Title your posts like this: “The best ____ of 2009″ or “the top 5 blog posts” of the year. These make excellent ideas for press releases. They often get picked up on social sites because they’re catchy and you can increase your chances by adding pictures for each point. Here are some examples of this kind of press release from Business Wire.

You don’t have to have a web site to send out a press release – local businesses can do this as another way to market their business. You should do it for your business.

Here are some lists that I plan to check out during the holiday break:

Top SEO Books from Lee Odden

• top webinars of 2009 from Vocus
• top 5 webinars of 2009 from PRWeb – mine’s on the list!
• top webinars of 2009 from Hubspot
• top web sites of 2009 from Time Magazine

For me 2009 was about product launches, something I’ve never done before. It started with writing a book about online PR, then I produced an online PR DVD to go along with the book. I also did a lot more public speaking.

Once you’re done thinking of important milestones of 2009, write blog posts or press releases about what’s coming in 2010. The ideal for a press release is to predict trends in your industry or expertise. You’re going to start seeing a lot of these. What’s new in social media in 2010? How about in SEO?

For me 2010 may hold the following: writing another book, developing my email list, finding JV partners for my DVD and creating an online PR store with my products. Some of these topics make excellent press releases (launching a new online store, JV opportunities for my DVD, one about the book, significant speaking engagements, etc).

What have you done in 2009 that was successful? What is coming for 2010? We want to know! Please leave your comments.

Many people believe it’s enough to blog about their news. For some high traffic blogs (thought leaders) this might be true. For most blogs there isn’t the distribution. You want to reach outside of your community for greater exposure.

Here’s an IM conversation I had recently about the importance of press release distribution:

Clogon: i guess i just put my “press releases” in the form of blog posts

Me: yes and your reach is pretty limited compared to a distribution site that sends it to thousands of people

Clogon: so which one do you prefer at this point – prweb.com or are there better ones?

and cost?

Me: even our hero [name deleted] said the pr is what killed it the last time I worked with him

on a contest

prweb is still the best

http://www.topseos.com/rankings-of-best-press-release-distribution-companies

tell me you can get that kind of reach for free

not going to happen

even if you blog you should be sending out press releases

it doesn’t need to be either/or

What should you write about?

This is easy if you have news to announce – like a new product. If you don’t have any news of your own to announce, look at the news going on in your industry right now. Then give your opinion or slant on it.

One of the best ways to increase visibility is to tie into a trend. Right now a trend that’s hot is the economy and how it’s affecting your business, customers or community. Anything that has a green benefit (as in saves the environment) is popular. For example, colleges are trying to save money by cutting down on the number of commencement ceremonies. What is happening in your industry?

I look at press releases as feature stories more than hard news stories. That way journalists or bloggers have a ready-made story to work from and a good angle. We’re either lazy or we’re overworked and giving us a good storyline is helpful. We can add our opinion and input and it’s good to go. So give us a good story and make sure it’s not boring or bragging. That’s the fastest way to turn off a writer.

A good story will get you links – sometimes not to the press release itself – but they see the story and link to the domain.

Want more information about press releases? Read my Book.
My book, “I Want a Killer Press Release, Now What?!? A Guide to Online PR” goes over more ways to increase your exposure online. It’s in pre-order both in paperback and as an ebook. I wrote it after years of writing press releases and seeing what works. Also as a resource for people who want to write and distribute stories themselves. I also charge a fee to review and improve press releases that are already written. It’s my favorite thing to do.

FREE OFFER: I’m looking for before/after examples of press releases so I have a special offer. I will review and improve your press release free. Just be one of the first 10 people who make a comment on my blog www.OnlinePRBook.com or become a fan of the online PR book on Facebook.

By entering you give me permission to use your name in blog posts and promotional materials. Email me when you’ve done this. If you’re one of the first 10 then I’ll ask you to send the press release to grocerybike @ gmail .com

No matter what your budget writing and distributing news online monthly or quarterly is a great way to build links and get traffic to your site.

I have been reading a lot lately about marketing resolutions for 2009, and rather then share what mine are personally – or what my companies are – I thought I would give some insight as to what trends I am starting to see, and what I feel is going to be a businesses most important investment in 2009.

In the last month I have signed 4 pretty big clients, and each one of them has told me they see an opportunity online because of the slow down in the economy.  Whatever little they are doing online, they are seeing a ROI, and want to take things to the next level because they feel online is where its at.

All of my family and friends who are very aware of what I do for a living, keep asking me how things have been the last few months.  Keep in mind these are the same people who told me I was stupid when I quit my job, and went off on my own and left corporate America – they keep looking to say I told ya so rather then listen to me?  I kinda feel bad when I see everyone around me losing their jobs, and struggling to make ends meet, and I tell them that my business has never been better.

Why is that?

I embrace online marketing, I put big bucks into it, I spend nothing offline and I put every ounce of energy I have into learning/testing/implementing everything there is to know about Internet marketing.  I guess you can say – I feel that I am on the right team.

I had a chat with my brother the other day, and he was even telling me his very traditional company (when it comes to advertising) who has been putting 100k plus/month into print/offline marketing has finally opened up a bigger budget for online marketing in 2009 because they finally see the writing on the wall.  If only I could have only convinced them years earlier (and I tried) they would be leaps and bounds ahead of their competition.  I still feel its better late then never though, and that now is the time to take advantage of search marketing!

So I guess in sharing this insight with you I am also givine you my main goal of 2009, and that is to help businesses better understand the power of marketing online.  Shoemoney did a great post a while back talking about how when online marketing is done right – there is no recession.  You must learn to adapt, and change your business model and figure out a way to make money.  A good friend of mine made an analogy for me (with regards to his business) – he said:

“Mat, its like we have million dollar homes for sale in a market that only wants Condos and Town Homes.  So we have to figure out how to make a Condo, and Town Home product.”

He understands how to take advantage of down markets.  When everyone else is crying about sales being down, he knows what it takes to increase them.  When everyone else is crying about not making any money, he understands how to make his business money.  This is a sign of a true business owner – one that will make money no matter what the circumstances around him/her!

What are my thoughts on where you should be focusing your business resolutions? (in order of most importance)

1. More money into Search Marketing – SEO, PPC etc.
2. More focus on Reputation Management
3. Branding
4. Embrace Social Media – Learn it, use it, grow your business with it!

IMO – Maybe the most important resolution that businesses need to be making is the one that involves what they spend in online advertising.  I feel now is the time for business to be spending money, and putting money into their online marketing campaigns.  If you are making resolutions for your business, and figuring out budgets for 2009 – let me help you make your most important 2009 resolution – increase your online budget and finally start to embrace Internet marketing.  I can promise that if you do you will see a great ROI, even in a down turned economy!