Guaranteed Views Is Not a PR Tactic

Over the weekend, I received an email from a PR company that said (in part):

That’s right: 25000 visitors – guaranteed – and for less than what you’d pay with PRWeb. We can send 2500, 5000, 10000 even 25000 visitors to your press releases through our High Traffic Press Releases. Purchase yours today at [redacted link].

Additionally, we have an SEO optimized press release for only $10. That’s less than what you pay at OnlinePRNews! Get on p.1 in Google with our SEO press release service today at [redacted link].

I don’t know how to be more clear, but THIS IS NOT PR. Let’s say this company can guarantee 25,000 visitors (which I doubt, but that’s a separate issue), how do you know that any of those 25,000 views are customers, potential customers, journalists, potential investors? How do you know that any of those views come from people that actually matter to your business? You don’t.

This is not public relations. There are many facets to public relations, but one of the most important elements involves delivering the right message to the right audience. Spraying your message to 25,000 without knowing if those are the right 25,000 is just a waste of money.

If you’re a small business with a message to deliver, there are plenty of free tools out there to help you get started, like Pitchengine and Help a Reporter. There are more than 50 journalists using Quora to discover new sources. There are alternatives to press releases that can be very effective in disseminating a message. The point is: There are more than a few viable, affordable PR tactics that can deliver productive results. Don’t get sucked into one of these “guaranteed views” deals that won’t actually help you reach your target audience. If it sounds too good to be true, than it probably is.

(And now I’m stepping off my soapbox.)

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