Review of Press Releases From Hell and How to Fix Them
The Traditional Press Release Is Dead! The Made-for-the-Internet Release is News Now. NEW Expanded Edition
This is part of the introduction to a guide I bought on MarketingSherpa. I like to keep up on online PR so I’ve had my eye on it for some time. I finally bought it two days ago. I hesitated to give an honest review because right before I read it I happened to go to the author’s blog. Then she commented one of my posts. I wish I had something more positive to say.
The MarketingSherpa’s guides I’ve read are very good quality. This one was misleading. It should’ve been titled or subtitled as “How to Write Press Releases and Email Pitches for the Internet.” Essentially this is about writing clearly for a web audience. No case studies or actual results, just re-writes of press releases and samples of email pitches.
For example, I could tell you that my press release for Shoemoney actually resulted in calls and appearances on the radio and with news stations. If I took the time I could give real results/data. Of course my press releases are intended to get you visibility online, but who’s going to turn down traditional media? As a sidenote it was about press release #4 that resulted in calls for one of my long term clients.
I’ve found that besides online optimization, your press release should contribute in some way – and is not just all take. You can link to other sources, and make the story rather than the company more prominent. This is in social networking style (sharing, starting conversations).
Top 5 reasons I’m returning this online PR guide:
- It says 2004 Edition front and center. Instant turnoff. This is the internet and it’s 2008! 2004 is ancient. Even if it is “revised” it still has a 2004 feel to it.
- Since this is PR on the Internet I expected more about that. Instead most of it is about writing style. Keyword optimization, search engines, and anchor text, was grazed over in a checklist at the end.
- It’s written as if you’re still targeting journalists with a press release instead of the consumer or search engines. No talk about traffic to your web site or rankings in Google or other search engines.
- No talk of distributing your press release online – through PRWeb, PRNewswire, your company blog, or social bookmarking.
- The guide needs to be formatted better. If the information was better I’d overlook this. A new logo from Bloomington Logo can be had in 24 hours for about $30. You’ll see mine on my new blog design that’s currently in production.
To sum up, MarketingSherpa should carry my guide (when it’s done!) or B.L. Ochman should do a real revision or lower the price and sell it as a writing style guide. I hope she does and I’ll be the first to review it.
3 Responses to “Review of Press Releases From Hell and How to Fix Them”
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October 11th, 2008 at 12:08 pm
hey, thanks for your honest review. yup, it’s written in 2004 and the entire thing is based on the premise that you have to write differently because these days journalists are reading off a screen. that hasn’t changed.
that said, i certainly may do an update one of these days. i’ve sold a few thousand copies of Press Releases from Hell and yours is the first to be returned.
BL
October 11th, 2008 at 12:43 pm
Thanks for an informative review about a common problem with eBooks.
I’ve bought quite a few–many of which were disappointing in not only the quality of the information but also with sloppy editing (was there *any*?) and formatting. These problems could have been quickly fixed by passing the document past another reader (or better, a professional editor) for critique and suggestions for improvement.
However, as a writer/editor myself, I’m an information junkie. I love books, I love information–things that get that itch in my head scratched. At the moment, my passion is alternate energy and teaching.
Teaching? I’m a former English and Science teacher.
There are so many school kids and college students not getting *real* information but who are being fed nonsense and fiction in the guise of facts by our media–the television, radio, movies, and print. They can no longer discern between fact and fiction–whether it’s concern of the prevalence of “dihydrogen monoxide” pollution in our drinking water or our “carbon footprint” and whether “chemicals” are good in our food or environment.
And since the current energy crisis may be linked to the ongoing financial crisis–I believe that eBooks, websites, and blogs like yours are necessary to get the word out about how information is distributed about it (through Press Releases) and through effective website optimization.
I know it seems like I’m rambling here… I think that everything, however, is connected and intertwined. (Definition of a web?) With the Internet, individuals have more power and ability to speak their minds and get action on things that concern them.
Now, I have to figure out how to create a press release to get an editor’s attention!
Dave
October 17th, 2008 at 5:15 am
“Press Releases from Hell” LOL, Too effing funny, Janet !
When will your guide be done and available? A modern version I presume about keyword opyimization, seo, etc. and how tos of releasing to the internet through PRWeb, blogs and social bookmarking. You could call it. Press Releases from Hell: NO MORE ! authored by an angel, the Newspapergirl !