There are a variety of ways to send your press release out depending on your target audience. If you are building a localized business, then you may want to save some money and spend some time building your own database of media sources. Community newspapers, daily newspapers, television, radio, and magazines are great places to start. There are several sources online that may help you build your media list, but keep in mind that many of these are not up to date.
If your product or service is more national or international in nature, (or you just don't have the time to do it yourself), you may want to consider a newswire. They distribute your press release directly to editors, other media outlets like Routers and they also publish the press releases on their website so the search engines can find them. Wires have the advantage of immediately reaching a broad range of media outlets across the country. The cost ranges from free to $600 to send a single release, depending the number of words, how soon you want it sent, and how targeted you want your release to be. Some of the newswires are:
- www.newswire.com
- www.prnewswire.com
- www.prweb.com
- www.webwire.com
- www.24-7pressrelease.com
- www.prleap.com
- www.free-press-release-center.info
When you send your press release is a matter of contention between different 'experts'. General consensus is that you should never send out a release while the news media is concentrating on some crisis. For instance, anything sent out the week after a major hurricane hits would never get seen unless it had something to do with the hurricane story.
Mondays are usually busy news days and by Friday most assignments have been handed out as journalists get ready for the weekend. The best time for them to arrive is generally between 10am and 11am on a slow Tuesday or Wednesday.
Some Final Tips
- Don't send attachments, as they will be deleted upon receipt.
- If sending an email release, make sure to write it within the body of the message.
- Don't call editors to see if your press release has been received. It'll just bug them.
- Learn the deadlines of editors, especially if you have a time-sensitive release.
- Make sure your website is updated before sending out the release about it.