Press release distribution services are great tools for small businesses to share information with the public and journalists. Leveraging such services is a productive way to distribute content and can support a company’s digital marketing campaign.
Once a business engages a PR distributor, companies like eReleases, Newswire, or PR Distribution send an email or other electronic message to various media outlets with the company’s press release.
When a press release is received by journalists or other media contacts in a company’s distribution network, they may decide that the information will be of interest to their readers or viewers.
If that is the case, they are likely to publish it themselves. Alternatively, they can use the press release to create their own content about the message, which should translate to lower cost or free media coverage for the business.
The resulting content is usually referred to as ‘earned media,’ and it’s vital since every follower of that media outlet has a high probability of seeing it. This includes customer prospects of the business that sent out the original press release.
However, even if your press release does not end up being made into earned media, most Press release distribution services offer a host of other vital services.
What else do Press Release Distribution Services do?
Press release distribution services offer several additional services, which include:
- Press release writing
- Proofreading your press release
- Ensuring your press release is edited and formatted according to industry standards
- SEO optimization of your PR
- Ensuring the PR reaches the right audience by inserting the appropriate tags
- Facilitate access to industry-specific social media accounts
- Ensuring that the PRs show up on specific news sites and aggregators like Google News
- In-depth media monitoring: they will provide detailed analytics and reports on the PRs and campaign performance.
- Special targeting options by industry, audience, or location
How to choose press release distribution services
Before choosing a press release distribution service, small businesses should factor in the following:
- What audience do they want to reach, and the type of media platforms do they follow.
- Their budget
- The kind of distribution options the provider can offer.
- The geographical location that they’d like their message to reach. Is their audience in just one city, or is it national?
- Will there be a need for extra features? For instance, suppose there’s nobody at the firm with experience writing press releases, it would be best to opt for a service that can write the PR for them.
While there are a number of public relations companies that provide free PRs, specialty press release distribution services are likely to do a much better job.
Sitetrail
Siterail has a reputation for having the most extensive media list for authentic news articles. At the moment, it’s the only platform that incorporates SEO and editorial news into the PR mix. So apart from the regular press releases, Sitetrail’s press release distribution services also puts out editorial news articles by popular media outlets like Entrepreneur and Forbes without the need to add the ‘press release tag in your content.
Sitetrail’s features include:
- DOFollow and NOFollow links to bolster SEO performance.
- Articles are written by real journalists with the fastest turnaround in the industry.
- Select packages offer unlimited Google News distribution.
Who is it suitable for?
For companies that would like to scale their online presence and SEO performance, then Siterail would be a practical option. For instance, newspapers, online stores, and B2B or B2C firms that need to outperform peers in extremely competitive markets usually utilize Siterail to boost their reach and performance. Reputation management services intending to reach deep into specific media circles across the globe also use the service.
Cision PRWeb
PRWeb provides a PR distribution service that has measurable results for small businesses online. It helps clients:
- Enhance social media performance
- Raise their search engine result ranking
- Appear on features by online outlets
The service offers powerful analytics tools, with a major emphasis on the online performance of press releases.
Who is it suitable for?
The service works great for small businesses keen on ramping up their online presence rather than getting into national print publications. For example, companies that:
- Rely on internet traffic to generate sales.
- Are in the process of building their brand.
- Want fast results since online is faster. Think of local businesses like small retailers, and handymen.
- Are having a tough time getting traction on social media and search engine rankings. Local restaurants are a perfect example.
Newswire
One thing that distinguishes Newswire from other press release distribution services is its responsive customer service. The website is also far easier to navigate compared to others. Newswire’s pricing is also quite detailed, clearly highlighting exactly what features are standard and which cost extra.
Who is it suitable for?
Newswire may be perfect for small businesses:
- With constrained budgets
- Looking to do multiple press releases per month
- Without prior press release experience as they will find the exceptionally responsive customer support useful.
- Looking to better their SEO so that their business becomes more visible online (six SEO supporting backlinks are included, more than what’s offered by any other provider)
- Would prefer to have visual media in their release, like photos, videos, or attached documents (four documents and two images are included)
eReleases
eReleases has a massive distribution list and offers excellent value for money, considering that their list includes popular names, like Associated Press (AP), The New York Times, and Yahoo Finance.
The information eReleases provides about its services isn’t as detailed, but it has responsive customer service. The website is also sluggish and contains plenty of popups.
Who is it suitable for?
eReleases is best for small businesses:
- With limited budgets
- Without press release writing experience as they charge $200 to write one.
- Looking for maximum exposure and the chance to appear in well-known media outlets.
The company does not have subscriptions; instead, it charges per the press release.
Send2Press Newswire
Send2Press Newswire focuses on traditional media and reaches over 6000+ reputable outlets at costs most small businesses can meet.
Who is it suitable for?
Small businesses looking to get national network coverage on some of the most popular media outlets. For instance, eCommerce stores shipping nationwide or online startups in the US market.
For small businesses to leverage the service effectively, they will need to put out information of interest to the more popular wire services since none of their subscribers are required to pick up the release. Announcements about new products or unique takes on national issues are some of the content examples likely to get picked up.
PR Distribution
PR Distribution is perfect for small businesses looking for affordable press release distribution services. Their most popular plan is their Premium plan for $69 per release which is the cheapest available.
The company provides several guaranteed online placements perfect for businesses looking to kickstart their online presence for that price. It offers excellent social media support, meaning it can enhance other content marketing campaigns.
Who is it suitable for?
PR Distribution is the right option for:
Startups that want to raise awareness but have limited marketing and PR budgets.
Established businesses trying out press release distribution services before deciding on one particular service.
Businesses looking to raise capital but don’t have a way of reaching out to the investor community.
However, customer support isn’t as responsive as some of its peers and getting distribution to daily media outlets would require a more expensive plan defeating the purpose of being a budget distributor.
PR Newswire
PR Newswire has a massive network of journalists and media outlets. It provides high-quality Press release distribution services with top-notch customer support, exceptional targeting, and distribution to some rare industry niches.
It is one of the most expensive options and isn’t suitable for small businesses or startups with limited budgets. Several features that other PR distribution services offer for free, like images and video may cost an extra $325.
Who is it suitable for?
The company may be best suited for small, digital startups that have adequate funding and likely to benefit the most from its wide distribution network.
On the other hand, it could be the right option for local businesses that can meet the cost and would like to narrow their targeting to a local area to increase the impact on popular local media outlets in a specific area.
PressReach
At PressReach, we amplify the reach of your press releases by delivering sponsored native advertising content on the Internet’s top tier publisher websites.
Instead of hoping investors stumble upon your website and then click through to your news page, we put you in direct contact with them. Your press releases are more likely to get read so that your brand awareness soars.
Not only do we work with top publishers but the companies using our service are also market leaders and up-and-coming companies to watch. By having your company’s press releases listed along with theirs you could boost your reputation and standing in the marketplace.
We offer a number of handy, easy-to-use tools that will allow you to see: how readers are engaging with your content, how the content is doing compared to others in your market, what the trending topics are on the web, and much more.
Who is it suitable for?
PressReach is suitable for any publicly traded company looking to gain more traction on its press releases.
Press Release Distribution Services Conclusion
So, there you have it! There are plenty of options out there to choose from when deciding on which press release distribution services you want to use for your business. Depending on your company’s needs, you may decide to use multiple press release distribution services to reach as many potential clients or investors as possible.
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