If you run a company or a website and you want to make it known in the media, you know it’s not easy. You have to write a press release whenever something new is going on and then send it out to all your media contacts.
But you need to spend time to seek these contacts. You also have to manually add them to your list and check it twice. You don’t want your press release to reach the wrong hands. But some companies have no flair in writing press releases. Services such as 24-7 Press Release are here to offer a helping hand.
I called the company when I have a discount and special promotions on my e-commerce store. For example, we had a special offer on all our products last year on Black Friday. A week before the event, we sent out a list of popular products about to be on discount to the company. They wrote the press release for my company instead of my employees and swiftly sent it to their media contacts. The sale event was a success.
24-7 Press Release Features
Types of Packages
Not all press releases are the same. When I want to reach my customers, I normally try to think about the type of media they follow. In most cases, they read local media and select national newspapers. As a result, I need a plan which is neither exclusivist or too focused. The options are as follows.
Simple Post
This package only supports your press release on the 24-7 website. You get it published still following editorial standards. However, its reach is minimal to non-existent. It’s the type of post you publish for search engine optimization.
While it’s the most affordable package, I’d stay away from it. If you’re taking the time to write an actual press release, then you need to visibility to it. Most other plans are better-suited for such objectives.
Visibility Post
These packages already include other media outlets. The company sends it to 50 websites and you start gaining visibility. If you publish a subject that people look for, it will also show up on search engines such as Google. However, there’s no guarantee of top-tier media outlets in this package. It’s a selection of good websites it gets sent to, but not necessarily websites you might know yourself.
PR Network
This is the first serious news pack and one of my preferred options. Press releases within the package are sent out to 80 websites. Among them, leading names include The Associated Press, USA Today, and The New York Times.
With such visibility, you can expect a higher number of visitors on your website straight away. I’m a fan of these packages as I use them for promotions on my website. I know that people from around the country are going to access my web page and hopefully they’ll place an order.
Integrated Media Pro
This package takes your press release to thousands of media websites and magazines. It reaches more than 3,000 news channels which I find amazing.
Of course, not every website is going to publish your press release. Some of them will ignore it completely. But among them, websites are willing to publish more. For this to happen, your press release needs to have news value.
If you choose this package, which is not the most affordable, you need to solidly-prepare your press release. If you have valid news, offers or coupons, most websites will publish it, even if not on their homepage.
Mass Media Visibility
This package has strong financial implications. Sure, it costs the most. However, it reaches financial channels such as CNN Money, Newsday, and MarketWatch. As a result, it becomes crucial to have something of value to tell these outlets. Having a discount on a single product has no news value, unless that product is hard to find and in very high demand.
One of the situations rely on this type of press release offer was with statistics. I was publishing my store’s sales and a direct comparison with what is sold in the previous years. Someone from Newsday contacted me for more information. They wanted to write a story about how political and social events impact sales. I was glad to get even more exposure.
Writing Services
As you may tell, I’m not the best writer. I may text fast and write quirky social media posts, but press releases have different rules. Without a doubt, I needed someone who can write these press releases for me.
Luckily, apart from media distribution, this website also offers you the help of a professional writer. The rates for these writing services vary from case to case. Here’s what you need to know about.
The length of the press release is going to influence its cost. The more you want to write, the more work is needed for editing and polishing. But shorter texts tend not to be too explicit. You need to find the right length balance for the topic you’re trying to cover.
But your writing cost might also depend on the level of detail in the press release. If the writer has to look up statistics and do extra research you can expect to pay more for the writing service.
Editorial Guidelines
There are a few rules you should know about when submitting a press release on the website. First, you should know that you will pay more for texts longer than 375 words. But you should not write more anyway unless you have a journalistic topic at hand.
Other rules you need to know about is voice confirmation. Someone from the company will call you to confirm the press release. You need to add this voice confirmation to reduce the risk of fake news or to simply protect yourself from any fraudulent press releases made in your name.
Customer Service
If you have further questions about the rules of the press release and the grammar standards it needs to adhere to, you can contact the company directly. They reply quickly to e-mails. But I prefer to call them if I need some quick information as it is a bit less formal and time-consuming.
Pros
Cons
Final Verdict
My business needs new customers like any other business. But at times, it can be difficult to reach them. Since many read today’s news websites, my businesses need to be where the attention is. I publish various press releases on these websites just to stay relevant and to build brand awareness.
If you want to test the service yourself, you can choose one of the most affordable plans for your first press release. However, I don’t recommend the Simple Post package as it doesn’t have the reach all other packages offer. You also need to know that these packages apply to one press release at a time. Good planning ensures the success of your media communication efforts.
