Question

Topic: Advertising/PR

Possible Scam!

Posted by Anonymous on 4/28/2010 at 10:15 AM ET 50 Points
A little while ago someone mentioned about PRweb, thought, it might be worth a try. Outcome has been extremely disappointing, it seems Time and Money wasted!

a) After the submission of the first PR I was notified to change it, and after change, the PR does not look exciting, who would read it? they then published it? What's their intention?

b) Their stats has some zero value parameter like IMPRESSION, which seems useless.

c) I uploaded a new version (edited) last night, (see my thread/question for an "editor"), but the PRweb utility has some serious flaws, see my email to them below:
"
Your PRweb tool has several issues for my edited PR.
a) The website element failed to include my website address, which is,
https://www.knowledgenotebook.com/
b) For RSS feed, I'd like to remove the current drupel, and to add 2 or 4 new ones, however, no such options to do so.
"
And I have not received any response.

Are these bunch good at scamming?
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RESPONSES

  • Posted on 4/28/2010 at 12:01 PM Author
    "meet PRweb's discriminating and exacting standards.", disclosure in order, are you associated with them in some way? (From your tune etc...)
  • Posted on 4/28/2010 at 4:09 PM Author
    Karen,

    Jay's idea is good, but I would never subject myself to one option for business endeavor.

    Thanks.

    Don

  • Posted on 4/28/2010 at 6:08 PM Accepted
    PR Web has been successful for some of my clients, and not so successful for others. I think it depends on (a) the category, and (b) the skill of the person writing the news release. The professionals are much better at this than the amateurs.

    For me the lesson to be learned is that you're always better off hiring someone with experience to complete an important task than to try to save money and do it yourself (if it's not something you know you're good at).

    I know we always get better results when we engage a professional. I had one PR consultant tell me that PR Web was the wrong solution in one category, then a few months later tell me it was the right solution in another. And I think she was correct both times.
  • Posted on 4/28/2010 at 6:12 PM Moderator
    Now you have the problem of deciding what the problem is: Is it that you have relied on PR and it's the wrong vehicle, or is it that you've created a poor press release, or is it that PR Web is the wrong medium?

    How are you going to figure that one out?

    Maybe it's time to get some strategic marketing input from an experienced consultant. (Yes, I know. When you're a hammer, every problem looks like a nail.)
  • Posted on 4/28/2010 at 6:14 PM Author
    Michael,

    Thank you for your insights. Any idea how and where to find such a editor type quickly?

    Don
  • Posted on 4/28/2010 at 6:52 PM Moderator
    I am NOT suggesting that the problem is necessarily with editing. I'm suggesting it may be with your strategy.

    I know some PR professionals, but I think they would be insulted if you came to them with an editing task.
  • Posted on 4/28/2010 at 7:00 PM Author
    "I'm suggesting it may be with your strategy.", WHAT are you talking about? flip, flop?

    "I know some PR professionals, but I think they would be insulted if you came to them with an editing task.",
    Some would ask for 2gram others 5gram, risky investment...

    The 80 bucks for the PRweb was supposed to hit something oh well, should have known it better...
  • Posted by steven.alker on 5/3/2010 at 6:33 AM Accepted
    I too think that both your strategies and tactics are wrong, thus agreeing somewhat more with Michael than with you so there is not much point in banging on about PRWeb which obviously works for some people and being a bargain budget service can hardly protect you from rubbish in rubbish out, especially if its your rubbish in the first place.

    Over here in England, we invite several prospective PR’s to a PR lunch at the Castle on a Friday for a modest 5 course meal served on second best china. Those that have been witty enough or are still capable of speech are invited to stay the night and pitch for business over dinner and so on. If they want to they can hunt the next morning or go for a bracing walk. The successful one is invited to stay for Saturday dinner and if he or she survives the family and the assorted neighbours, I can be fairly sure that they will deliver. After church the next morning, we sign contracts and if by some mischance they fail, we usually have them shot and fed to the pigs.

    Why do you Americans always make things so complicated?
  • Posted on 5/3/2010 at 9:45 AM Author
    You have nothing to offer but rubbish, you mXXX fXXX (Expletive deleted by staff) 007 ghost! I just spotted my website attack!
  • Posted by steven.alker on 5/3/2010 at 9:55 AM Member
    And your language is so funny too. Where is your website? I’ve never seen it but if you want to be rude to Michael and me, then be prepared to be ignored in future.

    Sweet dreams

    Steve
  • Posted by steven.alker on 5/3/2010 at 10:00 AM Member
    Oh, and I’ve just looked at your website. Not much wrong there except that it doesn’t actually ask anyone to do anything and doesn’t differentiate itself from CHEAT sites.

    And Michael – could you leave this posting up and let the guy simmer? We are big enough not to feel offended. You could even mail our a quick query to all 340,000 subscribers, quoting his comments and then asking whether you would buy something from such a person?
  • Posted by steven.alker on 5/3/2010 at 10:04 AM Member
    Careful Carrie - you might get shouted at or even worse have our old Anglo-Saxon language misapplied!
  • Posted by steven.alker on 5/3/2010 at 10:12 AM Member
    This is so entertaining that I've just posted it on my FaceBook marketing pages. No doubt Donny will find that not all publicity is good publicity when it is discerning people who purchase your products and discerning people who are having a laugh at you!


    Donny – any chance of a video clip of you getting angry or writing PR copy – then we could do YouTube?

    Lots of love

    Steve
  • Posted by steven.alker on 5/13/2010 at 10:54 AM Member
    Coda: But pretty silly to send it from a personal IP address to a member of community of psychopaths! Lets see, name, address, ISP, route, MAC Address. Not bad just to let of steam for getting angry at Michael!!


    --- On Thu, 5/13/10, MarketingProfs Know-How Exchange <exchange@marketingprofs.com> wrote:

    > From: MarketingProfs Know-How Exchange <exchange@marketingprofs.com>
    > Subject: New posting on MarketingProfs.com!
    > To: "Don Li" <donli@knowledgenotebook.com>
    > Date: Thursday, May 13, 2010, 9:47 AM
    > Dear Don Li,
    > A member of the MarketingProfs community has responded to your
    > question.
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