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The Pros and Cons of Using a PR Distribution Service

Share the goods.

A city road at night

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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Introducing our second speaker for Uncomfortable Conversations | The Pause, happening this Thursday.

Meet Cheryl Bergman, Executive Director of the @miwomenscomm.

Cheryl is a statewide policy leader driving economic opportunity and better health outcomes for women across Michigan. Appointed by Governor Gretchen Whitmer in 2019, she brings together employers, healthcare experts, advocates, and policymakers to tackle the issues that actually move the needle - economic security, affordable childcare, and midlife women`s health.

Before this role, Cheryl helped elect Michigan`s first woman U.S. Senator and first woman Governor, and served as Senior Advisor on Governor Whitmer`s 2018 campaign.

She`s exactly the voice this conversation needs.

Join Cheryl and our powerhouse lineup of industry experts at The Pause on September 24th.

Link in bio to register - spaces are going fast.

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Open post by 8thirtyfour with ID 17876488173630026
Introducing our second speaker for Uncomfortable Conversations | The Pause, happening this Thursday. Meet Cheryl Bergman, Executive Director of the @miwomenscomm. Cheryl is a statewide policy leader driving economic opportunity and better health outcomes for women across Michigan. Appointed by Governor Gretchen Whitmer in 2019, she brings together employers, healthcare experts, advocates, and policymakers to tackle the issues that actually move the needle - economic security, affordable childcare, and midlife women's health. Before this role, Cheryl helped elect Michigan's first woman U.S. Senator and first woman Governor, and served as Senior Advisor on Governor Whitmer's 2018 campaign. She's exactly the voice this conversation needs. Join Cheryl and our powerhouse lineup of industry experts at The Pause on September 24th. Link in bio to register - spaces are going fast.

We love this trend, so we thought we’d jump on it and ask the team some “hard-hitting questions” to end the week.

We’re a team made up of Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z. Find out who knows the most about the classics. Any guesses?

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Open post by 8thirtyfour with ID 17917175178450239
We love this trend, so we thought we’d jump on it and ask the team some “hard-hitting questions” to end the week. We’re a team made up of Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z. Find out who knows the most about the classics. Any guesses?

We`ve received so many questions from new grads about breaking into a competitive market as a young professional. It starts with one thing according to @bodespeaks: being the salesperson of YOU. Emulate the leaders in your industry and show up where they show up.

It`s not who you know, it`s who knows you
Use the playbook of people you admire
Show up consistently and be seen
A handwritten note beats 100 LinkedIn messages, always.

See more Bode wisdom at her YouTube channel linked in our bio.

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Open post by 8thirtyfour with ID 18092872106558307
We've received so many questions from new grads about breaking into a competitive market as a young professional. It starts with one thing according to @bodespeaks: being the salesperson of YOU. Emulate the leaders in your industry and show up where they show up. It's not who you know, it's who knows you Use the playbook of people you admire Show up consistently and be seen A handwritten note beats 100 LinkedIn messages, always. See more Bode wisdom at her YouTube channel linked in our bio.

Meet our first speaker spotlight: Dr. Karen May, DC, CCSP, CCIP.

Dr. May owns and operates @mhneuropathycenter, and she`s joining us for Uncomfortable Community Conversations: The Pause on September 24th to talk about something we don`t talk about enough.

Her career has spanned from elite sports medicine, including a stint as team physician for USA Bobsled and Skeleton as well as caring for pregnant moms and newborns and helping women navigate life’s transitions, always grounded in a belief in food as medicine and the body’s own capacity to heal. In 2017, that expertise was tested when a rare surgical complication left her fighting nerve damage in her own body.

Drawing on decades of clinical practice and training, she rebuilt her health from the ground up — and has since helped thousands of people do the same. With over 20 years in holistic health care, she speaks today as both physician and peer.

Join us for The Pause on September 24th. Link in bio.

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Open post by 8thirtyfour with ID 17891917860673621
Meet our first speaker spotlight: Dr. Karen May, DC, CCSP, CCIP. Dr. May owns and operates @mhneuropathycenter, and she's joining us for Uncomfortable Community Conversations: The Pause on September 24th to talk about something we don't talk about enough. Her career has spanned from elite sports medicine, including a stint as team physician for USA Bobsled and Skeleton as well as caring for pregnant moms and newborns and helping women navigate life’s transitions, always grounded in a belief in food as medicine and the body’s own capacity to heal. In 2017, that expertise was tested when a rare surgical complication left her fighting nerve damage in her own body. Drawing on decades of clinical practice and training, she rebuilt her health from the ground up — and has since helped thousands of people do the same. With over 20 years in holistic health care, she speaks today as both physician and peer. Join us for The Pause on September 24th. Link in bio.

“It has been an incredible experience - getting to connect with women business owners from all across Michigan, learn from experts on planning for growth, and learn to lead to the best of my abilities for myself and my team.”

- @rcdutcher, CEO of @red66.marketing

We’re looking for business owners who thrive in collaborative environments and can fully commit to the program—attending all in-person sessions, participating in one-on-one coaching, and engaging in every aspect of the nine-month fellowship. Participants who gain the most come ready to contribute, learn, and problem-solve alongside other committed business leaders.

Applications close on September 15.

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Open post by 8thirtyfour with ID 17899228887595814
“It has been an incredible experience - getting to connect with women business owners from all across Michigan, learn from experts on planning for growth, and learn to lead to the best of my abilities for myself and my team.” - @rcdutcher, CEO of @red66.marketing We’re looking for business owners who thrive in collaborative environments and can fully commit to the program—attending all in-person sessions, participating in one-on-one coaching, and engaging in every aspect of the nine-month fellowship. Participants who gain the most come ready to contribute, learn, and problem-solve alongside other committed business leaders. Applications close on September 15.
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