What if I'm already a ProfNet member?
ProfNet subscribers may take advantage of the unlimited experts policy and use ProfNet Links via PRN Direct.

Who's qualified to be an "expert"?
You may profile anyone in your organization (or, if an agency, in a client's organization) who you consider to be a quotable source for reporters regionally, nationally or internationally. Media relations and public relations contacts should be profiled as "information officers." As an "information officer," your profile will also be found in the database as the media contact for every expert you profile.

What information should I include in an expert profile?
The key fields are name, title, organization, city, state, country and "summary," which gives reporters a capsule description of your expert's background and expertise. Additional field options include:

• specific subjects or issues your expert can knowledgeably discuss
• professional achievements and/or current responsibilities
• books, research or significant articles published
• experience with news media
• languages spoken other than English
• educational background

View profile template (PDF).

In addition, when you distribute releases via PR Newswire, you may include a URL that takes reporters to expert profiles you have created in the ProfNet Database. This service is called ProfNet Links. You may attach these URLs to your release when you submit your release at PRN Direct, http://www.prndirect.com

Who will see the profiles?
In the ProfNet Experts Database: The more than 86,000 journalists who are registered for PR Newswire for Journalists all have access to the entire expert profile, including your e-mail address and phone number as the news contact (and your experts' contact information only if you provide it.)

From your news release on the Web via ProfNet Links: Members of the public who click on the ProfNet Links within a news release will see your expert's name, title, organization and a brief summary. Journalists may click further to view more detailed information as provided by you in the profile. For this reason, be sure to use full sentences in describing your expert and pay careful attention to spelling, punctuation and appropriate capitalization.

How many profiles may I post in the ProfNet database?
You may post an unlimited number of expert profiles and up to five information officer profiles.

Will journalists contact my experts directly?
That's your call. The fields for your expert's e-mail address, phone number and after-hours phone number are all optional, and you may leave them blank if you wish to be the intermediary. Your name and contact information will be automatically attached to each expert profile you create. If you choose to include direct contact information for your experts, you will still receive a copy of any opportunities sent them.

Why use ProfNet Links?
ProfNet Links increases the chance your release will be used by helping journalists take immediate action to pursue your story. By attaching ProfNet Links to your release, you make your experts' profiles easily accessible to reporters who access your releases on any of 4,000 Web sites to which PR Newswire distributes content and to the 86,000 reporters who are registered in PR Newswire for Journalists (PRNJ). Only reporters who are registered in PRNJ - prompted for their user name and password - will be able to click through the URLs to view your profiles.

How much does it cost?
ProfNet Links is free with any PR Newswire newsline. To use ProfNet Links, however, you must have pre-established expert profiles. We suggest you start with your CEO or other company executives that are mentioned in most news releases, being sure to focus on their areas of expertise, not just their role in the company.

How many experts may I include in my release?
You may list up to ten experts per release. However, you should only include those quoted in the release or experts who are qualified to comment on the content or subject matter contained in the release.

Will ProfNet Links increase the word count of my release?
ProfNet Links is a free service; the expert-related text will not contribute toward the word count of your releases.

How do I get started?
First, you'll need to enter your expert profile in the ProfNet database. Contact your local PR Newswire bureau to sign up. Once you receive your user ID and password, you can begin creating profiles.

Where do I get help or answers to other questions?
If you require assistance navigating or using the ProfNet system, creating or accessing your profiles, call ProfNet member services at 1-800-482-4220 or, from outside the U.S. and Canada, call +1 631-751-1284.