How to Generate Free PR: Cost-Effective Methods for Publicity

We all want publicity for our businesses.

With online channels becoming more crowded than ever, building brand awareness is becoming more challenging. The value of public relations (PR) has increased significantly in recent years and the number of PR firms that have popped up demonstrates this fact.

But in a world where nothing comes for free, it can be hard to achieve the same amount of media coverage that large brands with deep pockets enjoy. As the new kids on the block, startups and small businesses need to validate themselves and would benefit the most from extensive media coverage. But startups often aren't liquid enough to spend money on PR.

For small businesses with limited budgets, this guide is for you. Let's look at the different ways companies can generate PR without spending a dime using some of the best free press release distribution software on the market.

Write a compelling press release

Press releases are still the most effective way to generate publicity and media coverage. Journalists often end up reporting on topics they've read about on newswires or from press releases their publications receive. Knowing how to write a good press release can take you a long way in the PR game. A strong press release can pique a journalist's interest enough for them to report on it for free.

Be your own reporter

The best free PR strategies include a solid content marketing strategy. Regularly writing content has many benefits. Creating and publishing quality content that covers a company's newsworthy moments brings in more traffic and readers. And you can share that goodness on social media, your website, or even your very own newsroom.

Boost your SEO game

This strategy goes hand-in-hand with regularly creating content.

Search engine optimization (SEO) tactics enable web pages to rank higher on search engine results pages (SERP). Companies that create and host content with relevant keywords on their websites will attract the attention of journalists that are actively looking for those stories. The higher a page ranks, the more visibility your business will get. Higher rankings also increase the chances of an organization getting featured in a story.

Jump on the bandwagon

A roaring fire can light hundreds of candles.

Trending or viral stories hit the internet from time to time. If you see an opportunity to tie your story to a larger discussion, you can practice "newsjacking", or the act of injecting a brand into another conversation. This is a great tactic when you're struggling to come up with something newsworthy. 

Companies can use media monitoring software to stay up to date with the latest trends or keep Google Alerts for keywords related to the business. That way, any time there's an active conversation about a topic relevant to your company, you'll be prepared.

Be active in online communities

Participating in forums like Reddit, Quora, and Twitter is a great way to interact with the public and directly answer their questions. Since these forums encourage users to create discussion threads, a few companies spend a lot of time commenting on or even initiating topics related to their line of business.

For example, companies like Microsoft regularly conduct ask me anything (AMA) sessions for their audience on platforms like Reddit.

Source: Reddit

When a new product or feature is launched, ask consumers how they feel about the change. This gives you incredible insights and tells customers that you care greatly about their opinions.

Respond to journalists

Suppose a public relations professional recognizes a good fit between what a reporter wants to cover and the story a business wants to tell. In that case, they can respond to a journalist's request on newswires or other media coverage services for specific content and contribute to a working story. This contribution could be a featured story, a quote from an industry expert (an existing customer or a member of the C-Suite), or a statistic obtained from an internal survey or study.

Media coverage services like Help a Reporter Out (HARO) are an excellent way for businesses to see what journalists are looking for and respond to their requests accordingly. These types of services allow you to collect inquiries from reporters and freelance journalists in one place.

Build media relations

Never underestimate the power of networking. Businesses should leverage media relations and continuously engage with news outlets, journalists, and other forms of media outlets. Building relationships with the media helps bridge the gap between the public and the organization.

The first step toward building media relations is creating a network. Create a database of media contacts by searching for journalists who actively write about your industry on social networks like LinkedIn or Twitter. Most journalists link their portfolios in their social media profiles so you can check out their work before getting in touch.

Journalists often change jobs, so keeping an updated media list is helpful. Check platforms like LinkedIn to find journalists’ updated profiles and contact details.

Leverage free press release distribution software

PR distribution services help businesses circulate press releases to an extensive network of journalists and media outlets. Most press release distribution software are paid services and can cost a pretty penny. Fortunately, organizations that don't have large PR budgets can utilize free PR distribution software.

Top 5 free press release distribution software

Press release distribution services get your press releases in front of journalists, reporters, and other influential media members such as bloggers and thought leaders. Using a distribution service is the easiest way to broadly distribute press releases. The sheer size of these systems lets you connect with media professionals all over the world.

The following list breaks down the top five free press release distribution software on the market.

To qualify for inclusion in the press release distribution category, a product must:

• Distribute news to diverse readership groups or online news agencies.
• Enable users to submit, synchronize, or manually enter news and press releases.

