Here at PWR, we get a lot of questions about how to compile a good distribution list of journalists. Although creating a list is mostly a matter of personal or methodological preferences, here are a few things to consider when deciding who will receive your release and where it will land:

Yours, ours or both?
When coming up with a distribution list for your release, PWR has the flexibility to provide several options for you to choose from: you can provide your own list, have us produce one built to your specifications at no additional cost, or, supplement your private list with one of ours. (Combo lists tend to deliver the best results.)

Big vs. small… the age-old dilemma.
There are many schools of thought regarding the size of a list. Some clients prefer small targeted lists with only contacts that they know. While small targeted lists have historically delivered the best open rates, more recently they have under-delivered. With a small list, you could be missing some potentially good / new relationship development. Try letting us augment the list by adding only highly targeted journalists for better results.

On the other hand, some take a “bigger is better” approach and like to send to lists of thousands of journalists just to see what might “stick.” In certain instances, this approach works surprisingly well and yields higher than average results. But our recent journalist survey shows that the downside of this type of list is the potential alienation of future prospects, since journalists prefer receiving information related only to their beats/regions. Sending your release to journalists who are “on the cusp” of covering your topic can result in encouraging them to Opt Out of future mailings. And since PWR is in compliance with CAN-SPAM regulations, a Do-Not-Email list is created for each client and used for every release. If a journalist opts out of a release from your client, they may not receive a future, more appropriate release.

What types of media outlets are you looking to target?
Print? Broadcast? Internet? These are a great start but can be very broad if you don’t limit their scope. Depending on the subject matter of your release, you should have a general idea of which outlets would be most receptive to receiving your information. In addition, knowing which type of outlets have given you the most pick up in the past will help to steer you to a successful opening rate in the future. But, keep in mind that within a broad category of media outlets there are subcategories that might be more likely to cover your release. Consider lead times and the multi-media information contained within your release. Then, ask yourself “Which media subcategories are most compatible with my release?” You should be able to build a list that will increase your open rates and hopefully improve your pick up.

What is your goal – who are you hoping will pick up your release?
After considering the Outlets you’re looking to target, consider the Title and Beat of the person you are hoping to reach. For instance, if you specify that you want to reach only Editors but are hoping to get your release some on-air radio coverage, you may want to target Program or News Directors as your radio contacts. Remember, the title of the journalist will sometimes be outlet specific. And, make sure that you include information that will make it easy for all of your targeted outlets’ journalists to cover your story in his or her medium. For instance, providing video/broll to journalists at visual outlets makes their job easier. If a journalist has to call to ask for more information, that’s one more step in their process and one less reason to publish your release.

Regional vs. National – What’s appropriate?
Does your release have national appeal? Or does your release focus on a local event or regionally-specific product? Sometimes the answer is clear, but there are additional issues to consider. For example, you may think that a local event might warrant only local coverage – newspapers, TV, radio. But consider sending to national trade magazines that might help you either promote your upcoming event or cover a post event celebration.

And, keep in mind that PWR can customize your release to be more specific to targeted regions– by tweaking the either the subject line or main body of the press release – which can help increase your open rate!

Long Lead, Short Lead, or Both?
Most often, lead times will be determined by your release subject and/or client. When time permits, sending your release to both long AND short lead outlets can help you get optimal coverage. By tweaking the verbiage or subject line, you can also make your release more customized and applicable and get more bang for your buck!

Don’t Forget – Add Yourself (and Your Client!)
By adding both yourself and your client to your distribution list, your release will be delivered to your inbox when journalists get their copy and you can get the full EPK experience!

There is no additional cost to add our list service so let us know how we can help you build the perfect target list.