In honor of the US holiday, Labor Day, I write you today about labor. YOUR labor. And how by working smarter, not harder, you can gain more completion, and yes, better results with your Online PR.

Before I share my list for less Online PR labor, did you know THE one element that could immediately short-circuit your success? The Answer? It’s your mindset.

Lets face if, if you perceive that something is going to take a lot of work, you’re less likely to do it. So part of my strategy is showing (and in some cases, tricking) your mind to see you’ve got plenty of shortcuts just waiting to be tapped with your Online PR.

The truth is Online PR isn’t easy unless you have the right formula. And that formula consists of the right process, tools and resources.

So now you’re ready for the 5 Ways to Labor WAY Less with Online PR:

1. Use the Right Press Release Template

Press release templates exist for a reason: they get you beyond the “blank screen effect.” That’s where you are staring at a blank computer screen waiting for inspiration to strike. And sometimes it does and sometimes it doesn’t.

Now some templates are way better than others. I’ve found some people call a glorified outline a template. Wrong-o! A template helps you do the job faster and easier. Another mistake I see people make is using a boring announcement-driven press release template.

Better to approach your press release with a bit more imagination. To see what I’m talking about, you can access my top optimized press release template for free. Other good template resources are from online press release service providers like PRWeb and eReleases.

2. Start (and Grow) a Swipe File

First, lets define what a swipe file is and does. It’s not something you blatantly rip off from someone else. A swipe file contains samples and examples you use to brainstorm your own ideas and solutions.

So, you could have swipe files of any or all of the following:

• Headlines
• Online Press Releases
• Articles in your industry or niche
• Quotes

Since these items may exist in different media formats, there’s no need to review all items of your swipe file.To try this technique out, start bookmarking releases that catch your eye. Then, when it comes time to begin your Online PR and write your release, start with your swipe file first and that will get the ideas flowin’.

3. Keep Your Finger on The Pulse of Today’s News

Some people prefer to avoid the news because it’s all bad and they don’t want a letdown. Now, granted you can get sucked into a few things, but lets exert just some mild mental discipline here, ok?

The goal here is to leverage one of the most power Online PR techniques in existence. In short, piggyback your story and release on what’s already making news.

This gold mine of story ideas could include:

• Current events
• Popular culture
• Entertainment

Here’s a quick example. Ever hear of the MTV show called “Pimp My Ride?” Well, I saw a press release that immediately caught my eye because the headline read, “Pimp my Bathroom.”And in so doing, gave a release about bathroom fixtures a real edge.

TIP: sign up for Google Alerts for keywords in your industry. You can also visit news aggregator sites like Alltop and Popurls and see what’s making news at a glance.

4. Create a Headline Archive

The #1 Online PR mistake I see even the pros make? The headline copout! That’s when you give up and use a boring, non-optimized headline. This continues to happen because people write releases like it’s the 1940’s when all you needed to do is make a simple announcement.

Maybe if you’re a Fortune 500 company you can get away with that. But for the rest of us, we need to attract attention and we do that first and foremost with a headline.

When I write as press release, I’ll often generate 50+ headlines. That really gets me in the flow of the idea behind the release.

By having a headline-centric brainstorm and then archiving your unused headlines, you’ve already got a BIG head start. And since you only need one headline per release, many of the other headlines you generated can be used in the release as lines of body copy or in future releases.

5. The Power of a Single Page Matrix

A key part of my Online PR process is creating a single page document that includes a matrix of 11 vital pieces of information. Everything from the topic, headline and key support points to keywords, quotes and calls to action.

I’ve had people tell me I should sell this one page matrix because of all the time it saves. I prefer to keep it in house and only available for my clients in good standing.

But you can easily create your own in Microsoft Word or another word processor that allows formatting of tables.

I find by centralizing key items in one single page, it gives me a laser focus on exactly what the release needs. The matrix approach also reveals if there are holes that need to be filled. If you work with clients, complete the matrix together. And get sign-off before starting to write. I find this cuts down on revisions and assures I hit the target first time out.

