This blog post is part of “The Ultimate Guide to Public Relations” blog series.
Trying to Decide Between PR Web, PR Newswire, Business Wire, or MarketWire? Consider this…
We get a lot of hits on our blog article comparing PR wire services PRWeb, PRNewswire, Marketwire, and Business Wire. But before asking which service is the best, it might be a smart move to figure out if you should be using a PR wire service in the first place. And, if so, what type of news should you distribute and what outcomes should you realistically expect?
First, a few important myths to dispel about wires:
Wires provide no SEO value. A few years ago companies were sending press releases left and right in order to build up their website’s authority and to improve search rankings. At the time, wires were a great way to get press releases syndicated out to hundreds of websites that would, in turn, have links back to your site, but Google put the kibosh on SEO value derived from links in paid news feeds a while back. The news here is: if you want to increase your website authority, you’ll have to earn it.
Wires are not required by the SEC. As Greg Galant, founder of Muck Rack, put it in his article The End of the Press Release? on PRSA, “A really good reason to send a press release would be to avoid spending time in jail!” As Greg points out, this is no longer required by the SEC and public companies are able to post news on their website instead of sending a wire.
Wires rarely result in original news coverage. Getting original news coverage opportunities from wire releases is rare. In my experience, quality media coverage comes as a result of building relationships with journalists, providing timely news and information, and collaborating on ideas for articles, partnerships, and other opportunities.
So, why send a press release wire?
Wires have been a fundamental part of the PR industry, but times change fast and many of the benefits are less relevant or no longer apply. Thanks to technology, we have the ability to perform many of the functions ourselves without the help of a wire service.
We can now build strong, relevant media lists and communicate with journalists directly via email, phone, and social media. We can distribute news electronically directly to newrooms. News posts on our website are automatically indexed in search engines. And we can promote news via social media.
Wire services do perform one exclusive function. They syndicate our news across thousands of sites on the web. The question we have to ask as marketers–is that of value to us? If it is–how much?
Are wires an amazing way to extend your company’s reach, increase valuable impressions, and produce measurable outcomes? Or, are they spammy, redundant press release re-posts that run in paid news feeds?
I can’t answer that question for you–or for the communications industry. But it’s a question well worth asking before you hit “submit” on your next wire distribution.
This blog post is part of “The Ultimate Guide to Public Relations” blog series.
