Tips for Choosing the Right Press Release Distribution Service

When you run your own business, you want to make sure that you cover every angle to ensure its success. A press release helps provide crucial information about your business. However, for a PR to have an impact on your brand, you need to distribute it to the right target audience via press release services. The service provider you choose can have a great effect on your visibility online. The challenge is that there are various options to choose from, and you may not know the perfect site that can offer high-quality results for your business and clients. 

Press release distributors include different players that circulate your press release to networks and media sites for coverage in newspapers, podcasts, and broadcasts to reach wider audiences. Essentially, a press release aims to get your brand visible to a large targeted audience consisting of influencers, digital and traditional media. To achieve this, you need to work with the right press release distributors. Read on to learn the tips to consider for choosing the ideal press release distribution service. 

Type of Media House

If you want your press release to reach a large audience of journalists, bloggers, influencers, social networks, digital and traditional media, there are different tools that you can use. There are two types of press release distribution services that include: news wires or automated PR distribution services and manual press release providers. When you choose the manual option, you will personally distribute the press release or pitch your story to various media via PR outreach. Media outlets are more time-consuming, but they offer better results. On the other hand, wire services remain the popular choice for businesses intending to distribute their press releases to reach wider audiences. 

Newswires

Newswires consist of large online services that distribute press releases to different media organizations. These providers subscribe to newspapers and other media outlets that include but are not limited to the following: CNN, Associated Press, CNBC, Bloomberg, Yahoo, Google News, Bing, the Wall Street Journal, and other Finance news sites. There are usually mixed feelings among the professionals in the PR industry concerning the effectiveness of the press release distribution services. It is difficult to determine with authority the best distribution services. You must use the following factors to select the right service provider that suits the needs of your business. 

• Type of industry and business- some media outlets are industry-specific, and they do not report on everything. For instance, it might be a futile exercise to try to force your press release in a newspaper that focuses on motoring while your business is about gardening. Check if the media house covers anything related to your brand. In other words, you should make sure that your place release goes to the right place where it can reach the intended target audience.  
• It is crucial to choose a press release distribution service with an appropriate network of journalists that have experience in writing business stories. You need to identify reporters who are experienced in your particular niche so they can pitch a good story about your brand or business. 

List of Outlets

Each wire service covers a variety of media outlets that include websites, news and content platforms, and aggregators. You need to consider several things here when you choose a distributor like the pricing plan. Depending on the size and type of your business, you should consider the pricing plan. You must look at the size of your business and what you want to achieve from the press release. Additionally, you must take into account the geographical scope of the media outlet that you want to choose. 

Some media outlets cover local areas whereas others are regarded as regional and national platforms. Therefore, you must take into consideration the reach of your business to determine the ideal media platform to select for your press release. Many journalists and customers are always looking for new things happening in different sectors. The custom newsroom can play a pivotal role in publishing your content to reach a wider audience from one place. 

Reporting

It is crucial to consider the nature of the reportage that the service offers. You need a service that can promote your brand through writing valuable promotional content about your product. It is essential to provide actionable content and metrics. You can use these elements to measure the effectiveness of the press release. You should also be able to view content that appears online and check the number of views and the type of visitors. 

It does not necessarily mean that choosing the platform that worked for someone will also do wonders for your business. When you select a provider, there are also other basic things to consider including a list of popular newswires to make the best decision.   

Other Things to Consider

In short, when choosing a press release distribution service, there are several things that you can consider. You must take into account the following factors:

• Number of outlets
• Pricing
• Target audience
• Support
• Online Visibility
• Reporting 
• User experience

Depending on the type of your business, pricing is one of the most important factors that you need to consider. You need to have a budget and get an idea of how much it can cost you to release your press release in different media outlets. Sending a press release to different outlets can cost you a few hundred dollars to a few thousand dollars. 

Free Press Release Websites

Various companies offer free press release submissions to different clients. If you are operating on a budget, it is vital to consider free press release distribution websites. You should choose the best sites that are recommended by different users. Likewise, you should know that you cannot expect to get the same results as a company that reaches the media directly by email. There are dedicated sites that compile useful lists of newswire feeds to different newsrooms for publications. While free press release websites are affordable, you must know the shortcomings of this strategy.

