Free Press Release

Author: Jenna Vasquez

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The Good

• Distribution packages
• Submission process
• SEO
• Resources

Free Press Release offers the following:

• Free Press Release offers three distribution packages. The free package includes indexing on major search engines, keywords page listing, professional print and PDF versions of the submitted release, a company information display, FPR's advanced press release management system, SEO tagging capabilities, in-page share buttons, permanent hosting on the FPR site, email spam protection, and a release date reservation.
• The Premier Package, at $19 per release, also includes the FPR mobile platform, a featured category and subcategory on the homepage, inclusion in regional newsfeeds, a company slogan, an image for the contact person, a logo display, three images, a website link, distribution within 24 hours, and the opportunity to become an FPR VIP.
• The Customized Package, at $59 per release, includes all of the above in addition to access to the FPR online channels, placement on the FPR homepage, advanced placement strategies, placement on the FPR Twitter page, placement on the FPR Facebook page, distribution on Stumbleupon, Digg, RSS, and JavaScript Feeds, no advertisements or content implantation, video embedding, website embedding, keyword anchor text links, and a press release report.
• The submission process is simple. Clients choose a package and include contact information and the release itself on a single page.
• SEO is available, if limited and vague. All packages include SEO tags and hyperlinks.
• Free Press Release boasts a comprehensive list of company profiles, with giants like Pfizer and Kellogg included. The list includes addresses and descriptions for each.
• Free Press Release offers an opportunity become "VIP" to Premier and Customized members. VIP privileges include one-on-one support and additional distribution features. The VIP experience is application only.
• Free Press Release offers a "Knowledge Center," with online marketing tips and simple, easy to read articles.
• Free Press Release offers a "Promote Service." For a minimum bid of $10, a client's press release will be boosted on FPR's 2,000,000 news pages and 8,000,000 topic pages for 30 days.
• Free Press Release also offers video service. Pricing depends on the complexity of the project. It is only available by contacting a customer service representative through the site.
• Compared to other PR firms, FPR's prices are exceptionally low.

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The Bad

• Website
• Limited targeting
• Customer support

The following are potential drawbacks of using Free Press Release:

• The FPR website is poorly designed, poorly organized, and crowded with ads.
• Chinese characters that remain on certain webpages suggest that the entire site was written in Chinese and then translated into English. The language is stilted and littered with errors.
• Free Press Release does not offer geographic or industry targeting.
• While Free Press Release claims to offers a press release report in the $59 Customized Package, there is no information available regarding it.
• Free Press Release provides little online support. There is no live chat, while the blog, FAQ page, and search bar are poorly developed. Using the search bar to search key phrases will yield a seemingly random group of blog posts, instead of information from the site itself.
• Customer service is nearly nonexistent. FPR has no advertised physical location, no listed phone number, and no listed email address. The firm is hosted entirely online. While the site hosts a simple email form, responses are few and far between.

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The Bottom Line

Free Press Release is much cheaper than its competitors, and for good reason. As an exclusively online firm, its customer support is meager and its services are wanting. FPR's claims are suspect, at best, and the only worthwhile purchase available on the site is the Free Package.