Are you on the brink of a big breakthrough for your business, or are you ready to launch a new product but don’t know how to announce it from the rooftops? A press release is a great way to get in front of the media and your target audience and gain much-needed credibility. This is especially true if you are a startup, and you are looking to make a big splash! Of course, your first question is likely: What does it cost to send a press release? The answer is tricky, depending on whether you send just one press release, or it’s part of your overall digital marketing strategy.
As a copywriter at KWSM: a digital marketing agency, I write all types of content, including blogs, e-books, and email drip sequences. Press releases are also in my skill set, and I love writing them because they give me the license to be more creative and fun. Most recently, I wrote a press release for a company simultaneously launching two new-to-market products that will debut at a prominent trade show.
We have three releases planned as part of our press release strategy. We have one release that will introduce each product, and we are starting with a release announcing our presence at the show, along with a discount coupon code for attendees.
But first, you may not fully grasp what a press release can accomplish. Learn the ins and outs of press releases, what they cost, and why it is always better to distribute press releases as part of a comprehensive digital marketing strategy in our blog.
What is a Press Release?
A press release is a single-page, branded document that typically provides who, what, where, when, and how with a splashy title or quote that can serve several functions. Media outlets and journalists use press releases to share newsworthy information in the hopes that they will cover and publish the story in newspapers, magazines, websites, TV, or radio programs.
Press releases generate interest in a company’s news and brand to offer opportunities for media attention beyond the release itself. For example, you can use a press release to inform and engage large audiences or to entice journalists for coverage.
What Does it Cost to Send a Press Release?
A well-executed press release can be an organization’s most powerful marketing tool. On top of gaining media attention, it can support business development, sales teams, inbound marketing, attract new partnership opportunities, and contribute to SEO.
Still, for most businesses, the biggest obstacle to capitalizing on press releases is the logistical aspect, which entails knowing when to write one, allocating the resources to execute it, and distributing it effectively.
So, what does it cost to send a press release? Several factors play a part. Here are key factors to consider.
Quality
The old saying is true – you pay for quality. Great press releases require clean, cogent writing that grabs the audience’s attention.
Because of the brevity of these documents, many people mistakenly assume they are easy to write. But simple is hard. A well-executed press release is clear and direct and makes every word count. At the end day, this requires the skilled touch of a seasoned writer.
Press releases communicate a significant amount in limited space and are tailored to the specific audience to whom you are sending the release. Quality is one of the most important considerations for companies asking, What does it cost to send a press release?
While you can spend $5 on Fiverr or pay a budding freelance writer $45 for a press release, a few aspects are crucial to keep in mind. If you pay peanuts, you can expect to allocate additional resources to managing the writer and distributing the release yourself.
Generally, working with an experienced, skilled agency is advisable to realize a good ROI for several reasons. An agency will study and understand your audience and industry, monitor news outlets, provide sharp, targeted messaging, and handle distribution.
More importantly, however, with a digital marketing agency, you ensure you will send succinct and impactful press releases written by experienced writers who will tell your story from the right angle.
Scope
Quality writing is one of the most important components of a successful press release, but it is not the only one that matters. When considering what goes into effective execution, the scope is also crucial to keep in mind. To optimize your efforts, you need to:
- Monitor the news and understand what constitutes a newsworthy event
- Coordinate interviews and craft tailored, eye-catching releases
- Consider legal and regulatory compliance
- Build effective media lists to reach the right media
- Distribute to a variety of outlets, from bloggers to trade magazines to local news
All of this requires considerable knowledge and experience to perform harmoniously to realize the best results, and an agency can scale its services to accommodate you and the scope of your needs to ensure your press release is calibrated to meet your goals.
Strategy & Payment
When you work with a digital marketing agency to send out press releases, you are paying them to execute the strategy. If you hire a freelance writer, it will often take significantly longer to execute a release because they are a one-person operation.
Especially for ongoing monthly services, it is also cheaper. If you hire a freelancer for these services, the costs start piling up. Essentially, the base pay will be for quality. As you start adding to the scope, the price will also increase.
Furthermore, there is little value in paying for a standalone release because standalone press release will yield minimal results. A release should be a part of your digital marketing strategy, which is a small price of a larger strategic service agreement.
These strategies have several moving parts and require an agency’s expertise, tools, and infrastructure to execute, and these strategies are also how you maximize results.
When working with an experienced agency, you pay for results. An agency will have an editorial process to ensure each press release adheres to guidelines and editorial standards and is dialed in for optimal results.
With a freelance writer who lacks the infrastructure to execute all the facets of an effective press release, there is a chance you will minimize the ROI or have to pay more, in the long run, to fine-tune your efforts and get the results you want.
Case Study: Why Are Press Release Services Worth the Money?
A Southern California employment lawyer came to KWSM for help establishing herself as an industry authority and reaching a new audience. This attorney is also a commentator on popular news stations, such as KTLA.
We distributed a press release that covered how the recent pandemic changed the employment landscape in California. Our seasoned press release writer created a targeted subject line, included quotes substantiated by data, and linked to our client’s website.
Utilizing all of our agency resources to craft a single press release, he drove over 1,200 visits to the client’s website and social media profiles, including:
- 700+ visits to their website and blog
- 100+ visits to their YouTube channel
- 100+ visits to their talk show on Spotify
- 100+ visits to their LinkedIn profile
“Press releases, especially if the topic is trending, are a great hybrid PR-marketing investment that can drive loads of traffic to your online assets. By capitalizing on a hot COVID topic and how it impacted California employment during the end of 2022, we drove over 1,200 visits to an employment lawyer client’s website, YouTube channel, radio show, and LinkedIn page. All from a simple, 200-word press release.”
– Monty Montgomery, Copywriter, KWSM
Will a Standalone Press Release Get Results?
If you want quality, we advise paying an agency a flat rate retainer to execute a strategy. Without the expert help of a digital marketing agency, the release will be less of a high-impact, targeted message and more like smoke signals communicating one message for your business: S.O.S.
For high-quality and effective press release distribution services, fill out a contact form below to schedule a consultation with the KWSM team to learn more about pricing and realize a greater return on your investment.