Many free press release platforms rely on the strength of the website’s SEO. If your press release does not offer quality information, it might not see the light of the day. As you are aware, SEO strategy aims to drive traffic to the website by offering valuable content to the target audience. If your press release does not have the right keywords, it may fail to rank high on different search engine results pages.  

Focus on Quality Instead of Quantity

When choosing a press release distributor, you should focus on the quality of the information instead of quantity. Customers are mainly interested in reading quality content that can add value to their needs. When people buy products, they aim to get something that can help them solve their problems instead of generic information that can be monotonous to read. Most press release distributors utilize different platforms, and Google is one of the most popular among them. 

As a result, the distribution service should leverage the rank-boosting ability of various media sites to draw large volumes of organic traffic. Other distributors can distribute several press releases at relatively lower prices, but you should focus on the quality of the content that reaches the target audience. If the press release is not distributed via the right channel, you may not get the desired results. An effective press release should have engaging content that calls the readers to action. For example, if you have a new market offering, potential buyers should be compelled to try it after reading the details about the product or service. 

Ease of Use

The news wire that you should target must have a proven record of several accomplishments when dealing with various media. You also need to gain insight into what people say about the press release distribution service. For instance, you must try to get reviews from different people who have previously used the service. Positive reviews can give you an idea about the quality of service that is offered by the newswire. Happy customers can also leave testimonials expressing satisfaction with the provider’s quality of service.   

The other important aspect that you should consider pertains to the interface of the distribution service which should be easy to use. You do not necessarily need something complicated since it can waste your time. You can check the service provider’s demo account to get an idea of the functionality of the interface. More importantly, you must ensure that the site you choose is secure and your information would be protected. Your ultimate selection is a matter of personal preference, but you must be guided by other people’s views. The following are:

Target audience

When you write a press release, you have a target audience in mind. Therefore, you must segment your audience according to different factors that include the following:

• Local, national, or regional markets
• Specific industries like automotive, gardening, sport, and others
• International audiences
• Multicultural markets

Based on the target audience that you want to reach, you must check the targeting options available from the service that you intend to use. Consumers in different markets share common interests that you should use to segment your audience. When you write a press release, make sure that it is valuable to the consumers that you intend to reach. 

Support

When choosing a service provider to distribute your press release, you should check if they have a strong customer support team. You can go through other people’s reviews to get an idea of the quality of service they offer to the clients. Support can include other elements like editorial and proofreading, but these usually come with additional charges. The process of signing up for a service should be straightforward, and the support team should readily provide answers to the clients who might have any questions.   

Search Visibility

Before you choose a press release distribution service, you must try to establish its online visibility by comparing its ranking with other sites. With search engine optimization (SEO), you can use a few keywords to check the ranking of the site on different search engine pages. A website that uses quality SEO blogs or content means that it can attract more organic traffic. Therefore, if you see that the provider’s site ranks high on different search engine pages, it means that it is popular with many visitors. Just like customer reviews, the ranking of the newswire can determine the site’s online visibility. 

Additional Services Offered

Press release distribution services primarily offer services that are related to the distribution of your release to credible media outlets. However, other service providers offer additional services that you may also consider. The following are some of the extra services offered by PR sites: 

• Custom media page– all your pickups are aggregated and published on your site automatically

• Word press plugin- automate content from your site to generate outstanding digital signals from your site

• Video conversion- utilize the power of video to appeal to the visual interests of many people. 

• Improved indexing-  a PR service can keep your press release live for up to 90 days to improve your company’s visibility

The main issue with press release distribution is that the process can be overwhelming, but once you choose a reliable distributor, everything will be okay. It is essential to choose a reputable provider that offers additional services to improve the visibility of your business.   

A press release is an effective method that you can use to get coverage for your company or business. In most cases, businesses issue press releases when launching a new product or service. In some cases, you can use a press release when you want to communicate something about your business. However, if you want your press release to be effective, you should ensure that it reaches the right journalists and channels for distribution. It is crucial to choose the best press release distribution service that suits your business interests if you want to achieve the best results. You need to narrow your search until you remain with credible providers that you can choose from.   

Danielle Editor

Danielle McGuire is one of the editors behind Paisley.org.uk, a prominent website dedicated to chronicling and enhancing the community spirit of Paisley, Scotland.

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