I hope you found these “labor less” tips helpful. For me, it was a labor of love to share them. (Did I really say that?)

After reading this, how can you “labor less” with your Online PR? Share you thoughts in the comments.

My purpose behind 30minutepr.com is really quite simple. Take a sliver of time called a “time slice” where you can either learn or implement one of my proven Online PR tips in 30 minutes or less.

With that in mind, I assembled some of my best tips in 7 minutes, 14 seconds. And rather than take you though a long article, let me share these Online PR tips in visual form. If you’re like me (and about 70% of us) you process information best visually.

I have embedded a TV interview I did recently. You know what is the best thing about TV interviews? You absolutely must speak in sound bite form. This interview features those sound bites…

Watch the video and discover all the following:

1. How many potential audiences will your online press release reach? It’s more than two, three, four or even five…
2. My secret ingredient for making any press release timeless. (Starts with the letter “E.”)
3. The optimal number of online press releases to send each month.
4. What most online press releases are missing that negatively impacts response
5. The 4 pillars of New PR—explained.

Now it’s your turn. View the video. Provide some feedback on the video. Do you agree with me? And if not, why not? Share your thoughts with me in the comments.

A discussion about  press release performance is one that’s always worth having.  Even more so considering the many dynamics at play. From big “make it or break it” factors like the main story to more incremental elements like formatting nuances, any of these, either individually or collectively can impact overall performance.

Before I present my list of impact factors here’s some context. My objective here isn’t to overwhelm you with an intimidating checklist. Rather, lets be mindful of these impact factors, test some of them and then course correct over time. And while we’re at it, prioritize the most crucial factors.

This impact factor list also serves as a prelude to the surprising results of an online survey on this PR blog.  The topic? How do YOU distribute press releases? More about that later in this article. For now, I present the following:

17 impact factors of press release performance:

1. Is the headline announcement or story-driven?
2. Any hook, angle or main story?
3. Which newswire or distribution provider used?
4. Free newswire or paid?
5. Horizontal (broad) or vertical (targeted) distribution?
6. The day the release is published?
7. Was the release keyword optimized?
8. Was the release plain text only?
9. Did the release feature images and video? Google image?
10. Was the release integrated with social media?
11. Was there a call to action?
12. Any latent awareness of past releases?
13. Was the release sent via other means: email, fax, snail mail?
14. Was the release a “one-off” or part of a campaign?
15. Slow news day or busy one?
16. Media room or no media room?
17. Was the release more than 400 words?

Because of space limitations, my purpose here is not an in-depth review of each factor.  In fact, several of them merit stand alone posts of their own. (For more practical advice and best practices on all of these impact factors I invite you to consider my Online PR Made Easy program.)

What interests me? Exactly which impact factors challenge you the most? So be sure and share your priorities with me in the comments below.

Before you do lets review the results from my survey, which asked, “How do you distribute press releases?” I was surprised by which method ranks #1. (You can still add your voice and answer the poll via my article “5 Ways Free Press Release Sites Can Cost You.”

Now as long as we’re talking press release performance, what results are you hoping for? I’ve identified the top five results based on my experience and that of my clients, customers and readers. Which one matters the most to you?

Your valuable feedback will help me determine future article topics, program materials and MUCH more. And it would be greatly appreciated!

Please comment on which impact factor or result  concerns you the most.

PR has evolved. Even to the point it is now more relevant and more public than ever. New PR offers far more publicity opportunities than old PR ever did, especially for those who are not marketing experts. In “The New Rules of Marketing and PR” author David Meerman Scott explains, “The Internet has made public relations public again, after years of almost exclusive focus on media. Blogs, online news releases and other forms of Web content let organizations communicate directly with buyers.”

In the past, the media, as gatekeepers, deemed who received exposure and who didn’t. New PR offers many viable and immediate ways to reach prospects, buyers and key influencers directly. And yet with so many choices available, it’s easy to over emphasize technology and tools while core activities like strategy development receive short shrift.

