The Publicity Works is the Norfolk-based press relations expert offering PR services in both the consumer and business-to-business markets. The consultancy prides itself on being alert to all possibilities in helping to build their clients’ reputations within all markets. The Publicity Works recognized the benefits of marketing to a growing online community early on and established the importance of utilizing digital tools to distribute to a wider market. “Initially we started using free distribution services but found that they did not have significant reach, and the work involved, was painfully time-consuming,” comments Andrew Denny, head of online communications at The Publicity Works. “What’s more, we found that controlling the message after publication was tricky.” The challenge was therefore to find a solution that enabled The Publicity Works to manage its press release distribution efficiently and reach a wider market, achieving the best results for their clients.

Driving Site Traffic

The Publicity Works began using PRWeb to strategically distribute press releases to Internet news sites via online channels. Straight away the agency saw a boost in both the quality of coverage, and number of websites and journalists, their communications were reaching.

“Investing in PRWeb enabled us to achieve wide-spread press visibility for our clients when we needed a story to have that ‘extra’ reach”, comments Andrew Denny. “Having previously relied on free wire distribution services, it was clear as soon as we began using PRWeb that this was a more efficient solution which provided our clients with a greater spread of coverage in places like Yahoo! and Google News.

“Using PRWeb has also enabled us to re-evaluate the way in which we construct press releases for online distribution. Because we know that certain quotes can be emphasized, we now concentrate on strengthening these and strategically placing them in the press release to achieve maximum impact in search engines.

“We have also found that PR Web enables us to control our clients’ message. Should we need to add further information or an additional quote or new photograph, PRWeb allows us to do this quickly and easily. Another valuable feature is the ‘pull quote’ facility, which allows highlighting of the most powerful quotes in a press release.

“The ‘human’ element is invaluable”, says Andrew Denny. “Because real people at PRWeb look at the press release and call us back immediately and talk us through the options and ways of categorizing each press release, it feels more reassuring, as if there’s another stage of quality control.”

Having benefitted from the PRWeb press release service for over a year, The Publicity Works has seen a large boost in the amount of web-based coverage they now achieve for their clients. This in turn has steered consumers towards their clients’ own websites.

“PRWeb certainly has the best reach of all the previous services we have used,” concludes Andrew Denny. “We can ensure our customers’ communications reach places such as Google News or Yahoo! News, increasing traffic towards their own sites. As media consumption increasingly shifts towards online, the benefits of using PRWeb will become more and more important for PR Consultancies.”