Who Do You Send Press Releases To? Creating Your Media List
Create and Build a Media List
You need to build a media list and it will likely take some time to get a really good list going. If you’ve just begun building your media list, start locally and small. And start online so you can build traffic to your website.
Local and/or small media are most likely to be interested in your story and it's the perfect way to hone your press release writing skills. Besides, a lot of the larger media outlets scan the smaller outlets to find stories to pick up. Also, as you gain experience and build-up your portfolio, you can work your way up to bigger media outlets.
Try newspapers, trade journals, topic specific magazines, websites, radio shows, television show ~ whoever would be interested in your topic.
Always remember to get specific contact information for your press release when possible. A release addressed to a particular person will receive a lot more attention than a general release sent to the media outlet. You’ll also want to update your list frequently as staff may often change.
Familiarize yourself with the editor or reporter's work. Find out the method she prefers to receive press releases in. Don't automatically send them by email – some will prefer mail or fax. Find out their deadlines.
If you are sending your release by email, never send an attachment. Copy and paste your release into the body of the email. Never send a bulk email. Address emails individually.
How to Build Your Distribution List:
- For your local media, check the publication or their website for information on how to submit a release. Find out the precise editor or reporter you should be addressing your release to. You may have to pick up your phone to get this information or hire an assistant to do the calling and information gathering for you.
- Do a search on your favorite search engine for websites in your industry that might just be interested in running your story.
- Here's a few websites to help you build your list:
- Media Post http://www.mediapost.com - extensive directory for US media
- NewsLink.org http://www.newslink.org - directory for a number of countries
- ABYZ News Links http://www.abyznewslinks.com - directory for a number of countries
Please note: If you choose a free resource to build your list, realize that the information may not always be completely up-to-date. A paid resource will often provide more current information and if they don’t, ask them for a refund!
4. Submit your site to a few online newswires and news websites. A number of them require payment, but here are some, both free and paid.
- PR Web http://www.prweb.com - They do a great job, but no longer offer a free service.
- PressMethod.com http://www.pressmethod.com - free press release distribution center.
- PRFree.com http://www.prfree.com - free press release distribution
- 24-7PressRelease.com http://www.24-7pressrelease.com - free service. You can also contribute funds to receive better placement for your release.
Please note: Don’t spend a lot of time submitting to a bunch of free online places. The exposure will be limited, so it’s not something you should focus solely on.
Extra Exposure from Google & About.com with Your Press Releases
Google.com often takes press releases from PRWeb.com. You may be buried in their news section, BUT if someone searches for keywords on Google related to your press release topic…your release may be featured at the top of the results.
About.com also scours press releases to add to its various sections and you might just find yourself listed without submitting to them. If you're not familiar with About.com, they are a huge website with information on just about every topic there could possibly be. If you think your press release should be listed, contact the editor of the appropriate section and suggest your press release for inclusion...or you can even just ask them to list your website as a resource.
More Potential Resources to Get Media Outlet Ideas
Magazines, Newspapers & Radio Programs: You can also search places like magazines.com and newspapers.com for ideas on target publications. The focus of these websites is not to build a media list, so you'll have to do some digging for the appropriate contact information. Still, you might find publications you won't find in the other resources.
http://www.radio-locator.com (radio stations with websites)
http://www.npr.org/stations (radio stations in the U.S.)
Internet Radio: Although, the distribution is probably not as great as with mainstream radio, you may want to search targeted programs on Internet radio. Here are a few places to look:
Websites: Do a Google search for websites listed for your target keywords. Find websites that tend to be informational and like to deliver content to their visitors. You can also search directories like:
Next week find out what to do when a reporter calls!
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