Free press release sites-let me save you some time

Hi Dana

Thanks for the reference...

Also, can you give pointers on a sample press release even just a single paragraph would help.

Thanks again,

Omar/RapidScc

i-newswire by far the best free one imo

Hey Omar, first of all one of the best things that you can do is go to the press release sites and read some press releases to get a feel for how to phrase things.

A press release has to:

Be written in the third person; even if I was writing about myself I would say "Dana Willhoit, CEO of Wordslinger, Inc., announces the launch of..."

Have a headline; a short summary which sums up the story in 2 or 3 sentences; the body of the story, which needs to be at least 250 words; and an "about the company" paragraph.

has to include contact information; many of the sites require a physical address and phone number.

Has to be written about something newsworthy. This doesn't mean it has to be so good it would make the front page, but you can't just write a press release about your business; you have to find an angle.

If you have just launched a business or are offering a new service, that's an angle.

If not - let's say you offer SEO services. You could send a press release saying that in today's economy, businesses need to make sure they get a return on every penny they spend on promotion, so you, Joe Smith of Joe Smith SEO Services Inc., are releasing a free mini-course on how businesses can use SEO to promote themselves and save money at the same time.

Hi Dana,

Thanks a lot for the help. It's very much appreciated.

Take care,

Omar

I have often wondered if submitting to a bunch of PR sites is better than submitting to one or two big ones. Just a guess, but I would think that some of the smaller sites have no outlets picking up the stories. They just get posted on the PR site and that is all. Not bad I guess for SEO, but not that great for distribution.

Great list, Dana. Thanks for posting it. I definitely didn't know about some of those.

Denise

Wow, Eric, I think that article was one of the best arguments that I have seen FOR using press release submission!

My main question is whether it's worth paying the press release sites for better placement, the inclusion of more links, wider distribution, etc. At some point I'll do a test on that.

I could not agree more with the OP... I did the same thing with a list and after hours and hours of wasted time I got 3 press releases posted (others either rejected or was not free).

One I paid $20 for front page listing on a popular press release site. I got a total of 20 visits and that is all for all that work.. Huge waste of time.

Next time I will be paying for a real release.

James

Well, James, all those on the list I just posted are free. If you get it down to a rhythm - once you have signed up for all those sites and written your press release - I do think it's worth it to send it in to all of them. But it is terribly tedious getting it set up in the first place.

That's disappointing to hear that the $20 fee only got you 20 visits though. It might depend on a lot of things, the way the press release is written, the subject of the press release, the timing...

Hi Dana,
Oh I agree with you there...

Total of 20 visits to my site with that and front page listing .. Listed #15

James

Dana,

Great post.

I noticed a trend of what types of releases that I do that get traffic and the ones that don't.

No its not the type of product or service that makes a difference.

The press releases that get the most attention are ones that invite the reader to take an action.

The word FREE kills action. Its a hype word.

Courtesy or Complementary out pulls FREE

Writing in third person active tense is a must have skill for press releases.

Mr Smith is going to have free one day auto body hot line this Thursday....

Mr Smiths Complementary one day auto body hot line is this Thursday....


Mark

Interesting side note: I went on Google and looked up the name of the company that I am promoting. Four or five of my press releases are on the front page of Google. Their actual web site is nowhere to be found, at least on the first few pages of Google.

At least press releases, which have sort of the ring of authority to the general public, ARE linking to their site, but their site should be on the front page of Google for their own name. Someone didn't SEO very well when designing their website.

Thank you very much for such a list!

Did you track the results you had from the press releases? I was curious to know which site sent you the most visitors?

I need to get the traffic stats from the client. The ones on the front page of Google were: 1-888-pressrelease - link at the top of my list -

inewswire
prlog
sanepr
pressreleasepoint
24-7 press release
prurgent

And this is regular google, not news.google.com.

I just heard from my client - they got picked up by several news services! Holy frickin cow. I didn't expect that.

Start writing and submitting those press releases, peeps!

I should mention that EcommWire Is Your Free Press Release Distribution Center turned down my press release and steered me to one of their other sites, because they only write about e commerce. I thought my client's press release was close enough, but apparently not.

Oh by the way - for all those people who talk about duplicate content - this story took up about six or seven positions on the front page of Google. Same story. Really, press releases are powerful stuff.

I guess I should now add Free Press Release - Online Press Release Distribution Service to that list because their email JUST arrived in my Yahoo spam folder. Arggh. Stupid Yahoo. Pony express would have been faster!!!

