The Simplest Way to Send a Press Release

As a Content Services Manager in PR Newswire’s newsroom, every day I talk to overworked, under-resourced communications professionals with stories to tell. Each one needs an easy way to distribute his or her press release to current and new audiences to generate buzz and business for their company.

But sending a press release isn’t just a one-and-done business. Brands need audiences to find their news wherever they are — on the company website, on social media, in search engines, or even right in their email inbox.

Suddenly the communications pro’s to-do list is expanding. To cover all bases, the release needs to go to:

1. The wire, including traditional journalists and public websites/search engines.
2. Company website newsroom.
3. Social channels like Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.
4. An internal list of executives, board of directors, and/or employees.
5. A targeted email pitch list of journalists and influencers.
6. Investors and analysts.

That used to mean an entirely separate task for each audience — submitting the copy to their wire service, web developers, social media manager, internal communications manager, and PR agency rep. Not to mention coordinating last-minute changes and final timing with all of them.

The job of PR Newswire’s content specialists is to make our clients’ life easier. And lucky for both of us, that’s where the Cision Distribution by PR Newswire partnership comes in to play. Right within the same platform, communicators can send their release everywhere it needs to go.

To see it in action, let’s follow just a sampling of some communicators as they prepare and send their press releases.

Investor Relations Officer

Intended Audience: Disclosure points, analysts, investors and internal contacts

It’s that hectic time once a quarter when this IRO announces her company’s earnings. She must consider a variety of stakeholders, all with expectations about what this earnings release will do:

• investors expect to receive an easily accessible, full and honest report of the company’s performance.
• the executive team expects investors and analysts to react positively on their stock.
• the accounting team expects their tabular data to be rendered in full within the press release.
• the corporate communications team expects positive earned media coverage.
• the legal team expects conformance with compliance standards in distribution.

To accomplish each of those goals, our IRO needs to distribute the earnings press release to financial media, disclosure points and an email list comprised of major investors and board members — all at the exact same time.

That’s not as tall of an order as it sounds. She logs on to her Cision Communications Cloud® platform and navigates to the “Distribute” tab.

There, she selects a PR Newswire geographic wire distribution — which includes financial media, and which meets disclosure requirements. On the same upload page, she requests usage of the internal email list they keep on file. She’ll also request a proof copy to be sent prior to distribution, that she can share with the accounting team as a reassurance that their data has been rendered in full.

Then, upon her approval of that proof, the release is sent everywhere simultaneously by Cision Distribution — received by all stakeholders at the same moment. Everyone’s expectations are realized, and upon the close of market and after a few phone calls with prominent stakeholders, our IRO can escape to happy hour secure in the knowledge that her job is done.

Public Relations Associate

Intended Audience: Consumer and social media audience

A PR agency rep has a client with an exciting new product announcement. The company is counting on earned media coverage that will result in huge sales. In fact, they’re confident this new product will be on everyone’s must-have lists for the season. So, it’s on our agency rep to ensure the news hits a wide audience of consumers, via traditional media and of course social media, generating buzz that results in leads and sales.

The problem? How to coordinate all of that to ensure it’s timed just right and stays on-message. Rather than delegating the responsibility of targeting influencers, media and social to multiple parties, our superstar PR associate can do it all himself.

Stop me if you’ve heard it before — first, he logs in to the Cision Communications Cloud. There, he can compile a list of influencers in just the right specific spaces, whether geographic, industry-specific or by keyword, to generate interest in this product.

Then in the same fell swoop, he can distribute to traditional media and even coordinate posting to Twitter and LinkedIn at the exact moment of distribution.

This way, there’s no danger that a tweet will go out too soon, or a major consumer outlet will be left out of the loop. Everyone receives news of this revolutionary new product at the same time, and our PR agency rep eagerly awaits the coverage report to show off to his client.

Corporate Communications Manager

Intended Audience: Business media and website newsroom

The Corporate Communications Manager for a private company just got word that her organization has hired a new Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion. She has just 24 hours to craft an announcement that introduces their new hire and lays out the company’s new initiative. She must also ensure a consistent message is posted simultaneously to all audiences, including media and their company websites. It’s imperative that nobody sees this news before anybody else, or they’ll be caught flat-footed with their response.

Our Corporate Communications Manager’s blood pressure is starting to rise. But then she remembers she has Cision Distribution by PR Newswire for both wire distribution and hosting her company’s online newsroom. They can do it all for her!

She uploads her finalized release on the PR Newswire portal, secure in the Content Services team’s ability to keep the confidential news under wraps (they do it every day). She double checks with the specialists that upon distribution, the news will post to the newsroom section of their website, and she is reassured that it will, seamlessly.

While confirming the details of her release, the Content Services team also reminds her that including an engaging headshot of the new VP might go a long way in personalizing, not to mention increasing visibility for, this announcement. She remembers she has a great shot of him interacting with front-line staff, so she uploads a high-resolution image on the same secure portal where she uploaded the release.

Now, the release remains on hold with PR Newswire until she finally gets the go-ahead to send. When that happens, she calls, reaches a specialist immediately, tells them to release their story and it’s out within moments to media and the company website, simultaneously.

As expected, the calls start flooding in, and she’s ready for the deluge.

PR Newswire’s Content Services team rests easy knowing we saved our clients at least some of the stress of these important announcements. So, start planning now to cut your to-do list down for the next time you have news to share.

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