In The News
In 2004, the Annual Report on American Journalism noted that 54% of Americans read a newspaper on a weekly basis. The number is higher for Sunday newspapers. Businesses, artists and entrepreneurs connect with the media and get their stories printed in magazines, on leading web sites and in newspapers by writing and sending press releases. In fact, press releases are one of the leading tools journalists use to locate stories to bring to their readers on and offline. When one considers that millions of people sign onto the Internet daily, coupled with the fact that millions more Americans read a print newspaper each day, the reach of an effectively written press release is clear. You could get your business in front of tens of millions of potential customers with a single press release.
Instructions
1. Provide valuable news when you write your press release. Practice writing press releases so that they read like newspaper articles. This will diminish or eliminate the need for editors to research for more information about the product or event covered in your release. The less follow-up work a busy editor has to do in order to prepare your release for distribution, the more improved your chances may become to get your story in print.
A press release should include:
• Contact information (your name, address, email, telephone, URL)
• Release date (you can also use "For Immediate Release")
• Title
• Three to five strong paragraphs written in newspaper tone that tells the media about your event or product (as a tip, try to keep your release to one to two pages)
• Note -- you can also include your contact information at the bottom of the release
For reference, an example of the start of an effective press release is directly below:
Company Name
Street Address
City, State Zip
Phone
Fax
URL
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Nationally Recognized Author to Appear at Philadelphia's 24th Annual Celebration of Writing Book Fair
Denise Turney (www.chistell.com), author of the true-to-life books Portia, Love Has Many Faces, Spiral and Long Walk Up, will appear at Philadelphia's 24th Annual Celebration of Writing Book Fair on Saturday, May 24. The Fair which is sponsored by the Art Sanctuary will be held at Broad Street and Cecil B. Moore Avenue. This is Turney's second year at the event. "Broad Street is one of the hubs of Philadelphia," Turney states. "Although I have lived about twenty minutes north of Center City Philadelphia for nearly two decades now, I was born and raised in Ohio and Tennessee. I greatly appreciate Philadelphia's eclectic vibe. It's a city alive with art and history. The book fair gives me another excellent opportunity to connect with people from all over the city and share story. . . ."
More examples on effectively written press releases can be found at:
• http://www.marketingsource.com/pressrelease/releaseformat.html
• http://www.press-release-writing.com/sample-press-release.htm
• http://www.ereleases.com/press-release-sample.html
2. Get Your Press Release Out There
Find the most cost and time-efficient way to get your press release to the media. You can use a distribution service or you can create your own media mailing list and fax or email your release yourself. If time is a concern, you may find using a distribution service best. If you do use your own media mailing list, make sure you keep the list current. One of the benefits of creating and maintaining your own mailing list is that you can develop personal relationships with journalists to whom you regularly submit press releases.
As a tip, local journalists tend to be more receptive to releases by local business owners and artists than out-of state journalists. Distribution services with wide media contacts and in-depth experience include:
• PR Newswire -- http://www.prnewswire.com
• PR Web -- http://www.prweb.com
• Market Wire -- http://www.marketwire.com
• Business Wire -- http://www.businesswire.com
• PR.com -- http://www.pr.com
3. Remember why you created your press release. You want to get valuable information to readers. That said, don't stop with the media. Even if your press release runs in several major newspapers, you can get more exposure for your release. Visitors to your web site are familiar with you and your business. They will appreciate you keeping them up to date on what your business is doing. Posting a press release on a highly trafficked page at your web site allows you to quickly do this.
As you continue to write and distribute press releases, create links to historic releases at your web site. Members of the media and consumers browse web sites. One of your press releases stored online might lead to increased media exposure or more product sales.
4. Include your latest press release in direct mailings even if your release is not picked up by the media. For example, if you are running a contest, include the latest press release you are running on the contest when you ship out your latest product catalog. (That's right. No release is a wasted effort.)
If your release is picked up by the media, clip and copy the newspaper articles where your release appears. Insert a copy of the newspaper clipping in your next direct mail campaign. This builds credibility for your business and increases the exposure for your press releases.
5. Submit your bio to Who's Who, other professional membership directories and to potential business partners. Include two to three strong press clippings from releases you sent to the media in your portfolio. A strong press release can strengthen any bio or portfolio. Potential business partners will see how serious you are about gaining exposure for your business.
6. Use media clippings from places where your releases run to fill in the backs of postcards, create fliers and t-shirts. Remember to include a web site URL where potential customers can locate more information about your products or services.
7. Ask conference and seminar hosts to mention media outlets where you have been featured as part of your introduction. Weave media exposure you have gained through your press releases into your speeches. Keep it brief. Again, this builds credibility. In time, you may come to be seen as an expert in your field.
8. Attach a copy of your press releases that are picked up by a major media outlet (i.e. Time, Ebony, Parade) with a note on where the release appeared. Include it with the next release that you submit to local media. The fact that you were covered by a major outlet can set you apart as an authority in your field. In time, the media might be contacting you for stories about landmark events that happen in your field.
