May 26, 2006

I really did -- twice, actually. The first time was about a month ago when we issued our Microsoft certification release. I jumped on PRWeb's site all ready to sign up for an account and wire away.... but I found the site and the wiring process to be a little confusing.

So I just used PR Newswire, figuring I'd come back to PRWeb at a later date. 

Then I ran into David McInnis (PRWeb's CEO and Founder) and Mick Jolly (PRWeb's Executive Vice President) at Syndicate New York. David and Mick were both extremely friendly, and Mick was even kind enough to show me a demo on how the service works. (He also gave me a little credit on my account so I could test drive it in style.)  

I have to say I was impressed with what I saw, particularly from an SEO perspective. It seemed pretty slick, so I decided to use PRWeb for Marqui's Cruise West announcement.   

However, when it came time to actually wire my release, the process wasn't quite so smooth. Unlike other wire services, PRWeb requires users to cut and paste pieces of release content into various parts of the interface.... and sometimes it wasn't clear what was supposed to go where. (For example, I couldn't for the life of me figure out where I was supposed to stick my press release's subhead.)  

But I kept with it and finally managed to get everything filled out. Alas, when I pressed the submit button, I received a big red error message saying the date I wanted to issue my release wasn't available; in fact, it informed me that I needed to give PRWeb advance notice for any release.... in the amount of two business days.  

Are you kidding me?  

Maybe I wasn't paying attention during this part of the demonstration, since I don't remember Mick saying anything about two days notice. Maybe it's my fault for waiting until the last minute to wire my press release, but then I (and probably most other PR people) always wait until the afternoon right before the announcement date just in case someone decides to make a few final "adjustments" to the release.  

Regardless, the whole thing was very frustrating. I ended up logging out of PRWeb's site and popping over to PR Newswire where I was able to submit my release in about 30 seconds. (Granted, I paid around $600 for the PR Newswire distribution; PRWeb would have been significantly cheaper.)  

I haven't given up on PRWeb and will probably try it for our next press release. At least, the next press release that I am absolutely certain is 100 percent final two business days in advance.

Posted by at May 26, 2006

Comments

Jean MacDonald email - www.smileonmymac.net/blog

I just used PRWeb for a couple of recent press releases. If you make a contribution of $80, instead of $40, you get next-business-day distribution. I was OK with the two-day notice, but if I needed it, I'd pay the extra for next-day.

BTW, I owe a big thank you to Tara and Janet. I had a trial by blog-fire this week, and if I had not attended Innotech last month in Portland, where Janet gave a great presentation, I would not have had a clue what to do when bloggers started sniping at my company because we acquired and re-released software that was formerly "free". It wasn't actually freeware, but donationware, and that launched a whole debate about how developers earn a living.

After the initial round of sniping, other developers came to our defense. (My favorite post title: "Developers: Let them eat cake!" ) We put up our own blog. I alerted the original developer of the software, who went out and posted comments of his own.

I wouldn't have known about the sniping to begin with, except that I had started a Technorati Watch List RSS feed after Innotech.

In addition to all that, we were also part of an online viral marketing campaign called MacZOT. It was like a scavenger hunt, and clues were planted all over the blogosphere. There were incentives to blog the contest and even to "Digg" certain stories.

I had never checked out Digg or Technorati before hearing Janet speak about them. The points she made about managing your online reputation guided me throughout. And she is a great presenter!

piter email -

Very nice article. Funny, I called with someone at Zimbra today as I'm looking at getting a new mailserver for work. This blog and the way the guy was speaking on the phone shows a very passionate company. something sadly lacking in the corporate world.

Mark Alan Effinger email - http://www.richcontent.com

Hi Tara,

Good to see you working the PRWeb engine. And I totally understand your initial frustration in regards to your first-time use.

I also hope you take the time to make another crack at it. I've been a hard-core user of the PRWeb platform for a few years now, and have found that no matter what challenges I've encountered with their system, a quick call (staffed by editors and support 24/7, by the way) will quickly bring a few "a-HA!" moments.

In fact, the first call I made in 2003 was answered, at 3AM, by CEO and founder David McInnis. We ended up having a great dialogue, and I've truly grown to appreciate how the company operates as a whole.

As for your specific issue: I had a detailed talk with the company recently, and I understand the press release submission process is being completely revamped to help clarify what features are available at what contribution level. As poster Jean McDonald mendioned, once you've made a small contribution, PRWeb dispatches their editorial staff to review your release and give it priority, so you can deliver in short order.

As a PR AND technology firm, we are often pushing press releases out at the 11th-hour. In most all cases, we receive an OK for distribution within an hour or so, often less (when I'm doing a final edit at 11:30PM, it's nice to be able to submit, make a call, and have a live editor give us the go-ahead for release within a few minutes!).

If you're interested, I'll let you know when the new submission process is in place. I believe you'll find that the significant online visibility, and the ability to use so many PR enhancement tools all in one place (like www.PRWebPhotowire.com, www.RSSPad.com and www.NewsPad.com) make PRWeb a pretty cool place to play.

Best,

ME

Janet email - www.marqui.com/blog

Jean, thank you so much. Glad you were 'armed' for the conversation that ensued. I'm sure your initial trial by fire will be a distant memory soon, and you'll enjoy the rest of this new communications experience.

Piter - I think people feel free to express a passion about their business through a blog, where they might feel more restraint (whether regulatory or other controls prohibit their freedom...) in older media to express themselves.

I hope Zimbra's got their company name on Technorati, so they can see the nice kudos you're spreading about them.

Cheers!

Dee Rambeau email - http://adventures-in-business-communications.blogsite.com

Tara,

as in all business offerings, you get what you pay for, right?

Tara email - www.marqui.com/blog

Thanks for the information, Mark. It's good to hear that the company is actively working on some of these items! I'll give them another try in a month or so, and we'll see how it goes.

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