Once upon a time, the idea of  “any press is good press,” ruled the world of advertising. Getting press, even if it was negative, would allow for a brand, however small, to get its name out. Today, with modern Internet marketing so prevalent and TV or radio advertising not getting as much play, the press you receive online is likely to make or break your company’s reputation.

If your company is still working toward getting any press it can muster, try to reconsider the value of only getting good press: it can help you stand out from the competition.

Big press may not lead to your website.

Even if a brand receives free press for a viral post or because of a negative customer experience, the big press that it drums up may not actually lead back to your website. It might increase your mentions on social media, but a lot of chatter doesn’t necessarily translate to a lot of sales.

Too many brands pay for press.

Even if you try to take advantage of bad or subpar press, you might still not be heard. So many brands and people pay for press today that you can never guarantee that any press will be heard or even acknowledged.

Bad press could lead to bad reviews.

Any press may mean that your company is on people’s minds, but it could backfire dangerously. Your company could find itself the victim of bad reviews on the many consumer-review sites online; try as you may, there is not much you can do as a business to come back from negative online reviews.

Some stories sink based on SEO or news sources.

Even if you are willing to take any press that you can get, it might be pointless based on the news source. If the news source is one that is not respected, it could mean that the press is ignored or even ridiculed. Likewise, even the best press can fall victim to bad SEO or a small social network.

The 24-hour news cycle means quantity over quality.

“Any press is better than no press” is not the right attitude in a world where a 24-hour news cycle means valuing quantity over quality. Even if you are pooling all your resources to drum up some press excitement, it could mean nothing if something occurs deep in the 24-hour news cycle that grabs the attention of all the morning newspapers and dominates headlines.

When it comes to press, think smart. The best press is true organic news. Try to focus your marketing efforts on getting the word out there about positive aspects of your company or business; don’t settle for any old press!