Despite a growing distrust in the mainstream media over the last few years, consumers still view press coverage as the most trusted source of information. This is why public and private businesses continue to believe in the power of public relations (PR) and routinely send out press releases to journalists in hopes of building credibility.

While most journalists still prefer to receive customized, one-on-one emails, one in five will still check news tips sent via press release distribution services or newswires. Newswires enable businesses to distribute news stories to a large, targeted audience of journalists and public influencers at a price. These tools are relatively quick and easy to use. PR pros and newbies alike can utilize these services to help scale their comms operations.

Press releases are important for increasing your brand awareness and helping your public relations (PR). But if nobody sees your release, you won’t get very far. You need to distribute it effectively to get your story picked up by local and/or national newspapers, magazines, or blogs.

In this guide to press release distribution, we’ll cover the following to help you put together a plan of action that results in coverage:

  • What is press release distribution?
  • Why is press release distribution important?
  • How to distribute your press release
  • Distribution mistakes to avoid
  • Should you use distribution services?

Keep reading to learn how you can properly create, pitch, and distribute a press release for optimal brand awareness.

What is press release distribution?

Before we dive any deeper, let’s iron out exactly what press release distribution is.