We include a free PRzone.ie account as part of all our social networking packages.  But why is it worthwhile creating a profile in PRzone.ie?  What can you do once you have an account?  What are the benefits of using the PRzone.ie service?  I asked them to give us a quick run down of  why it is a valuable tool for business:

What exactly is PR?
Is PR only for the big players?
Does it add value or would I be better placing an ad in the local newspaper?

We have been asking small and medium business owners their views on PR over recent months and how valuable or not it is in the marketing mix for their businesses.

We tended to get the same answers!!
‘What is pr?? Public relations..press releases?’
‘It’s for large organisations with large marketing budgets!’
‘I don’t have the time for any of that!!’
‘That’s big money ….I already advertise on radio, local newspapers etc!!’

Believe it or not, as a marketing practitioner for nearly 20 years, I have discounted the value to be gained in having a PR policy against the time and money needed to make it successful particularly for my SME clients.

I have tended to mentor my customers to be creative in their below the line techniques in particular to get their products, services and companies noticed.

Since becoming involved in PRzone.ie many of those preconceptions have gone out the window. Here is a Press Release site specifically designed to meet many of the message requirements of smaller businesses in particular.

So what’s so unique about PRzone.ie that makes it stand out as a critical business tool?

Well here are but a few!

1. It is specifically designed for small and medium Irish Businesses.
2. It gives your business an immediate free profile on the site.
3. PRzone.ie immediately notifies the major search engines, our Twitter profile and other online services when content is published to bring your profile and message to a widespread audience.
4. You are immediately linked to all of the other businesses already registered on the site.
5. You can add articles written about your business to your profile.
6. Within your profile you can select the media from a comprehensive list that you want your Article or Press Release to go to.
7. You can use the power of your customer testimonials on your profile
8. You can easily add PRzone.ie’s professionally designed signature to your Outlook and instantly raise awareness of what’s happening in your business with every e-mail you send.
9. You can include your articles on your website by simply adding our News Feed plugin.
10. You can leverage the power of the business groups you are a member of on the site.

There is a cost to publishing an article on PRzone.ie. That cost is currently €85 per publication. Compared against other mass advertising techniques like local newspapers and radio and considering the “community benefits” aspect of using the site it looks to me like a no brainer and an inexpensive direct marketing tool for businesses with an eye on the end of the recession.

When completing your on line registration, PRzone.ie asks that you enter a your registered business number and vat number. This is to ensure that PRzone.ie connects with other likeminded businesses in a credible and verifiable manner which distinguishes the site from other general press release sites.