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Make The Most of Your Release: Listen

If you’ve read any of my articles, you know that I’m fond of lists. On the heels of my last article about how to follow up on your release (See “Trevor’s 7 Rules of PR Pitching”), here’s the first of 7 tips to help you get the most out of your follow-up.

1: Listen: Find out who’s talking about your field now.

Image Credit: "Listen" by ky_olsen. Licensed through Creative Commons 2.0

Google has an incredible tool called “Google Alerts.” (http://www.google.com/alerts) If you are a web-savvy businessman or businesswoman, you will come to love it. Basically, you tell Google what you want to know about. Then, on a weekly, daily, or “as it happens” basis, Google will let you know when its search engine encounters a new web page with the terms that you’re interested in. Include your company name in these alerts, as well as some terms that are common in your business. “OvernightPR, Fast Press Release, Social Media News Release, and Fast PR” are some of my Google Alerts.

Be careful not to enter too many terms, or you’ll quickly find that Google will overwhelm you with dozens of alerts a day. The goal is to stay on top of trending news and what people are saying about you, not get so many emails that you just wash your hands of the whole affair.

You will likely find people talking about your industry, at least, if not your business in particular. So talk back. The new Internet is all about the dialogue, so spend an hour or so a day (but really no more!) keeping your name and your business name out there. As you post on blogs or forums, keep in mind that the Internet never forgets. Never post anything public or private that you wouldn’t want a potential client, customer, or business partner to read in a week, a month, or a year from now.