It is not unknown that a press release is one of the most widely used written documents that comes with marketing benefits. It is newsworthy content that helps to spread news and information to the targeted audiences and helps to gain maximum media attention from potential users. Due to its efficiency and effectiveness, almost every other business organization prioritizes PR as their prime need. With effective strategies and distribution of the content, a business can witness an improved customer base with organic exposure, popularity, and a boost in sales. Although press release services are easily available over the web, a lot of people find themselves confused between a free press release and a Paid PR service. Now, the biggest question is,
Is a Free Press Release Service Effective for Business?
The press release websites that claim to offer free services are more likely to offer no benefits or something in very little amount. The free PR services do not always deliver to credible media sites and therefore, there is very little possibility of gaining ample popularity. However, the free PR sites are not very vocal about the terms and conditions which makes it less trustworthy. While anything free is a big attraction for the customers; it is not always the best option to avail of.
Gaining benefits in exchange for a nominal fee is way more cost-effective than availing of a service for free and gaining nothing at all. Free PR services can easily pique interest among the users and they are more likely to go for it. There can be other sites that run ads on other press release sites which helps to gain traffic and engagement. The owner of a large public relations company, Sara Callahan said, “While free press release sites are tempting, I’d advise not to use them for distribution. Google has labeled many of them as spam. If you have a good news release that is worth getting out, spend the money and distribute it through a reputable site.” It is very evident that professional services can offer you more benefits when you are paying for the service.
What are the Benefits of Free Press Release Services?
There are a handful of advantages of free press releases and that is why most businesses and individuals like to avail of it.
- Free of cost and and does not require any additional charges.
- Not based on any particular industry and everyone can avail of it.
- Easily available and easy to get approval for distribution without any hassle.
- Helps to increase digital footprint in the market.
However, free PR services also come with a handful of disadvantages.
What are the Disadvantages of Free Press Release Services?
You might think free services are more beneficial as you do not have to spend anything but the results they provide are so negligent that are close to zero or none. There are a fair amount of disadvantages of free PRs which is why business owners and other users should be aware of the services before availing of them,
- It does not provide any guaranteed placements on the distribution platforms.
- Usually, the network for distribution is quite small and ineffective in free PRs and that is why it cannot offer organic exposure from the top-tier news and media platforms.
- Free services are often reluctant about their clients as they do not charge any fee for their service.
- Even if a free PR service leads to a fraudulent, you cannot do anything about it or claim anything against it as it is free.
- The magnitude of results is so minute in the case of free PRs that even after distribution, your business will not witness any significant changes in terms of sales or exposure.
- Free PR distribution might not help you reach target audiences or niche customers as they do not focus on any niche or industry.
- Free PR services do not offer any SEO benefits to help websites rank better .
Evidently, the free services are not very effective and its only USP is its price, which is zero as it is free.
How Can I use Free PR Services Then?
While free PR services are not very effective, there are certain situations where Free PR services can help to serve the purpose.
- Check the Quality of PR - There are a few agencies that provide free PR writing services along with distribution. You can avail of it to check the quality of PR that the agency will provide you.
- Distribution Network - Availing of free service can help you gain access to the distribution list of a company from which you can figure out whether you want to hire this company or not.
- Aggressive PR Campaign - When you are looking forward to creating multiple PR distribution campaigns simultaneously yet have a tight budget; free PRs are all you need.
- As a Trial Package - A situation can arise when you want to hire an agency but want to make sure that it will work for you. A free package is great in this case that does not cost any yet works like a trial.
Bottom Line
The press release is one of the prime aspects for every business organization and so, there should be a proper strategy and budget allocated for a press release campaign. You get what you pay for and it is time to avail of a paid distribution service that actually works for your business. Do not waste your time on free services. Instead, make investments in services that are valid, authentic, and credible.
