The average journalist gets around 120 emails every day. Sure, not all of them are press releases, but if you are planning to send out a press release via email, you would want the email to make an impact so it stands out among the rest of the emails. Ideally, a press release only works when it is more than an announcement, it should be a way to invite the people of the media to learn about your organization, its works, and recent developments.
Once you have crafted a press release, it is only half the battle, because without proper distribution, the journalists and editors will not notice. This is why your brand or organization needs a press release submission website. Instead of sending it out yourself, using a submission site and distribution network will make sure that your press release ends up at the right place, and is read by the right journalists who will want to make up a story based on it.
What is a Press Release?
Before you get into how to distribute press releases and where to do it, let's make a clear understanding of what a press release is. A press release is an official statement or announcement from an organization, a compelling document that contains a newsworthy story about your own organization. Earlier press releases were only sent to media outlets from physical stories in newspapers and magazines. But now with the digital revolution in our hands, you can send press releases to media and news outlets online, bloggers, and even influencers in hopes that they will cover your announcement and publish it as a story. Some of the reasons why your company can send out a PR (Press Release) includes -
- Merger and Acquisition
- New product or service launch
- Crisis management
- New staff introduction
- An award or event
How Does a Press Release Work?
Often a press release firm or the organization itself writes and sends out the content. Reporters and editors themselves do not go out and conduct independent journalistic work to get the story. Although it is given to them to make a potential story out of it. The best way someone can identify what is an article or a press release is by how it appears. In a press release, the format is different; there is usually no byline and the content should be released up front that it is a press release.
Press releases are tailored for company news, disclosure requirements, and investor relations (IR). It is an excellent communication tool that, in modern times, can be used as an effective marketing tool as well. When a well-crafted PR is written and distributed, it ends up being covered by top-rated media and news outlets. This increases the organization's visibility and the information's discoverability.
Why Do Press Releases Matter?
A press release works effectively as both a communication and marketing tool. Press releases contain newsworthy information that gets from being covered by media outlets and news forums. A press release aims to start a media conversation and get positive coverage from them. Even with the decline of print media and the rise of digital media, press releases continue to hold an important place. Let's get to know why.
- Press releases help companies bring more visibility and reach to themselves. When the story is published in a top-rated media or news outlet, it reaches a lot of people. This is because the outlet has already an established audience who pay attention to any story published by them.
- Press releases help create brand awareness for the same reason it gets an increased reach and visibility.
- With frequent PRs, organizations can increase their credibility and trust in the market.
- The more the general public along with the stakeholders get to see news about the company, the more they develop a relationship with the company. This creates a positive image of the organization in the eyes of the public and they tend to prefer the organization and its services or products over its competitors.
Why Do You Need to Publish through a Submission Site?
In the above-mentioned section, you got to know why press releases are still super relevant and important. Using a distribution site will make sure you end up getting the advantages that PRs offer. When you send out content yourself, you might get ignored and your press release might end up in the spam box. When there is a strong distribution network used to send out the press releases, they get noticed and your content ends up in the story. Using a distribution site has advantages like -
- You get quality media results with a guarantee.
- Your content tends to create more impact when there is a guarantee that it will get picked up by a reputed media outlet.
- You get an established audience so you have a better chance at making an impression.
There are various PR submission sites available on the internet, and some of them offer very good deals as well. However, proceed only when you can confirm that they are legitimate, and have real good reviews.
