Why Free before Low-Cost Press Release Services Might Not Deliver What You Really Want
Since the ahead of schedule days of consumerism, here is lone catchphrase that is still hard to deny: You get on to what you pay for.
In the popularity business, I've had experience - as be inflicted with some of my clients - with the free or low-cost press release services that look to have proliferated all over the Internet. In fact, if you Google press release services, you'll find a large diversity of them. Moreover, a evenhanded digit of them can deliver on the look good of being paid your press release picked positive by a excellent number of Web sites with hits that will show up on your Google and search engine profile. And, some calculate ago in a while, a release on these services could to be guaranteed draw collectively the interest of one or two sizable news outlets.
However, the inquiry you have to question yourself is, "What does that really get me?"
My view is simple - good PR isn't just about the numbers. That's what publicity is about, and in advertising, nothing is free. You get what you pay for, so if you want a lot of eyeballs and impressions, you'd best have a huge budget. In PR, however, numbers is only one part of the story. If it was just about the numbers, then why would anyone want to do PR? Where's the extra value?
PR delivers the one constituent advertising cannot - credibility. When a legitimate news outlet features you or your companionship in their pages or as a guest on their shows, it acts as a tacit backing of you. It's third-party verification that boosts your brand, as well as your positioning as an expert in your meadow and a respected source of information. It makes you arresting as someone additional people may want to engage in business, whether it's to buy your product, buy your tome or hire you as a consultant. So the next question is, "Do press release services deliver that value?"
First, let's inspect how it all works. Most of these press release services have content aggregation agreements with other search engine optimized Web sites that do little more than provide visitors with press releases. The substantial margin of the placements garnered are not typically with greatly respected news outlets. That's not to say that on the anomalous reason a press release service can't deliver that rank of exposure, save for rather, it's not really fit up to do so. You see, with most major media outlets, there is a level of follow- up and rejoinder de rigueur to bag the big hits. But, these services don't provide a PR self to follow up with anyone. They simply pocket your press release and distribute it. That's all.
Now, a PR professional would not only have the diligence know-how to know the needs of the media outlets who respond, but they would also write the press release in such a way as to produce a response in the first place. That's something moreover the press release services don't do - they generally don't write the release for you. Some might put forward that service, but it would cost a lot more than the ordinary distribution service, sometimes into the hundreds of dollars.
So when it comes down to it, these companies are not set up to give the needs of the media. They exist to serve the needs of clients who pay them to distribute their press release, in the hopes of getting some media coverage. If it does, that's great. But if not, then all that's been achieved is the placement of the press release on a variety of Web sites that, by and large, wouldn't qualify as legitimate news media. (I characteristic out "legitimate media" as media that generates revenue early advertising.)
For someone who has little to spend, it's not a terrible start. And, it's not that these services are deceptive in their practices. They're not -- they don't promise more than what they deliver.
But, don't confuse their events with that of a real PR campaign. A press release service is not akin to engaging a professional public relations firm. PR is not about hits on a Google listing. It's not about accumulating a lot of listings in search engines. PR is about penetrating the hullabaloo of the media to become well-known and well planning of as a company, a thought leader or party with valuable information, harvest or services to offer the consumer.
About the Author
Marsha Friedman is a 20-year public relations experienced person and the chief executive of EMSI Public Relations ( http://www.emsincorporated.com), a inhabitant steady including the intention of provides popularity approach and exposure air force to corporations, entertainers, authors and certified firms. She hosts a national touchtone phone logic have a discussion show, The Family Round Table, and is the author of "Celebritize Yourself".
