Author: Franz Malten Buemann

When marketers like us create landing pages, write email copy, or design call-to-action buttons, it can be tempting to use our intuition to predict what will make people click and convert.
But basing marketing decisions off of a “feeling” can be pretty detrimental to results. Rather than relying on guesses or assumptions to make these decisions, you’re much better off running an A/B test — sometimes called a split test.

A/B testing can be valuable because different audiences behave, well, differently. Something that works for one company may not necessarily work for another. In fact, conversion rate optimization (CRO) experts hate the term “best practices” because it may not actually be the best practice for you.
But A/B tests can also be complex. If you’re not careful, you could make incorrect assumptions about what people like and what makes them click — decisions that could easily misinform other parts of your strategy.
Keep reading to learn how to do A/B testing before, during, and after data collection so you can make the best decisions from your results.

To run an A/B test, you need to create two different versions of one piece of content, with changes to a single variable. Then, you’ll show these two versions to two similarly sized audiences and analyze which one performed better over a specific period of time (long enough to make accurate conclusions about your results).

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A/B testing helps marketers observe how one version of a piece of marketing content performs alongside another. Here are two types of A/B tests you might conduct in an effort to increase your website’s conversion rate:
Example 1: User Experience Test
Perhaps you want to see if moving a certain call-to-action (CTA) button to the top of your homepage instead of keeping it in the sidebar will improve its click-through rate.
To A/B test this theory, you’d create another, alternative web page that uses the new CTA placement. The existing design with the sidebar CTA — or the “control” — is Version A. Version B with the CTA at the top is the “challenger.” Then, you’d test these two versions by showing each of them to a predetermined percentage of site visitors. Ideally, the percentage of visitors seeing either version is the same.
Learn how to easily A/B test a component of your website with HubSpot’s Marketing Hub.
Example 2: Design Test
Perhaps you want to find out if changing the color of your call-to-action (CTA) button can increase its click-through rate.
To A/B test this theory, you’d design an alternative CTA button with a different button color that leads to the same landing page as the control. If you usually use a red call-to-action button in your marketing content, and the green variation receives more clicks after your A/B test, this could merit changing the default color of your call-to-action buttons to green from now on.
To learn more about A/B testing, download our free introductory guide here.

A/B Testing in Marketing
A/B testing has a multitude of benefits to a marketing team, depending on what it is you decide to test. Above all, though, these tests are valuable to a business because they’re low in cost but high in reward.
Let’s say you employ a content creator with a salary of $50,000/year. This content creator publishes five articles per week for the company blog, totaling 260 articles per year. If the average post on the company’s blog generates 10 leads, you could say it costs just over $192 to generate 10 leads for the business ($50,000 salary ÷ 260 articles = $192 per article). That’s a solid chunk of change.
Now, if you ask this content creator to spend two days developing an A/B test on one article, instead of writing two articles in that time period, you might burn $192 because you’re publishing one fewer article. But if that A/B test finds you can increase each article’s conversion rate from 10 to 20 leads, you just spent $192 to potentially double the number of customers your business gets from your blog.
If the test fails, of course, you lost $192 — but now you can make your next A/B test even more educated. If that second test succeeds in doubling your blog’s conversion rate, you ultimately spent $284 to potentially double your company’s revenue. No matter how many times your A/B test fails, its eventual success will almost always outweigh the cost to conduct it.

There are many types of split tests you can run to make the experiment worth it in the end. Here are some common goals marketers have for their business when A/B testing:

Increased Website Traffic: Testing different blog post titles or webpage titles can change the number of people who click on that hyperlinked title to get to your website. This can increase website traffic as a result.

Higher Conversion Rate: Testing different locations, colors, or even anchor text on your CTAs can change the number of people who click these CTAs to get to a landing page. This can increase the number of people who fill out forms on your website, submit their contact info to you, and “convert” into a lead.

Lower Bounce Rate: If your website visitors leave (or “bounce”) quickly after visiting your website, testing different blog post introductions, fonts, or featured images can reduce this bounce rate and retain more visitors.

Lower Cart Abandonment: Ecommerce businesses see an average of 70% of customers leave their website with items in their shopping cart. This is known as “shopping cart abandonment” and is, of course, detrimental to any online store. Testing different product photos, check-out page designs, and even where shipping costs are displayed can lower this abandonment rate.

Now, let’s walk through the checklist for setting up, running, and measuring an A/B test.

How to Conduct A/B Testing

Follow along with our free A/B testing kit with everything you need to run A/B testing including a test tracking template, a how-to guide for instruction and inspiration, and a statistical significance calculator to see if your tests were wins, losses, or inconclusive.

