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Business Problems Solved
Pros
Cons

PR Newswire is a versatile platform that has proven to be valuable for various users across different industries. One of its primary use cases is to complement other earned media relations efforts. Users, such as Public Relations Managers, have found that by utilizing PR Newswire alongside product and tour announcements, they can achieve their communication and public relations goals quickly and easily. Moreover, PR Newswire offers a long-life digital footprint that provides value from an SEO standpoint. Users have reported being able to track clicks on links, downloads of media assets like logos and videos, which helps them gauge the success of their campaigns.

Another significant use case of PR Newswire is its ability to simplify the process of disseminating information. Marketing teams have relied on this platform to publish press releases for organizations, ensuring wide distribution across US media outlets. By using PR Newswire, these teams can effectively spread the word about current and upcoming initiatives, saving both time and cost in the process. Additionally, PR Newswire plays a crucial role in increasing the distribution of business communications for clients. It not only reaches English-speaking audiences but also caters to French-speaking audiences through US and Canadian distribution channels. The platform's translation services contribute to effective communication with diverse audiences, making it an indispensable tool for companies operating globally.

Editorial departments have found PR Newswire useful for finding business news releases for investigation or writing purposes. It allows them to establish relationships with public relations professionals and stay up-to-date with industry developments. Furthermore, small businesses have utilized PR Newswire as a means to gain increased exposure on newsworthy events happening within their organizations. By leveraging this platform, these businesses are able to reach a wider audience and generate valuable publicity.

Overall, PR Newswire addresses several common challenges faced by businesses and marketing professionals alike. Its ease of use, broad distribution capabilities, SEO benefits, and comprehensive tracking features make it a go-to platform for maximizing the impact of press releases and media campaigns.

Intuitive and user-friendly interface: Users have praised PR Newswire for its intuitive and user-friendly interface, with multiple reviewers stating that it simplifies the process of setting up a news release for distribution. The website's layout and navigation make it easy to upload press releases and save selections from previous distributions, saving time and effort.

Comprehensive visibility reports: Several users have appreciated the comprehensive visibility reports provided by PR Newswire. These reports offer valuable insights into the performance of press releases, including where they were distributed and their reach. This feature helps users identify target reporters for future releases and demonstrates the service's credibility.

Helpful customer support: Many reviewers have commended PR Newswire's customer support as helpful and personalized. One user highlighted the helpful step of receiving a call from an account representative to confirm everything was set before official distribution via the web portal. This personal touch adds value to the user experience without adding unnecessary complexity.

Pricing Concerns: Some users have expressed concerns about the pricing of PR Newswire, stating that it can be cost prohibitive to add multiple photos, video links, and logos. Others feel that the pricing structure is comprehensive but excludes smaller companies or public relations agencies from affording the service. Additionally, there are mentions of additional fees for services like logo storage that some users believe should be included in their membership fee.

Complicated Pricing Structure: The pricing for different components of the service is perceived as complicated by users. They would appreciate more consultation on which types of press releases deserve more outlets. This lack of clarity has led some users to find PR Newswire pricey compared to its competitors, especially when considering costs for including a logo and image.

Technical Issues and Unreliable Search Function: Users have reported technical issues with PR Newswire's search function, mentioning that it does not always bring up relevant news. Furthermore, there have been instances where press releases were removed after publication, resulting in broken links or missing URLs. These problems undermine user experience and affect the overall reliability of the platform.

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July 30, 2021

Considered the gold standard in newswire distribution, but be careful about being held to their personal editorial preferences

Verified User

Vice-President in Other

Public Relations and Communications Company, 51-200 employees

Score 6 out of 10

Vetted Review

Verified User

Incentivized

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

Our agency uses PR Newswire to distribute news for our clients over the wire. It is exclusively used by our PR division as a way to memorialize news and announcements, have the news populate Google and other news alerts, and tie the news to the ticker symbols for our publicly traded clients. It ensures that there is an official, searchable and findable record of news that's been announced for and about the company and its stakeholders.

Pros and Cons

Making news searchable and findable, populating automated news alerts for those who follow certain companies and/or industries.
Ensuring that news is issued in a way that satisfies legal and regulatory requirements for publicly traded companies.
Ensuring that all content distributed through the platform is editorially sound and free of grammatical errors.

Lately, we noticed that PR Newswire has been holding up distributions for more than one client due to its in-house editors taking personal issue with the content of the news being shared. That's a critically bad issue.
The automated reports are very in-depth, but they lack context regarding what the numbers really mean. I would love to see greater analysis, not just numbers reporting.
Customer support (non-editorial) needs a bit of an overhaul. Since being acquired by Cision, the customer service has gone downhill.

Likelihood to Recommend

PR Newswire is a terrific solution for ensuring that news is distributed in a way that is findable and searchable. It also automatically ties the news to ticker symbols. It's not a useful or meaningful solution for actually securing news coverage. It still requires picking up the phone and pitching media.

Most Important Features

The ability to ensure that news is distributed in a timely and effective way.
Automated reporting that's easy to share with clients.
High-quality editorial review and corrections when needed.

Return on Investment

Our agency needs a reliable solution for distribution of press releases. PR Newswire has served that need.
While newswires are generally a necessary evil, the agency doesn't directly incur costs. There's no real impact on ROI outside of being able to deliver this service for clients.
There's been a positive impact based on the ability to report impressive results, but we as an agency usually temper the numbers by explaining what they truly mean.

Alternatives Considered

Business Wire, Intrado GlobeNewswire and Cision PRWeb

PR Newswire is considered one of the two gold standard newswire services because of its wide reach and high quality reporting. Pricing is almost identical to its biggest competitor, Business Wire, so it winds up being a matter of preference and ease more than anything. We actually made the decision to move our business away from PR Newswire due to their growing desire to have editorial oversight over the news we're distributing on behalf of clients.