NONE: Re: ONLINE-ADS>> The Value of Awards
Re: ONLINE-ADS>> The Value of Awards
Eric Ward | URLwir (netpost_at_NETpost.com)
Tue, 26 Aug 1997 12:31:39 -0400 (EDT)
On Mon, 25 Aug 1997, Ray Taylor wrote:
Ray Taylor <taylor_at_bizbiz.com>
>My advice is target print first, second, and third. If you have any time
>and/or money left, go for the Web sites. I recommend the Internet News
>Bureau for print coverage, as well as the main Web sites.
As a receiver of releases from many of these services, let
me offer an experienced (and lengthy) word of caution:
I'm a media person who receives press releases (I write for
Ad Age's NetMarketing), as well as a sender of releases (I
run the URLwire News Matching Service For Journalists), and
I can share my personal experience that IT IS NOT going to
be effective to send a press-release about a Web site to
thousands of print publications, because they really don't
represent a bona-fide and legitimate coverage opportunity.
We all get so many unsolicited off-topic and uncoverable
releases that the delete key is wearing out.
The problem is that it is just so inexpensive to shotgun a
news release that everyone is doing it, and my inbox is
proof.
If you want print coverage, here's what you MUST focus on
3 things:
1). Send your news only to print journalists who cover the
exact subject area your contacting them about.
2). Send your news only to print journalists who cover the
exact subject area your contacting them about.
3). Send your news only to print journalists who cover the
exact subject area your contacting them about.
Also, the idea that you can target media folks based on a
set of 8 or 10 pre-defined subject areas is flawed. Every
person, every writer, has an exact subject area they are
interested in. "Travel" writers is not good enough. A
writer who covers Wedding Getaways for Bride's Magazine is a
hell of a lot different than the guy who writes the singles
travel column for Playboy. Yet they both get lumped into
the category of "Travel Writers". Depending on your travel
news, one (or both) of them has just been spammed...
Also, there are MANY services besides Internet News Bureau
that focus on a certain audience. I have a comparison site
for all the major Email news release services up at:
http://www.urlwire.com/email-releases.html
It's function is to direct you to the news release service
that best fits your news, so that you do not waste money or
time and don't send your release to people who don't want
it. INB is wonderful, but so are gina, or press express, or
URLwire, depending on the specific news you are wanting to
get out.
And one last thing. While print coverage is nice, you can't
click on it. Any online coverage, especially archived
coverage that results in a link forever (Ezines, WebZines
like Netsurfer Digest and WEBster). This gets your site
near the mouse of a person who is already online. And the
path of click-resistence is far shorter than when the site
is in a print magazine. Bottom line: both are very
important. Awards sites are a weakening genre, devalued by
volume except for those with brand or strong niche identity.
But Webzines and Ezines are vital, and growing.
Eric Ward
Awareness Building For Significant Web Launches and Events
- http://www.NETpost.com -&- http://www.URLwire.com
- Site News Sharing With The Right People and Places
<> Invited Speaker, C|Net Web Builder New Orleans
<> Invited Speaker, Internet WORLD New York, 1997
<> Invited Speaker, Web Advertising 98, New York
<> Columnist, Ad Age Magazine NetMarketing
----------------------------------------------------------------------
This week's Online Advertising Discussion List sponsor:
Win a Free Ad in Larry Chase's Web Digest For Marketers!
All details will be in the Sept 1st issue.
Subscribe now at http://wdfm.com
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Online Advertising Discussion List To Unsubscribe send UNSUBSCRIBE
http://www.o-a.com/ to online-ads-request_at_o-a.com