Before the A/B Test
Let’s cover the steps to take before you start your A/B test.
1. Pick one variable to test.
As you optimize your web pages and emails, you might find there are a number of variables you want to test. But to evaluate how effective a change is, you’ll want to isolate one “independent variable” and measure its performance. Otherwise, you can’t be sure which variable was responsible for changes in performance.
You can test more than one variable for a single web page or email — just be sure you’re testing them one at a time.
To determine your variable, look at the elements in your marketing resources and their possible alternatives for design, wording, and layout. Other things you might test include email subject lines, sender names, and different ways to personalize your emails.
Keep in mind that even simple changes, like changing the image in your email or the words on your call-to-action button, can drive big improvements. In fact, these sorts of changes are usually easier to measure than the bigger ones.
Note: There are some times when it makes more sense to test multiple variables rather than a single variable. This is a process called multivariate testing. If you’re wondering whether you should run an A/B test versus a multivariate test, here’s a helpful article from Optimizely that compares the two processes.
2. Identify your goal.
Although you’ll measure several metrics during any one test, choose a primary metric to focus on before you run the test. In fact, do it before you even set up the second variation. This is your “dependent variable,” which changes based on how you manipulate the independent variable.
Think about where you want this dependent variable to be at the end of the split test. You might even state an official hypothesis and examine your results based on this prediction.
If you wait until afterward to think about which metrics are important to you, what your goals are, and how the changes you’re proposing might affect user behavior, then you might not set up the test in the most effective way.
3. Create a ‘control’ and a ‘challenger.’
You now have your independent variable, your dependent variable, and your desired outcome. Use this information to set up the unaltered version of whatever you’re testing as your control scenario. If you’re testing a web page, this is the unaltered page as it exists already. If you’re testing a landing page, this would be the landing page design and copy you would normally use.
From there, build a challenger — the altered website, landing page, or email that you’ll test against your control. For example, if you’re wondering whether adding a testimonial to a landing page would make a difference in conversions, set up your control page with no testimonials. Then, create your challenger with a testimonial.
4. Split your sample groups equally and randomly.
For tests where you have more control over the audience — like with emails — you need to test with two or more audiences that are equal in order to have conclusive results.
How you do this will vary depending on the A/B testing tool you use. If you’re a HubSpot Enterprise customer conducting an A/B test on an email, for example, HubSpot will automatically split traffic to your variations so that each variation gets a random sampling of visitors.
5. Determine your sample size (if applicable).
How you determine your sample size will also vary depending on your A/B testing tool, as well as the type of A/B test you’re running.
If you’re A/B testing an email, you’ll probably want to send an A/B test to a subset of your list that is large enough to achieve statistically significant results. Eventually, you’ll pick a winner and send the winning variation on to the rest of the list. (See “The Science of Split Testing” ebook at the end of this article for more on calculating your sample size.)
If you’re a HubSpot Enterprise customer, you’ll have some help determining the size of your sample group using a slider. It’ll let you do a 50/50 A/B test of any sample size — although all other sample splits require a list of at least 1,000 recipients.

If you’re testing something that doesn’t have a finite audience, like a web page, then how long you keep your test running will directly affect your sample size. You’ll need to let your test run long enough to obtain a substantial number of views. Otherwise, it will be hard to tell whether there was a statistically significant difference between variations.
6. Decide how significant your results need to be.
Once you’ve picked your goal metric, think about how significant your results need to be to justify choosing one variation over another. Statistical significance is a super important part of the A/B testing process that’s often misunderstood. If you need a refresher, I recommend reading this blog post on statistical significance from a marketing standpoint.
The higher the percentage of your confidence level, the more sure you can be about your results. In most cases, you’ll want a confidence level of 95% minimum — preferably even 98% — especially if it was a time-intensive experiment to set up. However, sometimes it makes sense to use a lower confidence rate if you don’t need the test to be as stringent.
Matt Rheault, a senior software engineer at HubSpot, likes to think of statistical significance like placing a bet. What odds are you comfortable placing a bet on? Saying “I’m 80% sure this is the right design and I’m willing to bet everything on it” is similar to running an A/B test to 80% significance and then declaring a winner.
Rheault also says you’ll likely want a higher confidence threshold when testing for something that only slightly improves conversion rate. Why? Because random variance is more likely to play a bigger role.
“An example where we could feel safer lowering our confidence threshold is an experiment that will likely improve conversion rate by 10% or more, such as a redesigned hero section,” he explained.
“The takeaway here is that the more radical the change, the less scientific we need to be process-wise. The more specific the change (button color, microcopy, etc.), the more scientific we should be because the change is less likely to have a large and noticeable impact on conversion rate.”
7. Make sure you’re only running one test at a time on any campaign.
Testing more than one thing for a single campaign — even if it’s not on the same exact asset — can complicate results. For example, if you A/B test an email campaign that directs to a landing page at the same time that you’re A/B testing that landing page, how can you know which change caused the increase in leads?

