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Press releases are a great way to promote your company’s new product, announce an upcoming event or even talk about the latest information on how you’re doing. Start with these 5 steps and then follow up with distribution tips.
Following the publication of your newsworthy announcement in a press release, the next step is to have it spread by gaining coverage in relevant media. To begin, create a media list of relevant journalists and outlets, compose your submission email, use a press release distribution provider to syndicate your release to thousands of outlets, promote your release on social media for increased exposure, and track its performance to determine its success.
When it comes to success, structuring your tale in an intriguing and easy-to-read manner can help you obtain media attention for your press release. Learn how to draft a press release if you haven’t before. If you’re short on time or want to make sure your news story is flawless, hire a professional to write your press release and send it to thousands of journalists using a service like eReleases.
In five easy steps, here’s how to send your press release.
1. Create a media list
Now that you’ve made a noteworthy announcement, it’s time to send out your press release. To begin, establish a media list of press contacts in your specialty or sector, including their contact information.
To do so, create a spreadsheet with columns for the name of the media outlet. Include the press contact’s name, phone number, and email address, as well as information about their target audience and submission rules. If you don’t have time to construct a media list, consider using a press release distribution service like eReleases, which will send your release to thousands of journalists.
Here are two places to start when putting up your media list:
- A newspaper, magazine, television channel, or radio station, as well as their linked websites, are considered classic news sources. Consider conventional news outlets in your region first when compiling a media list. Visit the agency’s website to get the names of media contacts. If that doesn’t work, try LinkedIn or phone the agency to find out who you should send your press release to.
- Facebook groups, blogs, business networking organizations, Instagram profiles, and other digital groups are examples of nontraditional news sources. While they are not recognized news channels, they are often more successful at spreading local business news.
2. Prepare an email submission to accompany your press release.
Indicate who you are, what company you work for, that you’re sending a press release, and that you’d want the journalist to consider writing about it in your email. Keep in mind while drafting your submission email that you can’t assume the writer understands why their audience is interested in your news, so you’ll need to offer them a compelling reason to cover it. Use this email template to help you get started:
Dear [Name of Journalist],
This email is being sent on behalf of [business], and my name is [your name]. I’m writing to share with you a press release about [press release subject] that will be issued on [release date]. The press release is available to read below.
Because [provide a convincing statistic or argument why this would directly influence the journalist’s readership], this news would be essential to your audience.
Would you share this information with your audience so that they may [add an action, such as attending an event you’re holding or purchasing your book, or how knowing about your experience will benefit them]?
If you have any more questions regarding this article, please don’t hesitate to contact me personally.
Thank you for taking the time to read this.
[Your Complete Name]
[Professional Title] [Professional Title] [Professional Title] [
[Your Contact Information]
[Your Electronic Mail Address]
After that, send an email to each of the media contacts listed in step one (unless the agency has an online submission form). If your press release is time-sensitive, such as for a grand opening, send it out one to two weeks ahead of time.
Pro tip: The ideal time to issue a press release on weekdays is between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., according to statistics. At this moment, one-third of all emails are opened by editors. Sending it this way prevents it from being buried behind other emails before the editor sees it. Thursday is the greatest day of the week to send your release since it has the highest open rate.
3. Use a distribution service to syndicate
A press release distribution service distributes your press release to thousands of reporters, journalists, bloggers, influencers, and news organizations in real-time. It might be disseminated by a news wire, direct emails to journalists or influencers, or targeted social media accounts. Distribution services often range in price from $99 to $199 or more, and typically include distribution to a certain number of outlets as well as the opportunity to incorporate multimedia, expert evaluations, and analytics data.
Select a provider and plan, a release date, and a target audience, such as an industry, area, or demography, to syndicate your release. Then, post your press release and any accompanying material.
Finally, pay for and complete your purchase by following the instructions. You may then work with a press release writer or editor to develop a more polished, effective article for distribution, depending on your plan and the services chosen. Most services give reports detailing where your release was published after it has been disseminated.
4. Use social media to promote your release.
Once you’ve issued your press release and it’s been picked up by big news outlets or important influencers, be sure to follow up to ensure that these placements help you gain credibility among your social media followers and target audiences. To do so, provide a link to your press release or links to pieces about your topic that have been published on high-profile sites on social media.
Republish your press release as a blog post or on a press page with social sharing icons on your website. Visitors will be able to easily share the article or page on their own social networks as a result of this.
5. Use analytics and reports to track performance.
After you’ve sent out your press release, keep an eye on its performance to see how successful it was. If you utilized a press release distribution service, the service provider will normally provide you a performance report documenting the amount of coverage your release got.
If you didn’t utilize a distribution provider, evaluating performance might be more difficult. You may measure metrics like backlinks gained, which are sites that contain a link back to your site, website traffic, and conversion rate changes if you included trackable links in your press release. Check out the whole list of press release analytics for additional information.
Most Commonly Asked Questions (FAQs)
What are some of the most frequent errors organizations make when it comes to press release distribution?
The most common press release blunder is sending out a press release that doesn’t include a newsworthy or fascinating announcement. When press releases fail, this is the most common reason. Other typical blunders include failing to target the appropriate distribution, spamming journalists, and failing to give journalists the information they need to cover your story.
Where can you send a free press release?
It doesn’t have to be expensive to send a press release. Indeed, you can create a media contact list for free, and there are many free press release distribution platforms available, including PRLog, 1888PressRelease, and PR.com. Although the choices, quality, and distribution of free services aren’t as strong as those of paid services, they might still be a viable alternative if you’re on a tight budget.
Is it worthwhile to use a press release distribution service?
Syndicating a release for $200 to $400 might be a smart investment if you can afford it and your news justifies it. It’s generally not essential if you’re merely replacing an awning in your shop. However, if you’re building four additional offices in your area, it could be worth the money—the increased foot traffic alone might cover the cost of syndication. You should consider if the probable return on investment is sufficient to justify the expense.
Conclusion
Sending a press release doesn’t have to be difficult, but it might seem that way, particularly if you’re learning how to do it for the first time. If you want to make your life easier, as many busy firms do, paying for distribution services may be well worth the money. Your press release will be disseminated to over 1 million journalists, and you’ll get detailed information that eliminates the guesswork in deciding whether to utilize a distribution service like eReleases.
