5 Things You Should Know About Electronic Distribution

If you haven't been distributing your deals electronically, now is a great time to start. Recently, the Electronic Municipal Market Access (EMMA) system announced that it's permitting 100% electronic distribution of Official Statements.

For many working groups, this is uncharted territory. If you want to distribute electronically, but still have questions about how the process actually works, keep these five tips in mind:

1. Control your versions.
   It's not uncommon for your Official Statement to change after you release it. But if someone has already downloaded and viewed an old version, how can you push the new release to them? Just look for services that offer version control. These systems automatically email the current version of your deal to anyone who has opened the old version.
2. Certify your PDFs.
   Certified PDFs reassure users that they're looking at an authentic Official Statement. These are different than a standard or a secured PDF -- they're authored with a special feature that creates a blue ribbon icon when opened in most PDF reader programs. This icon certifies the integrity and the source of your document, and confirms that it's an official copy. If you're not sure how to do this, find a partner who can help you.
3. Track your downloads.
   To really take advantage of the electronic medium, you'll want to know who received your electronic Official Statement and when. There are online distribution platforms with tracking capabilities built right in, so you don't have to pay any fees for this valuable service.
4. Put your deals where people can see them.
   When you find the right distribution site for your deals, you'll get exposure to thousands of people who otherwise never would've seen them. The key is finding a large distribution platform. As a guide, look at the amount of traffic that the site gets on a daily basis.
5. Give your users sharing options.
   The best electronic distribution platforms let anyone quickly email a deal to their colleagues. This type of sharing is invaluable in getting your deal even more traffic.

One option: MuniOS.com
With over 15,000 listings, MuniOS is the largest MSRB-qualified portal of freely available deals. Learn more about it at MuniOS.com.

Get more help with your electronic distribution »