Why do successful organizations write so many news releases so often?

The press release used to be written for the benefit of journalists and the media who would extract information from your press release to write their article. Today, organizations are finding that this procedure has advantages as a routine way of informing existing and potential clients about new products and services. So as soon as there is new information to convey about their organization, a release can be used to both inform and attract clients.

What is different and similar about using this technique today?

The modern press release can make use of sophisticated tagging and categorization so that someone searching on those criteria may well find your press release and be brought to your site. You can also now include links back to your site so that contacting your web site from your press release involves no more than clicking a link. In other ways, the format is very similar to the traditional release. It still needs to be newsworthy and it still needs to demonstrate impartiality. Potential customers will not be impressed by hard sell tactics. A Press release should be written in a neutral register but it should always contain interesting and relevant information.

Why are press releases so useful?

If you keep your press release interesting and straightforward to read it will serve as the best of ambassadors for your organization. And an intelligent and knowledgeable article that is posted in the appropriate location can continue to capture you new clients long into the future and establish you as the expert in your field.

Should your Press Release be posted in one place or in as many places as possible?

In spite of the extra work involved, I favor posting your press release in just one choice place each time. The reason for this is that it speaks for and represents your organization, and you never want your name to be associated with duplicate content or spam. If each of the press releases that you post has unique content, useful to the reader, then you are making a useful contribution to the web, as well as planting a link back to your web site that is sent from valuable content. If you place numerous identical articles all over cyberspace, you are not really helping anyone; least of all yourself!

Are there any alternatives to the press release?

Yes. There are many alternatives. A well-informed article can have a similar good effect on your reputation. It is also a good idea to send information to your client base through an interesting newsletter. Of course, you must be sure that you have their permission for this. A newsletter that discusses your difficulties as well as your successes and keeps your readers up-to-date with developments can help to build up trust in your expertise. But ideally a newsletter should be combined with regular press releases so that new customers are drawn in and kept abreast of developments by a combination of methods.