During the A/B Test
Let’s cover the steps to take during your A/B test.
8. Use an A/B testing tool.
To do an A/B test on your website or in an email, you’ll need to use an A/B testing tool. If you’re a HubSpot Enterprise customer, the HubSpot software has features that let you A/B test emails (learn how here), calls-to-action (learn how here), and landing pages (learn how here).
For non-HubSpot Enterprise customers, other options include Google Analytics, which lets you A/B test up to 10 full versions of a single web page and compare their performance using a random sample of users.
9. Test both variations simultaneously.
Timing plays a significant role in your marketing campaign’s results, whether it’s time of day, day of the week, or month of the year. If you were to run Version A during one month and Version B a month later, how would you know whether the performance change was caused by the different design or the different month?
When you run A/B tests, you’ll need to run the two variations at the same time, otherwise you may be left second-guessing your results.
The only exception here is if you’re testing timing itself, like finding the optimal times for sending out emails. This is a great thing to test because depending on what your business offers and who your subscribers are, the optimal time for subscriber engagement can vary significantly by industry and target market.
10. Give the A/B test enough time to produce useful data.
Again, you’ll want to make sure that you let your test run long enough to obtain a substantial sample size. Otherwise, it’ll be hard to tell whether there was a statistically significant difference between the two variations.
How long is long enough? Depending on your company and how you execute the A/B test, getting statistically significant results could happen in hours … or days … or weeks. A big part of how long it takes to get statistically significant results is how much traffic you get — so if your business doesn’t get a lot of traffic to your website, it’ll take much longer for you to run an A/B test.
Read this blog post to learn more about sample size and timing.
11. Ask for feedback from real users.
A/B testing has a lot to do with quantitative data … but that won’t necessarily help you understand why people take certain actions over others. While you’re running your A/B test, why not collect qualitative feedback from real users?
One of the best ways to ask people for their opinions is through a survey or poll. You might add an exit survey on your site that asks visitors why they didn’t click on a certain CTA, or one on your thank-you pages that asks visitors why they clicked a button or filled out a form.
You might find, for example, that a lot of people clicked on a call-to-action leading them to an ebook, but once they saw the price, they didn’t convert. That kind of information will give you a lot of insight into why your users are behaving in certain ways.

After the A/B Test
Finally, let’s cover the steps to take after your A/B test.
12. Focus on your goal metric.
Again, although you’ll be measuring multiple metrics, keep your focus on that primary goal metric when you do your analysis.
For example, if you tested two variations of an email and chose leads as your primary metric, don’t get caught up on open rate or click-through rate. You might see a high click-through rate and poor conversion rates, in which case you might end up choosing the variation that had a lower click-through rate in the end.
13. Measure the significance of your results using our A/B testing calculator.
Now that you’ve determined which variation performs the best, it’s time to determine whether your results are statistically significant. In other words, are they enough to justify a change?
To find out, you’ll need to conduct a test of statistical significance. You could do that manually … or you could just plug in the results from your experiment to our free A/B testing calculator.
For each variation you tested, you’ll be prompted to input the total number of tries, like emails sent or impressions seen. Then, enter the number of goals it completed — generally you’ll look at clicks, but this could also be other types of conversions.

The calculator will spit out the confidence level your data produces for the winning variation. Then, measure that number against the value you chose to determine statistical significance.
14. Take action based on your results.
If one variation is statistically better than the other, you have a winner. Complete your test by disabling the losing variation in your A/B testing tool.
If neither variation is statistically better, you’ve just learned that the variable you tested didn’t impact results, and you’ll have to mark the test as inconclusive. In this case, stick with the original variation, or run another test. You can use the failed data to help you figure out a new iteration on your new test.
While A/B tests help you impact results on a case-by-case basis, you can also apply the lessons you learn from each test and apply it to future efforts.
For example, if you’ve conducted A/B tests in your email marketing and have repeatedly found that using numbers in email subject lines generates better clickthrough rates, you might want to consider using that tactic in more of your emails.
15. Plan your next A/B test.
The A/B test you just finished may have helped you discover a new way to make your marketing content more effective — but don’t stop there. There’s always room for more optimization.
You can even try conducting an A/B test on another feature of the same web page or email you just did a test on. For example, if you just tested a headline on a landing page, why not do a new test on body copy? Or a color scheme? Or images? Always keep an eye out for opportunities to increase conversion rates and leads.

A/B Testing Examples
We’ve discussed how A/B tests are used in marketing and how to conduct one — but how do they actually look in practice?
As you might guess, we run many A/B tests to increase engagement and drive conversions across our platform. Here are five examples of A/B tests to inspire your own experiments.
1. Site Search
Site search bars help users quickly find what they’re after on a particular website. HubSpot found from previous analysis that visitors who interacted with its site search bar were more likely to convert on a blog post. So, we ran an A/B test in an attempt to increase engagement with the search bar.
In this test, search bar functionality was the independent variable and views on the content offer thank you page was the dependent variable. We used one control condition and three challenger conditions in the experiment.
In the control condition (variant A), the search bar remained unchanged.

