June 15, 2022

The Pros and Cons of Using a PR Distribution Service

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8THIRTYFOUR

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Just kidding, there are no pros.

There are no shortcuts to media coverage. If there were, every PR pro would be using them. We have clients ask us to “send it on the wire,” as if it’s something they heard Samantha Jones say on Sex and the City. We could take your money, take a beautifully written press release and send it to the masses and crickets. It will show a bunch of pick-ups, some will look legit, and some will not be in the slightest. Let us explain.

First, let us start with what the hell a wire service is. Some companies and organizations may want to see their news published “on the wire” using a press release distribution services platform such as Business Wire, PR Newswire, or PRWeb. For a fee, these subscription-based services can be used by PR professionals to distribute a client’s press releases to thousands of media outlets at once. In theory, it sounds great.

Misconception: I’ll reach the right and relevant journalists and get like so much coverage.

Reality: Journalists are slammed with hundreds of pitches, tweets, LinkedIn messages, phone calls, and emails a day. They are not relying on canned press releases on the wire for news stories.

Even if “picked up,” news releases published through the wire typically show up on a media outlet’s website for a short period of time before the links disappear. This is consistent with low-quality or automatically generated news coverage.

Misconception: All PR agencies use wire services.

Reality: Some do. A good PR agency understands the value of relationships and spends time building a media list, researching reporters, developing pitches, and sending targeted outreach to the RIGHT reporters and publications. A wire service is a “spray and pray” mentality and it seldom, if ever, works.

Misconception: It’ll help with SEO

Reality: Google’s algorithm weeds out junk, very few of the wire service postings are ranked at all.

Misconception: All media coverage is equal.

Reality: A RSS Feed link on a “news” site will never compare to the value of a well-written piece by a journalist at a target publication.

Invest in a PR partner who will shoot you straight and not take shortcuts like a wire service to garner media coverage. You get what you pay for.

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"Growth is never accidental, it comes from being willing to learn, adapt, and embrace change. After nine months of dedication, reflection, and business development, I proudly graduated from the Women`s Entrepreneurial Fellowship (WEF) during the Small Business Association of Michigan Annual Meeting.

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Applications for the next cohort are now open. Link in comments.

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Open post by 8thirtyfour with ID 18099893149922914

The power of the Women's Entrepreneurial Fellowship, in a graduate's own words:

"Growth is never accidental, it comes from being willing to learn, adapt, and embrace change. After nine months of dedication, reflection, and business development, I proudly graduated from the Women's Entrepreneurial Fellowship (WEF) during the Small Business Association of Michigan Annual Meeting.

Throughout the program, I challenged myself to evaluate every aspect of my business, celebrating what was working while identifying opportunities for growth and improvement. The journey was made even more meaningful through the support of an incredible cohort of women entrepreneurs, the guidance of mentor Gina Jacquart Thorsen, and the leadership of bodespeaks and her team.

A sincere thank you to smallbusinessassocofmichigan for investing in second-stage women business owners and creating opportunities that empower entrepreneurs to build stronger, more sustainable businesses."

— Mary A. Barton, President and CEO of Equitable Accounting Solutions and proud WEF graduate.

Applications for the next cohort are now open. Link in comments.

"Out of failure comes growth – you have to see it as an opportunity."

bodespeaks joined cuzzinjustin on the strictlyfromnowhere Podcast for an honest conversation about entrepreneurship, embracing your superpowers, and building a personal brand that`s actually yours, the wins, the setbacks, and everything in between. And naturally, dropped an f-bomb or two along the way. You don`t want to miss it.

Full episode in the comments 👇

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AI doesn`t treat every source equally; it trusts what`s credible, cited, and current, like news coverage.

Showing up in the right places isn`t just good PR. It`s how the robots (and the humans) get you right.

Read the full blog at the link in bio.

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AI doesn't treat every source equally; it trusts what's credible, cited, and current, like news coverage.

Showing up in the right places isn't just good PR. It's how the robots (and the humans) get you right.

Read the full blog at the link in bio.

"If you don`t get up and grind every day, the needle isn`t gonna move."

We sat down with brandonmccraney, founder and Master Blender behind olderaleighdistillery in Zebulon, North Carolina. Brandon spent fifteen years just thinking about whiskey before he finally opened his doors, and even then it took four more years, a dozen rejections, construction delays, and a global pandemic to get there. Two years later, Olde Raleigh had already won Best Micro Distillery in the US.

Check out the latest episode of Happy Hour Hustle, where Brandon shares what it actually took to grow a business through COVID, the military discipline that kept him going when everything else said quit, and how working with people turned out to be the hardest part of the job.

Listen to Happy Hour Hustle on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and watch the whole episode on Youtube. Link in bio.

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"If you don't get up and grind every day, the needle isn't gonna move."

We sat down with brandonmccraney, founder and Master Blender behind olderaleighdistillery in Zebulon, North Carolina. Brandon spent fifteen years just thinking about whiskey before he finally opened his doors, and even then it took four more years, a dozen rejections, construction delays, and a global pandemic to get there. Two years later, Olde Raleigh had already won Best Micro Distillery in the US.

Check out the latest episode of Happy Hour Hustle, where Brandon shares what it actually took to grow a business through COVID, the military discipline that kept him going when everything else said quit, and how working with people turned out to be the hardest part of the job.

Listen to Happy Hour Hustle on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and watch the whole episode on Youtube. Link in bio.

It`s 9 months that is impossible to sum up in a video - but here`s just a taste.

This Women`s Entrepreneurial Fellowship is resources, mentorship, and connections that you can`t build anywhere else. We`re so exicted for what the next cohort will bring.

Apply now at the link in bio.
smallbusinessassocofmichigan

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It's 9 months that is impossible to sum up in a video - but here's just a taste.

This Women's Entrepreneurial Fellowship is resources, mentorship, and connections that you can't build anywhere else. We're so exicted for what the next cohort will bring.

Apply now at the link in bio.
smallbusinessassocofmichigan

Another cohort of the Women`s Entrepreneurial Fellowship just graduated, and honestly, the numbers only tell half the story.

The real value comes from the friendships, the business (and life) changing advice, and the community that shows up long after the program ends.

As one fellow said: "The other women in that room are not your competition. They are your curriculum."

Congrats to this incredible group.

Read the latest program blog at the link in bio.

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