Press releases are no doubt one of the most important tools for a business that is used by most brands and individuals with businesses. Due to its high demand in the market, there are many professional agencies that offer press release distribution services. While there are paid packages, there are a fair number of free packages as well. Now, the biggest question is whether you can trust a free press release website or not.
What is a Free Press Release Website?
A free press release website allows you to publish a press release for free, with very limited distribution benefits. Anything that is available for free is quite tempting for all kinds of customers, and that goes for press release services as well. There are plenty of websites that allow posting PR for free, but there are conditions. While some agencies might offer it for a long time, the freemium services are mostly for one-time usage only. Still, it seems like a win-win situation since you do not have to pay anything.
Should you Hire a Free PR Website Then?
Well, if you are truly trying to leverage PR for your business and trying to gain maximum attention from the niche markets, you might have to try a lot more than just hosting on a free site. However, there are some situations when you can utilize it.
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Shortage of Budget
There are many startups, small-scale and home-grown businesses that do not have a huge budget in their initial phase due to a lack of funding or capital. However, they also require exposure from investors to find more investment opportunities, but starting a promotional campaign or traditional advertisements can be costly. That is why a free press release offers a fine opportunity to gain a little bit of traction, which is better than nothing.
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Spreading Digital Footprints
The free PR sites do not have a paid media network that offers organic exposure from credible sources. With limited distribution, you might not be able to catch the attention of relevant users. While these sites mostly host the PRs on their own page, it can be a good chance to spread more digital footprint through keyword-enriched and SEO-friendly press releases. You can host your PR on multiple free sites, and it can help to improve your business's visibility on the web.
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Experimental Approaches
Sometimes you might want to test a PR service of a company before actually hiring them with money. A free PR service offers the best chance to test the water for free, and you will get an idea of how the agency handles its clients as well as distribution campaigns. This also goes for the experimental approaches in your PR strategies, where you might just want to check the market before jumping into your distribution campaign.
Considering these beneficial aspects and free of cost, the free PR services seem quite a catch for all kinds of brands. However, you get what you pay for, and there are some drawbacks to free services as well.
Drawbacks of Free PR Services
- There is no guarantee of placements in case of free PR, and it is also distributed through a very limited network. Therefore, gaining attention from the niche can be very difficult.
- You will receive no analytics in most cases, and so, there is no chance of finding more critical sites based on the online customers and niche markets.
- Free services are not always handled by professional PR experts, and they can offer a generic distribution that comes with almost no impact on your business.
- Limited reach, poor SEO, low-quality campaign, and other negative attributes make free PR a waste of time for many, even if you do not lose money.
- Some PR services can be fraudulent, and sharing sensitive company information makes it risky for the business.
Which is Better? Paid PR Packages or Free PR Packages!
If seen from the perspective of money spent, then quite obviously, free PR services would appear to be the best, but in reality, only paid packages can offer impactful results that last over time. The paid PR packages are handled by trained professionals, and these packages also include additional features like region-based distribution, industry-based distribution, SEO optimization, audit, mass ping, social buzz, mobile distribution, and the list goes on. They also send a detailed analytical report of the campaign after it ends so that clients can find more insights and room for improvement.
In order to reduce your costs for PR distribution, the best thing you can do is write the press release on your own and then pitch it to the journalist who can publish your PR story for free.
Final Thoughts
The debate of free PR vs paid PR is quite old, and the effectiveness of each PR package depends on your budget and requirements. Therefore, define your PR goals along with a clear strategy to opt for what suits your business the best.
