Monday, July 6, 2009

The Game Keeps Changing. Can You Keep Up?

Alert! Author bylines are now searchable on Google News, as reported by PRNewser and their sister blog Baynewser. This is a key development for the field of PR; it is a "PR Game Changer," as ragan.com put it.

In the past, time constraints have often led PR practitioners to "blast" out pitches without taking the time to do their research beforehand. This new - free - service can simplify the process of researching journalists, helping to better target journalists for increased effectiveness while reducing PR spam.

"Byline history was available on Google News all along," explains PRNewser blogger, Jason, "though not hyperlinked, and not available in search window functionality." The improvements made to byline searchability on Google News can make tracking journalists easier - even when they switch jobs.

Besides making life easier for PR practitioners, these changes are also changing the "game" of PR; companies like Google are coming out with free products that may lead to the decline and/or termination of previously relied-upon, subscription-based programs.

Check out the PRNewser blog for information about how to use the new Google Byline so that you, too, can stay ahead of the game.

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