Great info Dana -- Thanks!

I have a q --

Is there a particular time of day and/or day of the week that's better to submit the release?

Is there a particular time of day and/or day of the week to avoid?

Any info on that?

Thanks!

-- TW

Hi Dana,

Thanks for the list

Hey Justin, you're not following me on Twitter. Not that feeling I'm hurt and rejected or anything. >

I am still waiting to hear back from clients on what they find the best day - there is actually an argument that weekends are better because there are less submissions from other people which means you sit on the front page of the press release site for longer - and, as a reporter, I can tell you that on the weekend you have a better chance of a newspaper actually grabbing the press release and using it in their paper.

That's because weekends are traditionally slow and there is less news, so we would turn to press releases and wire copy. (AP wire copy>)

Hey thanks Dana,

Just what I was looking for, but you've done a much better job

Thomas

Wow!

There is some seriously awesome information up there.
I have been looking for good info on press releases - I feel this thread has covered things nicely - and Im in a much better position to make an informed decision as to my marketing efforts.

Thanks Dana for starting this thread - and to everyone for their input!
Kym

Another thing I want to find out is whether it's worth it to pay for the extra visibility on the press release sites - so far clients want free, so free is what they get.

Here is a sample press release for those who need it (found via google search)

******************************************


Contact:
Joseph A. Stirt, M.D.
AnesthesiologyExpert.com
2809 Magnolia Drive
Charlottesville, VA 22901
Phone: 804-242-4990
Anesthesiology Expert Witness Testimony Anesthesiologist Malpractice
info@anesthesiologyexpert.com

Anesthesiologist M.D. Offers Expert Defense/Plaintiff Case Analysis of Potential Medical Malpractice

Charlottesville, VA -- April 12, 2001 -- Before you invest time and money defending or proceeding with an anesthesia-related medical malpractice case, check with expert board-certified anesthesiologist Joseph A. Stirt, M.D. Whether you are a defense or plaintiff attorney, Dr. Stirt can not only tell you if you have a case but also how best to structure it, based on a detailed
medical review.

No newcomer to cases involving possible anesthesia-related malpractice, Dr. Stirt has 15 years of experience. Presented orally or as a written report, his in-depth analysis can save you hours of preparation and thousands of dollars. He is prepared to step in at the last minute when another expert suddenly withdraws from a case. Availability and rapid response make his service unique.

According to Dr. Stirt, "The question I get most often is, 'Is it malpractice?' My job is to sort out the bad outcomes due to occurrences that fall within the standard of care from those that do not. The question of whether a case involves negligence is one that looms over every potential malpractice action. If answered correctly, it can save both defendants and plaintiffs from mental anguish and ill-advised pursuit of a defense or lawsuit."

Dr. Stirt serves on the faculty of a major U.S. medical school affiliated with a top-rated tertiary care medical center. He sits on state medical boards as an expert reviewer and expert witness in anesthesiology. He has written books, book chapters, and numerous scientific papers, as well as articles in the medical-legal literature, received honors and awards in medical teaching and scholarship, and has 18 years of academic anesthesia experience ranging from Post Anesthesia Care Unit Director and Outpatient Surgical Unit Director to his current position as Clinical Associate Professor of Anesthesiology.

Dr. Stirt is a diplomat of the American Board of Anesthesiology and the National Board of Medical Examiners. He has been an invited reviewer and lecturer in anesthesiology throughout the U.S. and Europe and has appeared on CNBC.

Accessibility is a unique and important aspect of Dr. Stirt's services. His expertise in anesthesiology is available at any time. He does not work on a contingency fee basis. Your initial telephone consultation is free.

For information: Anesthesiology Expert Witness Testimony Anesthesiologist Malpractice or
Contact: info@anesthesiologyexpert.com
Phone: 804-242-4990

Here is a sample press release for those who need it (found via google search)

******************************************


Contact:
Joseph A. Stirt, M.D.
AnesthesiologyExpert.com
2809 Magnolia Drive
Charlottesville, VA 22901
Phone: 804-242-4990
Anesthesiology Expert Witness Testimony Anesthesiologist Malpractice
info@anesthesiologyexpert.com

Anesthesiologist M.D. Offers Expert Defense/Plaintiff Case Analysis of Potential Medical Malpractice

Charlottesville, VA -- April 12, 2001 -- Before you invest time and money defending or proceeding with an anesthesia-related medical malpractice case, check with expert board-certified anesthesiologist Joseph A. Stirt, M.D. Whether you are a defense or plaintiff attorney, Dr. Stirt can not only tell you if you have a case but also how best to structure it, based on a detailed
medical review.

