Press Release Distribution: Put it on the Wire or Take a Targeted Approach?

     Press releases are a proven way to get your news out to the masses and a tool that every public relations professional utilizes. But any PR pro will tell you that when it comes to the effectiveness of a press release, distribution matters. So, when considering how to distribute your next press release, two things should be top of mind: 1) how much are you willing to spend and 2) what reporters and editors will care about the news. When making this decision, it is important to consider what is best for your business and your budget. Below, we’ll discuss a couple of options available to PR agents, particularly, the choice of deciding between a wire service or a targeted distribution service.

    Since the goal of a press release is to reach audiences who would be interested in your topic of choice, it is important to zero in on those audiences. Traditionally, large scale organizations may use wire services to distribute their press releases, but these services miss the goal that many PR agents want to accomplish, to reach the correct audience.

    Using a wire service may be the easiest option in terms of time, but it will cost you. With wire services ranging from $50 to upwards of $1,000, getting a press release in front of large-scale media retailers doesn’t come cheap. While this service is guaranteed to reach a large, possibly international audience, there is a catch in that you have no guarantee that any of the members of this audience will find the press release of importance. 

    In order to avoid the high costs of a wire service and ensure that the releases get in the hands of the right people, PR professionals often create their own targeted distribution lists. These are the sources like editors, reporters, and journalists who would be the most likely to cover the news, as opposed to blanketing a large group who may or may not be interested. Targeting your audience is going to significantly increase the chances of getting a press release picked up by a writer.

    Concisely, creating a targeted distribution will help identify those who have a proven interest in the kind of news you’re distributing, while a wire service will get your press release to a large audience who may or may not find it of interest. While both have their advantages, it is ultimately the user’s audience goals (and budget) that will determine the decision.