1) Define and differentiate between news releases and press releases.
Press releases used to be written by public relations professionals exclusively for the media. The media (primarily huge news conglomerates and major trade publications) would then determine what would interest their readers, and/or was ‘fit to print’. The editor, publisher or producer had the final say – end of story.
Today companies can gain better control of how their news is distributed, thanks to the online news release, one of the most important marketing tool your company can possess.
With online news releases companies don’t have to send news releases only when big news is happening, and only to journalists. They can appeal directly to buyers and most importantly – your news can be used to drive people into the purchasing cycle.
Now organizations are able to use their news to build online visibility, increase rankings in search engines and appear on highly trafficked news sites. Regardless of company size or budget, PRWeb can help you to reach the people you want to reach, whenever and wherever they access the Web.
(http://service.prweb.com/resources/article/difference-between-news-releases-and-press-releases/)
2) By definition, is public relations supposed to reach your audiences?
Yes, I think many PR professionals have a fear of the unknown. They don't understand how to communicate directly with consumers and want to live in the past, when there was no choice but to use the media as a mouthpiece. I also think there's a widely held view about the purity of the press release as a tool for the press. PR professionals don't want to know that hundreds of millions of people have the power to read their releases directly. It's easier to imagine a closed audience of a dozen reporters. But this argument is based on fear, not the facts; there is no good reason why organizations shouldn't communicate directly with their audiences, without a media filter, via releases.
Yes, I think many PR professionals have a fear of the unknown. They don't understand how to communicate directly with consumers and want to live in the past, when there was no choice but to use the media as a mouthpiece. I also think there's a widely held view about the purity of the press release as a tool for the press. PR professionals don't want to know that hundreds of millions of people have the power to read their releases directly. It's easier to imagine a closed audience of a dozen reporters. But this argument is based on fear, not the facts; there is no good reason why organizations shouldn't communicate directly with their audiences, without a media filter, via releases.
3) Why do public relations people fear social media?
Obviously, the first word of the term press release throws off some people, particularly PR professionals. On my blog and on other sites, a semantic debate played out. The consensus of the dozens of professional communicators who weighed in was to call releases aimed at consumersnews releases. This sounds good to me, so from this point on, I'll refer to direct-to-consumer releases as news releases.
Obviously, the first word of the term press release throws off some people, particularly PR professionals. On my blog and on other sites, a semantic debate played out. The consensus of the dozens of professional communicators who weighed in was to call releases aimed at consumersnews releases. This sounds good to me, so from this point on, I'll refer to direct-to-consumer releases as news releases.
4) Contrast the audience for traditional media to that of the web world.
- Don't just send news releases when big news is happening; find good reasons to send them all the time.
- Instead of targeting a handful of journalists, create news releases that appeal directly to your buyers.
- Write releases that are replete with the keyword-rich language used by your buyers.
- Include offers that compel consumers to respond to your release in some way.
- Place links in releases to deliver potential customers to landing pages on your website.
- Link to related content on your site such as videos, blog posts, or e-books.
- Optimize news release delivery for searching and browsing.
- Add social media tags for Technorati, DIGG, StumbleUpon, and Delicious so that your release can be found.
- Drive people into the sales process with news releases.
5) In the web world, why are keywords so important?
Smith doesn't let keywords dominate how he writes, but he tries to be very aware of keywords and phrases and to insert key phrases, especially, into releases whenever he can. “We don't think that a single keyword works, but phrases are great, ” he says. “If people are doing a specific search, or one with company names that are in our release, then the goal is that they will find our news release.”
Smith doesn't let keywords dominate how he writes, but he tries to be very aware of keywords and phrases and to insert key phrases, especially, into releases whenever he can. “We don't think that a single keyword works, but phrases are great, ” he says. “If people are doing a specific search, or one with company names that are in our release, then the goal is that they will find our news release.”
6) How did WebEx exploit the web?
As a result, WebEx provided me with an excellent (and real) example of a company that had optimized the content of news releases to include relevant terms such as the one I was looking for. And WebEx has greatly benefited from their efforts. In addition to the consumers they already reach online, they've added to their audience by getting the information to someone who tells other people about it (me!). I've used this example in speeches before well over 10,000 marketing and web content professionals and executive audiences, and it was also downloaded more than 250,000 times as part of my New Rules of PR e-book. And now you're reading it here, too.
As a result, WebEx provided me with an excellent (and real) example of a company that had optimized the content of news releases to include relevant terms such as the one I was looking for. And WebEx has greatly benefited from their efforts. In addition to the consumers they already reach online, they've added to their audience by getting the information to someone who tells other people about it (me!). I've used this example in speeches before well over 10,000 marketing and web content professionals and executive audiences, and it was also downloaded more than 250,000 times as part of my New Rules of PR e-book. And now you're reading it here, too.
7) Expound on the quote “People are saying press releases are dead.”
“People are saying that press releases are dead,” Smith says. “But that's not true for direct-to-consumer news releases.” As Smith has developed his news release strategy to reach buyers directly, he has had to refine his writing and PR skills for this evolving, but very much alive, medium. “I learned the very structured AP Style Guide way to write releases,” he says. “But that's changed as keywords and phrases have suddenly become important and the scale and reach of the Internet have opened up end users as a channel.”
“People are saying that press releases are dead,” Smith says. “But that's not true for direct-to-consumer news releases.” As Smith has developed his news release strategy to reach buyers directly, he has had to refine his writing and PR skills for this evolving, but very much alive, medium. “I learned the very structured AP Style Guide way to write releases,” he says. “But that's changed as keywords and phrases have suddenly become important and the scale and reach of the Internet have opened up end users as a channel.”
8) Comment on the following: “The only way to get published is to have your news release picked up by media.”
We've come a long way. The web has turned all kinds of companies, nonprofits, political campaigns, individuals, and even churches and rock bands into just-in-time and just-right publishers. As publishers, these organizations create news releases that deliver useful information directly onto the screens of their buyers—no press involved!
We've come a long way. The web has turned all kinds of companies, nonprofits, political campaigns, individuals, and even churches and rock bands into just-in-time and just-right publishers. As publishers, these organizations create news releases that deliver useful information directly onto the screens of their buyers—no press involved!
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