Hello, Would one start with press releases or writing articles to promote traffic and help with links? Thanks
I think you need to be a registered business for press releases. Well known press release sites requite that you be a registered business. Moreover, in press releases, you can't 'get deep into the subject'. You have touch it superficially and leave it.
There are plenty of free press release sites out there and they do not give a crap if you're registered or not. PRFree and PRWeb are a couple. You could spend a little on the release for greater coverage. Remember that press releases are for announcing news about your business or web site. Even though you can use a press release for releasing an article, it will make you look foolish. I just read a PR about a scrapbook site that had absolutely no news value whatsoever. It should have been submitted as an article instead. PRs go to journalists looking for news. They don't give a damn about your opinion. Writing articles and submitting them to as many article directories as possible is a better option for building links back to your site. Save the PR for real newsworthy events.
well, it depends... if you want to target specific keywords then use article submission but if your into promotion and driving traffic then do Press Release.
For me writing articles and then post it to article submission site like ezinearticles is the effective way to get traffic or keyword ranking for the site. Not only writing article but blogging and social bookmarking.
I'm afraid press releases are highly overrated. They do very little. Such site as Askmen and TheRomantic tried it, and they got the majority, if not practically all of their visitors from ads, articles and word of mouth. Very, very few read most releases anyway.
If your press releases do very little, it means you didn't use them effectively. If all you care about are traffic and backlinks, stick to articles and don't litter the Web with anymore spam-style crap press releases. If you have genuine news that anyone in your niche might care about, then press releases are the way to go. If you want to use press releases effectively, it's a three step process: 1. Have a solid news angle. 2. Have a well-written release (Either have it professionally written or take the time to learn how to do it yourself - never outsource something like news releases to generic content writers even if they offer the service. Remember, press releases are a PR tool - they do affect your company's reputation over time, and you don't want a bunch of poorly-written releases "out there" when you're looking for real coverage down the road.) 3. Perhaps most importantly, you need to target your distribution. (Remember, you won't get the best results by trying to directly target your end readers. Them being able to find the release in news engines is a perk - it's not the be all and end all. Know who your target end audience is. Know what publications, websites, blogs, or other outlets will not only reach that audience but have influence over that audience, and make sure your distribution plan gets your release into those hands.) If you want to learn more about writing and using press releases effectively (which is something I, and many others, have been doing for years), I have a few articles / posts on the subject (from social media releases to free distribution tips) that may help: 7 Signs that Your Press Release Sucks Effective Free Press Release Distribution in 5 Easy Steps The SMR Revisited: With Todd Defren How to Write a Press Release Free Press Release Template Press Release Writing Tips