Most Press Releases Do Nothing – Why Trust eReleases?

The sad truth about press releasescat-400-transparent

Most press releases do nothing. Here’s why.

  • Most companies expect one press release to change their business. If it doesn’t, they stop sending press releases.

Here’s what you need to know:

  • Most advertisements do nothing initially, but companies don’t stop advertising: they test, tweak, and test again until they see incremental improvements. Why would you stop press releases after a single try?  

If you aren’t sure what is newsworthy about your business, check out this free Master Class on PR Strategy: https://www.ereleases.com/plan/

A single article can generate massive traffic and thousands of dollars of sales.

…still getting customers months later with no further effort.

Linda M. Lopeke, The SMARTSTART Coach review of eReleases PR“We began receiving media requests for interviews and received coverage online, in print, and on television!

As a direct result, our internet presence increased more than tenfold, and we are still getting customers months later with no further effort on our part.”

— Linda M. Lopeke, The SMARTSTART Coach

The full story:

1. Web-Only Press Releases – Cheap, But Any Value?

Web-based solutions – restricted to online visibility – what used to be called press release SEO – are available from dozens of providers. Prices are all over the place, from almost free up to hundreds of $$.

Google long ago stated that there’s no “SEO” value to syndicated press releases.

So why spend money on something with no real value?

2. Actual Newswire Reaches Real Media Members.

To reach actual journalists;

  • Start with an actual newswire – there are two who don’t specialize in publicly-traded clients: BusinessWire and PR Newswire.
  • Next you need to add a targeted direct-to-journalists email send.

A PR firm can do this for you by sending your release over one of these newswires, and then can use a media database or personal rolodex for targeted sends. Most PR firms will then take more intensive actions to individually pitch media members on your behalf.

3. We’re the only full-exposure, nationwide partner of PR Newswire, the oldest authentic press release newswire.

How that is different? Lots of places try to fake you out by calling themselves a “newswire” when they are not. Here’s another critical point: PR Newswire is dedicated to sending press releases.

Did you know that the Associated Press and UPI newswires use their wires ONLY for content their reporters write? Well they do. They also have services to send other stuff, but here’s the problem: The other material technically gets “sent” but it’s buried deep where journalists under deadline in newsrooms do not bother to look. That’s why we choose to go with a true, dedicated wire for press releases.

4. Our staff consists of real editors who are on salary – no commissions or sales pressure.

How that is different? Other PR services have commissioned salespeople whose job it is to sell and upsell you, or they don’t eat. Our editors are trained in journalism, and they don’t have the pressure of commissions.

When they give you advice, it’s because it is good advice and not some sales tactic.

5. eReleases features a 94% delivery rate to hand-selected journalists covering a wide range of industry topics.

How that is different? The sad and little-known truth is that many cut-rate online press-release services will send your release using addresses in “[email protected]” format. In other words, they have no contact whatsoever at the newspaper, so they send it to a generic address. Of course it gets spam filtered and never reaches an editor or journalist. But they can claim that they sent your release to the newspaper.

Do you see why some of these outfits can charge next to nothing for “distributing” your press release? They think you’ll be happy that the release was sent to lots of places, when the real success comes from people receiving and reading your release. That’s why we cultivate personal relationships with our sources, so your individual release is highly likely to reach their personal inboxes.

6. Marketplace Confusion.

Please note that this is not:

  • PR Web, Newswire.com, 24-7PressRelease.com, or many similar services, which are not newswires.
  • iReach, which is PR Newswire’s web-only service.

7. How are eReleases’ Prices So Much Less?

Because we act as a cooperative for small businesses – which don’t do enough volume for the newswire’s sales team to engage – we receive a HUGE discount that we pass along.

Any other affordable service that claims to use PR Newswire is either sending through iReach (web-only) or doing a city/local distribution (very limited reach).

8. Our distribution is nationwide.

How that is different? Earlier we talked about how some companies claim they used a “newswire” or even that they themselves are newswires, when they actually did not and are not. Another game they’ll play, in order to keep their expenses down, is to negotiate some limited distribution on a wire so they can claim your release “went out on the wire.”

In reality it was to a very limited audience, but they don’t tell you that. At eReleases, we pay lots of money for special access to the full, nationwide distribution of PR Newswire, so you get maximum exposure.

9. We send you proof of distribution, with links you can test yourself: our WireWatch™ Report.

How that is different? Your press release is too important to take someone’s word that it was distributed properly. That’s why we don’t just tell you that it went out–we give you the links so you can see for yourself.

Our WireWatch™ reports are available just 2 hours after your press release is published. Just click to see your press release on sites like MarketWatch, PR Newswire, Yahoo!, and many, many more.

10. What Should I Expect?

NOTE: A single press release is not a press release campaign. Some people strike gold with the first release, especially if the newsworthy factor is high but that’s not the norm.

David Meerman Scott points out that he issued more than a dozen press releases to promote his book “The New Rules of Marketing and PR” before attracting attention.

That’s not common either, though it is tougher for an author to make a splash.

Our most successful clients usually see attention by the third or fourth press release as long as they mix up hooks/angles and try to better understand not just what the journalist wants but what the ultimate reader wants to read.
 

…I received 10 new clients and approximately 4,200 website hits!

Jason Templer, Scoops Pet Waste Management review of eReleases PR“My press release with eReleases got me coverage in approximately 13 different publications, as well as a segment on a local television show!

As a result, I received 10 new clients and approximately 4,200 website hits!

eReleases is the best in the business as far as I am concerned and, therefore, they have no competition! They offer the best prices and the most ‘bang for your buck.'”

— Jason Templer, Scoops Pet Waste Management Services