Ever since a certain Mr. Ivy Lee created the first press release on behalf of a railway comapny in the event of a big railway accident more than a 100 years ago, press releases have been integral part of any Public Relations endeavor, be it for individuals, organisations, business entities or government agencies. For public companies, press releases have an added dimension and gravity. By the usual SEC disclosure requirements, publicly trading companies are obliged to release information regarding material events to their investors, customers and the general public. And with advent of the internet, the rise of myriad online press release sites offer companies large and small an array of options to choose from to distribute their news and information.
Negotiating the world of online press release sites
It is undeniable that the internet has revolutionised public relations in a big way. Companies have the option to use their own websites or dedicated press release sites to reach their target audience. Any casual google search will throw up a thronging multitude of sites all clamoring for attention. There are both paid as well as free sites claiming to give maximum coverage to your releases. It can be a tricky business to figure out the best site to get maximum impact from your press releases. There are several key aspects to look into. The first and most obvious is the amount of webste traffic that the site generates. The more, the merrier or so to speak. And even more crucial in these times is the level of social media presence that the site commands as that can guarantee increased visibility via networks like Facebook and Twitter. Another important factor to be considered is whether the site allows "dofollow" on links which essentially means that there will be better SEO on the site.
Old wine in new bottles?
By the above criteria, you can narrow down the list of capable press release sites (paid and free) considerably to the likes of PRLog.org, PRNewsWire.com, BusinessWire.com, PRWeb.com, Free-Press-Release.com etc. But at the end of the day, these sites do not have anything radically different to offer. Press releases still remain what it was a hundred years ago: a one-sided communication from the company to interested parties. Make no mistake, these are all great and capable sites that get great publicity to press releases. But beyond providing better or wider coverage, nobody has managed to harness the interactive potential of the internet to any great extant. Or have they?
Link My Stock: Networking for Business
This is where Link My Stock from the rising networking service WooEB has managed to break new ground. WooEb is a free online networking service that caters to the business end of the online world. Think of them as a social networking site like Facebook, but geared for business firms large and small, investors, brokers and their ilk. The site basically provides businesses or individuals an online marketing platform to promote their products and services. Link My Stock (LMS) is the new financial network within WooEB that allows firms to release press releases under their respective LMS hubs. So what is radically different in that, you might ask. It is the "network" aspect that is new here. The LMS network brings together firms with stockbrokers, investors/shareholders and brokerage firms.
Bringing Firms, Brokers and Investors closer
SEC requirements aside, the ultimate aim of press releases from public companies is to attract the attention of investors. And the investors are themselves looking for high-performance stocks. The LMS network brings together both parties to a single platform. And if you are a public company, your press releases get assured coverage on various syndicated sites like LinkMyStock.com, WooEB.com, TransWorldNews.com, StockeNews.com, StockFiling.com, and WallStreetNewsHour.com. Even more significantly, releases through LMS hubs can go to social media sites like Twitter and Facebook to receive retweets and likes. But the gamechanger is surely the networking aspect. Companies can link to registered brokers on the network and facilitate stock transactions. And if any potential investor reads the press release, they can follow the links to the company and to the registered brokers of the company. The investors basically dont have to go elsewhere to contact brokers. It brings everyone from across the globe together under one roof.