Online PR: Are Press Releases Still Necessary?

Like a lot of things, public relations has changed quite a bit since the advent of the Internet. Online marketing isn’t just online marketing any more. It’s also online PR, and that includes press releases.

While press releases are still a large part of the public relations picture, how they are written today has changed a bit. Today, a good press release can (and should) include the following elements:

Search engine optimization with good keyword management
Images
Video and multimedia presentation
Links to important pages on your website that relate to the content of your press release
Social media promotion
A strong online distribution plan

Not every press release has to contain all of these elements. For instance, you don’t necessarily need an image and a video for every press release. But a professional video can enhance a properly written press release that is distributed to all the right places online and promoted through social media and search engine marketing.

There are websites that specialize in online press release distribution. I highly recommend using them. I’d also recommend that you promote your press releases through social media such as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and niche social websites that make sense for your business.

Online public relations is about more than just press releases, but a well-written press release is an important part of the picture.