Using press releases for marketing purposes for promoting anything from new web sites to new product announcements have become increasingly popular lately as business owners learn the powerful benefits of using press releases.

Press releases have been used over the past few years by quite a few smart business owners and marketers that have seen first hand how they can help their business get the recognition they need in marketing new products or services both offline and online.

But a lot of businesses have been reluctant in using press releases as they were unsure of how to properly construct a simple press release or how to distribute them for maximum effectiveness.

Using press releases can be a very effective marketing tool and seo strategy if constructed and implemented properly.

Learning to write a powerful optimized press release can often drive tons of targeted traffic to your web site while providing multiple back links that can lead to increased page rank and numerous top ten search engine rankings for your targeted keywords.

The real secret behind writing any effective press release and to gain maximum exposure for your new product or service is to plan your release out carefully even before publishing it.

A poorly constructed or planned press release is just a waste of your time and resources. You want to target the message of your press release for the purpose it was meant for.

So, the first thing you must do before writing is to figure out just what do you want to accomplish with your press release?

- Do you want to create some brand awareness for your web site or products?

- Do you want to add additional subscribers to your newsletter or ezine?

—Or are you trying to promote a new product or service you have developed or are marketing?

Once you’ve decided what the most compelling reason is for your press release, you can then get down to the business of writing it.

The first thing you may want to do is sketch out a rough draft of your press release to see how it flows. Does it provide the needed information to get the word out and has it been properly formatted?

Most press releases have a certain format that they follow. If you’re unsure of how to format your press release correctly you can view a sample press release template here at http://www.prweb.com/pressreleasetips.php#template .

The number one most important aspect of your press release is your headline.

Get it wrong and you will limit the effectiveness of your release.

Your headline is what the search engines are going to pick up on first. The headline is what normally gets listed first once indexed so make sure you use it advantageously. List any key points here, using your keywords or a catchy headline so that it will grab your reader’s attention.

Also try to keep your headline as short as possible as Google gives more weight to keywords if not surrounded by irrelevant words. Again planning is essential.

If promoting a new site include the URL in the headline. If promoting a product or service then include some keywords in the headline.

Some press release services use a summary box. I normally write a catchy one-paragraph recap of my press release using some of my targeted keywords.

Without being spammy, I will normally optimize my press release by using some of my targeted keywords in the first and last paragraph. I will also include some of them throughout the release for a keyword exposure of approximately 2-5% saturation.

Tip: if you’re promoting a web site, I will normally mention my URL around three times within the release for the maximum benefit.

One of the first questions I had when I first started writing press releases was what was considered a great release? What did it consist of and how was it constructed?

Being curious, I emailed my contact at http://www.prweb.com/ and asked them if they could show me a few press releases that they considered as excellent examples.

These releases have received their editorial scores of 5 on their scale of 1 to 5; with five being the highest.

They sent me three of them for review and you can see each one of them here:

http://prweb.com/releases/2005/2/prweb136748.htm

http://prweb.com/releases/2005/2/prweb149213.htm

http://prweb.com/releases/2005/2/prweb203448.htm

Study each one of these against the press release template to see what is required for an effective release.

Note: to get additional exposure for your press release via www.emediawire.com you have to have an editorial score of 4 or higher. So it is to your benefit to write the best release you can the first time around.

Once you have studied the examples and want to try submitting you own press release you need to know which ones are the most popular ones being used.

Here are some of the press release services I have used and found to be effective:

http://prweb.com/

http://www.pressbox.co.uk/index.html

http://www.webwire.com/default.asp

http://www.24-7pressrelease.com/

With most of press release services you can submit your press release for free or via paid inclusion. Paying for inclusion gives you the benefit of faster indexing into the search engine news services and natural search engine result pages.

Normally your release will be picked up by Google news within a few hours after its release. From there it will normally show up in the natural search results within a few days or a week.

I have used both of these services in the past but have found that paying them at least the minimum amount for their distribution services will allow you to view your stats online. It will also allow you to choose different categories for my press release to be displayed in, giving your release a chance for wider coverage.

So using press releases can and is a very effective marketing tool that you can use for promoting your web site or affiliate products if done correctly.

