Internet Marketing Tycoon

**kline11** · 12-10-2005, 02:43 PM

I have just submitted to some free news release sites to promote my new webmaster forums. I spent $10 on PRWeb to promote the release. Has anyone here ever used them? If so, how did you fair? The release is scheduled to go out timorrow, and I don't know what to expect. Thanks.

**aboyd** · 12-11-2005, 06:03 AM

Did you ask this same question on another site? I answered a very similar question somewhere else. Anyway....

I used PR Web at the $80 level, which got my release additional exposure. I wanted to use my press release to get mention in printed magazines or newspapers, and possibly to land an interview or two. Unfortunately, neither happened. However, I did see a jump in traffic. And that jump wasn't a spike -- it stayed at the new, higher level.

So yeah, PR Web can bring in some hits. But I don't think they work like a real PR agency, with ties to real publications or influence with editors. Their system is mostly automated, it just churns out release after release after release.

-Tony

**kline11** · 12-11-2005, 11:38 AM

Thanks Tony. I just didn't know what to expect. The release should have gone out today. I'll have to keep close tabs on my log files. And no, I didn't post this before. It must have been someone else. Thanks again!

**Harvey** · 12-11-2005, 11:59 AM

Very interesting - kline, please do post back and let us know how you got on.

**aboyd** · 12-18-2005, 12:10 PM

Yes, I'm curious. Kline, how did it go? What benefit did you see, if any?

-T

**danielme** · 12-28-2005, 08:59 AM

Hi kline11,

I think you are dissapointed with using PRWeb. I used www.Media-Press-Release.com I got indexed in the next day by Google and Yahoo. You may consider submitting your press release at media press release.

I'm looking for your feedback.

Regards,

Spencer

**madkad** · 12-28-2005, 09:14 AM

kline i know some one that can get you in google news and maybe yahoo with a pr and he only charges $30 for the write up for the PR he does all mine and hasnt falled me yet if your intrested pm me and i will give you is info so you can chat to him

**kline11** · 12-28-2005, 04:50 PM

Well, PR Web didn't seem to help and traffic remained unchanged. Waste of $30 as far as I'm concerned.

**Harvey** · 12-28-2005, 05:06 PM

Eek.

Shame about that - glad I didn't make the same mistake. Thanks for letting us know.

**Dactyl** · 01-02-2006, 08:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by madkad

kline i know some one that can get you in google news and maybe yahoo with a pr and he only charges $30 for the write up for the PR he does all mine and hasnt falled me yet if your intrested pm me and i will give you is info so you can chat to him

Could I pm you for the info, I'd much appreciate it as I'm in dire need of such a thing for a site of mind.

Thanks

**hezaa** · 01-03-2006, 07:08 AM

Sorry to hear that PR web didn't work out as you had planned.

**SneakyOne** · 02-01-2006, 06:47 AM

Hi Kline,

Yeah Ive used PRweb and spent $120/ £67 I thought it was worth a shot. As the site is only 12 days old im currently getting on average 110 vistors a day, and have around 36 members signed up. What are your stats for your release? According to PRweb Ive had 20,000 reads, 500+ media pickups and 7 prints with 36 dowloaded in PDF format, what does this all mean? To be honest I dont know and havent seen a major impact as of yet, even though the article was publish on all major search engines yahoo in fact picked it up and changed it slighty. It also received an editoral rank of 5/5 so it was a well written article but as to its success, im not to sure!

**kline11** · 02-01-2006, 09:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SneakyOne

Hi Kline,

Yeah Ive used PRweb and spent $120/ £67 I thought it was worth a shot. As the site is only 12 days old im currently getting on average 110 vistors a day, and have around 36 members signed up. What are your stats for your release? According to PRweb Ive had 20,000 reads, 500+ media pickups and 7 prints with 36 dowloaded in PDF format, what does this all mean? To be honest I dont know and havent seen a major impact as of yet, even though the article was publish on all major search engines yahoo in fact picked it up and changed it slighty. It also received an editoral rank of 5/5 so it was a well written article but as to its success, im not to sure!

SneakyOne,
Here are my stats:
Reads 11,473
Estimated Pickup 252
Prints 6
Forwards 0
PDF Downloads 0

There was no indication that this did anything for me.

**adholes** · 03-07-2006, 09:15 PM

Your effectiveness with the press release is directly tied to its news-worthyness. Most businesses make the mistake of thinking because they've released something, created something, or exist, that it's something that an audience would want to see a story written about. It's not. I used to make this mistake. When I launched my social network for the ad industry, we were fortunate enough to get picked up in a Wall Street Journal article. From there, the site grew very rapidly. The mistake I made was that I thought because the WSJ wrote about us, that it meant my site is newsworthy. It's not. What they wrote about was the trend of the ad industry to schmooze online, which included mine, Talent Zoo and AdRants. When I approached the author about another article, he explained the difference between my self-serving article and articles that show a general trend.

So after sending out many releases that fell on deaf ears, I sent out a PR Web release the monday before the Super Bowl blog, talking about how the ad industry was on my site talking about the commercials. This garnered interest from a reporter at the Boston Herald, who was writing an article on, you guessed it, sites blogging about super bowl commercials.

Wrong:
"Webmaster-talk.com launches, has many webmasters posting"

Right:
"Despite having competing sites, webmasters get together to share tactics, tips.
-Webmaster-talk.com is one of the many places like SitePoint and others where webmasters, some competing in the same niche get together to talk about their site development.... etc

So, yes, PR Web is effective, just as effective of any tool that you use properly.

**Sourcerer** · 08:32 AM

I agree with adholes' opinion, the effectiveness of your press-release will depend on its content. Moreover, it will also depend on the quality of your writing. I have used sites like PRWeb and others, though I have never paid for additional exposure. Instead, I concentrate on writing interesting articles. The better I get at it, the more websites pick-up and post the press-releases, and the more results I see on my logs. Right after submitting to about 20 sites like PRWeb there is usually a nice big spike and then the level drops, but remains noticeably higher than before. Type "how to write press releases" into Google, and you will gets lots of advice.

**bbtrips** · 05-21-2006, 09:32 AM

We usually promote at the $120 level, and have released several releases through PRWeb. The ones that were more timely and newsworthy performed much better, and we did get some articles published. The ones that performed more poorly (in terms of seeing little response) were the ones that were more self-serving (such as the one announcing our affiliate program - which journalists don't really care about).

Perhaps more importantly, it is helping us build credibility. The more our name is out there - the more we become a respected authority on our subject. It has helped us to make some good contacts in the industry as well, which have been invaluable.

Just some thoughts. Will definitely use PRWeb again - just have to make very sure that our releases are timely and written in a way that it is interesting. I heard something interesting on the radio the other day - 'anticipation and/or controversy brings higher ratings in television'. I thought it was kind of interesting. Take American Idol - a lot of the success is the anticipation of the outcome. If we can write press releases that are exciting and thought provoking, I think they will do better.