For that reason, I present “The 4 Pillars of the New PR.” (Complete with handy mnemonic device for easy reference: each pillar begins with the letter “S.”)

New PR Pillar #1: Strategy

Strategy is “the what” and tactics are “the how.” The “what” could be anything from your brand personality to key business objectives and outcomes you expect from your marketing. Your strategy should also include successful positioning compared to the competition.

For example, what values does you product, service or company represent? Do those values permeate your marketing—and if not—why not? One of my most important values is humor. Humor helps me engage my audience whether live or remote, as well as overcome the dry subject matter of search engine marketing.

New PR Pillar #2: Story

The most glaring mistake I see again and again is announcement-driven messaging rather than story-driven content. Announcement style press releases work if you are Apple announcing a new ipod. But with 5,000 press releases published daily, an announcement driven approach won’t effectively breakthrough the press release clutter.

To overcome that challenge, consider developing a “Persona” and weave that through ALL of your marketing, not just your articles and press releases.

A Persona is a role or character you create for yourself. For example, I have several customers that use a Persona of “The Underdog.” I’ve seen real estate and investment pros establish the Persona of “The Contrarian” to combat the recent doom and gloom of today’s investment market.

I’ve identified 17 distinct Personas that are effective for publicity purposes. (Note: I’ll most likely release that as a bonus for a new product. Stay tuned.)

Of course, there are many other ways to enhance your story, like finding the right angle. Try piggybacking on current events. That way your message is relevant and you ride a wave of interest already created on that topic.

New PR Pillar #3: Search

Perhaps the biggest benefit of Online PR is its staying power. Old PR was often transactional and temporary. With New PR, optimize your content correctly, and your articles, stories, releases and other content can be found online for weeks, months even years—by journalists and buyers alike.

4 best practices for optimizing your PR for search:

1. Put your keyword phrase in the headline and 3-4 times in the body copy.
2. Include your keyword phrase is in the first paragraph and the last.
3. Use a paid press release site (PRWeb, Webwire, PitchEngine) over free sites. (Paid sites have greater reach and credibility.)
4. Go beyond just optimizing text: include images, audio, video and caption those elements with your keyword phrases.

New PR Pillar #4: Social

The widespread social media impact of New PR is just beginning. In “Putting the Public Back in Public Relations” authors Brian Solis and Deirdre Breakenridge shared, “By driving New PR from a social-centric position, companies can identify the right groups of people, determine their needs, uncover their channels of influence and use the tools and words that will reach and compel them.”

They further add that New PR is about “communicating with, not to” and that there is a shift from away from spin and towards relevance. They identify another critical shift: from a broadcast machine (one-to-many) to community participation (many-to-many.)

To become more community-centric, many press release sites have added social media enhancements. This includes video, images, slide shows, and connections with Twitter and Facebook.

Here’s an example of a social media release for Alex Mandossian’s Virtual Abundance Expo. This is definitely not your grandfather’s press release!

In summary, New PR is one of the most powerful methods to effectively reach prospects, buyers and influencers. Use the 4 pillars as a filter to maximize the results of both your article and press release marketing.

Please add your candid comments and feedback.

Story highlights and action steps:

• Time to review: 10 minutes
  • New PR or PR 2.0 integrates new strategies, tactics and audiences
  • The 4 pillars: Strategy, Story, Search and Social
  • Related Resources:
    • Iconicards by Sharon Livingston. A brilliant concept—a deck of cards, each a different archetype. Extremely useful for marketing insights and Persona development. HIGHLY recommended.
    • Two great books, both created for screenwriters but very relevant for developing a unique story and persona
      1. 20 Master Plots by Ronald Tobias
      2. 45 Master Characters by Victoria Schmidt

    Action Steps:

    • Buy/review the recommended resources as a vehicle to brainstorm Personas
    • Decide on a Persona and test it in one element of your marketing
    • Use the 4 pillars as a checklist for evaluating current and future New PR activities

Yes, free press release sites can and do cost the uninformed and even the experienced marketer. Some of the costs are screamingly obvious others are more hidden. And it’s my role as your advocate to review and reveal them all. Let’s roll!

