Hyperlinks are certainly one of the most revolutionary features of the Internet. The ability to “hop” from page to page, from source to source, and even (on a smaller level) within parts of a single document has made information access more flexible and less hindered by traditional linear limitations.
When the Internet first began to creep into public consciousness, the nature of the hyperlink and the way it was able to shape our quest for information and “reformat” our reading habits became a popular topic of conversation among theorists. Some argued that the non-linear opportunity provided by hyperlinks could eventually change the very way we approached texts of all sorts and the way we interpreted the world.
Whether that has happened is a subject for debate. What is certain, however, is that hyperlinks (or, as we now call them “links”) did become a critical aspect of information location and retrieval.
We can direct our online meanderings by links to different locations, making every website a directory of sorts and giving every webmaster an opportunity to become a “tour guide” to valuable information.
Deficiencies
Links are still an important means of finding information, although they generally don’t have a strong influence until one first locates the site providing the links. Well-known directory sites and even search engines are an example of this.
If one should go to Google to search for “social bookmarking,” he or she will encounter a series of links to various sites referencing the term. The links are the pathway to information.
The improvements in search engine technology have made links as a direct reference source less important than they probably once were, in some ways. However, search engines still rely upon them as a means of assessing the relative value of sites. Thus, although we don’t hop from link to link in search of information as much as earlier users, links still form a significant part of the Internet’s underlying infrastructure.
As a standalone means of gathering information, linking patterns alone are inherently limited. They may provide for an interesting non-linear progression through information, but they do a poor job of directing users to specific materials efficiently unless they are buttressed by some larger and more convenient structure, such as a search engine or directory.
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Writing a Press Release
A press release is not just about writing up a 1-page informational piece and sending it to the media. From preparing the news to tracking the effects of a press release, there is a lot more to managing your press releases.
Step 1: Preparing your news
Before you write a press release, you have to critically evaluate whether an event is newsworthy or not. There are several important factors, including the public value of your company (i.e. how familiar the news media and consumers in your industry are with your brand). Not all news is important enough (within the industry), and if you think it will be dismissed as unimportant (and there is little chance of a newspaper running a story about your latest increase in employee
benefits), save yourself the time and money and wait until there is something more substantial to report.
Step 2: Writing a press release
One you have established the importance of your news, you are ready to write your press release. There are standardized templates for press releases, and while they differ slightly in style, following the main elements will ensure that your press release is not rejected because of something as silly as an incorrect format (something that happens more often than you might think). There are general guidelines for writing a press release, but apart from that there is little in the way of style to stop you.
Step 3: Preparing it for distribution
Before you can send your press release for distribution, you need to prepare it for maximum exposure. From proof-reading and editing to optimizing for search engines to formatting the press release correctly, there are several small details that are very important.
Step 4: Distribution
The most cost-effective method of distributing a press release is to use an online press release / news release distribution service.
Step 5: Track results
A press release, like I said before, is a marketing tool. As such, it is important to track its success (or lack thereof).
It is also important to understand what a press release is not.
A press release is NOT:
• From your business or company’s point of view.
• An advertisement for your services or products.
• A sales letter.
• Aimed towards your customers.
• For every detail about your company.
A press release is a news item that journalists and newspapers can use to write a news article / story. As such it is very important to give your press release a news hook, a story angle and to tie it in with current events in your industry.
Step 1: Preparing your news
Before you write a press release, you have to critically evaluate whether an event is newsworthy or not. There are several important factors, including the public value of your company (i.e. how familiar the news media and consumers in your industry are with your brand). Not all news is important enough (within the industry), and if you think it will be dismissed as unimportant (and there is little chance of a newspaper running a story about your latest increase in employee
benefits), save yourself the time and money and wait until there is something more substantial to report.
Step 2: Writing a press release
One you have established the importance of your news, you are ready to write your press release. There are standardized templates for press releases, and while they differ slightly in style, following the main elements will ensure that your press release is not rejected because of something as silly as an incorrect format (something that happens more often than you might think). There are general guidelines for writing a press release, but apart from that there is little in the way of style to stop you.
Step 3: Preparing it for distribution
Before you can send your press release for distribution, you need to prepare it for maximum exposure. From proof-reading and editing to optimizing for search engines to formatting the press release correctly, there are several small details that are very important.
Step 4: Distribution
The most cost-effective method of distributing a press release is to use an online press release / news release distribution service.
Step 5: Track results
A press release, like I said before, is a marketing tool. As such, it is important to track its success (or lack thereof).
It is also important to understand what a press release is not.
A press release is NOT:
• From your business or company’s point of view.
• An advertisement for your services or products.
• A sales letter.
• Aimed towards your customers.
• For every detail about your company.
A press release is a news item that journalists and newspapers can use to write a news article / story. As such it is very important to give your press release a news hook, a story angle and to tie it in with current events in your industry.
The Power of Press Releases
Press Releases tend to be the least understood marketing tool, especially in the age of the small business. New business owners have a foggy idea at best on how to promote their services, and while concepts like traditional print advertising and Internet marketing have become mainstream, generating publicity from media contacts remains a secret art.
The current scenario? Business owners have to pay hundreds of dollars to get press releases written and distributed for them, while not grasping the fundamentals that go into the many steps of preparing, writing and distributing a press release. In fact, as advertising models evolve to include cost-benefits analysis, people are stymied by the fact that despite the promised success, very few people actually end up benefiting from a press release. And all this, as they say, for just one page of newspaper-style talk. Surely something is not right.
What is a press release?
A press release (or media release) is an exercise in public relations. In other words, it is a promotional tool. However, contrary to how traditional methods of marketing work, a press release would be considered ‘indirect promotion’. So, what is a press release?
It is an announcement made to the news media for the purpose of drawing attention to a specific event within your company. Simple enough. If this sounds new to you, pick up a newspaper (or log on to Google) and check for any news that involves a company. Remember when the launch of the new Xbox was announced? Through a press release. Check the financial section and read about the earnings / profits reports of different companies. Yep, press release. How does the news of company mergers come out to the public? Press releases again. How do the newspapers pick up information on new products and services every day? It is all because of press releases.
A press release is a powerful media communication tool. A little further on I will talk about how to determine whether an event in your company warrants a press release, but first let us look at how press releases work.
More about the process of writing a press release in the next post
The current scenario? Business owners have to pay hundreds of dollars to get press releases written and distributed for them, while not grasping the fundamentals that go into the many steps of preparing, writing and distributing a press release. In fact, as advertising models evolve to include cost-benefits analysis, people are stymied by the fact that despite the promised success, very few people actually end up benefiting from a press release. And all this, as they say, for just one page of newspaper-style talk. Surely something is not right.
What is a press release?
A press release (or media release) is an exercise in public relations. In other words, it is a promotional tool. However, contrary to how traditional methods of marketing work, a press release would be considered ‘indirect promotion’. So, what is a press release?
It is an announcement made to the news media for the purpose of drawing attention to a specific event within your company. Simple enough. If this sounds new to you, pick up a newspaper (or log on to Google) and check for any news that involves a company. Remember when the launch of the new Xbox was announced? Through a press release. Check the financial section and read about the earnings / profits reports of different companies. Yep, press release. How does the news of company mergers come out to the public? Press releases again. How do the newspapers pick up information on new products and services every day? It is all because of press releases.
A press release is a powerful media communication tool. A little further on I will talk about how to determine whether an event in your company warrants a press release, but first let us look at how press releases work.
More about the process of writing a press release in the next post
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