The Public Relations Blog

See how these three top-tier commercial newswire services differ for paid press release syndication.

In today's digital age, news releases are a powerful tool for companies and organizations to communicate their news and updates to the world. However, with so many commercial press release wire services available, it can be challenging to determine which one is best for your needs. In this article, we will compare the three top-tier commercial press release wire services: PR Newswire, Business Wire, and Globe Newswire.

Manage your responses more effectively with these pointers.

Reporters use a variety of ways to reach companies and their spokespeople. Some rely solely on relationships they’ve made for their story sources. Others take to social media to pose a question and let the public help direct them to sources, or they may utilize media relations query tools. These tools allow reporters to pose questions and get a variety of responses from sources, as well as search for spokespeople who may have knowledge that applies to a story they’re working on. Public relations professionals use resources like these, so here are our top five tips for responding to reporters’ queries. 

In this episode, guest Bob Wiltfong joins host Jason Mudd to discuss how you can build and maintain media relationships. They describe how to use newsjacking to your advantage in creating the right pitch as well as the importance of leveraging local news on behalf of your brand. 

Tune in to learn more!

Understanding these five media tiers can help you gain quality media coverage.

Many executives see "Good Morning America" or "USA Today" and know these are national outlets many people consume. They want their company to pitch to these outlets, hoping to land significant exposure. However, top-tier news media outlets may not actually be where your organization needs to seek coverage. For instance, what if the majority of your target audience gets their news from local outlets, but your company is only pitching to national publications?

If you seek to increase your brand's visibility through impactful earned media coverage, it's essential to understand the ins and outs of news media outlets — including how you can categorize them to help you identify which ones best suit your pitch, goals, and target audience.

The five media tiers

Media tiers are a common way to understand and compare the types of exposure different outlets offer. Print, online, and broadcast news outlets use a five-tier ranking system to categorize aspects of media exposure levels. So, what does each media tier include?

Positive media attention can make or break a company. It can increase brand recognition, attract new customers, and generate revenue. But earning that media coverage can be difficult. So, what’s the key to success? Knowing when to pitch the right story to the appropriate contacts at the appropriate outlet at the right time. Let’s dive into what a "done for you" story pitch is and how it can help your company garner positive media attention.

Consider these components when writing your news or press release.

As the experts within our field — with the knowledge and experience of media relations and producing news releases that generate earned media coverage — we are able to use our knowledge to assist clients to share their news with the media. Sometimes though, it is necessary to share with clients how and why we are the experts. While we may not have gone to school to be educators, there are many times when public relations professionals take on that role when working with clients.

Three steps for an effective press release that can earn your company media coverage

For over 120 years, the news release has helped public relations professionals communicate important information efficiently. A press release allows a company to share newsworthy information to target audiences and ensures they all consistent, accurate information. It is an official statement of your company’s stance and can position you as a leader.

To get started spreading your company’s newsworthy messages, follow these three tips for writing a news release like the PR pros.

We asked some of the nation’s most successful media relations practitioners to share their best practices.

Earning media coverage is becoming more and more challenging and competitive for public relations and corporate communications professionals. That’s because traditional newsrooms are shrinking, and positive media coverage is now more precious than ever before. While the best PR pros are still getting ink for their employers and clients, it’s always helpful to uplevel your game.

Use UTMs and Google Analytics to enhance your data on link clicks in press releases.

Your company has just finished up a news release. Everything looks complete, and it’s been copy edited. It’s ready to go, right? Not yet. Before you send out a news release, you should add Urchin Tracking Module, or UTM, codes to links that go to websites you own in a press release.

10 additional PR strategies and tactics you should add to your PR program

When people unaware of public relations talk about PR, they usually envision it as a world of press releases and wining and dining, all with the ultimate goal of getting media coverage. However, these are far from what modern PR is like.

Modern PR practitioners use various tools, such as social media, and have many strategies to help spread a company's story worldwide. The rise of effective data gathering has helped PR pros refine ideas in a way that never would've been possible a few decades ago. While media coverage is still part of PR, it's no longer what defines it.