*Below is a list of the five best free press release distribution software. This list is based on G2 data collected on October 10, 2021. Some reviews may have been edited for clarity.

1. Prowly

Prowly is a media database and press release distribution software that enables users to create visual and interactive press releases. Customers can create comprehensive media lists from Prowly's extensive media contact database.

What users liked:

“Prowly’s contact discovery system is one of the best I've seen. When the contact you're looking for isn't in the database, it's quite easy to figure out the email from colleagues' email formats and add it to your list. There are great categories to search contacts and a great outreach email checking system that gives you lots of tips on getting your pitch through.”

– Prowly Review, Martin L.

What users disliked:

“Although emails can be delivered in volume through Prowly, it goes straight to your personalized inbox when someone answers the email. You have to reply persistently, which is fine for certain circumstances, although in some scenarios it's time-consuming and not effective.”

– Prowly Review, Erin S.

2. Prezly

Prezly is a PR software tool that handles contact management, creates newsrooms, launches PR campaigns, and reports on the coverage garnered by a press release or PR activity. It enables users to create tailored pitches and send them to the right people.

What users like:

“Prezly is an ideal support and communication tool. Our clients can communicate with us, ask for help, and give their opinions about the support that is provided. This way, you can see which points can improve and provide better customer service. Its modern design is great and very intuitive, colorful, and friendly for all users.”

– Prezly Review, Keith D.M.

What users dislike:

“The grouping system and tagging is not intuitive. I've had many missteps in trying to get content to particular segments while deselecting individuals. You cannot add another group of people to a distribution list without going back and recreating the same distribution. You can add individuals, but not groups.”

– Prezly Review, Katie L.

3. News Direct

News Direct is a newswire built for modern media outreach. The platform offers a self-directed workflow with a Content Studio that enables users to create, edit and collaborate directly for content development purposes. News Direct also has Digital Asset Direct that allows customers to send images, videos, and infographics as independent assets.

What users like:

“The good people at News Direct are kind, honest, responsive, professional, and most importantly, they get results! I cannot emphasize how easy the process was and how amazing they are to work with as a partner. I will never use another wire service again – outstanding leadership and technology. I highly recommend them."

– News Direct Review, Bryan K.

What users dislike:

“Loading pictures can be distracting. Often you upload a pic and the platform drops it at the end of the press release copy and you have to drag it around, which can sometimes affect formatting. It’s easily fixable, but an extra thing to do.”

– News Direct Review, Bilal M.

4. PR.co

PR.co offers a special program for startups and small business owners to kickstart their media relations and execute a solid PR strategy. PR.co creates online newsrooms for businesses, manages their media network, curates extensive press lists, and provides media banks that offer images, videos, and more in high-res.

What users like:

“The customer service team is super friendly, extremely responsive, and very helpful. Feature-wise, it fulfills all the requirements we had. I was wondering for years why there is not such a tool and was super happy when I found it.”

– PR.co Review, Sebastian S.

What users dislike:

“A PR.co app would be nice. Also, some kind of extension for a CRM, or integration with one, would be very helpful.”

– PR.co Review, Naama B.

5. Mynewsdesk

Mynewsdesk is a PR platform that manages all PR activities in one place. From distributing stories to engaging with your audience and analyzing your reach, Mynewsdesk offers a single tool for your entire PR workflow.

What users like:

“Mynewsdesk combines the basic elements that you would expect of this type of service – contacts, distribution, etc. But where it wins is in its ability to have a customized online newsroom that can be designed to look like part of your company website and acts as a destination for all media inquiries. Live chat support is also valuable when you're getting to know the system.”

– Mynewsdesk Review, John A.

What users dislike:

“If you are considering using Mynewsdesk services, be sure to keep track of the notice period. They still use the contract to be extended for one year if you fail to terminate it three months before the contract expires.”

– Mynewsdesk Review, Niclas B.

Publicity on a budget

PR success is largely dependent on what market influencers have to say about your brand. These influencers could be journalists, media outlets, or industry experts. People trust these sources for their information which can shape their perception in a positive or negative manner. With so much at stake, it's no surprise companies focus on PR.

PR has become a requirement in a world where public opinion makes or breaks a business. And companies should be able to share their story with their target audience without burning a hole in their pockets. PR has become a requirement in a world where public opinion makes or breaks a business.

Now that you know how to generate free PR, it's time to explore the world of PR distribution.