While you will have greater results if you send a targeted news release to a specific journalist, there are times when sending press releases out to the masses is not a bad idea. The chances of getting results are much slimmer, but if your release is timely and powerful, it might get picked up by media that you would never have contacted.
In many instances, it might be smart to do both types of news releases. Make sure that each release is different enough in content and focus so that your ideal targeted journalist will not feel like they are getting a mass letter. After all, if you go to the trouble of finding a journalist, connecting with them and writing the release to fit their coverage, then you want to build an ongoing relationship.
If you are ready to send your release out to the public, here are free press release sites to get started:
1. onlineprnews.com – This is a free and paid release submission service. The free version offers one live URL in the Media Contact area and includes a SEO title and meta tag. The releases are live for ninety days and there is one submission allowed per day. The paid versions range from $22 to $349 and offer many more features. They offer an article, “How to Fix Common Press Release Writing Mistakes,” that is helpful if you are new to writing press releases or want to improve.
2. openpr.com – This site was started in 2004 and is operated out of Germany. At the time of this article, it had published 133,814 releases by 107,118 companies. Since those two numbers are pretty close in range, it tells me that there may not be a lot of repeat business. However, it is a free service and the site does not offer paid news release options.
3. newswiretoday.com – This site has been involved in online advertising since 1998. It offers both free and paid news release campaigns. To sign up, you must have a corporate email and a business-related website. Releases are strictly for business purposes, though if your book is on business topics I am sure that would fit the criteria. The site also maintains http://www.przoom.com/; paid versions start at $99 per release to $249.
To learn about book marketing strategies and to get a jump start on your marketing, check out the Authors Academy.
