Many people look for help writing a press lease, but it doesn’t matter how well written your press lease is if no one sees it. While there are some free press release distribution services, you may have more success by having utilizing a professional distribution service.
Whether you are looking to communicate your story with other members of your community or professionals world wide, there are distribution services available to help you meet your goals. Most do not have common knowledge on what to look for in a press release distribution service, so here are a few key points to consider when comparing companies:
•Some distribution services spam journalists. They may advertise that your press release will be sent to thousands of journalists, but big question is – will those journalists even read it? Good companies foster relationships with journalists that are interested in receiving relevant press releases.
•Make sure your press release will be distributed to Tier 1 newswires. Just because a company has “wire” in its name doesn’t mean it is a newswire service. There are two newswire leaders for press releases: PR Newswire and Business Wire. These are the two newswires that journalist regularly review for stories.
•Find out how a company will notify you where your press release has been sent. Good companies will provide you with links where you can easily find your press release. With some companies, they only send a link to their website and you never really know if they’ve sent out your release. In most cases you should be able to find your press release on news searches of Google and Yahoo.
•If possible, find out what time of day a company distributes press releases. It’s best to have it done early in the morning, east coast time. When journalists get to work in the morning they check their email for potential stories. It’s much better for them to read your press release first thing in the morning than late afternoon.
•Make sure your press release won’t be sent out as an attachment in an email. Due to the threat of viruses, many work places do not allow opening of email attachments. It’s best if your press release is sent in the body of an email with a link for any photos or additional information.
•Check for extra charges. As with some other services, sometimes you are slammed with hidden fees, greatly increasing the original quoted price.
Even if you go with a top notch press release distribution service, be realistic with your expectations. No service can guarantee results. It’s not easy to get press; there are thousands of other individuals and companies fighting for publicity. Obviously, it helps to have a well written press release that truly has newsworthiness. However, there are several variables some of which are completely out of your control. Timing and luck are two big ones. If a major story breaks the day your press release is issued, it will likely be over looked, but if it happens to be a “slow” new day – you may be in luck.