A recent post on Reddit asked a question I have been hearing for decades: what should you compare when choosing a press release distribution service? The discussions around it show how divided people are. One marketer recommends a low-cost wire as a sensible way to reach hundreds of outlets. Others say they have never seen useful results from one.
After 30 years in public relations, I think both can be right. It depends on what you expect a press release to do. Here is how I would compare these services.
First, decide what the release is for
A distribution service can give you several different things, and they shouldn't be confused:
- A public record. Your announcement is online, dated and attributable to your company.
- Syndication. Your text is republished, often automatically, on partner sites.
- Delivery to journalists. Your text reaches inboxes or a news feed that editors may consult.
- Editorial coverage. A journalist writes an article about your news. This is the hardest to obtain, and no service can promise it.
Many disappointments come from buying the first two and expecting the fourth.
What to compare between services
| Criterion | The question to ask | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Real pickup | Can I see a full report from a recent release in my sector? | "Sent to 300 outlets" isn't the same as published by 300 |
| Who publishes it | Are these real news sites or automated feeds? | Automated pages have little audience or credibility |
| Targeting | Can I limit it by country, region, language or sector? | National distribution is wasted on a local story |
| Labels | Will it appear marked as a press release or as paid content? | This affects how readers see it, and it should be honest |
| Editorial review | Who checks the text, and what can be rejected? | Some sectors have stricter rules |
| Word limits and media | What do extra words, images or languages cost? | Add-ons can double the headline price |
| Report | Do I get live URLs, or just a total? | You need to be able to verify the results |
What the reach figures don't tell you
Reach is the number most often used to sell these services, and the easiest to misread. In one Reddit thread on off-page work, a user recommended low-cost wires at around $80 to $120, reaching 200 to 300 outlets, while admitting that some placements stick and others don't. That is a fair description. A number of those pages can disappear quickly, and some may never be seen by a reader.
A more useful exercise is to ask for the report from a recent release and open ten of the URLs at random. Would your customers ever visit those pages? Does a real publication stand behind them? Ten minutes of checking will tell you more than a brochure.
The opinion that matters: the journalist's
If your goal is coverage, the most uncomfortable view comes from the people you want to reach. In a discussion on r/Journalism, an editor said that releases from the big distributors go straight to the trash, and asked for local relevance and no disguised sales pitches.
One comment isn't a survey, but it matches what I have seen over the years. A wire rarely replaces a relevant story sent directly to the right person. Use it as a complement to direct contact, not a substitute.
When distribution is worthwhile
- Regulated or formal announcements, such as results or corporate changes, where a public record matters.
- Genuinely newsworthy news that sector media may wish to report.
- Events and launches with a clear date, place and audience.
It is rarely worthwhile for a routine product update, a promotional message written as news, or a company that has nothing new to say. Our article on whether press releases are dead and our guide to writing a press release cover those basics.
When you want specific outlets
A wire gives you breadth without control. If you need your story to appear in particular publications, you can buy a placement in those titles instead. At Linkingpress you can choose from 63,214 outlets in 141 countries, including 11,119 news and general-interest titles, and our team can prepare the text. It will be clearly a commercial placement rather than earned coverage, and it should be labeled according to the outlet's rules. For many brands, the certainty is worth it.
We offer placements for PR agencies and solutions for brands. If you need a press release with guaranteed placements, write to us with your country and sector.
A quick test before you commit
Don't sign an annual plan on the strength of a sales call. Start with one release on real news, sent to a defined region or sector. Before sending, write down what would count as success: for example, five relevant sites keeping the text after 30 days, or one journalist asking for more information. Afterwards, compare the report with your own checks by opening each URL. Search for your headline a month later to see what remains. Then repeat the exercise with a direct pitch to a few journalists on a similar story. Comparing the two will show you, with your own data, where your budget is better spent. It is a modest investment, and it often saves a much larger one.
Frequently asked questions
How much does press release distribution cost?
Prices vary widely. On Reddit, users mention low-cost wires at around $80 to $120 per release, and premium services cost much more. Check what the price covers, especially word limits, images and target regions.
Do press release distribution services get you press coverage?
Not by themselves. They deliver and syndicate your text, but only a journalist can decide to write about your story, so newsworthiness matters more than the service you choose.
How can I tell whether a service is any good?
Ask for a full report from a recent release in your sector, open the URLs and check whether real readers would see them. Then ask what percentage came from automatic syndication.
Is it better to pitch journalists directly?
For coverage, usually yes, provided that the story is relevant to what they cover. Distribution works better as a complement than a replacement.