One of the oldest marketing services in the industry is the newswire press release service. PR Newswire and Business Wire started press release distribution services to the media back in the 1950s and 60s.
In today’s digital marketing landscape the wire service overlaps with other PR solutions like campaign analytics, media databases, software and content publishing.
The value of the press release is a big question mark. Paying $200 per release is a high price to pay to have your content distributed to networks that won’t even read it. Press release distribution services may or may not be effective.
Companies need to make a decision on whether or not to use press releases in their marketing efforts. While you think about your options, we take a look at the industry as it currently stands.
There has been much reorganizing and consolidation among newswire services and other PR companies the past couple of years. 2014 saw the largest of these when the 2 PR software giants, Cision and Vocus merged. Rebranded as Cision, they proceeded to buy Viralheat, Visible Technologies, and Gorkana. At present, Cision manages its newswire and offers standalone solutions including PRWeb, Gorkana, HARO and Bulletin Intelligence.
With much shakeup in the PR software solutions industry, we take a look at how the current platforms perform. Are they still valuable? Are customers still satisfied with the results that they get? We also give a recommendation on the top newswire press release service companies should consider.
G2Crowd gives us a list of the top 8 PR distribution platforms namely:
- Cision
- PR Newswire
- Business Wire
- Newswire
- Marketwired
- PRgloo
- PR Underground
- PR Web
We notice that PRWeb is listed as a different platform even if Cision wholly owns them.
This list shows us PR platforms with different origins. They represent the old and new wire services.
It is also essential to note that platforms like TrendKite and PitchEngine are not included. TrendKite is more focused on analysis and monitoring PR success while PitchEngine hosts content. They are not distributing releases unlike the top 8 companies listed.
Based on the data released by G2Crowd, four of the platforms can be considered leaders: Newswire, Marketwired, Business Wire and Cision. High performers are PR Underground, Newswire and PRgloo. PRWeb is regarded as “niche.”
Majority of PR experts would agree that four of the platforms are the best in their class. We share a review of these four.
Marketwired
The company has focused on Social Media Targeting. They joined forces with Nasdaq in 2016 giving benefits to their client bases. Nasdaq’s corporate client’s now had access to social media and analytics which were a part of what Marketwired offered.
The merger was meant to enhance communication tools to serve investor relations better.
Newswire
Despite its ten year experience, this company has made their mark in the PR distribution market with an outstanding dedication to customer service. The G2 survey had Newswire getting the highest score of satisfaction for knowledgeable staff, live tutorials, and hands-on approach.
Users also commend the platform for having many features and being user-friendly. They are also on the lower end cost wise.
Cision
The company achieved its goal of being the best all in one platform. This was the goal with all the mergers and acquisitions. The platform can be used to send press releases, monitor pickups and locate information about media outlets.
They now have social and analytics tools on their platform which is a step in the right direction. PR experts believe that PR and social media should be used together for better results.
Business Wire
One of the more expensive platforms and is considered the enterprise service on the list. They have been praised for their editorial team, which is something you should look for in any PR platform. The platform is also well regarded in giving a strong SEO component.
