Online Press Releases

Writing and submitting a press release to an online distribution site is an excellent way to promote things like a company website re-launch, announce a new product or affiliate partnership or share a recent success story. The key—and the place where many companies falter—when it comes to successfully distributing an online press release is that is has to contain newsworthy information. It is the first lesson of public relations, one that is strictly followed by newspaper reporters and editors around the world; if it’s not news, it doesn’t get attention. The same rule applies online. A press release is not supposed to contain the same information as the company blog; it is strictly for news.

Online press releases are not meant to be a substitute for their offline counterparts. But they are an excellent way to help with a website’s link building efforts and build an online brand. It’s worth using a reputable distribution site like PRWeb and 24-7 Press Release as opposed to a free distribution website. The basic account isn’t very expensive, and it’s worth having a trusted site promote and push the press release. It’s important to remember that search engines take into account where a website’s inbound links are coming from. The more trustworthy that page, the better it reflects on the company’s site.

Online press releases can include two or three links in the body content. A good rule of thumb is one link per 100 words. This includes using hyperlinked anchor text and the full link. The company website should usually be a full link (http:///www.example.com) and the anchor text should lead to different (yet relevant) pages of the website. This helps the press release from getting flagged as spam. It also keeps the reader from getting distracted by an abundance of links. Some distribution sites won’t even publish the press release if it has too many links. They do not want to release content deemed to be spam and have their reputations damaged.

Just like offline press releases, online versions should include a boilerplate about the company and contact information. They should also always be written in the third person.  Online press releases can also include social media profiles as part of the general contact information. This can help push readers to a company’s various sites.

The great thing about online press releases is that they can be shared, whether via email or social media and bookmarking sites. They can also be downloaded as a PDF and printed out, becoming offline press releases in a matter of moments. That’s why it’s important for online formatting to match traditional press release guidelines.

Most online press releases also allow companies to include a window to the company homepage directly on the form. The window is completely navigable, just like the reader is actually on the company site, but it doesn’t pull them away from the press release and contact info.

A well-written and newsworthy online press release can get picked up in a lot of places: online magazines, blogs, social networking sites, other distribution services and more. If the content is relevant, there is no limit as to where it can get published or what kind of online (or offline) publicity it can bring to a company.