OK, so you’ve written your press release. Next action: online press release distribution. Now If you’re stuck in terms of a press release distribution strategy, here’s an earlier article about choosing between horizontal and vertical distribution.

(Editor’s Note: feedback please! Take the press release distribution poll at the bottom of this article to help us better gauge topics for future articles.)

Now the purpose of this article is to examine free press release sites-and more importantly-to realize that free doesn’t always mean no-cost. As a big believer of online press releases, consider me amazed, even dumbfounded when a new blog post or tweet surfaces with a BIG list of free press release sites.

So I wondered, am I missing something? Only one way to find out-dig in and do some due diligence. Curious about what I discovered? Well, my search turned up more questions than answers.

A sampling: first, where’s the context? Do I submit an online press release to all those sites? Some of those sites? Which free press release sites do better with the media? Is there software available that will mass submit to those sites? How do free press release sites perform vs. paid sites? What metrics do these sites provide or am I on my own in determining the release’s success or lack thereof?

Yes, my mind was whirring with questions each in search of answers. Here’s the challenge: most of my experience is with paid press release sites and newswires. Of course, some of you reading this now have limited experience in online press release distribution either free or paid.

So consider this foray into the free press release world an educational experience for both of us. And with that in mind…

5 Ways Free Press Release Sites Can Cost You

1. Extra time investment

Time is money. When you pay to distribute online press releases you can often rely on just one service, especially if you use big, established newswires like PR Newswire, BusinessWire and Marketwire. Even PRWeb can provide enough coverage to justify just using a single provider.

However, those newswires are often not budget-friendly, especially for small businesses. So it’s only natural to turn to lower cost or even free press release sites. Dana Willhoit author of “Press Release Stomper” advocates distribution of several free press release sites with every release. Christine Kelly of OnlinePRNews.com has also recommended using multiple free press release sites with every release.

So instead of using one provider now you’re using several. Each press release site has its own interface, its own unique requirements, its own nuances, upgrades, etc.

What’s more, in my tests, adding hyperlinks to press release copy boosts traffic. Yet, some of these providers require a fair amount of hoop jumping, even to the extent of creating your release in an HTML editor and creating clean HTML code to be effective.

And unlike the major press release sites, you’ll need to plan ahead. Many free press release sites have limited editorial desk/customer service hours, often requiring you submit your online press release 48 hours in advance.

Takeaway: is the extra time you’re spending on increased labor worth what you’re saving by going the free route? With some economical press release sites, we’re talking anywhere from $20 – $100 for some good performance results.

2. Online exposure and visibility

One reason to use multiple free press release sites is that you can’t rely on a single free press release site to deliver the typical coverage and exposure you receive from a paid site. Granted, you can increase visibility by paying to upgrade (see #3) but then that’s not a free press release site and it is costing you, right?

Even with the upgrades, I’m not convinced you’ll duplicate the exposure you’ll receive from paid press release sites.

So how do you know what kind of online exposure and visibility to expect? The chart below is a quick, rather unscientific snapshot with a specific outcome. Specifically, the level of penetration in Google News and Yahoo! News. Seeing lots of listings is impacted by the following factors:

1. Quantity of releases submitted. That’s one reason why PRnewswire typically has the greatest number, simply because that’s the preferred choice of many companies and PR companies.
2. Quality. Search engines give preferred treatment to more established newswires and press release sites.
3. Syndication/aggregation. Some press release sites (PR-Inside.com for example) often pick up newsfeeds from other newswires and press release sites.

If you’re considering using a free press release site, do a quick search in the news search engines and see what exposure that press release site is getting. Just search site: (insert press release site url). If you don’t see a lot of listings, I’d go with a newswire that has more activity and better search engine penetration.

Takeaway: Again, there is a time component, since you’ll need to submit to multiple free sites to get the exposure you’d receive from one of the paid sites.

3. Upgrades = extra cost

Now this is an area that gets right to the bottom line. How do free press release sites stay in business? Well, advertising revenue is one way. Another is an upgrade fee.

