What does Press Release Distribution mean?

Press release is an official statement addressed to the media for the purpose of presenting some message is it about a company, organization or a person. Public relation release is simply a method through which press releases are sent to relevant media houses or to the journalists so that media coverage is obtained. 

On this page, we try to provide you with an understanding of what Press Release Distribution is all about.

The purpose of a press release therefore is to let people know of developments or new events, products or services of a company through news channels. However, a simple act of writing and publishing a press release in your own company website does not get audiences reach much. Press release distribution ensures that your announcement finds its way to the journalist, bloggers, industry leaders and inform your new company or brand to wider audiences.

In the past, firms would send out a memo to a Public Relations (PR) firm who would then come up with and issue the press releases. The PR firm would have developed the means through which they can present the releases to the media houses. Indeed, PR distribution can be really powerful, but, unfortunately, its application is quite costly, and, thus, unmanageable for most of the small and or independent companies. 

Thankfully, over the past decade, digital communications has become the new wave in public relations and consequently, cheap press release distribution options. Most of these services work on the media contact list update and for the dissemination of press releases to thousands of online periodicals, reporters, and news organizations that you run in your industry. As opposed to splurging tens of thousands of dollars per distribution, press release distribution services cost a monthly fee or per press release fee anywhere from $50 to a few hundred dollars.

The Advantages of Press Release Distribution 

There are a number of compelling reasons why press release distribution should be part of your company's overall content marketing and public relations strategy:

1. The Special Offers Campaign will help to increase brand exposure and awareness in a variety of ways.

Press release distribution leads your company name, brands, products, and services to appear before large target markets/audiences. When your content is covered by other media outlets your release will be published and your brand will gain new audiences.

2. Build, Garner and Accomplish Inbound Links for SEO

To many, online publications will refer their readers to the company’s websites therefore helping the press releases act as backlinks that are useful in search engine ranking. We can increase the amount of authoritative links leading to the domain to have better search results for the domain.

3. Drive Website Traffic

There are usually CTA—calls-to-action, directing readers to your website for more information. Overall, receiving attention from your press release and clicking through you can obtain high attendance rates on your website and traffic.

4. Create Credibility & Expertise 

Press releases generate media-related third-party endorsement, and even better, puts you on the map as the industry expert. Media quotes, features and mention each of them add credibility to your business.

5. Generate Sales Leads

Every potential customer would want to see what’s new, and by releasing new products, announcing events, or sharing company news, you provide a worthy cause for individuals to frequent your store or website. Through press releases sales opportunities come from new prospects as the information given is always new.

6. The next subgoal is to have more people follow us on social media. 

Using URL links is also effective whereby you incorporate social profiles of your brand in the press releases whereby journalists and readers can follow the brands’ profiles thereby increasing social media presence.

How Press Releases Get to a Larger Circle  

There are several ways that a well-distributed press release reaches new and expanded audiences across both online and offline channels:

• News Aggregators: Some of the major wire services that are picked up by these major news sites include Google News, Yahoo News and MSN and these in turn post them to millions of visitors.
• Online Publications: You find that newspapers and magazines that operate within your area of interest will directly reproduce your press release or write from it an article. 
• Journalists & Editors: They are in the permanent search of suitable topics to cover, as well as news pertinent to beats and readership. In fact, a press release may contain the facts on which an investigative article or feature might be based.
• Social Sharing: When your press release is featured, then articles, posts and coverage is almost always shared via social networks.
• Mainstream Media: Some press releases are even more likely if not easy to accomplish enough curiosity that mainstream press radio, television or newspapers will pick up your press release and offer it to national or even regional populace. 

The end outcome is that superior press releases can reach specific, selected, targeted audiences, even beginning on a limited scale, and grow to saturate multiple online and offline domains – exponentially increasing your audience.

Essential Steps towards Effective Press Release Management

How successful your press release distribution efforts are depends on multiple factors:

Newsworthiness - The release concerns a subject that is new, current, bizarre or pertinent to the audiences of the media. 

• Segmentation – Areas that are segmented as excluding sending press releases to all and sundry.
• Flexibility – ability to modify the release’s language, the approach used in targeting the calls to action and the outlet used for dissemination . 
• Multimedia – Use of images, pictures, videos, infographics, etc., interest people.  
• SEO Elements – Correct title attributes and_meta descriptions, image tags & textual content.
• Measurement - Measuring with open rates, click rates, conversation rates and online presence through web analytics.

The greatest approaches to press release distribution also include a paid service, as well as further outbound journalist and media list outreach to mid-advanced and advanced journalists and media. This also increases visibility in terms of volume distribution promotion as well as focused promotion to selected audience.

As the targeting progresses, the beauty of writing unique press releases, using appropriate keywords in the content so that it is well exposed on the internet and making ongoing adjustments as well as monitoring the consequences can supply exponential returns – significantly enhancing your media visibility and your company’s reach with help of press releases.