How to use Press Releases as CONTENT ?

[Schwabe]

Most of us understand the concept of writing & distributing your own press releases. But how about from the other side: how do we use other people's press releases as content for our website?

Professional news journalists use press releases as "news stories" for newspapers and websites.

So... how do we, as webmasters, tap into this rich content supply? What is the source? For example, when a news writer is skimming over the press releases of the day: what website is he using?

And I'm also wondering if there are any guideline to using Press Releases as web content. For example, is it considered free content? Are we allowed to modify them?

[Justin Mandel]

The easiest way to use press releases on your site is to create a "Media" section and directly add a link to a PDF to that with your PR.

Otherwise by their very nature PR's are NOT content rich so it doesn't make too much sense to me to use the information contained within them

Otherwise there are various PR sites that editors and writers sift through and are placed on lists according to the industry they specialize in and are eligible to receive those PRs automatically.

Best of Luck!

[erinwrites]

Newspapers, etc. Will use news releases to fill out their papers because they pay for the right to do so by subscribing to specific release services. If you look carefully at your newspaper, you will see the service listed: AP, Reuters, etc. These publications do not simply find releases and reprint them haphazardly.

If you want to use the press releases that you see on the web but don't want to subscribe to a service or pay for reprint rights, you will need to give credit to the release service as well as keep the contact information contained within these releases in tact. If you don't do these things, you are simply plagiarizing the material which, as you should already know is a BIG no-no.

The best way to use a press release in your own content is as inspiration for your own writing. If you have a blog, for example, you could say something like "I came across [something] today and while the press release said [this], I think [that]." Link to the press release and you should be okay. But, you know, I'm not a lawyer so don't expect my advice to hold up in court

[Schwabe]

Okay good insights. The PDF idea is interesting, but my focus is mostly for reader entertainment - so I don't want to make their viewing experience cumbersome.

The reason why Press Releases would sometimes be a good source of content, is simply for the "news" section of a website. Primarily to keep my readers entertained, rather than as content you expect to get indexed. As a sort of "buffer" between your unique content and the sort of news that either isn't that important or you can't keep up with on a day to day basis. The type of stuff you have to pay 'lip service' too. Ex- if I run a movie website and want to just post press releases of new movie announcments instead of trying to create new unique articles for them all the time.

In this regard, from what I understand erinwrites is saying that its okay to duplicate Press Releases but you'll need to include the contact info and credit the release service. Key is to find the "Raw Press releases".

And that leads me to the question: where is the best source of raw press releases ?

Another question for you - and this is just general press release stuff - can a subscriber (such as a Newspaper) freely edit press releases however they want? In other words, are newspapers allowed to just hack up press releases and put their own twist on it?

[Justin Mandel]

A newspaper editor can totally edit the information, however usually they are much too much busy to make any actual content changes to it and hence change the content - which is why they rely on *great* press release submissions to start with.

If it is not good then they just throw them out and use something usable.

Remember - people who make submissions are trying to get free press so they are sort of giving up "rights" in exchange for their information to appear in the column(s) of a newspaper.

Originally Posted by Schwabe

Another question for you - and this is just general press release stuff - can a subscriber (such as a Newspaper) freely edit press releases however they want? In other words, are newspapers allowed to just hack up press releases and put their own twist on it?

[Kevin Lam]

I'll ask Marc Harty in the morning and see if he has an answer to this.

[KimPup]

A Media Room is what you need. Provide a link to your PR everwhere, but create a spot on your site for "media"

Go here for free info...
scroll down..half way down the page..
FREE Business Resources-

[Marc Harty]

Thanks Kevin for alerting me to this thread. Having reviewed the original inquiry and the various replies, I'm surprised no one mentioned just adding some RSS feeds from any of the newswires or press release sites as a way of adding content to your site.

You can specify specific market categories and niches. Here is where you can find out more about third party publishing and adding PRWeb press releases to your site as fresh content:
Online Marketing through Press Release Distribution - PRWeb

Note: make sure you download the pdf on that page about publishing guidelines.

In addition, you cut put these RSS feeds in the media section of your website or even on the home page if you want.

Hope that helps.

[travlinguy]

I guess I'm just a little slow on the uptake on this one but why would you want to use press releases as content? By their very nature press releases are promotional pieces (if done properly, journalistic-style promo pieces) for other people's stuff that will include all of their contact info, Website, email addy and perhaps even a phone number. My question is, what's in this for you?

And unless you're building a site specifically for press releases you're bound to be all over the map with regard to content. In other words, you'll have a lot of everything and very little of anything specific. So much for attracting targeted visitors.

Now, that's not saying that having a media site with its focus on press releases would be a bad thing. It could be very good because in that case you are targeting a very specific market - people looking to publish press releases. And there are lots of proven methods for monitizng such a site. But to me, simply offering lots of random PRs for the sake of adding content to a site doesn't make sense.

[sylviajohns09]

Thank you for sharing about Press Releases, I am looking for some information about this. This is one of my task right now that my client gave me.

[Krasimir]

I'm adding a Press section to our website so that I can use PRs as content.