PRofiting from Publicity: Online Public Relations

Written by Philippa Gamse


Continued from page 1

A great resource for finding appropriate places to send press releases is Mediafinder. This site can be searched under numerous different subject areas, geographic locations, etc. It provides Web site addresses, e-mail contacts and media kit details.

E-mail releases

Remember when sending an e-mail press release to follow some basic rules:

* not all e-mail readers can display formatted text, so stick with plain 10pt Courier, and keep your line lengths to 60-80 characters

* be sure to include your contact e-mail address and Web site URL in a prominent place, and make sure that you have a great signature file (the piece of text that appears atrepparttar end of every e-mail message). It should be brief, but contain your name, company, one line about what you offer, telephone, fax, e-mail and Web site address. Your e-mail program should help you to create this, unless you are using America Online (where you can cut and paste)

* use a "knock their socks off" subject / headline, such as "Internet Benefits For Business Discussed On Web Site Broadcast" - not just "Press release" to enticerepparttar 125190 editor to read your message; and

* don't "spam" reporters (i.e. blitz your e-mails indiscriminately). Send your release to targeted and appropriate places only.

Some real world rules also apply here. Don't bombardrepparttar 125191 editor with e-mails asking why your piece was not accepted. But if you do make it into "print", perhaps a real card to thankrepparttar 125192 editor is a better marketing ploy than e-mail (and I don't often say that!)

Caryn Amster picks up postcards on vacation and uses them for media thank you notes. Why a postcard? Because everyone inrepparttar 125193 newsroom sees it, wonders why someone is sending a card from Disney World torepparttar 125194 newsroom. One card gets a lot of mileage.

Press release Web pages

There are some major advantages to using press releases on your (or others') Web sites. You can include:

* hyperlinks to related stories, or further background information;

* sound and video clips to enhance your presentation; and

* buttons to access your release in different languages (great for international speakers!)

You can also easily track where your press releases are published and how many people read them. If they are included on your site, you can find this information from your own access logs. If you submit press releases for other publications, consider using different e-mail contact addresses for each. Often your Internet Service Provider will supply multiple e-mail boxes as part of their Web hosting service, which is a great way to quantify your responses.

There are several Web sites that allow you to submit free press releases under a number of different searchable categories. Two such sites are: PRWeb and Webwire.

Online Radio Shows

In addition to "print" publications, there is an increasing number of "online radio shows". In fact, Yahoo! has a whole category devoted to them.

The shows are generally broadcast in "Real Audio", or a similar program. This is software that is free to download and easy to install on your computer. The "streaming audio" is heard as it comes to your machine, so you don't have to wait forrepparttar 125195 whole clip to download before you can hear it.

Again, these shows are looking for content and guests. The Yahoo! listing often includes each one's subject matter or focus, so you can identify appropriate targets for your message.

So Do It!

Other than an investment of time, and some research savvy, all ofrepparttar 125196 opportunities outlined in this article are free. You don't need to have a Web site to pursue many of them (although I believe that it enhances your visibility and credibility if you do).

Public relations is an area that most of us can take better advantage of. So venture into Cyberspace, and "PRofit from Publicity!"

Copyright, Philippa Gamse, 2000

Philippa Gamse, CyberSpeaker, is an internationally recognized e-business strategist. Check out her free tipsheet "Beyond the Search Engines" for 17 ideas to promote your Website: http://www.CyberSpeaker.com/tipsheet.html Philippa can be reached at (831) 465-0317 or mailto:pgamse@CyberSpeaker.com


FROM ORDINARY TO EXTRAORDINARY THROUGH INTERNET NETWORKING

Written by Rozey Gean


Continued from page 1

3. INCREASED EXPOSURE Through sharing your expertise and knowledge within your Internet networking community, you earn trust and recognition among your peers. Your participation serves as your initial means of gaining exposure and becoming better established as an expert in your field.

4. ENDLESS REFERRALS Once your fellow networkers come to know and trust you, you will begin to experiencerepparttar fruits of your networking efforts. Not only will your peers be more apt to utilize your services; they will be quick to refer others to you. This generates a cycle of word-of-mouth advertising that will contribute more to your growth than high dollar advertising.

Networking through Internet communities offers a sense of reassurance in that it bridgesrepparttar 125189 gap by providing resources torepparttar 125190 entrepreneur that may not otherwise be readily available or easily accessible. As your networking experiences begin to produce growth for your business, it is important that you remain an intricate part ofrepparttar 125191 group and give back as frequently as you can. As an active networker, you can turn an ordinary business venture into an extraordinary success!

Rozey Gean is the founder of the Marketing-Seek.com web site where e-zine publishers, writers and online entrepreneurs are brought together in an easy-to-use, friendly interface. The #1 Resource for Content and e-Promotion http://www.marketing-seek.com Email - mailto:rozey@marketing-seek.com


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