Press releases are increasingly popular with the online business community, often among those looking to use press releases to drive traffic or build quick backlinks. Despite their popularity, they're often used poorly by people who don't understand them. Are you really trying to use press releases the right way, but you feel like you're wasting time or money on press release writing and distribution because you're not getting the results you want? You may be missing one of the 3 keys to successful press releases. Why Traffic and Backlinks Aren't Enough Getting a quick influx of traffic or backlinks isn't enough to call a press release "successful." It can even do real damage to your company's reputation. There's More to Life than Cheap Backlinks Most of the backlinks obtained quickly from free press release distribution sites aren't worth their non-monetary cost (what it can cost you in reputation when you have real news later). You'll find your press release (and links) buried deep in archive pages on distribution sites in no time, and you'll come to realize that many of those quick links are from poor quality sites and scrapers with little link value. That's not to say you should never use a free (or even paid) press release distribution sites. They're decent tools for certain audiences (and knowing your audience is the key for distribution), and if nothing else, they can get you found via search. Just don't waste time going overboard. You have better things to do... or at least you should! It's all about your ROI... if spending that time on something else could be bringing in better results, that's what you should be doing. Mass press release distribution rarely gives you the best return. Much of the Traffic is Worthless The majority of visitors won't stick around long, won't return, and won't convert. Many are just stopping by briefly to see if your site catches their interest enough to run a story about it. They're not usually the visitors you want - those interested in what you're saying, doing, or selling. Even though the distribution may be free, it can still cost you! By littering the Web with "junk" press releases (releases that are poorly written, have no news value, or both), you run the risk of being ignored when you really do have something to say. A bad image isn't easy to fix, but it's not impossible. You can start with your very next news release by keeping these three keys to successful press releases in mind: The News Angle - If you have nothing worth saying, people aren't going to care enough to read the whole release, nonetheless interview you, write a unique story to promote you, link to you from a worthwhile site, etc. The Writing - If you can't write a quality, well-formatted press release yourself, hire a professional press release writer or take the time to learn (my Press Releases Made Easy e-book is a good start - use code "dp10" to get it for just $10 with resell rights included! - or visit my Free Press Release Writing Guide for tips.). If you hire a PR firm or press release writer, make sure they're really qualified (a lot of generic content writers call themselves press release writers these days), and preferably look for someone with experience in your specific niche. The Distribution - You can have a major news angle and a top notch press release in-hand, but if you don't get it in front of the right eyes, it's not going to help you! Press release distribution doesn't have to cost a lot (like with newswires or sites like PRweb). Follow these tips for effective free press release distribution to learn how to get coverage (and the quality links and targeted traffic that can come from it) without spending a dime. You may think you've had success with press releases in the past. But if you've been lacking in any one of these three areas, you have a long way to go! Find out how successful press releases can really be by daring to think about more than instant gratification, and you just may discover what offline businesses have known for years: That press releases and overall PR campaigns can be a highly cost-effective means of promoting your business, building an image, and keeping your company (or website) in the spotlight!
It is good for temporary boost up in traffic but I don't think the backlinks is going to help much as normally in news outlets archive the backlink disappears fast.
I can't emphasize how much I agree with everything you've stated in your post. I think too many people these days are expecting a press release to act as a sales letter. I've had to stress to clients in the past that this isn't the correct way to use a press release, and have pretty much gone ahead and refunded those kind of orders. While I can come up with a decent press release, I don't think sales letters are really my specialty.
I turn down release orders regularly when it's clear that the buyer has no news, has no interest in looking for a potential news angle, and only cares about polluting the Web with their quick links. While a lot of people don't understand the process when they first come to me, what I find so promising now that wasn't as true even a year ago is the fact that clients seem much more willing to learn about how to use releases more effectively by getting away from the IM mindframe that really has no place in PR. Here's one thing that anyone wanting to use press releases should take the time to understand up front (as an example of what I try to drive home with clients): You can't expect miracles from a single press release. A release is just one component in a longer-term PR strategy / campaign. You use them to build exposure not by simply announcing something and then never using one again. You do it by using them to keep your name / company name in front of your target audience on a regular basis by making it a priority to make your site, company, or yourself newsworthy.