Paid VS Free Press Release Sites Poll

To me, it's a matter of marketing budget and what your goals are for using press releases.

If you really want journalists to cover your story, you have to be willing to pay several hundred dollars for targeted distribution the channels that will reach them.

If you want the press release to be published on relevant blogs for high quality backlinks (off-page SEO), you also need to pay, but you can get good results from lower cost distribution sites like WebWire.com or SEOPressReleases.com or PRWeb.com.

If you can't afford the paid sites, but want backlinks, by all means use free sites - but be selective! (I wrote an article you can read about my list of my favorite 10 free press release distribution sites, and why it's important to avoid the low quality sites. PRLog.org is at the top if my free site list.)

But take the time to write a GOOD press release, DO NOT spam and choose the free sites that use categories that are a good fit for your topic -- you'll improve the relevancy factor of your press release when it gets syndicated to on-topic websites.

Audre

What Audre said.

And, if your release has any interest to the offline community send it to newspapers along with radio and TV stations as well. If you've got a decent site that fits in with a trend or newsworthy story, tailor a PR to fit with that story and don't be surprised if it gets picked up.

Anyone selling a ligitimate make money online course or program would do well to write a PR relating their program as helpful to work from home folks and others looking for extra income. Unemployment is a major topic. The rising price of food and gas are both major topics. People are struggling.

If your offer can help people to make ends meet, news outlets want to hear about it. Tell them. As Audre mentioned, write a good release. Make is journalistic in nature. Physical outlets aren't interested in the spammy junk that often passes for press releases online. Do it right and it could pay off big.

If your site were to get a mention on a radio or TV news show the traffic that mention brings in could be crazy. I've gotten tons of free publicity in the past with PRs to physical outlets. Good luck.

Audre said it really.

There is no "free are best" or "paid works best" answer to this.

It's been discussed MANY times here before so I won't go into all the reasons.

Basically what Audre said applies - Press release effectiveness depends on many things, your niche, your subject, your copy, your timing, your distribution budget etc. etc.

I've done over 1000 press releases using online services and sites and no 2 have ever been the same.

The only answer for this is:

Use your brain - test for yourself.

Andy