The Internet is now becoming a mainstream media destination for experts, authors and companies who want to access the millions of repeat visitors daily to promote their work. It is more important than ever before that you are aware of the various kinds of services available. You want to make the best possible choice in hiring an online marketing company to help you reach your goals. Here are three of the most common kinds of services you will find and what you can expect in terms of how they work and what can be achieved.
1. Word of Mouth Internet Publicity: This is the most common and can be very effective. In this case, a company will blast your excerpt, article or press release out to a multitude of websites in an attempt to play the numbers game. These services are hoping that at least a few sites will post the material. There is no personal relationship with the site and you typically do the follow up yourself to see if the items posted. It is standard PR/Content Submission. The pros are that they can reach out to many sites and quickly gain some exposure for you. The Cons are that there is no accountability and no ongoing relationship with you and the website. Typically, the sites that accept this kind of content are directories and mass article sites that do not feature experts and content.
2. Blog/Chat Tours: These are quickly becoming more popular and involve targeting specific blog sites and directories for your topic. Blog entries, articles, etc are posted into Blog directories and site blogs and promoted from there. Chat Tours are promoted beforehand and can be a good way to again, gain exposure.
3. Expert promotion: This involves promoting the expert rather than the content and is the hallmark of Net Connect Publicity. Based on individual presentations to editors for a targeted list of websites, experts are positioned on a site as an ongoing contributor or panel expert. This kind of placement provides ongoing long term site exposure and credibility that other campaigns can not offer. While it can be more time consuming, this kind of campaign allows you to build relationships with prominent and strategic websites that results in sales of not only a specific product you might have now, but it also allows you to build a base to market all future products to. In addition, you are going to secure more credibility which is crucial when approaching publishers and prominent media.
Net Connect is unique in that we have built our foundation on sales and marketing principles rather than PR principles. We are not focused on securing placements. We are focused on building your business and helping you form partnerships with media outlets who will work to promote your past, present and future books and products. We help you design your branding so that you can approach new media and new audiences. We can guarantee the placements. There is no risk because we know what our sites are looking for and we have the tools in place to make it happen.
The Internet is unlike all other forms of media in that you need ongoing exposure to create a lasting impact. Pages come and go quickly online, so simple one time article placements or features will soon disappear. While it will be archived, it won’t be prominently displayed. Thus ongoing relationships with websites are what will make you stand out among the pack of content submitted to editors everyday.
So when you are choosing a company you need to first define your goals. It is valuable to gain all the exposure you can and the Internet is a powerful place to accomplish this. However, you do want to examine what kinds of sites you want to be associated with, how much exposure you will receive on the website and what the real value will be for your investment. No approach fits every need. Evaluating your goals will help you be more knowledgeable to choose the form of online PR that will work best for you. Just ask yourself, am I looking for people to know my name? Only Expert PR will provide that opportunity.
Anne Leedom is the Founder of Net Connect Publicity, an online expert pr and brand development agency for authors, experts and websites who wish to promote their work via the Internet. Net Connect opened in 1999 and handles clients in various topics including parenting, health, business and spirituality. The company is based in Northern California. Contact Anne at anne@netconnectpublicity.com.
