How to Find and Use Free News and Articles in your Web Site

In the previous article, Linda talked about how to use RSS feeds for aggregated Web sites or blogs. In this article, she leads readers into using RSS, press releases and other free sources to create a Web “hub” for topical information. She provides perspectives on various news sources, links and information on how to use this material.

Conclusion

You can find many, many more free resources for news and information on the Web, but how you use them is important both for your credibility and to develop a following of people who begin to trust on your ability to bring news to a 'one-stop' destination. Using free information usually works well, but there are some cases when you need to use your common sense:

·         Don't use a story that leans heavily toward marketing a certain product or service unless you are a firm believer in that company's products or services. While most people feel they can trust Adobe, you might question or look into a company that's a virtual unknown before you push their press releases.

·         Nothing beats a well-written press release. However, many press releases often need to be tweaked for grammar and/or for (believe it or not) spelling. Always read through a press release before you post it on your site. How do you know if a press release is well written? Look for the "who, what, when, where, why and how" journalistic answers to those questions in the article. If a press release includes that information, then you're well on the way to using a good story.

·         You also can use press releases to write a different story about the same product or service. Consider that press release as a great resource for quotes, company statistics or other information you can use to write a piece for a Web site.

·         Even if the story doesn't contain an image, you might include one from any given site mentioned previously to give that press release some 'umph.'

·         Be sure to read all information posted at press release sites to make sure you do not violate any copyright laws or infringe on usage terms. Sometimes a link back to the site (for instance, it's become natural protocol to link Wikipedia pictures back to the Wikipedia page with the full-res image) is all you need to pay tribute to the site that offers help for your site.

·         Finally, once you've posted the news item, use your social media tools to broadcast your 'news.' This action can help pull readers into your site for a story that took little time and effort on your part.