Here’s the rub: just about anything extra is an upgrade. Even worse, the upgrades are not consistent from site to site. You’ll need to invest some time just familiarizing yourself with the various upgrades, if they’re worth the investment and how that impacts your marketing budget.

In fact, in a review of about 15 different free press release sites, I counted 25 different upgrades. Here’s a sample:

1. Speed of approval
2. Speed of distribution
3. Higher placement on page (above free listings)
4. Preferred/showcased listing
5. Distribution: more sites
6. Other/social media
7. More industry categories
8. Placement in additional newsfeeds
9. More words
10. Formatting: bold / italic text
11. Archiving
12. Media Attachments: images, video, pdf, mp2
13. Ad-free page

Takeaway: free sometimes costs money, especially for features and functionality that are already bundled in with paid newswires. Again, compare and contrast. Ordering numerous upgrades ala carte may end up costing more than a paid newswire that includes several at one fixed price.

To be clear, I’m not 100% anti-upgrade. Yet, in the spirit of transparency, we are talking free vs. paid. So freebie seeker and buyer beware.

4. Performance metrics/course correcting

At a high level, you can view online press release metrics in two camps: external and internal. External includes search engine performance, keyword ranking, press release views/downloads and backlinks. Internal refers to how that traffic shows up to your website: visitors, conversions, etc.

Many of the paid press release sites provide helpful website stats. (Although I find the “number of reads” stat suspect. These are not human eyeballs, often it’s a site that receives a press release constitutes as a read. )

Still, if you use the same press release sites consistently, key benchmarks begin to emerge. For example, when I use PRWeb, I consider a number of reads plus headline impressions of 75,000 a good indicator of decent exposure. Looking at the screen capture from my PRweb account you’ll notice the overall number of this release was considerably higher, 246,282. )

Takeaway: with free press release sites, performance metrics range from sketchy to non-existent. Many free and even paid providers offer more robust metrics for-you guessed it – an upgrade.

Another takeaway: there’s an old saying “you can’t improve what you can’t measure.” Because of the limited nature of free press release metrics, you gain less market knowledge and insights that you can funnel into future releases, thus improving performance over the long term.

5. Staying power

One of my most effective online PR strategies is creating evergreen content somewhere in the press release. That way, when the release is found via a keyword search, there is content still deemed relevant to the user.

Whether it be from my own experience or that of my clients and customers, there has been a consistent phenomenon: when journalists are performing research for a story, they turn to the same place we do for the information: the search engines. In so doing, it’s possible to get media coverage days, weeks, months, even years after your release was originally submitted.

Takeaway: One key factor determining this is exactly where your press release ranks for keyword searches. Again, the search engines seem to reward the more established newswires. And keep in mind if you use a free press release site and you don’t pay for archiving, then you have ZERO staying power.

Again, in my tests the paid newswires seem to have better staying power. Granted, there are many variables that impact this. I’m only coming from my place of experience. If you have a different experience, please enlighten US with your comment.

Conclusion and recommendations:

Knowing what you know now, if you’re still comfortable with free press release sites, have at it. At least you know what to watch out for. And you can always outsource the distribution and let someone else worry about stayingcurrent on all the pluses and minuses.

I’m also hoping to hear from some free press release sites people and have them state their case. If nothing else, by bringing some of these challenges to light, here’s hoping they up their game and perhaps standardizing what’s free vs. what’s paid. Right now, with all the upgrades, it’s all over the map.

I will continue testing free press release sites further and will report back what I find. You may wonder as to why I didn’t include specific case study results from using free press release sites.

A point well taken as my views are shaped by my experience at an aggregate level. Again, I’m coming from own area of experience, which is via paid newswires.

To present all sides of the story as a benefit to my readers, I’ll be interviewing Dana Willhoit, an expert on free press release sites to gain further insights into this area of Online PR. Do watch for that coming soon. And I’m open to interviewing execs at free press release sites as well.

Please take the poll and leave your reply to this post.

