Paul Gillin makes an excellent case for the value of the press release:
- Yahoo changed the rules of marketing more than a decade ago when it elected to define press releases as news. Google followed suit and the PR profession has never been the same since
- The raw news feeds syndicated on thousands of publishing platforms across the Internet make little or no distinction between the Associated Press and wire services like Marketwire, Businesswire or PR Newswire
- Company searches in Google turn up press releases from the wire services – see this search for Reed’s Inc
Another opportunity for PR is that Google’s Universal search format now places press releases in a news section on web search results.
I disagree though that this is 1.0.
Preparing and distributing your press releases so theyappear in Yahoo News and Google Universal search is not old-school traditional PR. To get good results you need to understand how to optimize your content for search and how best to distribute that content. (Use the PRESSfeed News Optimization Toolbar )
It should go on a special place on your website – one that is controlled by PR and not IT. Use a platform or a media room that allows you to upload the press release to your site and add images and links.
And it absolutely must have an RSS feed, so your content can be pulled into those raw feeds that don’t differentiate between AP and other news feeds. A feed will also help your news content filter into the social web.
Listen to the recorded webinar about Online Press Releases
Image Credit: Rogue Sun Media
