By Mark Macias
If you do any research on the different PR newswires, it’s very easy to believe that their distribution lists will lead to media coverage. Unfortunately, it’s a bit misleading.
These days, Google is picking up fewer of these press releases. Even more challenging, many news publications are now burying their press releases on their websites.
I recently wrote a story for Forbes – Do press releases lead to media coverage? You can read my article here to get a deeper assessment on when press releases are most effective. If you’re short on time, you can get some quick advice by reading on.
Get a Milestone on the Record
When clients have big announcements, like a jump in users or a new partnership, press releases can help with publicity.
The press release helps get your announcement on the record so when people research your company, they will see the valued milestone.
Press Releases help with SEO
Search engines are tricky, and Google never reveals its algorithm. However, Google openly admits the priority it places on good content. If a press release is written well, and has a news peg, your chances for online exposure grow dramatically.
But don’t confuse the SEO for media coverage. During my time as an Executive Producer with NBC, I never once went on any PR Newswire looking for story ideas. However, if the press release is written well, it can bring more exposure to people searching for that topic.
Are All PR Wire Services The Same?
That’s a very big blanket question that I can’t answer because your story and media targets might be different. However, if you look closely at the PR wire services, you can compare and see their news distribution. They are very transparent about who they reach.
So in theory, if two distribution companies say they reach the same news organizations, you probably can select the company based on price. However, if the writing in the press release is poor, it doesn’t matter who publishes the release. A poorly written press release won’t get picked up.
Want to learn why the best PR firms look beyond press releases? Click here to read that story.
ABOUT MACIAS PR
Marketing peers named MACIAS PR the 2017-2020 Strategic PR Firm of the Year. In 2015, 2016 and 2017, Finance Monthly named MACIAS PR the Financial PR Firm of the Year. The founder – Mark Macias – is a former Executive Producer with NBC and Senior Producer with CBS in New York. City & State Magazine named him a PR Political Power Player in 2021.