Story highlights and action steps:

• Time to review: 14 minutes
  • Know your distribution strategy going in, let that guide free vs. paid choice
  • Free sites do not mean no cost, many include extra charges for service upgrades
  • Free sites can have obvious costs (upgrades) and more hidden costs (time investment, performance, metrics, etc.)
  • Free sites can and do work, but more are needed for effectiveness of each release distributed
• Related Resources:
  • Dana Willhoit, Press Release Stomper.
  • PR Traffic System for optimized press releases
• Action Steps:
  • Review this online press release distribution article for strategy insights.
  • Comprehensive directory of press release sites coming soon. Sign up for 30MinutePR tips (top of the page) to get on the notification list.
  • Test! Use a free press release site and a paid press release site for each release and measure results. And report back the outcome via the comments below.

What’s your BQ? That’s Buzz Quotient… as in are you generating online buzz with your marketing and publicity efforts? Are you tracking and monitoring said buzz? If you’re not, you risk undermining your performance while giving your competition a decided leg up.

So what’s the best solution?  Well you can sign up for Google Alerts. Google Alerts delivers right to my email inbox a handy digest of what was being said about me, my company or my products—all tracked by keyword phrase.

(Disclosure: my PR Traffic course provides a full step by step on Google Alerts and how it can help your online PR efforts.)

And while helpful, informative and providing some extra viral marketing juice, Google Alerts just didn’t go far enough. That led me to the Filtrbox, a web, social media and buzz monitoring service.

Watch my Video review and Insta-Tutorial of  Filtrbox and immediately discover:

• Why monitor buzz and why Filtrbox.
• 3 key benefits Filtrbox provides that Google Alerts does not.
• How segmenting your metrics boosts social media marketing ROI.
• How to set up your own buzz monitoring folders and “filtrs” in less than 2 minutes.

Be sure and comment and share your feedback on your own buzz marketing and monitoring experience.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Over 12,000 people search Google every month for the keyword search phrase “How to write a press release?” That’s a lot of folks in need of serious press release education and training.

And yet how many people behind those 144,000 annual Google searches actually write a press release, rather than just learn about it?

Hmmm…what if they had a digital press release template on their computer screens. Now we’re talking!

A template shortens the learning curve, helps us transition from learning to doing to implementing, and helps everyone from beginners to more experienced press release writers benefit from inherent press release best practices.

In theory, that’s how it’s supposed to work. But in reality? Not so much. I journeyed far and wide across the web on my quest for press release templates that delivered the goods in today’s web 2.0 and social media world.

Guess what I found?

Watch “The 5 Fatal Flaws of Common Press Release Templates” video and discover:

• The right and wrong way to use a press release template.
• How to spot a template that hasn’t been updated since the 1940’s.
• Which template components help shorten writing time to 30 minutes or less.
• The 2 key template components proven to boost press release ROI.

After viewing the video, be sure and share you thoughts. I’d love to hear them. And don’t forget to download my FREE Optimized Press Release Template from http://www.prtraffictemplates.com.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Welcome to 30MinutePR.com. Here, we talk Online PR, Publicity and Press Release tips on a time budget. In short, we share actionable tips and techniques that can be consumed and implemented very quickly. All because your time is valuable, the clock is ticking and our feet are firmly planted in a place called reality.

I chose 30 minutes because—big surprise—it’s doable. 30 minutes gives the brain time to engage, ideas to percolate and the “finisher” in you to emerge complete with a “forward-ho” mindset.

Of course, it’s no coincidence when it comes to scheduling and taking action, that 30-minute segments are the increment of choice with calendars, daily planners and project management systems online and off.

Now what about the tagline, you ask? “Long term buzz. It’s about time.” It sure is. Want to make the most of yours? Watch my introductory video and you’ll wonder why more blogs don’t feature four key accelerated training methods like 30MinutePR.com does. And please, give me your feedback on what topics you’d like me to cover in the future.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Here’s a different look at Online PR than you might expect. You see, I wanted to combine two of my favorite things: Online PR and Kayaking. At first glance, they couldn’t be further apart. Yet, upon closer inspection, the parallels were many. (Disclaimer: I am primarily referring to sea kayaking rather than white water kayaking.)

