Previously, I wrote about how to write a great press release. Now that you have a great PR, what do you do with it? A good story can’t sell itself, at least not as easily in this technological age where link-building assures your places in the ranks of a search engine, and where millions of people wade through more information on the internet than a single generation can handle. Reaching your audience has never been harder but in many ways, tools online have adapted to everyone’s needs.
This includes press release distribution. Press release distributors come free, some may ask for a minimal fee and others are downright expensive. Now, look below and see what the gates of your PR’s fate hold.
Paid press release distribution services. As with any endeavor, getting your product to the right people can cost money. Press releases online hardly reach real journalists but with paid services, you are assured that these journalists not only receive your press releases, but obtain them through their personal email.
Sites such as Businesswire.com allows you to deliver your PR throughout their circuit, which includes a number of key audiences. Their specialty and targeted options aim at more specific demographics and other industries. This is certainly helpful if you have a particular audience in mind. A more comprehensive circuit is their National circuit, which reaches 1,000 daily US newspapers.
On the other hand, you also have Ereleases.com, which charges a premium of 399 USD for a single press release. Unlike Businesswire.com, this site does not require a membership fee. Without any added fees, they target specific journalists who would be interested in your PR and deliver the news directly to their desktops.
Free press release distributors. Press release distribution is only as good as its database and newswire partner. But most webmasters operate on a shoestring budget. Free services though, can be cumbersome. You not only submit one press release to one distributor, you submit to as many as you can. That way, more links will point directly to your website and it will, in turn, enhance search engine rankings. Some of these distributors will keep your article on their site for a certain amount of days and they also put premium on those who actually pay for their services. Regardless, these could boost web promotion without you spending a single penny, at the expense of your effort and your time. Here is a list of free distributors that you can send your PR to:
http://www.w3reports.com/
http://www.i-newswire.com/submit.php
https://prndirect.prnewswire.com/
http://www.betanews.com/submit
http://www.npr.org/about/pitch/story.html
http://www.free-news-release.com/Submit.aspx
http://www.free-press-release.com/submit/free-press- release.php
Social media networks. The advent of the internet has created a vast network of people; sites such as MySpace and Facebook keep them connected. These sites are increasingly powerful tools for you to tap into the lifeblood of the web: its inhabitants. Amidst this expanse, targeting your market is made especially difficult: you may reach a wide audience but that audience will also consist of people who will have no use for your PR altogether.
In the quick ebb of online activity, your choice will ultimately dictate the fate of your article: a slow, steady death or a ringing triumph. Whether you choose paid services or not, each has its own set of advantages and disadvantages. So choose wisely and good luck!
Originally posted on December 28, 2007 @ 6:18 pm