Agent's Guide To Online PR

Online public relations is an affordable strategy that can help you drive traffic to your website. Unlike old-fashioned press releases, you can “self publish” your news and get it directly in front of online searchers.

Here are the key things to know for successful online PR campaigns:

Write To Engage Your Prospects

In the old days you crafted stuffy, formal releases to appeal to editors of print publications.

The web lets you throw that format out the window. Now the intended readers of your press release are your prospects — so write in a way that interests them.

• Forget dry, corporate speak. Keep language simple, conversational.
• Focus your headline and opening copy on the immediate benefit to your prospects and the solution you're offering.
  
  Example headline:
  Nevada Residents Get Control Over Their Healthcare Spending With New HSA Insurance Plans

Write With Search Engines In Mind

If getting higher rankings in popular search engines is part of your marketing strategy, online press releases are a great way to give you a quick boost in the rankings.

• Put keywords in your headline
• Add relevant keywords to your opening paragraph, avoiding too many repetitions that would sound “spammy.”
• Include a link in the first paragraph to a relevant page on your website. Make sure that link has some carefully chosen keywords.
  
  Example of a search-friendly link:
  Now Nevada residents can save on their healthcare costs with HSA health plans offered through ABC Insurance Agency.

Send Your Readers To Your Website

In addition to the link in your first paragraph, sprinkle links to relevant pages on your website throughout your press release.

It's important to drive readers to pages where they can take a desired action, like request a quote, download your new report or white paper, or sign up for your newsletter.

Step Up The Frequency

Google and Yahoo News services will list a press release in their page rankings for 28 days. If you want to keep news about your agency in those high profile spots, consider issuing a release once a month.

Some angles to get you writing:

• Licensed with a new carrier or state
• Adding new and desirable products to your portfolio
• Announcing awards or distinctions you've earned
• Announce a speaking engagement or event you are hosting

How To Send Out Your Press Release

Online PR distribution isn't free, but you only have to pay a flat fee for each release.

Online “wire” services make it easy to get your release out on the web:

PRWeb www.prweb.com
For $250, you can send a release that's optimized for social media (technorati tags, add to del.ico.us, etc.) and search engine visibility.

BusinessWire www.businesswire.com

PRNewswire www.prnewswire.com

Market Wire www.marketwire.com

Want to learn more? Here's another article on the subject of social media releases.