In variant B, the search bar was made larger and more visually prominent, and the placeholder text was set to “search by topic.”

Variant C appeared identical to variant B, but only searched the HubSpot Blog rather than the entire website.
In variant D, the search bar was made larger but the placeholder text was set to “search the blog.” This variant also searched only the HubSpot Blog

We found variant D to be the most effective: It increased conversions by 3.4% over the control and increased the percentage of users who used the search bar by 6.5%.
2. Mobile CTAs
HubSpot uses several CTAs for content offers in our blog posts, including ones in the body of posts as well as at the bottom of the page. We test these CTAs extensively for optimize their performance.
For our mobile users, we ran an A/B test to see which type of bottom-of-page CTA converted best. For our independent variable, we altered the design of the CTA bar. Specifically, we used one control and three challengers in our test. For our dependent variables, we used pageviews on the CTA thank you page and CTA clicks.
The control condition included our normal placement of CTAs at the bottom of posts. In variant B, the CTA had no close or minimize option.
In variant C, mobile readers could close the CTA by tapping an X icon. Once it was closed out, it wouldn’t reappear.

In variant D, we included an option to minimize the CTA with an up/down caret.

Our tests found all variants to be successful. Variant D was the most successful, with a 14.6% increase in conversions over the control. This was followed by variant C with an 11.4% increase and variant B with a 7.9% increase.
3. Author CTAs
In another CTA experiment, HubSpot tested whether adding the word “free” and other descriptive language to author CTAs at the top of blog posts would increase content leads. Past research suggested that using “free” in CTA text would drive more conversions and that text specifying the type of content offered would be helpful for SEO and accessibility.
In the test, the independent variable was CTA text and the main dependent variable was conversion rate on the content offer form.
In the control condition, author CTA text was unchanged (see the orange button in the image below).

In variant B, the word “free” was added to the CTA text.

In variant C, descriptive wording was added to the CTA text in addition to “free.”

Interestingly, variant B saw a loss in form submissions, down by 14% compared to the control. This was unexpected, since including “free” in content offer text is widely considered a best practice.
Meanwhile, form submissions in variant C outperformed the control by 4%. It was concluded that adding descriptive text to the author CTA helped users understand the offer and thus made them more likely to download.
4. Blog Table of Contents
To help users better navigate the blog, HubSpot tested a new Table of Contents (TOC) module. The goal was to improve user experience by presenting readers with their desired content more quickly. We also tested whether adding a CTA to this TOC module would increase conversions.
The independent variable of this A/B test was the inclusion and type of TOC module in blog posts, and the dependent variables were conversion rate on content offer form submissions and clicks on the CTA inside the TOC module.
The control condition did not include the new TOC module — control posts either had no table of contents, or a simple bulleted list of anchor links within the body of the post near the top of the article (pictured below).

In variant B, the new TOC module was added to blog posts. This module was sticky, meaning it remained onscreen as users scrolled down the page. Variant B also included a content offer CTA at the bottom of the module.

Variant C included an identical module to variant B but with the CTA removed.

Both variants B and C did not increase the conversion rate on blog posts. The control condition outperformed variant B by 7% and performed equally with variant C. Also, few users interacted with the new TOC module or the CTA inside the module.
5. Review Notifications
To determine the best way of gathering customer reviews, we ran a split test of email notifications versus in-app notifications. Here, the independent variable was the type of notification and the dependent variable was the percentage of those who left a review out of all those who opened the notification.
In the control, HubSpot sent a plain text email notification asking users to leave a review. In variant B, HubSpot sent an email with a certificate image including the user’s name.

For variant C, HubSpot sent users an in app-notification.

Ultimately, both emails performed similarly and outperformed the in-app notifications. About 25% of users who opened an email left a review versus the 10.3% who opened in-app notifications. Emails were also more often opened by users.
Start A/B Testing Today
A/B testing allows you to get to the truth of what content and marketing your audience wants to see. Learn how to best carry out some of the steps above using the free e-book below.
Editor’s note: This post was originally published in May 2016 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

To thrive as a small business, you need press coverage. But, unfortunately, coverage doesn’t just come naturally – you need to work for it.
Enter: the press release.

Press releases are important for increasing your brand awareness and helping your public relations (PR). But if nobody sees your release, you won’t get very far. You need to distribute it effectively to get your story picked up by local and/or national newspapers, magazines, or blogs.
In this guide to press release distribution, we’ll cover the following to help you put together a plan of action that results in coverage:

What is press release distribution?
Why is press release distribution important?
How to distribute your press release
Distribution mistakes to avoid
Should you use distribution services?

