How Journalists Use P.R. Wire Services ?
When devising their marketing and public relations strategy for the new year, small business owners are faced with deciding how they want to send press releases to get media attention. They must choose between using a public relations wire service or sending themselves. They might believe that using wire services are expensive. This article explains how journalists use wire services and will help small business owners make that decision.
Like small business owners, journalists are inundated with information. They have to find story ideas quickly to meet tight deadlines. Thus, you have a small window of time to capture their attention about your news. To capture journalists’ attention, you could send your press release through a P.R. wire service. However, you want to make sure you are saving them time instead of wasting their time. This article will help you figure out how journalists use P.R. wire services.
1 – One of Many
Press release distribution services are one of many ways journalists find story ideas. They search for story ideas through a number of sources. If they are broadcasters, they will search newspapers and magazines. If they are print or online publications, they will listen to radio, television or podcasters for ideas. They search company social media sites for nuggets of information. They also listen to conversations from influencers in particular industries. All of this means that journalists might not look at a wire service daily. They might look at them occasionally or almost never. When they do look at them daily, they are briefly scanning for the information that might make a good story. Therefore, you have to capture their attention quickly.
2 – Relevancy
When P.R. wire services are targeted to the publication, they attract journalists more effectively. Journalists don’t want to slog through thousands of wire service stories that are relevant to what they report. That would take too much time. However, when a public relations wire service is industry-specific, the journalists don’t have to sort through too many that aren’t relevant. For example, Faselis Growth allows business owners specify their industry for the press release. They can target their release to those journalists who are most likely interested in the information.
3 – Large Organizations
P.R. wire services are great for large organizations that have many reporters and editors who can decide how to use the story. However, they don’t work for freelance journalists who need something more unique that doesn’t come from a press release. For those journalists, you would pitch them directly with a different story idea that hasn’t been put in a press release. Most journalists use press releases sent from distribution services for story ideas and background information. Again, this aspect is great for large conglomerates. Individual journalists don’t use distribution services for story ideas. They find their ideas through other methods.
4 – Links
Press releases sent through distribution services provide links for journalists. These links are valuable. They can more information and background material without having to contact the source in the press release. They want to be able to find information on their own time. If they see something on those links that sparks their interest, they might be more willing to contact the company about the product or service.
While journalists do use P.R. wire services, they prefer targeted material with links to specific place they can go for more information. You might be more successful if you target large organizations over freelancers by using wire services and pitch freelancers ideas that were not sent via a wire service. And, even if you use a wire service, small business owners should always follow up the press release with a call or e-mail.
If you want to get media attention using a P.R. wire service, Faselis Growth can help you know how journalists use the service and what press releases you should send.
by Louise Harris
