News Release Distribution Review 2010
This is the third installment of my running review of online news release distribution sites. If you’re finding these reviews for the first time, you should know that I’ll update this post as best I can throughout the year as sites change their offerings. Previous editions of my review can be found here and here.
This post has been a long time coming. Client work and family life keeps getting in the way, but the online distribution universe changes so fast, and I’ve received so much goodwill as a result of the previous two versions of my online news release distribution reviews ( that I had make the time to write this update.
Let’s take a look at a some good reasons to distribute your news releases online:
- By including a link in your release, you’re building inbound links to your web site.
- Your news is being spread beyond the boundaries of your web site, increasing the odds of it being seen by your audience.
- There is the possibility that it will be seen by new media or traditional media, leading to coverage from these outlets. This isn’t something I ever count on, but it does sometimes happen.
Disclaimer: There have been occasions where I have been given free “try out” release distributions. I do accept these because they allow me to sample different services, but I do my best not to let them sway my judgment in the review. I consider it the same as a product reviewer accepting a sample product. Disclaimers about specific services can be found within their reviews.
So, which is the best place to distribute your news releases to reach your goals? Below is a review of what I consider the best of the best, both free and paid. Feed free to add your own via comments!
Horrifying Media Relations
I’m appalled, but unfortunately I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. PR Guru Peter Shankman posted a link yesterday on Facebook to a release with the following copy:
COULD A BEDSIDE SHOTGUN RACK HAVE SAVED JENNIFER HUDSON’S FAMILY FROM TRAGIC DEATH?
Chicago, IL (MMD Newswire) October 28, 2008 — Tragedy strikes in a Chicago home leaving 3 people dead and an Oscar winner forced to identify the bodies of her family.
Jennifer Hudson’s mother and brother were gunned down in their home Friday. Could an invaluable device have saved their lives? It’s called The BackUp and it is a bedside shotgun rack.
Nevermind that the murders took place at the front door and a shotgun in the bedroom wouldn’t have done any good at all. The pitch is horrifically offensive. If you’re a PR person reading this blog — please don’t do this.
Beware Secondary News Interview Postings
I was talking to a PR friend of mine today who has been a friend since we both worked in local radio news. He contacted me to give me “heads up” about a new practice by a local radio station. I won’t mention his name or the name of the station, but he was recently interviewed by the station for a story about his employer. The interview was over the telephone and was completely on the record. He assumed his answers would be cut into soundbites and used in the station’s twice hourly newscasts, and he assumed correctly.
My friend was bothered, however, to find that the entire interview was *also* posted on the station’s website as part of their “news on demand” offering. He was happy for the extra exposure and felt he sounded okay in the long form version (and he did sound just fine) but the problem was that he was never told about that secondary use.
Zogby Poll has Big Impact on Media Relations and Social Media
A new Zogby poll came out late last week and it has serious ramifications for media relations practitioners and for those who create social media. Since I do both, I’m particularly interested. The research found the following:
- The Internet is now the top source of news for 48% of Americans
- Two-thirds (67%) say traditional journalists are “out of touch”
- A large majority (86%) of Americans said websites are an important source of news
This should point out to all public relations professionals once and for all that we CANNOT ignore the web. If we push our client news only to traditional media, we’re missing a large portion of the client’s potential customers.
For producers of social media like podcasts, blogs, and news sites, this is extremely encouraging. It shows that the “open source” nature of online news is working.
Read more from Zogby about the survey here.
Seven Ways that Print Media is like Podcasting
Something occurred to me today. While there are obvious similarities between podcasting and the broadcast world, in many, many ways these two types of social media are actually more like print media than radio or television.
Here is a list of seven ways that print media is just like podcasting:
1) There’s no governing body in the United States that regulates who can own a newspaper or magazine.
The reason for this is that anyone who wants to can start a print publication. If you like, you can run a newspaper or magazine rom your mother’s basement. Ironically, this is the stereotype of a podcaster or vidcaster … a guy living out of his mother’s basement.
2) Newspapers and (particularly) magazines can fill a very small niche and be successful.
Think of all of the special interest magazines you’ve seen. I’m sure you’ll find one for people with chronic ingrown toenails if you look hard enough. Podcasts, meanwhile, are almost by definition a niche medium.
3) Once you publish something in print, it’s out there forever.
With the exception of reruns and a couple of other situations, radio and TV broadcasts hit the airwaves once and are gone forever. Newspapers, magazines, and podcasts can stick around forever if you have enough storage.
4) Magazine and newspaper readers can choose to subscribe.
Readers subscribe to the print publications they want, and it’s delivered right to them. If they prefer, they can skip subscribing and just go out and get it themselves. This is a huge similarity with audio and video podcasting.
5) Magazines and newspapers are extremely portable.
You can easily take your newspaper or magazine to work, the gym, or even into the bathroom. You can do these things with radio, but it’s pretty tough with television unless you’ve got a small portable … and my eyes aren’t good enough to see those tiny screens anyhow. Plus, once the digital TV broadcast switch happens in the U.S., all of those portable TVs that use “bunny ears” are going to be paperweights anyhow.
6) Magazines and newspapers are available when you want to consume them.
Television has solved this problem with DVRs. Traditional radio … not so much.
7) Magazines and newspapers are easy to share.
When you’re done with a magazine, you can give it to the guy or gal who has the cubicle next to yours at work. If you like a podcast, you can email the link to a buddy. Try to do that with a traditional radio show.
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