Keep reading to learn how you can properly create, pitch, and distribute a press release for optimal brand awareness.
What is press release distribution?
Before we dive any deeper, let’s iron out exactly what press release distribution is.
It’s the process of circulating or seeding out your press release to journalists, publishers, and members of the press.
Your press release normally provides updates on your company’s products and/or services, projects, partnerships, organization structure, and more. With distribution, you allow various publications to share your press release and thus, reach a wider audience.
Why should you submit a press release?
The purpose of distributing a press release is to land coverage in media publications, such as newspapers, radio, TV news bulletins, podcasts, and blogs. That way, you’re positioning your brand in front of a wider audience.
If you only post your press release on your website, most consumers won’t know about it – which defeats the entire purpose behind writing your press release.
Gaining press coverage helps to get your business or brand name into the public forum. That helps build brand awareness – especially when 71% of journalists consider press releases to be their favorite type of content to receive from brands.
Distributing a press release also has these benefits:
1. Press releases can boost your SEO.
Over three billion Google searches are made every day.
Implementing SEO tactics into your overall marketing strategy will help you rank high for your target audience’s search queries. This means that you’re that much closer to reaching potential customers as they search online for information related to your company, industry, product, or service.
Gaining backlinks to your site from high-authority websites is a huge ranking factor for SEO, as explained in a 2021 study by Backlinko:

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Distributing press releases can help you land coverage on huge publications. Additionally, there’s a chance those websites will link to yours, which can help to boost your search engine visibility.
But what happens if you land awesome coverage without a backlink?
Don’t panic – In the past, Both Google and Bing have suggested that positive brand mentions can play a role in how they rank your site, meaning positive PR coverage can aid your SEO efforts even without a link.
2. A press release can drive local foot traffic to your store.
If your business is a brick-and-mortar shop, press release distributions can help to get people through the door.
Whether you’re running an event or simply launching an eye-catching sale, measuring foot traffic into your store after distributing a press release is a simple way to gauge how successful your release has been.
3. A press release can generate more sales.
If you’re launching a new product or an exclusive line, a targeted press release can have a significant impact on your bottom line. Why? Because it helps drum up interest if it’s innovative and sets you apart from competitors.
Busy shopping days can be a great way to get your products in front of potential customers.
For instance, if you’re offering discounts on Black Friday or Cyber Monday, why not reach out to retail journalists to highlight your offers?

Should you use press release distribution services?
Distributing a press release sounds time-consuming, doesn’t it? If only there was a way to get yours seeded out quickly, at scale.
Fortunately, there is.
If you’re on a tight schedule and don’t have time to manually reach out to local or national publishers, a press release distribution service is the perfect solution.
These services allow you to send out your release to relevant journalists without doing any of the manual work yourself.
While it does cost to use these services, they can save you hours of work. By letting the experts distribute your news story, you can spend time focusing on other tasks.
So, if you fancy taking distribution off your plate, check out these 10 services.
1. Newswire

Newswire is one of the top distribution service providers available in the market. When using the top-rate company, your press release can reach major news outlets, such as NBC, MarketWatch, and NBC.

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Newswire also offers multitarget layering for you to reach your desired audience at the local, state, and regional levels.
Furthermore, the service provider follows a strict editorial process to ensure your press release is error-free when it reaches consumers.
Pricing: Starts at $199 per release and goes up to five figures based on the number of press releases you want and the industries you’re targeting.
2. eReleases

With a media database of over 1.7 million contacts, eRelease is a distribution service you should consider.

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The brand has nurtured relationships with publishers, including influencers and reporters, for over 20 years and promises to include curated emails that will increase engagement.
In addition, eReleases optimizes your press release using white hat SEO practices to increase its chances of ranking on search engines. Furthermore, you can expert a detailed report after distribution with metrics on engagement, audience, and traffic.
Pricing: Starts at $299 and goes up to $599, excluding certain add-ons.
3. EIN Presswire

EIN Presswire is a leading distribution service with affordable pricing.

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With one of the quickest reviewal processes, EIN Presswire only takes about an hour to approve your release during the normal weekday hours. Once your release is distributed, you will gain access to a dashboard that will start populating after two hours.
In addition, EIN Presswire is a high authority website through which you can earn backlinks and reap the benefits on search engines.
Pricing: Starts at $49.95 per release and goes up to $999 for bundles.
4. PR Distribution

PR Distribution provides distribution services in both the U.S. and the U.K.

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Their starter press release package offers a guarantee of 25 placements, ensuring your story will be seen by your target audience.
Every other package offers an unlimited word count, a multi-tiered editing process, and access to ABC, NBC, and other news outlets.
Pricing: Starts at $99 and reaches up to $1,300 for bundle packages.
5. PR Newswire

Whether you’re looking for print or online distribution, PR Newswire is a great option.

