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Topic: Distributing Press Releases. Help!
| Author | Message |
| mushkambaryan | Posted – 8/25/2008 4:18:37 PM | show profile Hello guys! I haven't posted here in a long-long time. But now I have a question. I have been freelancing as a copywriter and marketing consultant. Now one of my clients wants me not only to write press releases but also distribute them. How much do I charge for writing 2 press releases a month AND distributing them? And should THEY be the ones providing media contacts for me? I told them that I do not specialize in PR but could save them time by writing pr materials and building relationships with reporters on their behalf. Any thoughts? Ideas? Suggestions?? Thanks!!!! |
| LoDo | Posted – 8/28/2008 7:25:24 PM | show profile I am a senior copywriter and PR pro, and I have to tell you that the onus is on YOU to provide and pitch reporters/editors, etc. You have to be very careful and explain that PR is quite different from advertising and marketing...many clients think they're one and the same, and many clients think that every reporter and every outlet is dying to pick up their story and write about it. PR Newswire, for example, charges approximately $180 for a 400-word release. I believe you have to become a member to do that, but I'm not sure. There are free sites, but the old adage is you get what you pay for. Some releases there are fine, others are riddled with grammar errors and look as though they were written by a 2-year-old. Plus, mainstream media doesn't pick up from those. Hope this helps. ------ Lori |
| maphop | Posted – 8/29/2008 10:36:22 AM | show profile Mushka, I remember six or so months ago when you were posting like crazy and trying to learn how to be a freelance PR pro via the forums board...perhaps you could access those old threads for some of this information, too. Bottom line is that you're responsible for providing the media contacts and contacting them and, depending on the client, the message and the content, you could be looking at a regional distribution of a few hundred or a national distribution of a few thousand. The Newswire quote from the poster above is awfully low - I suspect it's for a single state or region distribution. Expect to pay between $600 and $1200 for a single release distribution that's 600 -800 words. Or, you can invest in a media database for anywhere between $1900 and $5000 and do the work yourself but your investment lasts a year and training in list compilation can be pretty simple. No matter what, it's going to be an investment in money and time. |
| mushkambaryan | Posted – 8/31/2008 10:00:25 PM | show profile Hello, Maphop!! Good to see you again. Actually, it's been more than 6 months... I decided to focus my entrepreneural endeavors on Copywriting and Marketing consulting. And business has been picking up very fast. So much for the bad economy. For me, marketing writing and consulting is a more exciting alternative to media pitching. But I am not averse to occasional pr opportunities. That's why I posted this question. PS: I think most companies now focus on electronic distribution to save money. And another poster is absolutely right. If you are a regular company, your chances of getting coverage are next to zero. PS: Funny thing is, Mushka was my nickname in high school :) |
