Overall Satisfaction with PR Newswire
I use PR Newswire in my business to issue clients' press releases on a wire service. I have my own account but I also sometimes help clients set up an account under their own business name.
It helps further the reach of a press release. While a wire service doesn't do the job of a PR consultant who would pitch the news to journalists, it does help cover the bases. It also helps boost SEO.
It helps further the reach of a press release. While a wire service doesn't do the job of a PR consultant who would pitch the news to journalists, it does help cover the bases. It also helps boost SEO.
- I think PR Newswire's reach is very good. It's a well-known service that's been around a long time and has a solid reputation. You can trust it.
- I think PR Newswire helps increase the visibility of news. So although I would also recommend pitching the news, using a wire service, particularly when there's major news to announce, can help in spreading the word.
- It's pretty easy to use. You may need someone to walk you through it at first, but you can save distributions and so forth so that it gets easier over time.
- Pricing. It's VERY expensive. This is why it's difficult to recommend it to any clients on a budget. Smaller businesses and startups would be hard-pressed to pay hundreds of dollars to issue a press release. And the pricing goes up if you want to include a photo, etc. There are competitors who will do it for less.
- They also want to charge you a fee just to have an account, whether or not you use it. That seems like it's not a good practice.
- While they've made it more streamlined to use, they could do a better job of including which trade publications you can reach, etc. I feel like it used to be easier to pull a list of those -- now they seem harder to find. Trade publications are important for clients that play in vertical markets.
- I've seen a press release issued on PR Newswire show up in Google searches, which is valuable to most companies. That may be a limited-time type of benefit, however.
- If you can't get stories pitched/published about your news, PR Newswire will at least get it out there for you. While it's a press release issued by the company, it will help disseminate it widely. That can help drive traffic and sales.
- I think it can be expensive, which could negatively impact a client's budget. When it's $1000+ to issue the release, that seems like it could get pricey pretty quickly.
- PRWeb and Business Wire
PRWeb is now owned by the same company (Cision). It's a lower priced service that I frequently recommend to clients on a budget. It allows links, a photo, and so on for a reasonable cost.
I used Business Wire for many years, but when I had a bad experience with customer service, I stopped. As a PR consultant and someone who frequently talks/writes about PR and recommends products and services, I feel it's never a good idea to alienate someone who can recommend your service -- or not. Now I always steer clients toward PR Newswire, as the two are fairly comparable.
I used Business Wire for many years, but when I had a bad experience with customer service, I stopped. As a PR consultant and someone who frequently talks/writes about PR and recommends products and services, I feel it's never a good idea to alienate someone who can recommend your service -- or not. Now I always steer clients toward PR Newswire, as the two are fairly comparable.