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PR Newswire helps connect you to leading publishers in a wide range of industries.
If you’re looking for accurate data on your release’s performance, this provider’s got you covered. You can monitor and measure the impact of your story, and gain insights for future releases.
Furthermore, PR Newswire has a network of over 4,000 websites and 20,000 email subscribers. With a host of distribution channels, it’s up to you to decide which one will work best for your brand.
Pricing: Not published on their website.
6. 24-7 Press Release

Using a cloud-based platform, 24-7 Press Release distributes your news to traditional and digital outlets.

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24-7 Press Release follows a strict reviewal process to ensure your press release is ready to be distributed and follows their guidelines.
With a two-day turnaround time, their starter pack allows you to include up to five industry categories, four images, or documents and be sent to over 50 premium news sites.
The more advanced packages come with next-day turnaround, which is helpful if you have a tight deadline.
In addition, you’ll receive a report that tells you if and where your story was picked up.
Pricing: Starts at $19 per release and goes up to $389 depending on the distribution package you select.
7. PR Web

PR Web is a tool owned by Cision, a PR and earned media software company.
Their press release distribution service allows you to upload your press release (along with rich media like images and videos), then distribute the story to journalists and publications in your selected categories.

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PR Web also provides you with a comprehensive analytics dashboard, so you can monitor the impact of your campaign and calculate important metrics, such as ROI.
Pricing: $99 to $389 depending on the distribution package you select.
8. Response Source Press Release Wire

Response Source is a UK-based distribution service connecting brands with top UK publishers and journalists. With over 20 years of experience, the company has built a thriving network of journalists and publications, so you can benefit from having your news distributed by email to useful contacts.

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In a few simple steps, you can upload your release, set the date for publication, attach your media, select the categories, and choose your distribution channels.
You’ll also get your own “newsroom,” along with access to analytics, such as the number of views your press release received and email open rates.
Pricing: Starts at £85 per press release for ad hoc users and goes up to £1050 for bundles.
9. Presswire

Presswire has a live global database, allowing you to send your press release directly to the journalists who are most likely to pick up your story.

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One standout feature from Presswire is the ability to translate your press release into any language and leverage geo-targeting to deliver it to the appropriate regions.
This distribution service also offers an advanced analytics platform, providing insight on:

Who opened your press release.
Whether your release was forwarded.
How many times it was read.
How long people spent reading it.

These insights can help you refine your approach for future press releases.
Pricing: Starts at £150 and goes up based on the distribution package and add-on services you select.
10. PR Fire

PR Fire syndicates your release to newswires and journalists in the US and UK in your chosen industry categories – all within four business hours after receiving your content.
The press release is also published on the platform’s social media pages and site.
Additionally, two weeks after your press release is distributed, you receive a report detailing its performance.
PR Fire also offers a copy-editing service, in which a professional edits or rewrites your press release.

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PR Fire has landed its customers press coverage in a range of top-tier publications, including BuzzFeed, Metro, The Huffington Post, and The Times, so it’s worth checking out.
Pricing: £50 to £150 per press release depending on the distribution package you select.
You know how important PR is, and you’ve crafted a succinct, yet powerful, story. All that’s left to do is share it with the world.
But journalists have to write up to seven stories per day. So how do you ensure your press release is one of those stories? And just as importantly, how can you make your distribution email stand out in a crowded inbox?
Follow this five-step guide to learn how.
1. Find journalists who might be interested in your press release.
When have news to share, I’ll bet you’re tempted to tell as many people as possible. You want everyone to hear about it, right?
However, that’s not always the best strategy.
After crafting a great press release, you can identify journalists who may be interesting in creating a larger story surrounding your news.
You can do that by searching for journalists and publishers who’ve already written about your topic or industry.
For instance, let’s say you run a car parts business. You’ve conducted some research around potholes, gathered some interesting data, and turned it into a killer press release. But mailing every journalist under the sun is probably going to be a waste of time.
Instead, it’s worth seeking out publishers who cover the automotive industry and journalists who’ve covered similar topics before.
To do this, fire up Google, type in your topic (potholes), and navigate to the News tab:

As you can see, there are plenty of recent articles on this topic, meaning journalists are more than likely interested enough to cover it.
Next, read some of the articles on Google News and make a note of the journalists’ names.
A simple spreadsheet with the journalist’s name and the publication they write for is a good way to keep a log of your distribution plan:

If you have the budget, you can also use a media database, such as Cision or Muckrack to find relevant journalists and reporters.
This method is much more likely to get you responses because you’re only pitching the release to journalists who’ve demonstrated an interest in your topic.
2. Get the journalists’ contact details.
Next, it’s time to find some contact information for the people on your press release distribution list.
This could be as simple as clicking on an author’s bio on their publication’s site.