By using press releases, I have been able to create a steady flow of targeted visitors to my web site and affiliate programs while generating dozens of back links to my web site.

Even though the effects of each individual press release may be short lived, they still have provided me with both free and inexpensive ways for getting hundreds of new visitors to my site and quite a few top ten positions in Google for my targeted keywords.

So isn’t worth while to at least check out the benefits of using press releases in your marketing methods? A little work now could reap amazing results.

Ted Kushner
http://www.articlesbase.com/affiliate-programs-articles/press-release-marketing-101-getting-the-most-out-of-your-press-releases-54784.html

By : Vick – http://www.tipscollections.com

Get Free Traffic From Press Releases

Press Releases have continued to be an important tool for businesses, non-profit organizations, governmental agencies, and social activist groups across the web. Few pre-internet communication forms have translated so easily to web publications. It is easy to add a press release to your web site or blog. You can even post them in forums across the web to drum up discussion on the topic. A press release should announce something of value, be it an event, a new release, a change, a promotion, or whatever it is, you should be sure it is well written, interesting, and reaches your target audience.

The goal of the press release is typically publicity.

The strange thing about press releases is that few people actually release them to the press. In cases of large corporations, governmental agencies, or large NGO’s there is generally little coverage of the press releases in main stream media. For your press release to be effective, you should make sure you send it to the appropriate newspaper reporters, editors, magazine reporters, bloggers, and other writers for publication with widespread audience. This could mean finding the email of the small business editor of your local newspaper, or of all newspaper reporters covering this beat in the country. It mostly depends on your client, or if you are doing it yourself, your audience. However, if you fail to submit the press release to the various people that cover this news, it will be just another post on the internet. It is doubtful those same reporters will seek out your press release unbidden.

If you are working regularly with press releases, it will them be necessary to create custom mailing lists for their distribution. If you have multiple clients, some of the contacts may overlap, but many will be distinct only to the individual campaign involved. So you will have to create a custom list of reporters, editors, web masters, and bloggers before you send out the press release, otherwise you will have to do it from scratch every time. If you build these mailing lists while browsing the web and doing other work, over time you can create lists of hundreds of good sources who work in the field and can republish the details of your press release in their newspaper, magazine, or blogs.

If you are really seeking publicity for a client or web site, you can also submit your press releases to TV news outlets and look to promote a reference in a specialized report, or market analysis. This usually works well for new gadgets and software releases, but it depends on the weight of the information and product involved. Another way is to have your press release read, video taped, and then posted to a video hosting site such as YouTube or others. The budget of the account involved will determine whether it is a highly produced script or a guerilla marketing campaign. These are just some of the things to consider when writing a press release, most important to remember is networking.

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Ask Vick

Many assume that press releases are only a method used by business owners to bring media attention to their products or companies. This is quite true, however, press releases can also be a great way to sell affiliate products or a product that you own.  Press releases tend to do very well in the search engines and they provide valuable back links to your website.  In this case, you’re not writing your press release for the media but rather for the average reader.

Press releases, when submitted to the right companies such as PR Web, will give you tons of action in the search engines.  This is because they have developed certain technologies that make their press releases very search engine friendly.

Another advantage is that you will have individuals and companies other than news reporters or media outlets, picking up your press release and placing it on their website.  Subsequently, not only will you get back links to your press release but webmasters also publish them. This means that you are able to benefit from hundreds or even thousands of people reading your press release absolutely free.

When a company or an individual prints your press release on their website, you are automatically getting an endorsement and being exposed to a targeted market. All you had to do was create and submit your press release.

In order for your press release to be successful, there are a number of things that you must include.  You will need to include the keyword or keyword phrase that you are targeting in the headline of your press release. You will also want to include it several times throughout the release. You obviously need to add links to your website also.

It is important to remember that press releases are not simply articles or advertisements. You do need to spend some time and learn how to write a quality press release.  In order for your press release to be accepted by the top press release sites it has to be of high quality. You can’t just slap anything together, submit it and expect to receive results. On certain press release websites, you must receive a certain quality score before you get full distribution of your press release. Therefore, you will have to work very hard to ensure your press release is newsworthy and well written.  If you cannot do this yourself, you may want to outsource this task to someone else.

