PR Newswire

‍
Cost:~ $2,500

‍
Reach: 4,500 U.S. websites including Yahoo! Finance, MarketWatch and Business Journals, 3K newsrooms like The New York Times, ABC News, and BuzzFeed, more than 550 news content systems like Moody’s, SmartBriefs, and LexisNexis and 39K active monthly journalists
‍

Turn around: Within hours, or scheduled in advance
‍

TLDR: PR Newswire is often considered the industry leader in wire services with a large platform and a robust reporting system. PR Newswire can distribute your press release within hours and also offers a wide range of additional services, such as multichannel marketing and targeted influencer outreach.
That said, PR Newswire comes at a cost. A press release for national distribution starts at $815 for the first 400 words, which includes your boilerplate, and that rate increases for every 100 words. If you go with regional distribution, those all start at different rates. And then there are the fees for your logo and additional media assets. As you can imagine, that adds up quickly, and pricing can start to feel convoluted.
If you have a large budget, PR Newswire could be a good option for you, but that’s not the case for everyone. When dollars are tight, I don’t recommend spending a large portion of your budget on a wire service. Instead, you’re better off combining a more affordable platform with personalized, targeted media relations.
‍

‍

Cision PRWeb
‍

Cost: Advanced Package – $289/release, no word count restriction
‍

Reach: 1,200+ websites, powered by PR Newswire / Cision
‍

Turn around: 24 hour turnaround for next day distribution
‍

TLDR: PRWeb is the more economical sister to PR Newswire and reaches a network of 1,200+ websites. You can choose from a variety of packages with different price points, which range from $99 to $389 flat rate for 800 words or fewer. The basic package hosts your press release on PRWeb.com while the most advanced package offers web syndication, social media integration and the capability to directly contact industry influencers.
If you go with an advanced package, PRWeb also offers unlimited media assets, which is a great value-add. I like PRWeb because you don’t get nickeled and dimed while receiving valuable online placement, although the web interface is rather clunky and 24 hour turnaround is not ideal for everyone. For clients on a budget, PRWeb is your best choice.

‍
eReleases
‍

Cost: About $700
‍

Reach: More than 4,500 websites, databases and online services
‍

Turn around: 24 hour turnaround for next day distribution
‍

TLDR: eReleases is a reseller of PR Newswire, which gives eReleases distribution to the PR Newswire network. In addition to PR Newswire, eReleases also distributes to the AP Newswire as well as its own network comprised of opted-in journalists. eReleases offers three packages that start at $299 and go up to $499 for the base rate. The low-end package includes 400 words while the top-tier package includes 600 words. As far as turnaround time, you can request same-day distribution for a fee. Otherwise, all press releases are scheduled before 9:00 am Eastern — although the platform will not allow you to specify an exact time for distribution. For the price and reach, eReleases is another good option for companies on a budget.
‍

Business Wire
‍

Cost: Approximately $1,550
‍

Reach: Distribution to 89,000+ news outlets
‍

Turn around: Immediately, or scheduled in advance
‍

TLDR: Business Wire follows a similar model to PR Newswire in that the first 400 words for national distribution are $760 and $195 for each additional 100 words. You can schedule your distribution several weeks ahead of time or immediately. That scheduling flexibility can definitely be helpful — particularly for tech companies who move quickly. As a business-focused wire, Business Wire also complies with SEC regulations, which is useful for certain niches.
Like PR Newswire, Business Wire is one of the pricier wire services, for large companies with large budgets. If you need that immediate turnaround, Business Wire is a great option, but when your budget is tight, look for a more economical solution.
‍

Newswire
‍

Cost: Premium Plus – $359/release, no word count restriction
‍

Reach: 250+ media outlets & PR Newswire’s network of more than 4,500+ news outlets
‍

Turn around: 24 hour editorial review
‍

TLDR: Newswire offers four distribution packages: Premium, Premium Plus, State Newsline and National Newsline. The four packages run between $119 and $1,199 with the Premium Plus package being the most popular at $359. In addition to its own proprietary network, you have access to PR Newswire’s extensive network, plus syndication to Google News, Yahoo News!, Business Journals Network, Reuters, and Associated Press.
With Newswire, I particularly like that you can add up to four images as well as embed video, so if you have a media-heavy announcement, this could be a good option. Keep in mind, Newswire operates on a 24-hour editorial review turnaround. In addition to its wire service, Newswire also offers monthly and annual packages that include managing your media database, media monitoring and influencer relations management. If you’re looking for a more comprehensive solution than just wire distribution, Newswire is worth exploring.
‍

West/GlobeNewswire
‍

Cost: $1200
‍

Reach: 3,500 news outlets including AP Mobile, Associated Press (AP), Bloomberg, CNBC, CNN, Dow Jones, USA Today, the Wall Street Journal and Yahoo! Finance
‍

Turn around: 24 hour turnaround for next day distribution
‍

TLDR: West purchased GlobeNewswire from Nasdaq in early 2018. Given its investment and financial background, West can help public companies ensure they meet the necessary SEC filing requirements. West also offers you the chance to embed a carousel of images, audio, video and live streaming into your press releases for an incremental fee.
A U.S. national release runs $580 for the first 400 words. From there, each 100 words costs another $190 while two images run about $115. The platform offers next-day turnaround. For publicly traded companies, West is a popular option.
‍

When do press releases get the most views?

‍
Over 50% of all press release are published Tuesday – Thursday, when they are most likely to be seen by reporters following your beat. If you’re trying to bury your news announcement, publish your release end of day on Friday… on a holiday.

‍