It does not matter if you are an online internet marketer or a completely off line marketer, your message is the most important tool you have in your marketing tool kit. But, it is of no value if your audience does not receive it and act on it.

There are numerous ways to deliver your message to your prospects and clients.  However, two of the most powerful ways to connect your message to your audience are writing and submitting articles to online article directories and writing and submitting press releases to traditional, local and national news and feature media.

While these are two distinct channels for message delivery, they are often confused.  Articles tend to be content focused while press releases are news and event focused.

I often tell my clients to think of articles as their personal column in which they can showcase their expertise.  Evergreen in nature, articles  are best if they are principle-centered and informative.  That means that they must be just as relevant months and years after they are written as they are the day they are written.  The best articles are those that never age.  Writing and submitting articles on a regular basis helps to build strong positioning and branding business platforms.

On the other hand, press releases are news-driven.  They focus on time-sensitive events, announcements and changes.  And, for them to gain traction in the marketplace, they must first get through multiple media filters.  To do that, they must be deemed newsworthy by the media, relevant to the media's audience and of interest to a broad spectrum of listeners, readers and viewers.  They also must inform and entertain.      

A steady stream of articles, punctuated by occasional, timely, and newsworthy press releases may be the best one-two punch in online and off line marketing.