Site Promotion with Press Releases
Using press releases for site promotion encompasses two strategies which appear similar but are in practice very different.
Mass Distribution
The first strategy is to use press releases, press release sites, and press release distribution services to deliver your message, in mass, across the globe.
This strategy requires that you either write a press release or have one written, and that you then distribute it through sites like these:
United States
United Kingdom
Russia
Targeted Distribution
The second strategy also involves writing and distributing press releases, but that's where the resemblance ends.
The problem with the mass distribution strategy is that the best avenues to promote your press release don't look for press releases at any of the high-volume press release sites. Those sites are spammed by every marketer on the Internet.
With targeted distribution, you first define who you want to publish your press release. Then you write a press release for them. Then you contact them personally and ask them to publish your press release. Then you listen to their feedback. You may end up completely rewriting the press release based upon that feedback.
The goal here is either to be published by the niche specific news outlets who will help you build targeted traffic, or to be published by the high-volume mainstream media reporters who are difficult to reach by automated methods. Most of these news outlets won't give you live links, but they will create interest in your site or product.
Mass Distribution is better for building links; Target Distribution is better for building buzz.
Are PRs and Articles the same?
Hi there,
Adi, from Two Believers :) Got here after Will e-mailed me about this thread.
Without getting into too many details, let me explain one very important item - there's a big difference between a press release and an article.
We offer articles at roughly $30 for a 500 word article (much more expensive than the industry standard, but we cater to high-profile companies looking for perfect content).
Press releases, however, are $100, without submission, or $215 including submission as well as a guaranteed #1 ranking on Google News, for at least one of out three keywords you select. The latter is the hardest part, of course - as being #1 on Google News when you're facing PRs from big brand newspapers (sometimes not even local) is not easy.
Why the difference between the price of a press release - supposedly a content item that is only around 300-350 words long, yet more than 3 times more expensive than a similar content item that is almost twice as long? The answer is - creativity, research and news-worthiness. The amount of time we put towards a press release is considerably larger than what should be placed on a mere article.
If you order a press release service, and receive a "Buy my product now" type of article, filled with subjective references of your product or service - that'll be a nice article, or sales piece... it might even create tens of backlinks to your site if you distribute it properly.
However, will it get the results you're looking for, from a press release? I've done it many times - and the answer is - no.
Here are a couple of testiomnials for our service, from recent clients:
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I've been trying to get back with you for several days, but have been very busy, and its your fault, but it's good. I've been in talks with a leading recordable discs manufacturer that wants us to develop a Flex-Lite DVD-R.
I have also been contacted by Discovery Channel's new green network, Planet Green. They are considering doing a show on the Flex-Lite Disc, both of these contacts were made because of the Press Release.
Shannon Neal, COO
Proaction Media
http://www.ProactionMedia.com
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I can really say this service works and I will use it again soon. I had a website that I did not do anything with I just used this service nothing else. In a matter of days I had customers and back links from all over the place. Please feel free to check my back links. The only thing I have ever done with this website was THIS service and 5 blog post of my own.
Trust me on this one if you have a good product and want to get traffic from quality customers. This is the service to use and I am not getting paid to say that.
Check my site with any of your back link checkers SMS Thailand
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The first PR I'll offer on this forum would be provided at a considerably discounted price of just $170, that's $25 less than the price we offer on SitePoint currently :)
Sincerely,
Adi Friedman
Two Believers.
1 Attachment(s)
List of Press Release Sites
I have filtered out some but not all. Here is a nice list of over 70 sites
