Your company’s Web site isn’t just for your customers.
Remember that interested media may be stopping by to
research your company, product, or recent news. If they’ve
taken the time to come to your Web site, make sure that
they don’t have to do much work once they get there. In
fact, keep them coming back time and again by doing all
the work for them. Create a press room where all your
current and past press releases are posted for quick, easy
access.
You may need to examine your Web site positioning
strategies. Can journalists and customers even find your Web site?
Always include your Web address on all press releases,
business cards, email signatures, and other forms of
advertisement. Register all applicable names for your
company’s Web site. For example, Barnes and Noble has
registered BN.com, barnesandnoble.com, book.com, books.com,
and probably many more. Either way, both customers and
media will have an easy time finding their Web site.
Also make
sure that your webmaster has chosen the best words for
Meta tags on your Web pages. Meta tags are hidden HTML
code that provide information to visiting search engine
spiders.
Optimizing your Web site and press releases and then submitting
these pages to as many search engines as your budget
permits is crucial to your rankings in the search engines.
Web sites should follow the KISS rule (Keep it Simple
Stupid). Especially if you don’t have tons of money to
develop your Web site, simple is most certainly best. Once
on your homepage, anyone should be able to clearly surmise
your company’s name, service or product, and locate the
easy-to-use navigation menu. On this menu should be an
option for the press such as Press Room, Media Kit, “Your
Company” In the News, etc.
What should be in a press room:
- Online media clips about your company or product
- Scanned images of any media clips not on the
Internet with contact information (you can type the text
if the scanned image isn’t readable)
- Press releases from your company in chronological
order with the most recent first
- Detailed contact information including who to speak
to on what specific topics
- Product/service information, history, and
descriptions
- Success stories or testimonials
- Study or survey results
- Calendar of events
- Important links to other research relating to your
company or product
- Links to pertinent industry organizations
(particularly if you are a member in good standing) or
industry analyst
- Any useful company memos or executive biographies
- Downloadable pictures such as your logo,
product photos, and executive photos
- Downloadable video clips
- Guest book to sign up for future press releases from
your company
- Form for media to request a media sample product for
review
Keep your media page up-to-date. If your most recent
media clipping or press release is more than 6 months old,
it’s time to focus on some new PR strategies. Journalists
are always in need of timely information.
If you need assistance setting up an online press room,
PRW can help. Through the
Press Room Creation &
Search Engine Optimization service, PRW can create,
optimize and submit your press releases to the top search
engines. Click
here for more information.
PRW Introduces Brand New Book To Assist Self-Published
Authors
Due
to the overwhelming demand of self-published writers
seeking answers to their unique publicity concerns,
Press-Release-Writing.com (PRW) is now offering the
downloadable booklet, "Powerful Press Releases for the
Self-Published Writer." This how-to guide will succinctly
take the writer step-by-step through the often confusing
world of book publishing, distribution, and promotion.
With a sample press release, writer's resources, industry
standards and terminology, and press release writing and
formatting advice, this downloadable booklet is a
must-have for every self-published writer. In addition to
the press release promotion information, the guide also
explores other simple, low-cost options for marketing your
self-published book.
A properly-written and properly-distributed press release
campaign will give your self-published book the
third-party credibility needed for bigger sales without
breaking the bank. To order click here:
http://www.press-release-writing.com/prw-books-special-reports/
Click
here if you missed the past issues of the PRW Newsletter.
