I won’t begin to insinuate that PR agencies have lost their purpose. What I will say is that press relations in the digital world have become as much a function of the marketing team as anything else. And the “private” world only open to agencies and their employees is now filled with DIY solutions for the average Joe.

One thing your company should be taking advantage of is the modern day press release. Companies like PRWeb allow you to send out a press release online and track its readership and spread. They’ve automated the concept of a press release, allowing you to push your “news” to thousands of online publications with a few clicks.

How can a press release help you?

  1. SEO – the modern day solution to press releases offered by companies like PRWeb allow you to incorporate links into your release. Therefore, for every website that the release is posted, you will get inbound links to your own site, giving Google more reason to move you up in their rankings.
  2. Professionalism – a press release just looks better than a blog post, or a memo. It’s an announcement from your company, in press release style, with headlines, subheads, captions, quotes, and press contacts. If your website has a press section, including a formal press release in there looks a lot better than just an article you write yourself.
  3. Buzz – if your release is newsworthy enough, take the completed press release and send it individually to major blogs or print publications in the field who might be interested. Just like a more traditional press release, this will give them a story worth bringing to their audience, and can create even more buzz for your company.