Should I Use a Press Release Distribution Service? How to Boost Your Business Visibility in 2024
Recently, a PR colleague asked me an interesting question: “Should I pay for a press release service?”
She was trying to promote her entertainment industry client, whose latest work wasn’t getting much attention.
“What do you hope the press release service will accomplish?” I asked.
She expressed sincere concern about getting the client top-tier media coverage and the recognition and commercial success they deserve.
We can all relate to this sense of urgency, wanting our own (or clients’) work and success stories to become famous and break the internet.
This is where a paid newswire service seems like a possible solution, promising an immediate or semi-immediate publication of your news.
But will it truly help you reach your goals?
First, let’s discuss what a press release distribution service does.
What does a press release distribution service do?
A press release distribution service publishes your announcement (written by you or a publicist you hire) on its website and distributes it to news networks.
Press release distribution services will pretty much publish anything within broad guidelines, i.e. anything legitimately business related and nothing below board.
Typical announcements that companies deem worthy of an investment, which can cost as much as $1,000 or more per announcement, can vary significantly.
Your press release can announce significant business news, a small update, or anything in between.
Whether about a new product or service, a round of funding, strategic partnership, or such hard-hitting journalism as a leading soda brand claiming that Mountain Time is their Official, Unofficial Time Zone, there is a press release distribution site that will publish it.
At the end of the day, you can expect your press release to be posted on their site, and will likely get picked up by other sites as well.
Some releases I have issued on behalf of my clients have landed on Wall Street Journal, Business Insider, Associated Press and Yahoo News and other seemingly top-tier media sites.
The caveat is that the releases appear in a “sponsored” section on the site, which is the Siberia of journalism.
The biggest problem with press release distribution services
This is what press release distribution services don’t tell you:
You could pay thousands for a press release distribution package, and your releases still wouldn’t (couldn’t) be found organically by the average reader on the site.
They “live” on some authentic media sites but do not appear when a visitor goes to the site.
You can technically say you were featured on the site, but it is no different than placing an ad, except an ad would ostensibly reach actual humans. The pages that house the press releases are different than the editorial, or real news, section.
Do journalists care about press release distribution services?
The other problem is, do these sites reach human journalists—and do they care?
Many services promise that your news will get delivered to journalists covering your industry. I set out to verify this claim.
After speaking with a journalist from a top-tier publication to verify this claim, what they said surprised me:
“Yes, I review an email of headlines and email from them periodically, that has a bunch of news releases in it.”
However, the journalist continued, “Can’t say I read it thoroughly. But I do search announcements sometimes to see what a company said about such and such.”
This means that your news does have a chance of getting in front of journalist contacts, however, it is important to note the context of how your release lands in front of the journalist.
The short answer is yes, some of these services deliver on their promise to get your press release in front of journalists.
But if you received this list above, would you have the time and energy (and eyesight) to go through it?
For a limited budget, is a PR campaign or a press release distribution service more effective?
When executed properly, a PR campaign will promote and publicize your brand across print, digital, and mobile media and can positively impact your bottom line.
Journalists will interview and publish stories and content about you and your brand. This positive information will make you rise to the top in searches and become your industry’s go-to provider and leading expert.
A press release distribution service will simply publish the document you provide them and circulate it to various “news” sites, but it is unlikely to be seen by actual humans.
The only way people can see it is if they are looking for it specifically. This fact makes it difficult for potential clients, partners, investors, and stakeholders to find your press release.
When should I use a press release distribution service?
Despite my critical viewpoint, there are still times when a press release distribution service can be useful in a PR campaign.
Here are the two reasons I would recommend a press release distribution service:
- If the announcement isn’t newsworthy in the traditional sense—like a major transaction, product launch, partnership, or other significant business event—or journalists have already passed on it, you might still want or need to publish the information.
- If there is a legal mandate to publish your release. Some publicly traded companies may be required to publish a release as part of Regulation Fair Disclosure. Using a press release distribution service is a way to satisfy these requirements.
Which press release distribution services would you recommend?
I generally don’t recommend utilizing a press release distribution service unless my client falls into one of the above categories.
If you fall into this category, there are plenty of press release distribution services. I’ve compiled a list of the nine most popular ones below:
- PR Newswire: Blue-chip brands like Microsoft, Google Cloud, and Visa all distribute press releases using PR Newswire, making it one of the go-to options for corporate press release distribution. I’ve used this service countless times throughout my career: it’s expensive, and its salespeople are high-pressure. However, it does work well for a press release distribution service. While they don’t publicly disclose pricing, in my experience, a single press release will start at around $1,000 ($805 for the release and a $195 membership fee) and more for additional word count and images.
- Business Wire: Toshiba, Accenture, and Citibank UK utilize this financial services-focused option, which bills itself as “distribution for PR and IR professionals” and “the global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure.” Pricing starts at around $950 per release.
- GlobeNewswire: Promises to “reach global audiences, monitor brand sentiment, send press releases, secure media coverage, and measure success.” It starts at $195 per release.
- PRWeb: This low-cost cousin of PR Newswire will “leverage the industry’s leading, most sourced press release distribution network in the world.” I’ve used PR Web many times over the years. It’s simple to use and affordable, starting at $110 a release.
- Newswire: Promises to reach thousands of online, local, regional, national, international, and industry media outlets, starting at $349 a release.
- EIN Presswire: Calls itself “the world’s leading press release distribution service; reach millions with one click.” Starts at $99.95 per release.
- 24-7 Press Release: States “24-7 Press Release Newswire has been in business for over 18 years,” and “we post news for include major hotels (Holiday Inn, Hampton & Fairfield Inn & Suites), Church’s Chicken, Fishbowl, and NASA to name a few.” Starts at $49 per release.
- PR.com: They say, “Over 250,000 companies, both big and small, have trusted PR.com to help grow their business. ” It reaches “thousands of media outlets, journalists, influencers and websites; social media; major news outlets’ newsrooms; plus more.” It starts at $60 per release.
- PRLog offers free press release and press room hosting and free search engine distribution. If you believe you get what you pay for, an upgrade to distribute with PR Newswire is available for $339, which seems like a decent deal. Posting a single release is free.
In short, there is a time and a place for a press release distribution service.
Some PR firms encourage their clients to utilize press release distribution services every time the wind blows because they may count these placements as pickups. They justify this as being “good for SEO.”
I never count press release distribution services as placements. And SEO will improve when reputable news sites include you and your brand in their content—far more than flooding the web with press releases ever would.
Summary
What did I tell my colleague who wanted to know if she should try the press release distribution for her entertainment industry client?
Here’s my take: Her client had enough clout to secure top-tier media coverage without using any distribution service. She had to put in the time and hard work of researching and pitching appropriate writers, editors, and outlets. I gave her a few angles, which I felt were compelling enough to secure a significant feature story and television interview.
She was also interested in trying a press release distribution service, so I gave her a contact to try one of the above services for free (the company had sent me an offer). I will report back soon with the results of both efforts.
In summary, I recommend focusing on a PR campaign that includes media opportunities to boost your business visibility and reach your target audience. The occasional press release distribution service can supplement these efforts.