The Art of eMarketing

Press Releases can be one of the most secretive and confusing marketing tools that you can use in your arsenal. Most beginner and experienced marketers on the internet do not use press releases, nor have they ever tried it. So I thought it would be fitting to show you how to use Press Releases to build backlinks and get a leg up on your competitors. This will be a multiple part series that will teach you step by step how to accomplish the art of press releases. I have used press releases for a few projects but I thought it would be more fitting to go step by step through the press release process with this blog. That will include writing a press release, submitting the press release and tracking its progress. You can then apply what you learn to your own business or blog to gain those vital backlinks and traffic.


What is a Press Release?

A Press Release is a public relations announcement issued to the news media and other targeted publications for the purpose of letting the public know of a company. What that means is that you will create a story or event that has happened to inform the media of your presence. If you want a visual idea of what a press release is, go to Google News and type in “backlinks” or any keyword you would like. Most of the stories you will see will be press releases that are on the internet. Their are many companies on the internet that offer press release services that will submit your press release to multiple news outlets.


What can be a Press Release?

You can use anything that you would like to announce for a press release. Some good ideas for a press release include:

• Announcing a new product or software etc.
  
• Announcing new services provided by your company or blog. For example if you now offer a free SEO analysis for everyone who visits your webpage.
  
• Basically anything you come up with can be worked into a Press Release (that doesn’t mean it will be published)
  

To give you a better idea, I typed in “Backlinks” on Google News and this is what appeared for the top news results.

As you can see, you can use about anything for your press release, for example “Free Backlinks and Traffic Through Forum Posts” isn’t exactly a ground breaking news story. So don’t worry if you think your story is weak you still have a chance to make it on Google News and other news outlets. If you want a better idea of newsworthy stories go to Google News and type in the keyword you will be targeting, go through and read the top press releases so that you can better understand what your story will need.

How can a Press Release Benefit Me?

If you write a good press release you have a chance of getting on the first page of Google News for your specific keyword. Your press release will also be submitted to other news outlets that may pick up your story. If any of these outlets pick up your story you will have specific direct traffic. This will help grow your site and bring new customers. You also have the chance of other blogs picking up your story and posting it on their webpage, thus providing you with a backlink that will help your search engine position. In some cases your news story may be at the top of the normal Google results for a specific keyword. This will once again bring you direct traffic and will boost your authority in the eyes of Google. This will help your overall page strength and rankings in Google. If you look at the overall picture of a press release it can be very beneficial to your overall SEO strategy.


Coming up in Part 2 – Step by Step instructions on how to write an eye catching Press Release.