Clients have often descibed how, before coming to us, they used online free or paid-for automated news/press release distribution services.
Invariably they have been mightily disappointed.
At Springup PR, and unlike some other agencies, we are not convinced of any real value in automated news/press release distribution services. We continually review them, but generally don’t use them. Here’s why:
1. Press releases sent via news release distribution fail to pinpoint the right journalists, editors or bloggers. Instead they are sent to everyone and no one. Effectively it’s a junk news release, or junk email.
What does Springup PR do instead? We ALWAYS contact the right journalist, editors and bloggers. By email and phone and, if required, in person.
For example, if you are promoting a revolutionary new laser eye treatment service why use an automated news/press release distribution service when you can instead collate a database of emails and telephone numbers of healthcare journalists and editors? Then ring and email them personally. Or perhaps first offer the story to the BBC as an exclusive? Automated news release distribution services don’t have this flexibility.
2. Press releases distributed via news release distribution services appear, in the main, on obscure news aggregator websites for a few hours or days. Apparently, this is useful for SEO purposes. We’re not so sure.
What does Springup PR do instead? Again, we ALWAYS contact the right journalist, editors and bloggers. By email and phone and, if required, in person.
Remember, a client’s SEO is improved through securing great online coverage through leading media, not via some unknown news aggregator.
3. The only people likely to have seen or read a news release distributed through a news release distribution service is the desk-bound employee who pushed the ‘send’ button in the office.
Nevertheless, perhaps you have had a positive experience of a news release distribution service? If so, please let us know. Email adamjames@springup-pr.com, or through the comments section below.