Pitching your company news to journalists is hard.
Throwing your press release at every reporter and blogger you can think of is even harder.
But doing neither of those things and instead targeting your releases to only the people that care about your industry? Now that’s a recipe for pickups.
Want more detail? Keep reading…
Let’s break out the checklist.
In this guide you’ll learn:
- What Is Premium Press Release Distribution?
- Why Targeted Distribution Beats Blind Mass Distribution Every Time
- How To Build An Ideal Media List
- Targeted Distribution Strategies That Always Convert
- How To Measure Campaign Success
What Is Premium Press Release Distribution?
Premium Press Release Distribution is when you take your perfectly-written press release and send it to an existing list of relevant media contacts (instead of pitching blindly).
It differs from general press release distribution in that you specifically target niche-aligned journalists and publications to improve your chances of getting picked up.
Think about it like this:
An average PR distribution service may send your release to 500 different journalists.
A targeted service will hand-pick 50 journalists who write specifically about the topics YOU write about.
Which list do you think will get you more coverage?
That’s right…the second list. Every single time.
The idea is to try and get your news story placed in front of journalists who already write about similar topics to you.
By specifically targeting the right people, your chances of earning a pickup skyrockets.
Why Targeted Media Placement Beats Mass Distribution Every Time
Untargeted press release distribution doesn’t work.
Why? Glad you asked.
Research shows that 77% of journalists will block sources that continue to send them irrelevant press releases. Meaning your untargeted blasts not only aren’t going to get picked up…but they’re also ruining your chances of getting covered by that journalist ever again.
On the other hand, if you target properly…when a journalist who covers your industry/topics receives a release that falls perfectly under their beat…it actually makes their job easier.
Think about that.
Journalists are busy, overworked people who are constantly looking for new sources of information to utilize. If you make their job easier by sending them relevant and informative press releases, they’ll take notice.
In fact, research shows that 72% of journalists say press releases provide value and are useful to them.
If a journalist that writes about bakery equipment receives your release about your new baking appliance, they’re going to take notice.
Easy, right?
There’s also an SEO angle to this as well.
You want journalists to publish your news because every time they do that equals one more backlink to your site.
Backlinks from high-quality journalism websites increase domain authority and help your site rank better for keywords over time. It’s a long game. But one that pays off greatly.
How To Build An Ideal Media List
This step is important.
When it comes to building out a list of media contacts you want to target, take your time. Don’t rush through it. Follow this process and you’ll have a foolproof list.
Here’s what you need to do:
Step 1: Identify niche publications
Go to Google and search for the top publications in your industry. You’re looking for large sites that publish about the same things you do. Jot down the top 10–15 sites that come to mind. These will be your Tier 1 publications.
Step 2: Identify the correct journalists
Not every reporter at a publication is going to write about your niche. Companies like Hunter.io and Muck Rack are great for digging into publications to find the journalists who cover your exact niche.
Keep in mind that very large publications will have dozens of journalists writing about dozens of different sub-niches. Make sure you find the person covering the topics YOU want to cover.
Step 3: Study their recent content
Open up each journalist’s media page and read their last 5–10 pieces of written content. Then ask yourself:
Would this journalist care about my press release?
If yes, they go on the list. If not, scratch them.
Step 4: Create media tiers
You should now have a nice list of media contacts who you want to target your releases to. Take the list and divide it up into tiers.
- Tier 1: Large national publications and industry leaders. (Harder to get, but great for authority)
- Tier 2: Medium sized industry publications/blogs and trade press. (Perfect for gaining niche authority)
- Tier 3: Local and regional publications. (Easy to get, but great for funneling traffic)
Working off these three tiers will create a solid media distribution strategy and take any guessing work out of the process.
Targeted Distribution Strategies That Always Convert
Writing a good press release is one thing. Getting journalists to use that release is another.
Let’s review a few proven strategies that will improve your distribution game:
Write With The Journalist In Mind
If a journalist doesn’t think your news is valuable enough for their audience to care about, they won’t write about it.
Ever.
Make sure the news you’re pitching is actually valuable and newsworthy. Product launches, company milestones, industry partnerships, and data-analysis all make great hooks. Quarterly company updates don’t.
Sell less. Inform more.
Keep your copy short and simple. Stick to hard facts and don’t try tossing in any funky sales language.
Include Quotes Always
This is non-negotiable.
Press releases with quotes see SIGNIFICANTLY higher pickup rates than those without.
When you include a quote directly in the body of your press release, it gives journalists something to work with. They can easily copy/paste that quote into their write-up and not need to follow up with you for more information.
Quotes should have skin in the game. They should sound like an actual person with an opinion gave them to you. Nothing will kill your pickup rate faster than bland, robotic quotes.
Add Images & Video When Possible
Images and video help journalists. Images and video make your story more searchable on publication sites. Include them whenever you can.
Distribute Your Release Tuesdays & Wednesdays
Industry experts agree that Tuesday and Wednesday are the days with the highest pickup rates.
As for time of day, any PR service will tell you that sending your release between 10am and 12pm gives you the best chance of being opened (and read) by the journalist.
Avoid Mondays and Fridays. Journalists are either catching up on Monday or thinking about the weekend on Friday.
Follow Up, (But Only Once)
Don’t spam journalists.
However, it is okay to follow up on your press release 48–72 hours after you send it if you haven’t heard back.
Keep your follow up short. No more than two sentences. Politely introduce yourself, remind them of the news hook, and offer to send additional resources if they need it.
How To Measure Results
Congratulations! You’ve finally crafted and distributed your shiny new press release.
Now what?
You track your results.
Here’s what you should be paying attention to:
- Number of pickups
- New backlinks gained
- Referral traffic gained from coverage
- Increase in domain authority
Use Google Analytics (along with UTM-tagged links) to see which publications are driving the most traffic to your site. Use something like Ahrefs or SEMRush to track your new backlinks coming in each month.
Study the results after each release. Which publications got it? What headlines worked best? Use that data to continuously improve your strategy going forward.
Wrapping Things Up
If you want to consistently grow organic traffic and build brand authority, there aren’t many better strategies than paid press release distribution.
To recap:
- Build and segment your media list by industry tier
- Write press releases with journalists in mind
- Include quotes and multimedia attachments whenever possible
- Send your releases Tuesday and Wednesday mornings
- Track new backlinks, traffic, and pickups after each release
The businesses that CONSISTENTLY get media coverage aren’t always the ones with the biggest budgets. They’re the ones who take the time to properly target their releases.
Build that list. Start earning those coveted media pickups. See you on the other side.
