I've never wrote a press release for any of my sites. After reading more into PR's and their results I became very interested. However... I have no idea where to start. I just launched: http://idealposting.com Can I write a press release about a site like that?
A press release can be written about any business. As mentioned by jhmattern it is the newsworthy angle that powers a news release. PM me if you want additional information; I am a press release writer.
What are the popular sites to submit your press releases too? *EDIT* just looked at your one site jhmattern, and found some links to free and paid ones **
Good. I hope they helped. PRweb.com is probably the most popular here. PR.com is one of my favorites personally, and will get you into Google news even on their free listings, so it's worth submitting to, especially if you're planning to go the free distribution route. Jenn
If your launching a site it ALWAYS pays off to write a press release in my opinion. State that your site launched, write about what you offer or do exactly, write why your company does it better than anyone else, and write a paragraph about some general company details for the ending "About" section. If anything it pays off to write and publish your press release just so you can get it in Google/Yahoo News and into some search results.
Do you offer a press release writing service for small businesses -- we plan on releasing through PR Web at a paid level.
Yes, I write releases for one man operations all the way up to the big corporations. PM if you desire more information.
First, congrats on your launch - it looks like a service that would be very helpful to those just launching a forum. Press releases usually come in two types - news releases and feature news releases. If you just launch (or make available a new version/service) etc. that would be a news release. Include as many details about what it is that you're actually doing. If you want to address how your site/service solves a problem that would be a feature release. I've found that clearly identifying the problem and using specifics and quotes draw the most attention. I prefer to send news releases through the wire (PRWeb, PRNewswire, PRLeap) and follow up with feature news releases (and of course a phone call).
MattKNC, your prices are a little steep... I was hoping for more in the 30s-40s range. I'm not sure what in my site is all that news worthy... perhaps just a general article on the "Paid Posting Industry" which contains links to my site. (and also could to my other - http://paidpostingreviews.com )
A "general article" isn't a press release though. Without a newsworthy angle, maybe just doing a general article like you're talking about, and submitting it to article directories instead would be a good option for what you want to do. It would also likely fit a little bit easier into the price range (since it would be pretty difficult to get anything but free distribution done after paying for the writing at $30-40). Either that, or you can draft a basic release yourself (I have a free basic template available with tips at a link in my sig), and then you can probably hire a professional to edit it for you for less than typical writing rates.
Hi mmelen, My rates are well in line with what copywriters typically charge. I have read some of the press releases from the lowballers on this site and to be perfectly frank they lack the quality level you deserve. As Jenn mentioned, you could write the press release yourself and then pass it onto an editor for their review. Best wishes, MattK
I once submitted a site to PRWeb and got a rating 4 out of 5 for 5 mins work. jhmattern if i remember correctly has a template for press releases. Just follow it and you will be fine.
Matt's right. His rates are in line with most copywriters. Most PR professionals seem to charge between $199-500 (makes me think I should raise my rates again... j/k). You can find people who will do it much more cheaply at a regular rate, but what you sacrifice is losing someone who actually knows how to write for the media. I see a lot of these, b/c I'm often hired to re-write them before distribution. I know I couldn't personally do it within your budget, and I don't know enough about Matt's releases to give feedback on him. But I do know at least 2 copywriters here on DP that might be worth contacting (not sure of their exact rates, but they might be able to help). If you'd like their names, just PM me. And yes infonote... the link's in my sig. Eventually I'll add a few more specialized ones there (like for online-only distribution, product releases, etc.), once I clear up some other big projects.