What is a press/news release? A press release is a written communication to the news media to announce something that is claimed to be news-worthy. The main idea is to attract favourable media reports that would bring positive publicity for products and services mentioned in the press release. News releases were originally designed as a communication tool between company PR staff or public relations firms and the media. Today, there are free and paid distribution services on the Internet that help disseminate your news release online. The bigger players can even get your release syndicated on...

There are a number of obvious advantages for marketers using Facebook applications to promote their company. One of the biggest advantages that both large companies and entrepreneurs have found is that they can promote their organization or new venture online using viral marketing rather than relying on SEO (which can be a much more complex thing to understand especially for newer companies without the resources to hire an SEO consultant). Another advantage of using Facebook applications to promote a product or company through viral marketing is that it can bring in large amounts of traffic immediately...

Business owners and professionals can feel a stab of fear when the media comes calling. “Will they make me look like an idiot?” “Will they misquote me?” “What if I say something really stupid?” These are common thoughts before answering a media request. As a PR person who trains clients on how to gracefully and powerfully interact with the media, here are some tips on how to make the most of the opportunity media attention provides. 1. Take a deep breath. Recognize that fearful thoughts are completely normal when stepping into uncharted territory. The media...

Public relations, or getting publicity through mainstream media, has been around for hundreds of years and has been proven effective in bringing in consumer traffic to small businesses. But, is such an ancient marketing method still effective for today’s high-tech small businesses? While it’s true that typical public relations have existed long before the computer and the internet were invented, the fact is, it is still extremely effective for almost all online businesses. In fact, PR techniques have evolved along with the development of technology, and they now produce better returns...