Frequently Asked Questions
About Family Features
How long has Family Features been in business?
Family Features was established in 1974 and is headquartered in Mission, Kansas - a suburb of Kansas City.
Who are your clients?
We work with leading Fortune 500 companies, top PR firms, associations, commodity boards and government agencies. View Client List.
How does your service work?
Family Features works with companies and their agencies to create and/or shape brand messages into a variety of formats (Full-Page Features, Mat Releases, Columns, video and other online content) that are marketed, distributed to and placed in a variety of print and online outlets. The media outlets benefit from free, high quality content while our clients get nationwide exposure at a fraction of the cost of advertising.
About our Media Distribution
How many editors does Family Features reach?
Family Features promotes to over 10,000 newspaper, magazine and online editors on a regular basis, including more than 6,300 registered editors.
What type of outlets publish your articles?
Our articles are published by a wide variety of print and online outlets including dailies, weeklies, newspapers and magazines, free and paid, suburban, metro and regional. In addition, online media and community sites use our Web feeds to automatically place our content into their Web sites every week.
Why do editors use Family Features?
Many publications and online sites short on time and resources use our content to augment their own staff-written material to help drive readership and generate advertising opportunities. Since 1974, editors have depended on Family Features as a trusted and reliable source of free and quality content, available in many popular print and online formats.
How do you market your content to print and online publishers?
Family Features uses a variety of marketing tactics to encourage editors to visit our editorial Web site www.editors.familyfeatures.com . We promote our content via personal editorial visits, e-mail, newsletters, phone contact, advertising and industry conferences. Over 3,000 editors subscribe to our weekly newsletter highlighting new content. Once editors go to our Web site, they can view content and download the format that works for their publication.
What do editors say about Family Features?
About our products and services
What's a Mat Release?
Mat Releases are short (usually under 500 words), unformatted articles paired with a photo or graphic. They are designed to be used as filler material in publications. They allow clients to quickly and inexpensively communicate time sensitive brand messages to consumers, often on a continuing basis.
What's a Feature?
Our Full-Page Features are attractively designed and formatted color pages containing multiple photos and often sidebar material. Editors use our Features on the front pages of newspaper sections, and as multiple-page magazine articles. Features are designed to provide a unique, high impact PR solution for clients.
Do you provide regional distribution?
Yes, we can provide regional distribution. Depending on the product availability and distribution network, you may only need to reach certain states or DMAs. In those cases, our marketing team will evaluate your needs and see if regional distribution is cost-effective and appropriate for you.
Do you reach Hispanic media outlets?
Yes, Family Features provides translation, marketing and distribution to hundreds of Hispanic publications.
About the Creative Process
How long does it take to create Mat Releases and Full-Page Features?
Mat Releases can be written and ready for distribution within 5 working days. Features typically take several weeks.
When is the best time to release our content to the media?
The earlier the better. Many publications, particularly magazines, have long lead times. Typically, we suggest releasing content about 2 months before the desired media placement period.
Do you provide copywriting services?
Yes. All Mat Releases and Features include free copywriting and editing to AP style. Our professional writers will work with you to craft content that will appeal to editors and their audiences.
Do you provide photos?
Yes. Experience shows that compelling and relevant photography enhances the pick up of Mat Releases and Full-Page Features. Family Features can provide a range of options for your content from stock photos, illustrations, to photo shoots depending on your budget and needs. Please contact Gina Hacker, Creative Services Manager at ghacker@familyfeatures.com for more information.
Results and Reporting
How do you track results?
Family Features uses several outside firms to monitor and report print and online media usage and metrics (including Burrelle's Luce and Quantcast). In addition, we have an in-house clipping service to augment outside services and continually update online metrics.
How soon will I see the results of my project?
Immediately. Editors start downloading your content when it's posted on our Web site. Following that, we start receiving electronic tear sheets and PDFs from editors within a week or two. Depending on your content, you can expect to receive print tear sheets on a continuing basis about 6-8 weeks after the targeted media period (e.g. Father Day, Back to School, Thanksgiving). We continue to process tear sheets for up to 2 years. Online placements will happen immediately based on your desired release to the media.
How do you report results?
Clients and agencies can access their reports on an on-going basis via our password-protected site. We provide a variety of metrics including editors/publications that have downloaded your content, who actually published your content, print and online metrics, ad equivalency and ROI. You can also download reports in Excel and organize the data to suit your particular needs.
What kind of results can I expect?
Our Mat Release programs and Full-Page Features will generate hundreds of print and online placements, and millions of impressions -- guaranteed.
Your results and ROI will vary depending on the content and timing of your project, but oftentimes we see results 10-15x ad equivalency and generating millions of impressions. In addition, your message has the implied endorsement of editors as your brand message appears as an article or feature story. Our account managers will work closely with you to set realistic expectations and provide counsel to maximize results.
Your complete satisfaction is our goal!
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