How to Send Out a Press Release?
In public relations, one of the most often asked questions is whether or not it’s appropriate to send a press release by email. Many people don’t seem to understand this. However, the good news is that it’s far simpler than you may imagine.
If you’ve produced a press release and are eager to get it in front of journalists for possible media coverage, you’ve probably landed on this page. You can do one of two things when submitting a press release.
But before I go into that, I want to ensure you’ve used all the trade tricks from our press release toolbox. After all, your chances of gaining earned media coverage will be much improved by a well-written press release.
1- Use Press Release Distribution Services
The term “wire service” is often used in business to refer to websites that distribute press releases. A press release may be sent to these services. Afterward, journalists may peruse the submitted press releases and use the information for syndicated content or story ideas.
Some systems include automated distribution to many outlets, news aggregators, RSS feeds, and the Google News index.
As a rule of thumb, the higher the quality of service you get, the higher the price will be. While there are many no-cost options, your visibility will be low on these channels. For more information, see our article on press release distribution services. We’ve included both premium and no-cost options that we recommend. You can use services like PressReach for distributing your press release.
2- You can send your press release to reporters by email.
Another alternative is to send a news release to individual journalists through email. It’s the go-to choice for many new ventures and small business with limited resources.
Investigate who might be interested in receiving your press release and send it to them.
The first step is finding out which reporters will receive your electronic press release. Identify the periodicals and weblogs that cover your business sector. The “contact us” email address provided by many publications is generic. In most cases, though, tracking out particular journalists’ email addresses requires a little digging. If you send it to the right person, it will have a better chance of being read and responded to.
Try looking for stories on each site that pertain to the subject of your press release. Write down the names of the journalists who wrote these pieces once you locate them. Online articles may sometimes include a byline with the journalist’s email address. Try the publication’s contact page if you can’t find it; many smaller magazines publish their journalists’ email addresses there.
Don’t lose hope if you can’t locate the email addresses of some of the recognized journalists. You may likely get the missing information at Violanorbet.com. Type in the journalist’s name and their online outlet’s URL, and the program will generate an email in the proper format.
How to prepare an Email for a Press Release
You have the email addresses of several journalists in your hands; it’s time to send out your press release.
The most efficient approach is to compose a short “covering letter” press release email. When finished, paste the press release at the end of the email. If you want to get individuals to open files from your email, this is better than sending them as an attachment or link.
You’ll find a sample press release email and an explanation of our writing choices below.
Subject Line:
In the subject line of your email, specify your desired release status, for example:
Do you mean “instant release,” where any journalist is free to publish it right away?
Is this something you’re just giving to one reporter at a time, in the sense that it’s an “exclusive?”
Or has it been “embargoed,” meaning that journalists are forbidden to disclose the information until a specified time and date?
Following the announcement of your release’s purpose, you should include the journalist’s name in the title to make it more relevant to them, and then provide a concise overview of the release.
The Hook:
Introduce the meat of your press release email with your hook. Here’s where you’ll describe the bigger picture of the industry and how your announcement fits within it. A journalist will be far more likely to print your press release if you provide them with a unique perspective like this rather than simply sending a generic notification.
Details of the Email:
In paragraphs four and five, you should provide a more in-depth breakdown of the press release’s contents to help a writer determine whether or not the story is worth covering. Maintain at this very high rate. An accurate press release is responsible for providing the juicy details.
The Signpost:
Direct the reporter to where the real press release may be found before sending your email. Please remember to put this at the end of your email, as was mentioned above.
Conclusion
There are two options for distributing a press release through email: press release submission services or sending individual emails to journalists. Considering that the second choice requires no investment other than your time, it is our recommendation if money is limited.
Get familiar with the process from start to finish by reading our primer on press releases. Included are actual press releases, a guide to writing the ideal release, and advice on how to behave professionally among journalists.