… and making a note of their email address:

But, just like anything else in the world of PR, it’s not always that easy.
You’ll often have to do a little digging to find the contact details – starting with a simple Google search such as “[Journalist’s name] email]”.
If that doesn’t do the trick, you could also use a media database like Muckrack:

Don’t have the budget for paid databases? Harness the power of social media.
LinkedIn is an excellent place to discover contact information for professional contacts (AKA, your journalists). Simply search for “journalist” and filter the results by selecting your target publication as “company,” then plug their name into Hunter to find their email address:

Twitter can also be a quick and easy way to get in touch with your target journalists, too.
3. Craft a killer pitch.
Email is the most effective way to send your press release quickly.
However, there’s another obstacle you’ll need to overcome here: Journalists can receive up to hundreds of pitches a day.
So here’s what you should do to stand out: First, keep it brief.
Don’t waste the journalist’s time with a long-winded, self-absorbed introduction to yourself or your business. They probably don’t care.
Instead, get straight into the purpose of your email: The story, and why they should cover it in their publication.
Journalists are time-poor, so they’ll appreciate a nice, succinct message that sells your story in a few words – like this:

Image Source
As you can see in the example above, the entire story is sold in the first sentence, with a direct question asking if the journalist is interested – rather than just assuming so.
Follow this up with a couple more sentences to give the journalist some additional context, before adding a line spacer and pasting your full press release.
Note: Avoid adding your press releases as attachments. Journalists don’t like opening attachments in fear of viruses or malware, so eliminate that problem by pasting the body of your press release below your pitch.
Second, you must personalize your pitch.
Show some interest in the journalist’s previous work by indicating that you know they’re a good fit based on the topics they cover.
Try to build a relationship with the journalists first, rather than hitting them with a release and expecting instant coverage.
Sometimes, it’s worth playing the long game by getting to know your desired publisher ahead of your pitch. Engage with them on LinkedIn, respond to their tweets, and generally work yourself into their notifications – and their radar.
3. Make your subject line irresistible.
What’s the first thing you look at before you open an email? The subject line, right? In many cases, it plays a big role in the email open rate.
So, how can you make sure yours gets opened? Try these tips:

Keep it short and sweet: Ideally, 10 or fewer words.

Ensure it’s unique: A powerful subject line should be disruptive, innovative, or offer a human-interest angle.

Be specific: Your subject line should be descriptive enough to let the reader know what to expect when they open the email.

Provide exclusivity: If you’ve got some unique data or research, mention that. Exclusivity can help you grab a journalist’s attention.

… And one thing to avoid? Clickbait. It’s that simple.
4. Send your press release pitch (at the right time).
Press release? Check. Pitch email? Check. Contact details? Check.
… But that doesn’t mean you’re ready to distribute your press release.
You’ll need to think about the day (and time) you hit the “send” button because certain days and times have better success rates than others.
For instance, some journalists may prefer to sift through pitches in the morning. While others may prefer mid-day or late afternoon.
It’s often a trial-and-error process that you should keep note of.
Additionally, it’s important to consider the day of the week. While modern-day businesses are often active seven days a week, there’s still a traditional lull in pick-up rates when it comes to press release distribution.
So, consider the day you send your release — it might land more coverage if you pitch it midweek, as opposed to sending it first thing on Monday morning.
5. Follow-up on your release.
An age-old question: Should you follow up on your pitch if it doesn’t get traction?
It depends on who you’re asking, but generally, the consensus seems evenly split. Some people believe following up to be a big no-no, while others indicate that it can be fruitful.
If you have a release you’re particularly proud of, it won’t hurt to follow up if you’re struggling to land coverage – provided you’re tactful.
Don’t spam the journalist’s inbox with the same press release and the same pitch. That can get annoying, and ruin your chances of getting your story picked up.
Instead, try tweaking the angle of your pitch to something that highlights why they should care about this story.
How to Submit Local Press Releases
Local press releases are great for small, brick-and-mortar businesses who want to reach consumers who are in their area.
That’s why it’s beneficial to send out your press release to local newspapers, publishers, and journalists.
Many of the guidelines outlined above still apply. What’s different here is that you can take a more personal approach to your pitches as well as distribution channels. For instance, you can target local radio and TV stations that may be interested in mentioning your story.
Press Release Distribution Mistakes
All set to send your next press release? Hang on a second.
Here are some common mistakes people make, and how you can avoid them when you distribute your press release.
1. Your press release is too long.
Your story needs to be short and succinct.
The easiest way to get your press release read is to cut the fluff. Remove any sentences that won’t add value to the reader.
Your press release needs four main sections:

Paragraph to introduce the news.
About two to three paragraphs to dive into the “what” and “why” of the news.
About and contact information.

