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You
can send out press releases by yourself. However, let me warn you:
it takes a lot of time to get the publication's contact numbers --
email, fax and phone numbers, contact persons, addresses. Heck,
making a list of publications that you want to receive your story
is hard enough by itself!
(article continued below ...)
An
alternative is to use press release services to distribute your
releases. These services let you reach large numbers of
journalists, even ones you don't already know about.
The drawback, however, is that some of the media contacts
included in the package that you are buying may not be your
targeted audience. And
of course, there's the matter of cost. As always, check out if the
benefit will outweigh the cost (and for free publicity -- it
usually does!).
Here
are some of the press release services that you can use:
Business
Wire
Business Wire is one of the most widely used press
release distribution services on the Internet, sending releases
mainly through email and fax.
All the major news sites, search engines, and high-traffic
properties on the Web use Business Wire releases.
The company has a distinguished reputation for newswire
leadership, technological innovation, imaginative products and
outstanding service. Expect high likelihood that your news release
will be picked up by an online media. However, for such premium
service, don’t expect prices to come cheap! Prices range from
$75 for state-specific distribution to $525 for US-wide; and as
much as $1,995 for global distribution.
Internet
Wire
The
main strength of Internet Wire is that its content is republished
on leading Web sites and syndicated on leading distributors,
including Bloomberg, COMTEX News Network, iSyndicate and Screaming
Media. This gives you
assurance that your news release will be given a wide reach. Their
price is not bad, either – the cost of a single,
unlimited-length news release is $275.
eReleases.com
This
company maintains a database of more than 10,000 opt-in
journalists who agreed to receive news information through emails.
For $249 for a 500-word release, eReleases will submit your
news to a general list and two targeted lists, depending on your
industry and sector. The
general lists comprise about 2,400 contacts from daily news
sources, weekly news sources, news wire/syndicate services,
syndicated TV/broadcast sources, syndicated radio sources and
hundreds of freelancers. In
addition, they will target your news release to up to two specific
categories (e.g. parenting, marine/boating).
Web
Wire
Web
Wire is not a distribution service; rather it is an online
centralized repository of press releases.
You submit your press release (initial submission is free)
and your news will be stored in their database.
Press and media people can then search WebWire’s database
using keywords. While
WebWire’s ability to make your news be seen and heard seems
limited, their feature that allows your headline scroll in their
frontpage as soon as you upload it is way cool!
US
News Wire
U.S.
Newswire bills itself as the leading news release wire service for
distributing breaking news from the world's top news sources to
the media, government, research and online communities. Prices
range from $50 to statewide distribution to $595 for full national
circuit (U.S.)
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