By Guest Blogger, Marc Harty, CEO of MainTopic Media, Inc.
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PR 2.0 offers far more publicity opportunities than old PR ever did, especially for those who are not marketing experts. In the past, the media, as gatekeepers, deemed who received exposure and who didn’t. Online PR offers many ways to reach prospects, buyers and key influencers directly. To maximize today’s trends in Online PR, always focus on the following “four pillars”…
Online PR Pillar #1: Strategy
Strategy is “the what” and tactics are “the how.” The “what” could be anything from your brand personality to key business outcomes you expect from your marketing.
For example, what values does your product, service or company represent? One of my most important values is humor. Humor helps me engage my audience whether live or remote, as well as overcome the dry subject matter of search engine marketing.
Online PR Pillar #2: Story
The most glaring mistake I see is announcement-driven messaging rather than story-driven content. Announcement style press releases work if you are Apple announcing a new iPod. But with 5,000 press releases published daily, an announcement driven approach won’t breakthrough.
To overcome that challenge, consider developing a “Persona” and weave that through ALL of your marketing. A Persona is a role or character you create for yourself. For example, “The Underdog.”
There are many other ways to enhance your story, such as piggybacking on current events or popular culture.
Online PR Pillar #3: Search
Perhaps the biggest benefit of Online PR is its staying power. Old PR was often temporary. But with Online PR, when you optimize your content correctly, your online release is visible for weeks, months even years—by journalists and buyers alike.
2 best practices for optimizing your PR for search:
- Put your keyword phrase in the headline and 3-4 times in the body copy.
- Include your keyword phrase is in the first paragraph and the last.
Online PR Pillar #4: Social
The widespread social media impact of New PR is just beginning. As Social Media Strategist Brian Solis shared, “By driving Online PR from a social-centric position, companies can identify the right groups of people, determine their needs, uncover their channels of influence and use the tools and words that will reach and compel them.”
To become more social media savvy, many press release sites now include video, images, slide shows, and connections with Twitter and Facebook.
In summary, Online is one of the most powerful methods to effectively reach prospects, buyers and influencers. Use these 4 pillars as a filter to maximize both your article and press release marketing.
To learn more about Online PR, I invite you to claim your FREE Instant Access to my Optimized Press Release Template at www.prtraffictemplates.com
Marc Harty is an Online PR expert, speaker, consultant and CEO of MainTopic Media, Inc. Marc’s Online PR Made Easy system can help anyone at any skill level build business and buzz now and for years to come.