Free/Cheap Press Release Distribution Services

(Shel Horowitz's Frugal Marketing Tip, August, 2002)

Last month, we talked about how to pitch a journalist by e-mail. Once you've crafted a query, in many cases, you'll want to distribute it widely. So take that query and spread it around! Here are some of the channels for distributing your press release in bulk. Note that I have no direct experience with most of these companies, and their listing here doesn't constitute endorsement--just information. Ask for--and check--references! However you do it, it sure beats lacking stamps and mailing out hundreds of releases yourself.

We'll start with some free services, compiled from a number of sources. With these, you get what you pay for, to some extent. You have no guarantee that they will send the right releases to the right places, or that anyone will pick them up. Still, they're worth a shot. (You will have to register at some of these sites.)
http://www.pressbox.co.uk/
http://www.prweb.com/
http://www.localbusiness.com/
http://www.bizwomen.com/ (if you're a woman business owner)
http://www.solonews.com/
http://www.eBookBroadcast.com
http://www.skali.com/index.php?ch=19
http://www.worldannounce.com/

Some services provide interesting alternative models.
http://www.globalpresswire.com/ allows unlimited use of their wire for US $160 per year. They are an affiliate of M2Presswire
http://www.m2.com/, based in the UK
http://www.talion.com/ offers an a la carte menu of publicity services, including monthly or city-by-city publicity, or electronic news release distribution, starting at $149, on up to an all-out blitz at $6,550. They will also contract with you to follow up your press releases by phone.

There are also two very reasonably priced alternatives to the big, expensive newswires: http://www.imediafax.com/ offers fax distribution at just 25 cents a page, minimum order 200. This works best if you ask to see the list in advance, remove obviously inappropriate media, and add any key ones that were left out.
*** is similar cents per release.

Of course, you can email press releases directly to journalists. Find newspapers listed online at http://www.zuzu.com/helpful/news-add.htm or .

Finally, the very expensive press release wire services aimed at big business. By all reports, these folks do a very good job at getting your release out-but expect to pay several hundred dollars per drop.

Here are the three with the strongest reputation:

http://www.PRNewswire.com (who also provide the service that tells you when reporters are looking for sources--if you'd like to know about a relatively cheap "back door" to this service, please visit http://www.frugalmarketing.com/prleads.shtml ).

http://www.businesswire.com/

http://www.internetnewsbureau.com/

Thank you reading this back issue of Shel Horowitz's Monthly Frugal Marketing Tips, published every month since May, 1997; please click here to view the complete archives, grouped by subject. Shel is an internationally known copywriter and marketing consultant, author of Grassroots Marketing Getting Noticed in a Noisy World, Principled Profit: Marketing That Puts People First and several other books, and creator of the Frugal Marketing web site. Please click here to contact Shel.