Should You Hire Someone Else to Write Your Press Releases? The Pros and Cons

Is your business beginning to attract media attention? That means you’re on the right track. Working with the media is an excellent way to attract new customers and develop your reputation in the community. However, media attention also requires some work, like writing press releases.

If you haven’t written a press release before, though, the process may seem intimidating.

After all, a press release is a journalistic statement that contains the important facts of an upcoming event or a new product you want the media to cover—meaning it generally goes out to a much wider audience. Press releases also come with unique writing conventions like being written in the third person and including citations for all information sources.

Why Invest in Press Releases?

Press releases are a key element to any marketing and public relations strategy. These important pieces of content have three major benefits in particular. Namely, they:

1. Grab media attention for your business
2. Establish your business’s credibility and reputation
3. Bring new traffic to your site

One high-performing press release can generate significant interest and attention—with a relatively small financial investment on your part. Should they find your press release interesting, news outlets will take on the effort of creating and publishing content to promote your event or product. In this way, good press releases can give your brand more credible publicity than almost any other type of marketing in the long run.

Of course, the most effective press releases are those that are written well and adhere to standard guidelines. Press releases aren’t just any regular articles, after all—their structure, formatting, and even company boilerplate make them unique pieces of content.

Yet for many businesses, creating relevant and well-written press releases may not be their core expertise, especially if they don’t often need these produced. For that reason, it’s worth considering a professional press release writing service or hiring a writer through a content service like Compose.ly.

Skeptical about outsourcing your press releases? Consider these pros and cons to help make up your mind.

The 3 Biggest Pros of Hiring a Professional Press Release Writer

1. Hiring a Writer Guarantees Quality

First and foremost, hiring someone else to write your press releases helps guarantee that you’ll have an excellent product. If you take the time to find and work with a proven professional, you are much more likely to receive an error-free and properly formatted press release that can be sent to news outlets immediately.

Professional writers understand the required format and have the experience to put together press releases quickly, while you may need to do more research to create it by yourself. Great writers will also do revisions if you find that your press release needs a little more work.

Hiring a press release writing service allows you to rest easy knowing that an experienced writer is taking care of the process for you.

2. Hiring a Writer Saves Time

When you outsource press release writing, you immediately free up your own time. Instead of spending the time and effort to learn about and write a press release, you can work on other ways to grow your business. Meanwhile, your hired writer is hard at work—and in a few days, you’ll have a well-written press release to review and send to news outlets.

Depending on the value of your time, hiring a professional writer could also be a more economical choice. You can focus on your core competencies instead of losing time to the process of writing and editing. The result is a more efficient business and content strategy.

3. Hired Writers May Offer Additional Services

Some professional writers offer extra services beyond simply writing a press release. Some writing services like Compose.ly include in-house editors, making it that much more likely that your press release will be error-free and formatted correctly.

You may also receive benefits like marketing advice, SEO-friendly content, or keyword research. If you publish your press release on your website, those additional services can help you get your business more media attention and search engine traffic at the same time. Not every writer or writing service will offer these added services, so it may be worth choosing one that does.

The 2 Cons of Hiring a Writer

1. Press Release Writing Services Cost Money

You get what you pay for. The exact pros and cons can vary between different writing services—as previously mentioned, some include additional services while others offer only writing.

However, spending your money is guaranteed.

Hiring a professional press release writer requires paying them for their work. Depending on your budget, hiring a writer for your press release may be a valuable investment. But if your business is still in its infancy, you may want to invest that money elsewhere. Your final decision depends on your business’s finances and where you think your money is better spent.

2. A Professional Writer May Not Know Your Industry

Taking the time to make sure your chosen press release writer is familiar with your company and industry is crucial. While press releases tend to contain similar information for every industry, not every writer will be familiar with the fine details of your field. If your press release targets a more technical audience, a lack of understanding can sometimes lead to a subpar final product.

If you can, work with a writer or press release writing service that has worked in your industry before. Prior experience helps ensure that your press release will include the relevant details in a clearly written and accurate fashion.

You can also provide the writer with very precise information that they can use to craft the press release. Clear guidelines and a well-structured outline give writers more to work with and help them produce a better final result.

Final Thoughts

Press releases are powerful marketing tools when used correctly. They help your business appear professional and they can garner media attention for new products, services, or events. If you’re considering adding press releases to your marketing strategy, they must be written well.

Hiring a press release writer has pros and cons. For many companies, it can be a helpful strategy to guarantee quality without wasting time. Professional writers can save you effort and time while providing a top-quality final product.

If you’re interested in hiring a press release writing service, Compose.ly can help. Reach out to our specialists today to discuss press release writing for your business.

This article was written by Compose.ly writer Gabrielle Hass.