Press Release Tip 78

Advantages of paid distribution services

This week we’re starting Week #11 and you’ll learn all about press release distribution services.

After you’ve written your press release, you can send it to a list of your targeted media contacts. You can also use a press release distribution service, and you’ll find many from which to choose, from free services (most are a waste of time) to fee-based services that only big companies can afford to use regularly.

Here are some of the advantages of paid distribution services:

• Some of the bigger services will push your press releases directly into the Google and Yahoo news feeds and LexisNexis, the world’s largest collection of public records. This is critical for the widest exposure possible. Once your press release is in the news feeds, people who are searching for information using the keywords in your press release can find it.    

• Several of the press release distribution services meet the disclosure requirements of the Securities & Exchange Commission. Publicly held companies use these services which “push” the news to analysts and investors throughout the world.
• Press release distribution services offer RSS feeds. That means they deliver information on specific topics directly to the desktop of journalists, freelancers, analysts, broadcasters and anyone else who requests it—bypassing email and spam filters.

• The large distribution services have long lists of reporters and editors who cover certain topics at newspapers, magazines and other media. The services then push the releases to the media outlets whose target audiences are a good match.

• Some of the bigger services offer reports on how many people have accessed your press release and which media have downloaded it or used it.

• Several services have a secure site where you can upload releases, images and other files.

• Many of the services have excellent help desks, and for an additional fee, they’ll even write your press release for you.

• Some services deal only in news for specific vertical markets.

If you’re on a tight budget, and you can’t afford a paid service, you can choose from several of the best free services which you’ll learn about later.

Opportunity #78 to write a press release: Tie-in with upcoming holidays.

Can you think of a holiday-related angle for your product, service, cause or issue? A speaker might suggest many different ways to say thank you to tie into Thanksgiving. An author who has written a book about the relationship between mothers and their daughters can offer tips on how to strengthen the bond and tie it into Mother’s Day. My “Special Report #14: How to Piggyback Your Story Ideas onto Holidays and Anniversaries” gives you ideas galore on how to piggyback off holidays and anniversaries all year long. Only $7. Order here.

Next: The major press release distribution services.