No newcomer to cases involving possible anesthesia-related malpractice, Dr. Stirt has 15 years of experience. Presented orally or as a written report, his in-depth analysis can save you hours of preparation and thousands of dollars. He is prepared to step in at the last minute when another expert suddenly withdraws from a case. Availability and rapid response make his service unique.

According to Dr. Stirt, "The question I get most often is, 'Is it malpractice?' My job is to sort out the bad outcomes due to occurrences that fall within the standard of care from those that do not. The question of whether a case involves negligence is one that looms over every potential malpractice action. If answered correctly, it can save both defendants and plaintiffs from mental anguish and ill-advised pursuit of a defense or lawsuit."

Dr. Stirt serves on the faculty of a major U.S. medical school affiliated with a top-rated tertiary care medical center. He sits on state medical boards as an expert reviewer and expert witness in anesthesiology. He has written books, book chapters, and numerous scientific papers, as well as articles in the medical-legal literature, received honors and awards in medical teaching and scholarship, and has 18 years of academic anesthesia experience ranging from Post Anesthesia Care Unit Director and Outpatient Surgical Unit Director to his current position as Clinical Associate Professor of Anesthesiology.

Dr. Stirt is a diplomat of the American Board of Anesthesiology and the National Board of Medical Examiners. He has been an invited reviewer and lecturer in anesthesiology throughout the U.S. and Europe and has appeared on CNBC.

Accessibility is a unique and important aspect of Dr. Stirt's services. His expertise in anesthesiology is available at any time. He does not work on a contingency fee basis. Your initial telephone consultation is free.

For information: Anesthesiology Expert Witness Testimony Anesthesiologist Malpractice or
Contact: info@anesthesiologyexpert.com
Phone: 804-242-4990

Thank you, Bob! I am glad it was helpful. Seriously I have been THRILLEd with the press release results - go for it!

Great resource Dana, thanks for pointing me to this post!

Thank YOU, Jesse! Stick around the Warrior Forum - seriously - fantastic resource, great connections, very welcoming crowd.

Jesse is on Twitter, folks, worth following!

Dana,

Thanks for this great list of FREE Press Release sites. I have found several on there that I was NOT aware of, so I will be using your list. You are right in that it will create backlinks for us.

Also, that was a great little outline you gave on how to form one's Press Release. I know several people I have helped have a problem in doing this and you have made it simple to understand.

I have just re-tweeted your link to this thread on Twitter, so that more of my followers will benefit from your great information! Again, Thank You!!!

To your health,
Edward Moore

Thanks for the list. Will make good use of those sites.
These two don't work
Express Press Release Distribution (Free)
PressRelease.com

Thanks for pointing that out, it should be fixed now!

A Big Thanks to Dana for posting such a great list...

And another Big Thanks to Denise for pointing me to it!

You have saved me a TON of sifting...

We keep a list going here that you can download in Excel, without signing up or anything:

Moving Ahead Blog: List of Press Release Submission Sites


Help yourself!

Another press release site to add to your list:
HealthPRSpider.com

Hi,
Thanks for the great list. I know this information will save me a lot of time.

Thank You Dana for this thread. I'm just starting out and this info is much needed...
I am wondering if you know if there are better Press Release Submission sites for certain niches? Do some favor certain types of submissions over others? I am starting a local business here in Tucson that will specialize in "integrating online marketing techniques with local offline small businesses", web design, customer lead capture, seo management, video production, etc..
Are there certain submission sites that would be better suited for this type of press release...being it would be more "geo-targeted"? I ask not only for myself, but for future localized clients which I will be doing press releases for...

Dana- thank you for the great posts!!!!!

Thank you Dana. As usual...great info...I also have your Twitter Goldrush.

Mo

Hi Dana,

Thanks for your post...this comes in handy for my upcoming product launch...

Cheers,
John

Great list of press release website, can't wait to try them out and see if I can get any results

http://www.thepressreleasesite.com/l...ase-sites.html

I updated the list again, adding a couple of new free press release sites that I discovered.

Thanks, Dana..

You are the Ma-..er um..woman!

Charles

Is there any application that does multiple press releases?

CT

Many thanks Dana for the list and the tips. Thanks to others too who added to the original list.