Letters to the Editor

Here’s another one of those more surreptitious ways to promote your Web site: use that time-honored practice of writing a letter to the editor. It’s easy — and you’ll be amazed how effective it can be as part of your online public relations arsenal.

How to go about this so that your promotional efforts are not so obvious? First, be humble. Do not try to sell anything, but rather write about a topic either raised in a previous issue or one that is relevant to the publication to which you are submitting. Address the subject as a “concern” of yours or as an example of something that influenced your life. You might not even want to mention your company or your web site url, but instead, simply give your email address, especially if your address has your web site url in it (you@yoururl.com).

To make your life even easier in trying to identify what publications to which to write, try using one of the online news “agents” that will scan newspapers and other online journals for you. These services pick out stories that match your given criteria. One such service is located at News Index and is absolutely free. If you want broader coverage, and are willing to spend a tiny bit for it, go with Inquisit. They call themselves, “A CIA for the rest of us.” (don’tcha love it?!) Inquisit tracks more than 600 sources from around the world, offers a free 14-day trial subscription, and costs merely $12.95 per month if you want to get their service on a regular basis. Get these services to do the leg work for you!

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