According to McKinsey, 2024 consumers are starting to explore new brands, rather than sticking with the companies they already know and love. Consumers who were once loyal to your competitors are now up for grabs.
While shoppers may be more open to new brands, they still expect the same trust-building we’ve seen in prior years. They not only need to see your promotional materials, but those promotional materials need to give them valuable information.
This is where press releases will always reign supreme, and you’re going to need the best press release distribution services available today. What should you look for? Read on to find out.
A Cutting Edge Distribution Network
Before you choose your press release distribution company, make sure they can provide honest information about their distribution network. The whole purpose of a press release is to maximize visibility for your latest announcement, and low-traffic or irrelevant publications aren’t going to help.
The best services will include a distribution network that includes:
- Major news networks like Google, Bing, and Yahoo News
- Exclusive access to at least one major PR publisher
- Industry and trade-specific publications
At eReleases, we not only put you on the map using outlets like Google News, but we have an exclusive relationship with PR Newswire, the oldest press release newswire in the country.
Expert Targeting Capabilities
Once you know that a press release distribution company has a great network, it’s time to verify that they know how to use it. This is where relevant publications come into play.
To see legitimate press release success, you need to aim for journalists who will find your press release relevant. In other words, you shouldn’t send a press release about the auto industry to a publication’s sports writer.
According to statistics compiled by Fit Small Business, most journalists report that only 25% of the press releases they receive are relevant. This tells us that many companies are wasting client resources by sending press releases to the wrong places.
A Strong Track Record for PR Success
The good news is that you won’t be the first to discover the best press release distribution services. Any company that has earned that title will have been in the business for a long time and received countless five-star reviews.
When you’re looking at reviews, look at more than just the star rating. Pay attention to what previous clients say about the services they received and what made them so successful.
You should also look for case studies on the company’s website. Case studies provide a breakdown of how a PR campaign went and what a company did to secure success for the client.
SEO Support for Visibility
Before your press release goes out, a great press release company will review it to make sure it supports your best interests. This includes checking for opportunities to boost search engine optimization.
For example, a great press release company will:
- Tighten up your writing to cut out misspellings and superfluous language
- Incorporate SEO keywords into your press release
- Point out opportunities to include 2-3 backlinks that support your website
Press releases that boost your SEO work twice as hard to increase visibility. They get the word out about your latest announcement while helping your website perform better on search engines.
Press Release Analytics
When done well, press releases can become an integral tool in your marketing strategy. Knowing how to send out a press release is only the first step.
Tracking the success of your press release can teach you valuable lessons moving forward. For example, it can reveal what kind of announcements yield the highest ROI.
A great press release distribution company will help you track important analytics on reach and engagement. The more you track prior press releases, the more you can improve future press releases and meet specific goals.
User-Friendly Digital Tools
It shouldn’t be hard to use a press release service. In fact, you should be able to do everything digitally if that’s what works best for your schedule.
At eReleases, our digital tools make it easy to get your next press release set up in a few simple steps. All you need to do is let us know what you’re announcing and what you hope to achieve and we can take it from there.
What if you prefer a more involved approach? We can also schedule as many virtual meetings as you’d like to ensure that your voice is heard every step of the way.
Pricing That Yields a Strong ROI
You might be thinking that the best way to see a strong ROI on press release distribution is by working with a company that distributes your press release for free. That way, any return you see is pure profit, right?
While these companies that offer free services can save you money upfront, you’re unlikely to see the same return. Just like any other partnership, you’ll get what you pay for, and free services won’t include a customized and targeted approach.
That said, you should always look at a company’s pricing before you sign any contracts. At eReleases, we’ve put together packages that ensure a strong ROI without sacrificing distribution quality.
Additional Press Release Services
Maybe you’re looking for more than just press release distribution. While you know what you want to include in your press release (or at the very least, what you’re hoping to announce), you don’t know how to write it effectively.
A great press release company will also include full writing services. Not only does this mean that they have expert writers on staff, but also that they know how to handle different topics the right way.
For example, there’s a big difference between a new client announcement and a new product announcement. There’s also a big difference between a press release designed for B2B and B2C audiences. An expert press release writer can navigate different industries, audiences, and goals.
Do You Really Need Professional PR Distribution?
Maybe you’re reading this to find out what it would take for you to distribute your own press release. The reality is that you can’t master effective press release tactics overnight. Here are some of the top press release benefits that you’ll only enjoy if you work with the best press release distribution services.
Accessing a Ready-Made Distribution Network
You might feel confident in your ability to write a press release for your business. After all, who knows what’s happening inside your company better than you do?
The problem is that once it comes time to distribute your press release, you probably don’t know where to start. Can you send it to any journalist that you discover in a Google search? Does it matter if you don’t have a pre-existing relationship with them?
You don’t inherently need to have a pre-existing relationship with a journalist before sending them your press release. However, having one may increase the open rate of your press release. Given how much time it would take to build a distribution network from scratch, a low open rate could really tank the value of your press release efforts.
Honing in on Your Target Audience
At the end of the day, you’re not just hoping that journalists will read your press release. Journalists are more like a middle-man. When handled the right way, journalists will share your press release with their audience and expand your visibility.
Let’s go back to the question of sending your press release to any journalist you can find on Google. Not only is that a time-consuming process, but it’s an ineffective one.
Your press release needs to land in the inboxes of journalists who can reach your target audience. In other words, you need to contact journalists who work in a relevant field. Unless you’re an expert in journalism, you’re unlikely to know who your best partners in the media actually are.
Taking Advantage of Additional Writing Services
As we mentioned earlier, some press release distribution companies also offer writing services. Before your press release ever goes out into the world, you can have professional writers and editors make sure that it:
- Follows proper press release formatting
- Has no grammatical or structural issues
- Allows readers to focus on the content
Believe it or not, the quality of your written marketing materials does matter to your potential consumers. Inc. Magazine recently reported on multiple studies that found that poor writing costs businesses in a variety of tangible ways, including loss of trust. Unless you’ve got a great writer in-house, your DIY press release may not attract new consumers even if you reach the right audience.
Looking for the Best Press Release Distribution Services? eReleases Has Your Back
You’re ready to make your announcement heard, but you don’t want to do it alone. eReleases offers some of the best press release distribution services on the market today.
Not only does our internal database include more than 1.7 million media contacts, but we also have an exclusive partnership with PR Newswire. Contact us to get the biggest reach and the best distribution targeting in the industry.