Free Publicity Worth Millions; Writing Effective Press Releases
February 26, 2008
Well written press releases have produced great results for businesses of all sizes, from America’s largest corporations to small neighborhood restaurants and one person websites.
A good press release, distributed to the right media, can help you reach your target market very effectively. And, you can have professionals do everything for you at very little cost, or you can do it yourself, at no cost, as I do. But, you need to pay attention to the details.
Here is what you have to do.
If a press release is merely an advertisement, it will not be published widely. In fact, it may not be published at all. Every release must have some news value.
You can see what kinds of news releases are likely to be published by reading your target publications…the publications in which you would most like to have your releases carried.
Do not write in three paragraphs what can be written in two. Article space is at a premium in all media. If your article is “long”, it’s probably “wrong”.
Incorrect spelling, improper punctuation, and poor grammar are death. If your press releases would make your high school English teacher cringe, get a friend to proofread them or hire a pro to write them. And, if a pro writes your releases, you should still have them proofread. Nobody is perfect, but your news releases should be.
This is worth repeating. In terms of the length of press releases, less is more.
A good press release can generate a lot of business for you. So, if you can’t do a good job writing and distributing one, it is worth hiring an experienced professional.
Be sure you get your release to the right people. Do some research and/or use a service to distribute the release. Find the media folks who might be interested in your release, and don’t waste the time of others.
Be aware that your press release may also make suitable copy for your website, your blog, or your other promotional publications.
Start modestly with a relatively brief, targeted news release. See which publications use it and what kind of results it generates. Then write a second release, determine who used it and how you were impacted. By continuing to write and distribute releases, and by determining how effective individual articles and distribution methods are for you, you will soon learn how to use press releases to their best advantage.
I can tell you from personal experience that a few good press releases can bring a lot of business to your door, even if that door is a website or a home-based business. So, why not start now?
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