The pros and cons of a press release service
By Publicity Heaven writer Susan Connolly
Good publicity can make a real difference to your business, and there are a variety of tools and services out there that can help you to gain valuable exposure.
If you are just starting off with your publicity, or are thinking about what you could do to increase on the publicity you are already generating, you might be considering using a press release service.
Whether or not a press release service is right for your business depends on a number of factors, but this list of pros and cons can help you influence your decision.
The pros
You’ll save lots of time
For many business owners, the greatest asset they have is their time. When you know your business inside and out, there are many things that you simply cannot outsource. So why not outsoyrce something that an expert can do faster and at a lower real cost than you could do it? It makes sense to use a press release service to take on the day-to-day drudgery of composing and distributing your press releases so that you have more time to devote to improving your business.
People who do this every day know how to make your press release stand out
While you can find some great guides and tips online that can help you to write, format and distribute your press releases, getting started or keeping up to date takes a lot of work. A good press release service will already know exactly what to do, and will also have experience of the little details that will make your press release stand out to journalists. When you take advantage of that experience you can see a bigger return on your press releases than when you take care of them by yourself.
The cons
You’ll have to spend a little money
Generally, you get what you pay for. It should take several hours to research, write and distribute an effective press release. If someone will do that for £50, you have to question whether it’s being done to a professional standard. Look to pay at least £200 for a press release written and distributed by a former journalist.
You lose the feeling of control
A good press release service will consult with you about what you want and get feedback from you about their process. They will also ensure nothing is sent out till you have signed off your release. Even so, some business owners prefer to have direct control over all their publicity, from start to finish, and may want to be more hands on with the writing and distribution of their press releases.
In summary
Press release services have both benefits and disadvantages – it is up to you whether you think one of these services could give your business the edge you have been looking for.
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