PR Newswire CAN be good for larger companies or bigger news announcements, but it can be pricey
Updated November 29, 2019
PR Newswire CAN be good for larger companies or bigger news announcements, but it can be pricey
Score 6 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
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.