Press release distribution: free and paid services

A press release is the first and foremost way to tell about new events taking place within your company. It will help you gain free publicity, maximize your search engine optimization, boost your website traffic and get your news on top sites like Google News and Yahoo! News. 
There are many press release services that broadcast story ideas to hundreds of journalists at once. If your company doesn’t have time to build its press release distribution list, you can use an outside service to reach your target audience. 

What is a press release?

Every day journalists have to fill column space and airtime with new interesting stories. That's where press releases come in. Concisely written and targeted, they draw media attention to newsworthy business developments such as launch of new products. 

A press release is targeted at the members of the media. It contains all the essential information (who? what? where? when? how? and most importantly why?) for the journalists to easily produce their own story and tell the world about your company. 

Some people think that a press release is a very boring marketing method from the past. However, times have changed. Nowadays press releases are a lot more fun. They can include video, images, links, social media buttons and more.

Actually, catching journalists' attention with a press release includes two steps:
•    Writing a compelling press release.
•    Distributing the press release to media outlets.
These points are equally important if you want to gain free publicity. In this article we will focus on the last aspect - the distribution of press releases. The right strategy will result in widely read or viewed new stories that will enhance your company's image.

Paid press release distribution

There are several ways to find the right journalist for your story, and the method you choose will depend on how many people you want to contact. For new and small companies, using a paid press release service may be the best option. 

For a fee, they will upload your press release, edit it, e-mail it to as many media outlets as you want (some companies offer more than 10,000 media contacts) and send you a Proof of Distribution report. You will have an opportunity to view access statistics, track your results and choose new media outlets like YouTube. 

A press release service lets journalists use advanced search or subscribe to RSS feeds. Your newsworthy story can be picked up by blogs, Google News, Yahoo! News, MSN, Ask.com, Topix.net, RedTram and many more. 

Typically, press release services offer several plans. A basic press release distribution package with most companies includes direct press releases, financial announcements, video files, audio files, links and other business-related information. You can also highlight your news and add your company’s logo or business card.

Additional information will help journalists and editors get all the facts from one place instead of having to browse your website to find a logo or image to illustrate the story. You know, journalists are always in a hurry. 

If you are looking for a paid press release service, consider the following websites:
•    PRweb.com ($80-$360). There are four service plans that have various degrees of press release distribution, SEO and social media functionality, display features, and reporting capabilities. 
•    24-7pressrelease.com ($49-$349). It is intended for any size companies looking for maximum exposure and visibility. The service distributes press releases to 4000+ websites and trade publications for your industry.
•    PRleap.com ($49-$149). Once your press release has been approved, it will be published and transmitted to the website partners based on service plan purchased. A PDF version of your press release is available to download from the website.

Free press release distribution

If you can’t afford to pay a third party service for press release distribution, you can do it yourself. Here are 5 easy steps you can follow:

1. Choose several free press release distribution sites. You can google "press release submission sites" or use the following services: 
•    Free-press-release.com 
•    PR.com
•    I-newswire.com
•    1888pressrelease.com
•    Pr9.net
•    Prlog.org
•    Pressmethod.com
•    Prwindow.com
After you submit a press release, the editorial staff will review it to ensure that it meets their content requirements. If your press release contains any grammatical, spelling or punctuation errors, it will be rejected. 

Free press release distribution websites typically have limited functionality compared with paid websites: there is no guaranteed inclusion on the front page, you can’t add images, multimedia and links, your press release may be deleted after 3-6 months.

Make sure that you don’t submit the same press release to the same website because you can be considered as a spammer. It will seriously ruin your company’s online reputation. If your press release doesn’t work, it’s better to change the title and some part of the text before submitting it again.

2. Send your press release to the most relevant journalist at your local newspaper or other local media outlets. If you don’t know how to find out the precise reporter or editor, pick up your phone to get this information. Smaller papers love to tell about business developments of local companies. 

3. Send your press release directly to niche or industry media outlets. Don’t wait until they find you through press release distribution site – it may never happen. Use Mediapost.com, an extensive directory for US media, to find all necessary contacts. 

4. One of the fastest-growing trends is blogs and e-zines. If you know top bloggers or websites in your niche, you can e-mail them your press release. Or you can google websites in your industry that might be interested in your story. 

5. Add your press releases to your own website or blog. It will be viewed by the end user, as well as traditional journalists and bloggers. Add social bookmarking tools and allow commenting to make your story more popular. 

Keep in mind that journalists, reporters, editors, website owners and bloggers are human beings like the rest of us. They will prefer getting press releases from an individual or business that they know. So if you want to be a successful PR agent, it is necessary to cultivate relationships with members of the media.