After trying many free press release services, I’ve come to the conclusion that most are not worth the time and aggravation.

However, there are a few freebie PR sites that I consider a cheapskate marketer’s dream. Here are three of my favorites.

To make my list, turnaround time from submission to distribution had to be reasonable (24 hours or less), stories had to appear in Google (either Google News or Google Alerts), and the site had to support hyperlinks, keywords, basic editing capabilities, and social sharing.

Freebie Favorite PR Service #1: PRLog

PRLog attracts approximately one million visitors per month. In addition to hyperlinks and keywords, the site provides basic tracking and categorization of news stories.

For the most part, distribution is the same day. Stories issued through this site are picked up by Google News and pushed out via Google Alerts. In some cases, I observed multiple alerts in response to one press release.

Stories can be shared with 15 different social media sites, including Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

My favorite PRLog feature is the dedicated press room that you can brand with your logo and company details, and link to it from your own website. My press room is slightly out of date, but you can check it out here.

Freebie Favorite PR Service #2: PressReleasePoint

PressReleasePoint attracts about one-tenth the traffic when compared to PRLog. Stories are not indexed in Google News and you’ll have to pay for tracking, but the site supports hyperlinks, keywords, categories, and Google Alerts. Here again, I’ve seen multiple alerts for one press release.

Social sharing is integrated with 13 different sites, five which overlap with PRLog’s social list.

Visitors can view your company information and press releases on a single web page, but you don’t get a dedicated press room like you do with PRLog.

Freebie Favorite PR Service #3: PitchEngine

PitchEngine traffic is on par with PressReleasePoint. I like this site because distribution is truly instantaneous. Within minutes of pushing out a release, you’ll see it come through as a Google Alert.

You can share your releases with 10 of the more common social networking sites. Eight of these sites overlap with the social sites included on PRLog and PressReleasePoint.

Tracking is included, but press releases on this site expire after 30 days. To keep them on the site longer, you’ll have to upgrade to a paid subscription.

Let’s share. Which free PR services are your personal favorites and why?

Sue Anderson-Lenz
Marketing Lure, Inc.

It’s Thanksgiving week here in the US and like most Americans I’m thinking about all the things I’m thankful for. Naturally, the first things that pop to mind feature my family and friends. But there are a few marketing and business-related subjects for which I am genuinely happy. May not something I’d share with the loved ones around the table on Thanksgiving Day, but you might find them relevant.

Here’s my list.

• Awesome clients. At Clicks ‘n Conversions I have the privilege of working with truly remarkable people and their truly remarkable products. The intelligence, curiosity, talent and just plain goodness of our clients are energizing enough to get me up every morning eager to face the day. Working together with our clients and their products, we’re able to regularly and predictably produce the kind of results that put a smile on your face and let you sleep well at night. Thanks to all of you – you know who you are!
• Great team. If you ever want to make sure your business doesn’t get stale, just partner with someone young enough to be your son or daughter. (Maybe they really are your son or daughter). My business partner, Andy, has not only brought a 20-something successful entrepreneur’s view of marketing and business to my world, he’s assembled a world class team of experts and support staff to help us help our clients. Thanks Andy. And thanks Mona, Karen, Louie, Eric, Erica, Nina and Rizaldy!
• Transparency. Gone are the days when marketing performance was about as transparent as black magic. The curtain has lifted and now any marketer – no matter how small or how inexperienced or how rushed for time – can get a crystal clear view of what is happening with their marketing investment. I think accountability makes us all do a better job. Not sure who to thank for this one, but I’m thankful anyway.
• Data-Driven Decisions. As much as I hate math (and I really hate math), the ability to use numbers to guide marketing decisions has completely changed the way we market products. It has removed the “opinion” card from the table. We now have an opportunity to see – in nearly real time – what potential customers respond to best. As a result, we spend less time in meetings discussing what might work, and more time delivering measurable improvements to our clients. For this I thank the internet, Google Analytics and even the recession.
• Audio books and MP3 files. The amount of information we all must digest on any subject that remotely interests or affects us is astonishing. Even those of us who really like to read (and I count myself among them) have a hard time keeping up. With audio books, I can listen to the latest from the world’s great and near-great minds while I walk our dogs, sit in traffic or just try to ignore the people around me. Thank you audible.com, Apple and whoever invented the MP3 format.
• Social Networking. The truth is – like many of you – I get bored easily. If marketing was the same old same old all the time I’d have changed careers by now. But it’s not. And just as the internet changed how we relate to customers, social networking is doing the same thing all over again. Keeps us on our toes! Thank you Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and all the rest.
• Blog readers.  And last but certainly not least I thank the folks who read this blog. We share a common interest and it’s great to know you’re out there. Thank you all.

Whatever you’re doing this Thanksgiving. Whether you celebrate it or not. I hope you find many, many things to for which to be thankful.