way and lose their cash in the process.
Some people gotta learn the hard way.
According to you, yours don't get picked up - according to those of us who have utilized online PR firms, ours do. You tell me.
Mine don't get picked up? - I never even said that lol
I *will* pay them money to post my release. By gosh, and they expect a fee - go figure
I don't have a problem with you spending hundreds of £/$ to some listing service - you go right ahead and keep doing it. What I keep trying to say is that a Press Release is actually free, that means that if it's written well enough, the Production Manager will place it for free! Thats a fact by the way and not some bs to make me feel great about myself. But you keep spending that ad cash, oh and to pay those expert writers hehe. It keeps those writers in food and drink.
I'm not sure where you got your definition of press release
Yep, I know you aren't sure. That's the problem with the web. "There came a man into Egypt, who did not know" Just so you know, the term Press release is THE professional term used in the industry. Well, certainly the UK media industry anyway. Dunno what it's called in the rest of the world, maybe it's called an Editorial, or even a Press Release.......
How is it the online press release distribution website's fault that *you/whoever* submitted a crappy press release?
Actually I don't use the online PR services because all they do is 'list' stuff - they don't give a stuff if nobody reads the release, probably because they still make money. Yep, money is a strong incentive.
All I've ever heard you say in this forum is that no method you try is effective and that everyone else is crazy for saying any method works that didn't make *your* site a success.
Maybe because I've sussed out the crap, and won't use it based on that. Or it could be as I've tried all there is to try and that's how I know.
Or I could be the unluckiest person on the web...
Take your pick. I haven't called anyone crazy - yet!
