In the end, a great platform is going to make it easier for you to push a larger number of press releases, that ultimately, should increase awareness (and traffic) and strengthen your brand.

A press release that is newsworthy is what works, and then only some of the time. Announcing that you've put your cyber-shingle out on the web very rarely cuts it unless your services are unlike anything else on the Internet. However, it is worth taking a chance ... and for good reason.

As a result, many small companies have seen their businesses flourish on the web. Sometimes this happens when a company is profiled in a trade journal or appears on the front page of the Washington Post's business section. As long as your goals are realistic, press releases are a valuable opportunity. If you don't succeed on your first release, remember that one press release is only part of an ongoing media campaign and stick with it. Each subsequent press release (crafted for its newsworthiness) will only help your company or organization gain credibility with editors and writers, who may eventually give you that mention you've been looking for. Press releases do work.