Press Release Resources & Websites - Using Press Releases for Marketing

Press releases are notices in the form of news stories or press statements that provide audiences with information related to the activities of a business or organization. Press releases are used in public relations and as forms of marketing for new products and/or services.

Press releases can be send to news agencies or staff at various editorials and media, such as newspapers, radio and television stations.

Internet/Online Press Releases

The internet has changed the way press releases are written and used. Historically, press releases were formatted according to technical specifications, which would help to identify them as press releases. The main parts of a press release were the headine, dateline, introduction, body, boilerplate and contact information.

The main focus of press releases used to be to provide facts to the public, investors and government with regard to business operations. More recently, press releases have been designed to generate a buzz and bring attention to a business in an effort to grow its online presence.

Press releases are used in online marketing and as a part of search engine optimization, designed to drive online traffic to a website and build link popularity.

While this was originally an unconventional use of press releases it is becoming more and more popular among website owners and new businesses have sprung up to help website owners write and distribute press releases online.

While you can effective write and distribute your own press releases and utilize a number of free online press release websites, using a third party can often save you time and resources.