Press releases stay at the top of the marketing needs and strategies for most businesses. It helps to gain wider attention and organic exposure by distributing the content. However, in order to get relevant exposure from the market you need to target the specific newswire and media platforms that work on your niche. PR agencies with bigger network help to do that and ask for a fee in exchange which is set as the price of the PR distribution packages.
Now the biggest question lies, in whether anyone should opt for free press release services or not.
Frankly, it is not recommended to avail of a free service for the following reasons.
- Lack of guaranteed placements – When you are distributing PR, you want to gain maximum media coverage but there are many trying same and the free services do not guarantee placements on those potential platforms. Even if it distributes your content on a few platforms, a free newswire might specifically target your niche and therefore the chance of reaching target audiences reduces very much.
- Publishing Time – PR is a time-sensitive document and it requires it to be distributed at the right time to churn out the most marketing value. Free platforms tend to keep your press release held in a queue which reduces its significance.
- Authentication – Most of the Free PR platforms also typically restrict the use of a corporate logo which hampers the authenticity of the press release.
What are the things you should check before hiring an agency?
Whether you are looking forward to hiring a free press release agency or a paid one, here are the following features that every legal and effective PR agency should consist of.
- Easy-to-use and User-friendly Website – The online websites of PR agencies should be easy-to-use and user-friendly to make sure all kinds of users are able to interact with them easily. Ample information needs to be provided for every package offered by the agency.
- Data Security throughout the entire Service – A legitimate PR agency would know the value of a press release and how valuable it is for a business organization. They are supposed to keep disclosure of the document and information offered as material. There should be no risk of disclosure.
- Efficient Customer service 24*7 – You can always find out an agency to be more effective when it has effective customer service. A service that is active 24*7 and ready to solve all kinds of queries of the customers is more trustworthy and more likely to be an authentic one.
- Performance Analytics – Understanding the efficiency of the PR Campaign significantly depends on Analytics. It helps to gain critical insights that refine your future communications and marketing strategies. Web traffic and engagement metrics are very much important and show that your hired agency is keeping 100% transparency with you.
Checking all these features can help to recognize the perfect agency for the service you are looking for.
Concluding Thoughts
Though free PR service does not cost you any, the services are not very fruitful or reliable in case you are looking forward to something big. Paid press release packages are fairly reasonable and the results gained from a professional PR package stay with a long-lasting impact. Professional agencies have intricate knowledge and experience to map out your target audience and reach them more efficiently through the distribution network.
Therefore, it is always preferable to purchase a paid promotional package from an agency rather than looking for a free Newswire. However, if you are short on budget and only basic minimum results are enough for you; then free PR packages can help you out perhaps.