Building Business with Press Releases

Ever wonder why your competitors get featured in the local paper or magazines and you don't? It's not just luck that brings the reporters to their door - chances are it's a press release. When you or your business is featured in a publication, unless the article's there to highlight something you've done wrong, it's a very good thing. That article is free advertising, and even the short one-paragraph blurbs can lead to a nice increase in business. Such articles help build credibility and educate the public about your philosophies, commitment, and the business itself. Should you put out a press release? Naturally, you'd like to benefit from such free advertising. But is this the right time to send a press release? Generally speaking, your release will be ignored if it's not newsworthy enough to interest the publication's readership. Grand openings, awards, major client contracts (really big ones!), seminars you're hosting, important policy changes, and other events that interest the business community or the public may qualify. If you can't think of a reason to issue a release, consider doing something newsworthy just for that purpose. Hold a contest, launch a frequent buyer program, or host a seminar on a topic related to your business. Goals of a press release A press release has two main goals: 1. To be published as written, OR 2. To interest a staff writer in contacting you for further coverage. The temptation to "just let them do it" is strong, especially if you're not a particularly strong writer. Even if your goal is to bring a reporter to your door, a professional writer can help you state things in a way that will hook the editor's interest and separate your release from the many - possibly hundreds - that hit his desk each day. A well-written press release also gives the reporter an easy structure to follow, copy points, and phrases he can use. This isn't plagiarism - it's teamwork. There's an advantage to getting it published as written, though, and many publications will do just this if they're short on time or space...or if it's perfect as is. When you do this, you have control over the words. No need to worry about being misquoted, misunderstood, or having key elements omitted. The key is having it perfect, as is, or as close to perfect as possible. A professional writer, with experience in writing press releases, can do this. It's not always easy to craft a piece that covers everything you need while still appearing objective. If the article is too much like an advertisement, the publication will reject it and instead suggest that you purchase ad space. But if the press release reads like "news", is in the publication's standard news article format and adheres to editorial policies, you've got a good chance of seeing it as submitted, or at least close. Anatomy of a press release A press release consists of five main parts: Contact information, Release Date, Title, Body, and Call to Action. Depending on the situation, a sixth part may also be included - the boilerplate. Contact information states who the publication's editor - not the reader - should contact if additional information is needed. Release date is usually "for immediate release" but if a later date is specified, perhaps to tie in with a holiday or a specific event, the publication will honor it. Title is important, because obviously it's the first thing the editor will read, but also because it may very well end up as the title of the published article - even if the reporter re-writes the body. The body itself delivers the information, and the call to action is the part that tells your reader what you want them to do after reading the article. Should the call you? Come in on a certain day? Don't leave that out. A boilerplate is background information, and is crucial if you or your business isn't already well known in the community. This isn't part of the release and won't get printed; it just gives the editor and staff writers a bit more information about why your release is important. What to do with a press release Your press release's destination depends on which segment of the population you wish to reach, and which publications are most likely to use such a release. Generally the larger the publication, the less likely it will use your release as written - it may use part, or may use the release as a launching point for something entirely different. You can send your release directly to the publications via e-mail or regular mail, and as with any submission to an editor, it helps to know the correct person's name and title. A professional writer can help you there, too. Also, services such as PR Newswire (http://www.prnewswire.com) or EWorldWire (http://www.eworldwire.com) can help, for a fee. Many professionals also advocate purchasing advertising space in the publication for the issue that will run your press release, if it's possible to find that date out in advance. When your press release has been distributed and published, the benefits don't stop there. You can often use the press release itself for other marketing purposes, such as assisting with copy for brochures, the wording for smaller print ads, sales letters, etc.