1. Have a destination in mind

When I kayak, I don’t just plop the boat in the water and paddle aimlessly. I have a destination, even if I’m only out on the water for a couple hours. I like setting a goal: “I can get to the lighthouse and back in a couple of hours.” Sure, I want to have fun, yet just this simple destination mindset keeps my performance on track.

With Online PR, the destination is the outcome. What do you want to happen with an optimized press release? I’m a big advocate of action-driven, direct response optimized press releases rather than vague brand and awareness-oriented online press releases.

2. Come From Your Core

How do you spot an inexperienced kayaker? (No, not someone who flips over! That happens less than you might think.) The answer? They’re all arms. In short, they use their arms for paddling and as a result, get tired quickly. Coming from you core means using bigger muscle groups, primarily your chest and torso, and let your arms follow through that momentum.

Using your torso and having your arms follow is how I can kayak for hours on end, even when paddling upstream.

With Online PR, what are your core strengths? Are they coming through in your optimized press releases? Online PR is a proven way to demonstrate you are an expert authority. Don’t shortchange your optimized press release because of conforming to an out of date notion of what you think an online press release should be or do. Today, properly optimized press releases are a cost-effective method of reaching your target market directly.

3. Streamline:  Only Essentials Matter

Ever notice how skinny a kayak is compared to a canoe? Bottom line: space is at a premium. Whether it’s kayaking for a day or a week, you are forced to pack light. Really, really light. It’s a tough choice on what stays and what goes. (Of course, one delightful surprise was on a week long, guided kayak trip the trip leader unveiled ice cream packed in dry ice!) In that case, I was more than willing to make an exception!)

Now with Online PR, is your optimized press release full of meat or fluff? If you make claims (‘We’re the biggest, highest quality, etc.”), can you back up those claims with facts? Were you in such a rush to get out the release, you weren’t merciless in your editing? With those quoted in your release, whether it’s you or a third party, are the quotes written in easy to consume sound bite form, or do they drone on for lines at a time?

If you answered yes to any of the previous questions, get out your red pen and edit.

4. Meet Rough Seas Head On

I’ve kayaked on four continents: North America, South America, Asia and Australia. The  roughest seas I ever encountered? Off the northern most tip of Cape Breton Island in Novia Scotia. The waves and swells were over 6 feet  and the water was bitter cold. There were about 10 of us in a group and I was one of the few that didn’t capsize.

Our group leader taught us an effective technique of battling the big waves. Paddle directly toward the wave rather than wait and have it wash over us. And paddle head on, perpendicular to wave. That’s because if we paddle towards a big wave at an angle, we expose our lengthy kayaks to the entire wave, making us much more vulnerable to tipping over. Conversely, by padding towards the wave head on, the wave hits a smaller surface area, that being the tip or front of the kayak, so we’re more stable and less prone to be knocked over by the wave. Make sense?

Now with Online PR, don’t tiptoe around a problem. Address it head on. Screw up, and you need to set things straight. In public relations it’s called “Crisis Communications.” Sometimes PR is about damage control. The worst thing you can do is not take responsibility. No one likes or respects or trusts someone that points the finger at someone else.

Another thought on the “rough seas” with Online PR: if you get negative feedback regarding any optimized press release, especially one seen as controversial, follow up with another optimized press release immediately. Don’t wait.  But don’t apologize either. Come from a place of integrity.

5. Keep The Right Tools Close At Hand

When I kayak I always have necessary tools within easy reach. (Not like I can get up and walk around in a kayak!) Obviously, a life vest is a no-brainer. But I also bring along a whistle, multiple water bottles for hydration, a bilge pump, my cell phone, food/snacks to keep my energy up and a first aid kit.

In kayaking and Online PR and optimized press releases, it helps to be prepared and keep necessary tools within easy reach.