Your better press release websites are not free.  Typically, you will need to pay at least a small fee to get a good amount of distribution and to ensure that your website link is hyperlinked (clickable).

Releases are a fantastic way to sell affiliate products or even a product of your own.  If you give them a try, you may be surprised at the amount of back links that you can quickly generate and also how well your press release and website does in the search engines. It is important to note that this is only true if you choose keywords or keyword phrases that are not ultracompetitive. 

Scott Brooks
http://www.articlesbase.com/internet-marketing-articles/submitting-press-releases-to-sell-affiliate-products-672336.html

Promotion of a website is vital to its success. But not all promotional methods are created equally. According to many online authorities, and successful Internet entrepreneurs, the best way to promote your website, and get highly targeted traffic is by using the media to get your message across.

When you read the newspaper, you take notice of what is being said in an article of interest. You know that the information included in the article must be important if it is in the media, so you are less suspicious of the message that is being conveyed in a newspaper article than on an advert. Press Releases are no different than newspapers. But in the online arena, you have the opportunity to send out information that will interest the community yourself, and reap the rewards for your troubles with highly targeted visitors wanting to learn more about your business, or service.

What Are The Benefits Of Using Press Releases For Promotion?
The most commonly known benefit of submitting a Press Release is the traffic that it will generate to your website, as well as making your brand, company, or name known to the general public. Basically, you are getting your company noticed by important people, or those who are looking for the answers that you can provide them with.

The other benefits that using Press Releases for promotion include the price of submission. If you write your Press Release yourself, you can have your Press Release out to the general public free of charge. Most Press Release services offer a free submission service. If you are not sure how to write a Press Release, or don’t have the time, there are many Press Release writing services available, or you can outsource to a freelance writer who is experienced in writing Press Releases. But before paying for a press release to be written for you, make sure that you have a newsworthy story to tell.

Press Releases have the potential to be sent all over the web by editors, both online and offline, and at the bottom of your press release is your bio, and your website link. This benefits you in two major ways. First of all, you are getting promotion from the published Press Release, which will bring traffic. But you are also receiving a large number of one way links to your website when the Press Release is published by other high ranking websites, which will make your search engine ranking soar.

So basically, for next to nothing, a Press Release can bring traffic to your site, increase page ranking in the search engines, create credibility, and awareness of your product, service, or company. And all you have to do is know how to write a Press Release that will attract the type of promotion you are seeking.

Are There Any Rules To Writing A Press Release?
Press Releases are a breed of their own, and to be accepted into online media sources, they must follow a set of guidelines. Each submission service will have their own set of rules regarding your Press Release submission. However, there are a few universal rules that are almost always used by any submission service.

The number one rule of writing a press release is to inform the audience, rather than advertise to them. So make your Press Release newsworthy. The second most important rule is to address the questions “Who, What, Why, Where, and When. Try to picture yourself as a journalist, who is reporting a new website, or something of interest to the media.

Keep your Press Release informative, and try not to write to create hype or excitement by using exaggerated phrases. Many submission services will flag your Press Release if you are using CAPS in the body, or in the heading. Don’t go overboard with punctuation such as!!!, and??? in the Press Release.

Check your spelling, grammar and punctuation before submitting your Press Release. This isn’t a rule, as much as it is a guideline, as often editors will see a newsworthy Press Release, and use it without modifying it, or changing anything in it. A poorly written Press Release will look unprofessional, and less like an important newspaper article to the reader.

Make sure to check the guidelines of each Press Release submission service, as some of them require Press Releases to be formatted in a particular way. Others like them to be kept brief, and some services like content related Press Releases. You can submit as many Press Releases to as many submission services as you wish, and by familiarizing yourself with their submission guidelines, you will find it easier to get your Press Release accepted by the editors.

Another good way to learn what is acceptable when submitting your Press Release is to look on the site at other people’s Press Releases. Press Release distribution services usually have a search box on their site that will allow you to type in keywords, and find other Press Releases that are closely related to your own. You can’t copy what is in the Press Release, as that is called copyright violation, but you can learn techniques, and gain ideas from other submissions.

