Whether or not to use a newswire is a common question clients ask us, so it just happens to be the topic of today’s blog (nothing to do with me struggling to find inspiration on a Friday of course).
For me, there’s not a simple answer, I’d judge it on a case-by-case basis, but we’ll take a look at the pros and cons and in which scenarios it’s most useful.
First things first though, a quick definition.
What is a newswire service?
A newswire is a service that distributes news and other information to the public, media outlets, and journalists.
There are two different types of newswires, however. A news newswire is where an organisation such as the Associated Press writes its own articles and distributes them through a network of partners. A PR distribution service, which is what we’re going to be looking at (PR Newswire, PR Web, Business Wire etc) distributes press releases on behalf of companies that pay for this service.
The pros of using a newswire
Newswire services are still widely used in the PR world and for good reason:
- It saves time – although it’s my preferred approach to contact journalists individually, it’s more time-intensive than many people realise, so using a distribution service can save you significant hours.
- Everyone receives your news at the same time – if you’ve got a really extensive press list, you’re reaching out to contacts individually, and possibly even attaching images along the way, you run the risk of some journalists receiving the news much later than others. If the first person you email gets a short piece published very quickly, it might be seen by a journalist before they actually receive your email, which may make your news less appealing.
- Achieve a wider reach – I’d argue that the biggest benefit of using a newswire is getting in front of a wider audience. You may also be reaching people who you didn’t realise were relevant and might not have thought to include, but are very interested in your story.
- They have opted in – not only do you reach more people but journalists sign up to receive these updates, so by that logic they should be receptive to receiving news in your sector.
- Up-to-date information – keeping your media lists updated is easier said than done. And if you’re building a new press list, nothing is more frustrating than getting bounce after bounce when issuing your release. Distribution services are really good at constantly updating contact info.
The cons of using a newswire
Some of the drawbacks relate less to the distribution service itself and more to the fact it’s replacing a traditional approach.
- It can be less effective – at the risk of sounding like a broken record, I genuinely do feel that the best outcomes come from contacting people individually. An email from a name they recognise with a personalised greeting increases your chances of it being opened.
- It’s harder to build relationships – it’s not just about the coverage you get from this particular release, it’s about building long-term relationships with journalists, and you could be cutting out this step when using a newswire. You also may miss out on feedback on the news you send.
- It can be expensive – while you save time (which as we know is money), you’re paying for something that would normally be free. There are different price brackets for different distribution services. ResponseSource’s newswire is fairly affordable, whereas the big daddy, PR Newswire itself, charges a substantial fee for a one-off release. You get what you pay for though, and in my opinion, PR Newswire is hard to beat.
- It’s easy to be overlooked – the flip side to reaching opted-in journalists is that they see your news alongside hundreds of other stories and you could get overlooked.
- Not ideal for embargoes or exclusives – media launch strategies often include a staggered approach to distribution, offering a preferred outlet or journo an exclusive, or perhaps sending out an embargoed release ahead of time. Newswire services aren’t ideal for this, because you’re reaching people en masse in one go.
When should I use a newswire?
Your budget and available time will dictate this decision to a certain extent, but here are some scenarios where I’d consider using a service:
- If you haven’t done much PR before but have a big story – big company news or research can sometimes mean there is more pressure internally for coverage. However if you haven’t done much PR yet, you won’t have established relationships that can help you get coverage, which is where a newswire can come in handy.
- You need to reach a new niche as a one-off – perhaps you’re launching a new product that’s relevant to a specific sector you aren’t familiar with? If you don’t intend to be relying on this section of press on an ongoing basis, a newswire can save you the time of researching the right contacts.
- Consider using one alongside a personal approach – if you’ve got especially big news, sometimes you might wish to reach out to your key contacts individually but also distribute through a newswire for maximum impact.
