Online News Releases can reach thousands of people you may not be able to reach any other way. Here are 7 reasons you should use this tool.

1. Online press releases are an inexpensive method of marketing your business. There are distribution services that charge from $0 to over one thousand dollars. They are very simple to use, and if you can use a word processor, you can use these distribution services.

2. Online press releases are quick and easy to write. They are generally between 400 and 800 words. There is a very simple 8-step format to follow with the most important piece being the headline.

3. They are an effective method of establishing yourself as an expert by providing information about a specific event, trend, or news item. The contact information you provide in the release, along with links to your site, provide the reader an opportunity to find out more about you.

4. Online press releases allow you to talk directly to your target market. You can develop your press release to appeal specifically to those clients you wish to attract. You have control over what and when you publish.

5. An online press release increases your web presence. You can reach people you may not ordinarily reach. Depending on which distribution service you use, news services such as Google and Yahoo News will pick up your release. The major search engines will also pick up your release. Since online press releases stay on the Internet permanently, you can continue to gain attention over a long period of time as users search using your keywords.

6. There are many newsworthy topics you can write about to get the attention of your target audience. Topics can include announcements about your speaking engagements, workshops you are giving, contributions you are making to non-profits in your community, or a new trend in your industry. There are many topics you can write about; just make sure it’s objective information and not a sales letter.

7. Unlike traditional print press releases, you can track the results of your release with many of the distribution services. You can see how many times your release has been read, printed, or emailed. You can also track the increase in the number of back links to you site.

Plan a release strategy in batches of three every three or four weeks. This will keep you in Google news on a regular basis and keep your name circulating. Given how quick and simple this is – there’s no reason not to!