Where Can I Submit My Press Releases
There are a number of good sites that accept Press Releases. Simply conducting a search for “Press Release Distribution” through your favorite search engine will provide you with a number of possibilities. There are some well-known, popular submission services such as prweb.com that are free to submit to. These will get you started, but there are plenty more available, and many are free.

Once you have leaned the rules, and can write a Press Release, you have unlocked a door that will give you the power to get promotion for your website whenever you like. Best of all, you can submit most of your Press Releases for free.

You may include this article on your site or in your ezine as long as this information remains intact.

Copyright 2007 Alastair Hayward

anonymous
http://www.articlesbase.com/copywriting-articles/good-press-releases-excellent-website-promotion-for-free-120952.html

Winter Park, FL (PRWEB) June 18, 2008 — In response to consumer demand, on June 2, 2008, Advocate Auto Claims ramped up personnel and expanded its daily hours of operation. The company, which opened its doors to the public in April 2008, can now be reached Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. EDT, and around the clock at www.advocateautoclaims.com. “Through our affiliate company, we had been providing services exclusively to fleet owners and car rental companies, but we recognized the need to educate consumers about their rights and expand our operations,” said Omar Quddus, President and Co-Founder of Advocate Auto Claims, LLC. “Consumer response to this service has been phenomenal.”

Advocate Auto Claims specializes in what are called diminished value claims. “If you’ve ever sold a car that’s been in an accident, you know from experience that it’s simply not worth as much as the same car with an accident-free history,” said Quddus. This phenomenon is called “diminished value,” and the at-fault or third party’s insurance company has an obligation to compensate the driver who was not at fault for this difference in market price. “Unfortunately, most consumers aren’t aware that they are entitled to diminished value compensation – and insurance companies don’t volunteer that information,” said Quddus.

Few would argue that the concept of diminished value is intuitive. “It’s commonplace – and common sense – for used car buyers to check a vehicle’s accident and repair history using an online service like CARFAX or AutoCheck,” said Quddus.

Yet insurance companies fight tooth and nail to keep from paying these diminished value claims, often putting even knowledgeable consumers in an untenable position. “Each insurance company has its own internal procedures, and there is a maze of regulations and legal loopholes that vary from state to state,” said Quddus. “The burden of proving diminished value is always on consumers, and they simply don’t have the experience to get the compensation they deserve.”

This is precisely why Advocate Auto Claims has opened its doors to consumers. While drivers can pay out of pocket for a vehicle inspection or a diminished value report, Quddus’ company specializes in handling every aspect of diminished value claims – and does so on a contingency basis. Advocate Auto Claims is able to do this because their affiliate company has a 10-year track record of success in working with diminished value claims on behalf of fleet owners and rental car agencies.

It’s likely that, each year, millions of consumers don’t file the diminished value claims to which they’re entitled. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that police officers reported close to six million traffic crashes in 2006 (the latest year for which statistics are available). “Although car owners routinely file insurance claims for car repairs and injuries, they almost always overlook the long-term impact that an accident will have on their vehicle’s value,” said Quddus.

Although drivers not at fault are usually in the dark about their rights, Quddus is determined to shine a light on diminished value claims, and Advocate Auto Claims stands ready to insist that consumers get the compensation they deserve. “The process of establishing diminished value and then negotiating the proper compensation is both an art and a science,” Quddus says. “We’re committed to supporting each and every consumer whose vehicle suffers from diminished value after an accident.”

About Advocate Auto Claims, LLC:
Advocate Auto Claims, LLC is the industry leader in processing diminished value claims on behalf of the public. With expert knowledge of state-by-state and federal caselaw, legislation, and regulatory rulings – as well as insurance company procedures – Advocate Auto Claims is uniquely positioned to successfully pursue diminished value claims throughout the U.S. For more information, please visit http://www.advocateautoclaims.com.

For more information, contact:
Laura Betterly
Media Spokesperson
(866) 596-6011

###

Advocate Auto Claims
Laura Betterly
866-596-6011
E-mail Information: pr@advocateautoclaims.com

Technorati Tags: diminished value, insurance claims