Free Services Archive your News Release, but Don’t Replace Media Relations

Free news release services are one way to add your announcement to the vast archive of corporate information that makes up a big part of the Internet.

But don’t assume your message will stand out from a million other freely distributed news releases. And don’t count on the free services getting your news to the people who can tell your story to an audience you want to reach.

In most cases, you still need to identify journalists (and social media influencers) who reach those audiences. You need to figure out if you have a story they are likely to be interested in. And you need to contact them in a way that lets you pitch your story without pissing them off.

One role the free online services provide is to make your announcement a bit more accessible to people who are already trolling the Internet for information on your company or your industry.

At Content Done Better Blog, you’ll find a list of free online news release services, now that PR Web has moved upscale to a paid-only model. You’ll also find a reminder that these news release services make their money by surrounding everyone’s news releases with ads, and waiting for search engines to bring traffic to their sites. As much as they’re doing you a favour, you are doing them a favour by posting your content on their site.

Think of these free services as the equivalent of dumping a bunch of brochures on a park bench — your message might make it to your target audience, but compared to a more direct approach, it’s very much hit and miss.

Image via TwiceRobin.com.