How to Distribute a Press Release

Now that you've written and optimized your press release, follow these simple steps to target and distribute your release.

1. Choose your targets. When you were writing your press release, you had to make some targeting decisions, whether your release was intended for consumers, financial analysts, industry peers, the media or some combination of audiences. When distributing your press release, you decide where that audience can be reached. Is this a press release of national interest, or just for local consumption? If your company is listed, is this market-moving news requiring proper disclosure? Are there international audiences interested in this news?

Business Wire has geographic distribution options available starting at the city/metro area level, and going up to states, regions, the entire United States and more than 100 countries around the world. Choose the geographic options that best suit the audience for your news.

2. Choose a time and date. Deciding when to send your press release is one of the most important parts of your campaign, particularly if you want to catch the attention of today's 24-hour, deadline-driven media. Business Wire has always recommended sending your news "early in the day, early in the week"; a recent poll suggests that Tuesday mornings are the most popular time to send a press release.

Of course, not everyone can send their press release on Tuesday morning! There may be external factors guiding your decision — your press release may need to coincide with a product launch, an event or your company's annual meeting. Whatever the case, you can still do things to make sure your news doesn't get lost in the crowd. Don't schedule your press release right for the top of the hour or on the quarter- or half-hour. Instead, send your release at a less popular time, like 9:08 a.m. or 4:42 p.m. You're much less likely to get caught in a flood of news that way.

Finally, if you're sending your press release internationally, consider timing it differently in those markets than you do for the U.S. A release that goes market open in the U.S. — 9:30 a.m. — is hitting news desks in London at 2:30 p.m., probably too late for many deadlines.

3. Leave time for translations. If you're distributing your copy in markets outside the U.S., leave appropriate time for translations. Most Business Wire international circuits include at least a summary translation; the vast majority include full-text translation. The more markets you're reaching, the more translation needs to be done. Always leave sufficient time for translations to be completed and checked over — 24 to 48 hours is generally OK, but some factors may increase the time needed.

4. Include multimedia. Video and photo content is among the most consumed media online — according to AdWeek , two-thirds of U.S. internet users, or 147.5 million people, will watch some form of online video in 2010. Press releases with multimedia are more than five times more likely to become a top performing release, according to Business Wire's own research. And multimedia helps tell your story in a way that text alone can't.

5. Add trade media. Reaching the proper vertical market publications and outlets is key to making sure the most relevant audience sees your news. All Business Wire U.S. circuits, and most international circuits, include free distribution to trade media outlets — more than 130 industry categories are available in the U.S. alone.

6. Include special audience segments. Your news may be of special interest to certain demographic groups or audiences. Business Wire offers distribution to a number of different ethnic targets, including Latino audiences, African-American media, Asian-American publications and Native-American audiences. We can also target special industries, including Health, Sports and Entertainment; or deliver your press release to audiences interested in Corporate Social Responsibility news.

7. Send your press release securely. When it's time to turn your press release over to our editorial staff for formatting and distribution, send it to us via Business Wire Connect. Our secure order entry system allows you to upload all your files — text, logos and multimedia — directly to your local newsroom, select all your distribution options, and receive instant confirmation that your news has been received. Once your press release is ready to go, you can approve it via secure Copy Approval, and authorize it for distribution.