Remember: Every sentence counts.
2. You’re targeting the wrong people or publications.
If you work for a small business looking to get some coverage, you’re going to get the most success from contacting local publications.
A local business story is rarely important enough to make national news.
You should also double-check that your target journalists are a good fit. Many tend to specialize in one or two interests – emailing a sports reporter about a press release related to health isn’t likely to result in coverage.
3. Your story isn’t newsworthy enough.
Before hitting send and distributing your release, take a moment and ask yourself: “Is this story actually newsworthy?”
If your release is too self-promotional, it may not interest your target audience.
Ensure it’s got a relevant angle and includes information and/or data pertinent to the story.
Accompanying quotes are also great, as they bring the story to life, rather than over-selling your own company. For instance, say you’re partnering with another brand, consider including a quote from the other brand’s CEO, which explains their interest in wanting to partner with you.
4. You didn’t include your contact info.
Imagine crafting that story, pitching it, and finding an interested reporter who wants to contact you for a larger story. But the journalist hits a dead end and is unable to contact you.
Unfortunately, if you don’t include your contact information in the press release, you risk losing out on the chance for increased exposure.
You need to make it easy for journalists to contact you by leaving a phone number and email address in your press release distribution email.
​​Remember to Keep the Relationship Alive
When you need to create a press release, follow the distribution steps in this guide to boost your chances of landing coverage.
Keep tweaking and refining your approach until you see success. Your first piece of coverage could well be the domino that starts the run. A story picked up by one news outlet can soon snowball from publication to publication.
Plus, if your story does get picked up, don’t forget to thank the journalist. It can facilitate a relationship that you can then nurture and facilitate easier coverage down the line.
Ultimately, you can never have too much good press!
Editor’s note: This post was originally published in November 2019 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

This is our third piece in a series on email deliverability and the features that affect it. To catch up, check out our first and second pieces.
The world of email marketing is always changing. Email services are always looking for ways to better their user experience, or add an extra layer of security. And email marketers always need to be ready to adapt.
When Google announced that they will support BIMI, a new feature coming onto the market that offers both enhanced user experience and added security, marketers began asking — Is this the next big thing?
The answer? Maybe!
As with any new feature in the email marketing landscape, it’s time to investigate. Let’s take a look at what, exactly, BIMI is, how it works, and how you can implement it in your email marketing strategy.
What is BIMI?
BIMI stands for Brand Indicators for Message Identification. In short, BIMI shows your company’s logo next to the marketing emails you send while they’re in your subscribers’ inboxes, like the photo below.

BIMI serves a couple of unique purposes. First, it brings brand recognition to the sender’s emails by placing the logo next to them. This creates a strong visual association.
Second, BIMI works like a security feature. With your logo displaying next to your message, this validates to your subscribers that this message is, indeed, from you, not an imposter. 
In a time when it’s harder to stand out in an inbox than ever before, and in a day when phishing emails are on the rise, you can see why this would be a very appealing feature to email marketers. You get brand recognition in the inbox, more protection over your brand reputation, and better control over your subscribers’ experience.
Win, win, win — right?
How do you implement BIMI?
This is where that maybe comes in.
While the technical elements used to pull the logo is the same across mailbox providers, the requirements for BIMI vary between them.
Verizon Media Group (Yahoo, AOL, etc.) currently requires the following:

Logo validation
DMARC-level authentication on the domain’s DNS

A healthy sender reputation

Google requires the same for Gmail, along with a few more things like a logo copyright and a VMC (Verified Mark Certificate). This makes BIMI implementation at Google more than just a technical adjustment, as getting those elements in place can be a long process.
To get BIMI to work for Gmail, you’ll have to go through the following requirements:

Set up DKIM authentication with your domain for your mail streams

Set up a DMARC record with a policy other than p=none 

Copyright your logo 

Purchase a VMC for that logo 

Create an SVG Tiny PS version of your official logo 

Set up a BIMI TXT record on your domain’s DNS 

Test your setup to see if it functions properly 

And after all that, your logo can appear in the inbox next to your emails in a Gmail inbox.
What does BIMI mean for me?
The ability to provide email validation and greater brand visibility in the inbox is an appealing thing for marketers. 
So how do you know if it’s a right fit for you?

Look at a breakdown of your subscribers’ email client usage and see if these listed BIMI-supporters are well represented there.

Look at the requirements for each provider and see which ones you already have in place.
Look at what it would require to set up the remaining elements. Note: make sure to consider BIMI-setup-assistance services if that will help you get started.

And remember — because the requirements are currently on a per email-provider basis, the decision to implement doesn’t have to be all or nothing.
If you’ve determined you’d like to start, you can begin by meeting Yahoo’s requirements and testing with those users. Then, if you’re seeing positive results, that might be a sign to invest in the setup required to use BIMI for Gmail users as well.
Wrap Up
Email security and validation have never been more needed in the history of email — and BIMI is a great chance to provide both of those things.
Whether you are planning to move forward with this or not, it is important to remember that new technological elements work best when paired with quality list maintenance.
If BIMI sounds like a great fit for you and your organization, then implementing is a no-brainer. Getting the proper authentications and copyrights can be time-consuming if not already in place. But, for a more secure and more trusted user experience, it could be well worth it.
The post BIMI: What Is It and What Does It Mean for You? appeared first on Campaign Monitor.

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