Is the news release dead?
A lot of high-tech marketers I work with wonder if the news release is dead. I say no, it’s not even dying.
As David Meerman Scott says, more and more customers are finding you by Googling, so you need your name all over the Web. News releases are great way to spread the word. But try to…
- Be relevant. Directly address the problems your prospects are trying to solve and use their language.
- Deliver value. If you make security software, deliver useful content on how companies can secure their data. “News” is more about thought leadership than ever.
- Offer multimedia. Include images, at least, and podcasts and videos if you have them.
- Webify. Hyperlink appropriately, include buttons for bookmarking sites (e.g., Digg and del.ici.ous). Format your release for the Web, put key search terms in the metadata, and enable prospects to subscribe to your releases via RSS.
- Speak plainly. We all pay lip service to this concept, but BS abounds. And while the news release is healthier than ever, BS is indeed dead. The blogosphere is in many ways a massive reaction to it. When we cut the
craphyperbole, we cut through the clutter.
Have you modified your releases for the Web 2.0 era? What are your results?
THe news release is thriving as a way for companies to reach buyers directly because anyone can find a release through Google News, Yahoo News, alerts, etc.
Your readers may be interested in my free ebook "The New Rules of PR". It's been downloaded more than 250,000 times, so I'd say the ideas of news releases is pretty damn popular.
The new rules of PR: How to create a press release strategy for reaching buyers directly http://www.davidmeermanscott.com/documents/New_Rul...
Best, David
Steve