Here’s my “right tools” list for Online PR

• A good keyword research tool (You can start with Google’s, it’s free. )
• An optimized press release template (You can download one free)
• Google Alerts:  a great way to keep you finger on the pulse of what’s making news in your market
• Step-by-step training and tutorial materials: PR Traffic provides such instruction
• An online press release “idea starter” list (Can be a list of headlines, ideas, etc.)
• Templates in word and excel to help automate repetitive tasks as well as serve as a guide for your outsource team

All in all, I enjoy both kayaking and Online PR. Look for a follow-up post on further similarities. Have I made you look at PR in an new way? Let me know and share your thoughts via the comments below.

Story highlights and action steps:

• Time to review: 14 minutes
• Similarities between kayaking and Online PR:
  • Know your outcome
  • Streamline
  • Play to your strengths
  • Meet rough seas head on
  • Keep key tools at your fingertips
  • Trust others who have done it: via templates, education and training materials
• Related Resources:
  • PR Traffic Optimized Press Release Templates
  • Online PR and optimized press release system
• Action steps:
  • Brainstorm: what is your subject matter similar to? An interesting analogy/metaphor, such as “Online PR is like kayaking” engages the mind.
  • Once you have that idea – make a list and number it. Next, turn it into either an article or an online press release.

Whether you are an entrepreneur, a company or a PR firm, the distribution of optimized press releases does present both challenges and opportunities. The good news? With a little extra work-make that a little extra attention-you’ll maximize and leverage both the reach and longevity of all your optimized press releases BEFORE they are sent.

Your press release distribution strategy should start with answering two VERY important questions:

1) Press release distribution: horizontal or vertical?
2) Who’s more important: reporters or customers?

Now you may think, distribution of optimized press releases can’t be that black and white, it’s more gray. Well, sure, you’d like to have everything, but that’s not how it works. There is a reason we call them “target” audiences.

Let’s tackle horizontal vs. vertical press release distribution first. And the best way to illustrate the difference between the two is with a few examples:

• Selling online = horizontal
• Reaching a business to business audience = vertical
• Targeting a specific industry sector (like technology) = vertical
• Geo-targeting a specific region: city, state, or country = vertical
• Appealing to multiple regions and countries = horizontal

With distribution of optimized press releases, you can even adopt a horizontal vs. vertical perspective when it comes to targeting reporters or customers…

• Reaching local business community and media reporters = vertical
• Reaching customers directly = horizontal

The reporters vs. customers dynamic will also impact the decision on which press release distribution service provider you select. Some are better for reaching customers directly via search engines, while others do better with journalists covering a specific topic. (Often via emails sent directly to a list of reporters on that topic.)

Distribution of optimized press releases: the one-to-many benefit

The distribution of optimized press releases is a real time saver. You upload a release to a press release distribution provider and it’s sent out via RSS feed to thousands of web sites, journalists and media sites.

Press release distribution reality check: not your grandfather’s press release

The word press comes from printing press. People like to call press releases “news releases” or “media releases” and yet “press release” is still the most used and familiar term. Perhaps the new descriptions are an attempt to better communicate the venerable press release’s social marketing capabilities.

Today, optimized press releases can include audio, video, images, and more. There is seamless integration with podcasts, social marketing, social bookmarking, as well as article marketing and more.

To sum up, the horizontal vs. vertical press release distribution strategy really helps focus on the ultimate objective behind your online press releases.  For some best practices read my article about press release distribution. For specific tips and tricks on getting every extra search engine visitor read my post regarding optimized press releases.

Story highlights and action steps:

• Time to review: 12 minutes
  • Determine distribution strategy and target audiences first
  • Examples of horizontal and vertical Press release distribution
  • Enhancements for optimized press releases include audio, video, social marketing
  • Paid press release distribution delivers superior ROI
• Action steps:
  • Set a goal for your next release: horizontal or vertical?
  • Identify distribution options: 1 horizontal (PRweb.com) and 1 vertical: (many industry publications allow direct submissions)
  • Feedback and comments: horizontal or vertical success stories?
• Related resources: Tutorials on submitting optimized press releases: PR Traffic