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PERSPECTIVE
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What is Web site PR Anyway?
Public relations is how a business conveys information to the public to build good will, credibility, name recognition and prestige. PR activities include:
- Press releases, articles and newsletters;
- Company-sponsored events and activities;
- Speaking engagements and interviews, and
- Trade shows and conventions.
Web site PR is all about news, and top companies rely on the Web to spread it. As newspapers shrink in size and circulation, on-line news outlets multiply. Though often overlooked, Web site PR is surprisingly easy, affordable and effective, as long as you follow a few simple rules.
The first step is to make sure your company Web site is media-friendly. Journalists begin research by cruising a target company’s site. They look for PR contacts, basic company facts, corporate position statements, financial information and images to download for the story. With that in mind, a powerhouse PR site will have:
- Easy navigation;
- Clear, concise and jargon-free content;
- Current news and archived press releases;
- A “Media Room” with photos of key executives, personal contact information and newsworthy charts and graphics;
- Financial data, and
- A consistent and compelling overall message.
Follow these guidelines and all visitors - not just journalists - will develop a clear and favorable impression of your company.
After giving your site a PR tune-up, tell the world what you are all about. Companies can submit news stories directly to on-line wire services, where industry news sites, blogs and message boards regularly pick them up. Stories on “hot” topics can rapidly circulate among blogs, providing the company with highly effective - and free - viral marketing. If direct submission is not practical, the company can work through an on-line PR firm that specializes in article placement.
PR submissions come in many flavors, such as technical white papers, press releases, customer success stories and opinion-editorial pieces. Each type requires a different emphasis and style; properly crafted submissions quickly will grab the attention of editors and readers. Above all, articles must have real informative value; otherwise, they get lost in the shuffle.
For example, EzineArticles™, a popular submission site, receives nearly 9,000 articles per month! Despite the proliferation of news, analysts see nothing but growth for Web site PR; in fact developing technologies such as "podcasting" open up whole new vistas of opportunity.
Companies that fancy themselves sharp Web marketers because they do effective search marketing and pay-per-click campaigns often miss the public-relations boat. PR does not replace on-line advertising, but compliments it. Article placement can enhance optimization, and PR reaches targeted market segments with information-rich content. This means when a qualified prospect spots your ad or scans Google results, they will recognize your name - and click.
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