Online Reputation: Has the Role of the Press Release Changed ?

As our digital PR strategy changes, it may be time to give that traditional press release a facelift.

There was a time when sending out a press release was a great way to get noticed. Once a release was sent to listed media outlets, odds were pretty good the event would create some interest. These days, not only is the market saturated with businesses looking for press, but no longer is it enough to send out a simple PR. You have to start thinking outside the box and beyond the traditional release.

Why We Love PRs

Marketers still have a soft spot for the press release. They may not hold as much clout as they used to, but let’s not abandon them completely just yet. They can still be a vital piece to a successful online reputation strategy. 

There are still a few benefits of a finely written PR:

• Distribution equals great SEO opportunities
• It may get picked up by the media (success!)
• Depending on your plan, it can be pretty budget-friendly

Steps for a Successful Press Release

There has been plenty of discussion in internet marketing circles about whether or not the press release is dead. It’s not that a release is completely obsolete, but the traditional use may very well be. Here are a few steps to get more out of your press release plan:

• Remember to supplement your press release with a blog post, tweet and Facebook post, and make sure to add it to the Media page of your site
• Use plenty of keywords, so even if it doesn’t get picked up you can still get the links
• Give the journalist a definite angle – the less they have to do the better
• Add interesting triggers and snippets media agencies can use (quotes, facts, figures, video clips,  pictures)

Last Thoughts

Here are a last few thoughts on adding a press release to your Internet marketing initiative. First, be aware of what distribution service you’re using. The majority of businesses utilize free tools, so check out the paid services for better visibility and reach. Remember that your PR will only stay at the top of the newswire for a very short time, so make sure to craft news-worthy headlines that demand attention.

Do you still use traditional press releases? Have you had to rethink your online reputation efforts?

by Maribel Guiste ,franchise executive(CFE) in WSI 

The Social Media Landscape

With the ever rise of new social networks, blogs, social bookmarking and other social media related channels, it has created a new source of traffic to your website and blog.

A top story on Digg can drive much more traffic to your website than a top search engine ranking could ever do. This has created a new process to this trend called SMO (Social Media Optimization).

Social Media Optimization

SMO is a form of word of mouth marketing through the use of media sharing (photo, video), social bookmarking and social networking sites. The essence of Social Media Optimization is giving people a  reason to visit and link to your website because of its great informative and original content.

You can use social media to build your reputation and brand, never to sell products. Brand yourself as the leader and become the expert in your industry. Your brand is what you represent and stand for. You can be the persuasive and unique voice in your market. The goal with social media is to build a cultural following.

Search Engine Optimization

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is quite different from Social Media Marketing (SMM). With social media you can market directly to targeted audiences and with SEO you are marketing to the search engines.  SEO is a slow process and can usually take a long time to get good results as you have to wait for the search engines to discover your content. There are ways to speed up this process but with SMM, you can market directly to every corner of the world. SEO is about building good rankings on the search engines while social media is about building relationships and a community.

The online shift towards social media

We live in a world where we cannot hide anymore.  The online business world has become more transparent. There is really no more lurking in the shadows. Social media shines a light on everybody and everything as most content and news can be shared immediately without using traditional marketing methods.

The online world where marketing plays a big role has changed tremendously in the last few years. It is really getting increasingly chaotic.  The old style of controlling and owning your market is dead. It is now all about conversing and interacting with your market directly.

by 

Francois Muscat

WSI representative for south Africa