Posted: 11th May 2015
Online PR is all about getting the word out about your business on the web.
This encompasses a wide spectrum of activities such as:
Online press release distribution
Article marketing
Blogging – writing a ‘blog’ or ‘web log’
Posting in discussion forums
Here are three simple things you can do today to boost your online presence:
1. Write an article.
Write an article on a topic related to your business, about which you are knowledgeable. Make sure you include some links to your website within the text (this should help your search engine ranking), but don’t plug yourself too heavily – your article should sound fairly impartial and contain some useful tips, not just a sales pitch. Then submit your article to sites that accept articles on your chosen topic. If yours is a business topic, start by submitting it to the WiRE website. Otherwise, there are many directories that take articles and allow other websites to republish them – try a search for ‘article directory’ to find these.
2. Send out a press release
Just as there are many free article directories on the web, there are also free press release distribution services. On these websites you can submit your press release, and it may then be picked up by any number of news websites, and even by journalists in the ‘real’ world! Search for ‘press release distribution’ to find these sites.
3. Make some friends online
On the web there are discussion forums on every imaginable topic. Find one related to your area of expertise and get chatting. Try not to plug your business too heavily – rather, offer people useful advice, and you will gain a reputation for being
knowledgeable about your subject. Just like networking through a group such as WiRE, you may well win some business, but at the very least you will make some friends!
By getting your name known on the web as an expert in your chosen area, you should be able to improve your search engine rankings (by including links to your website wherever you can) and also project a professional image to potential clients. And that can only be good for business!
Helen Culshaw runs Shropshire based Ascendancy Internet Marketing, and specialises in helping businesses to get more from their websites through search engine and email marketing.
