Do Press Releases Matter?

If you care about this topic, check out the debate between Andy Lark and Stephen O'Grady here. Our take: press releases do matter, but not in the way they might have years ago. With the efficient distribution of content on the Internet, the press release is useful as marketing content. Not nearly as credible as the news article -- or a blog post from a credible source -- but a well-written, well-distributed press release can help a company get the word out, improve search engine rankings, and generally build a presence on the Web. Is it the most effective vehicle? Not by a longshot. But it's just one of many tools, and one that is sometimes required (e.g., in situations where regulatory rules demand that the company follow standard practices in uniform disclosure).