Send Press Releases to Grow Your Bottom Line on a Shoestring Budget

Posted on August 24, 2011 by admin

Government agencies and public and privately owned businesses use press releases to distribute information.  The Associated Press (AP), one of the leading news distribution services in the country also creates and sends press releases to announce licensing agreements, annual meetings, etc. 

Press Releases Picture by Teacoolish at Wikimedia Commons

Press Releases Help Grow Company’s Bottom Line

Years ago, before the advent of the Internet, business leaders contacted local newspapers and placed ads in upcoming issues in order to announce their events (e.g. sale, participation in a charity event).  Today businesses can easily write and send several press releases a week.  But first businesses have to write the release.  After all, a well constructed press release has a better chance of catching the attention of a busy newspaper or magazine journalist than does a poorly written or poorly structured release.

Key components of a press release that will find its way into major international, national, regional or local newspapers and magazines are:

  • Newsworthy Information – Make sure that the information you include in the press release is newsworthy.  A press release is not an advertisement.  Include information in your press release that will tell consumers about upcoming events they might want to attend, share information that could potentially impact a business or personal decision a person is about to make, etc.
  • Consumer Benefits – Provide information that will benefit readers in your press release.  For example, if you own a talk radio station, you could send a release to announce an upcoming radio interview with a consumer advocate, politician or community activist. Include two to three topics that will be discussed during the interview in the press release.  Select topics that your station’s listeners are focused on and highly concerned about.
  • Facts – Include event dates and times in your press release.  Releases that include facts have a better chance of reading like a news story.  For example, if you are announcing a company merger, include the annual sales for both the acquiring and the acquiring firm in the release. 
  • Contact Information – Give the name of the individual, department or organization that readers and listeners should contact to get more information about the product, service, policy, etc. that you are announcing in the release.  Also include the telephone number or email address for that contact.

Reasons to Write and Send Press Releases

There are many reasons to write and send a press release.  For example, you could write and distribute a press release to:

  • Announce the fact that your business received an award or commendation
  • Publicize a merger or acquisition
  • Alert the press to an event that your company is sponsoring or attending
  • Introduce a new product or service
  • Launch a website
  • Share the success of a new business venture

Keep press releases to one to two pages.  Provide your company’s name and contact information at the top of the press release.  Limit paragraphs to four to five brief sentences.  Write the release so that it reads like a short newspaper article.  At the end of the press release include contact information (e.g. website URL, email address, telephone number, street address) so viewers and listeners can get in touch with you.

Costs to Distribute Business Press Releases

Costs to distribute press releases were less competitive than they are today.  The Internet has seen several companies offer press release distribution services free of charge.  If the story is attention grabbing it could still be picked up by a major news outlet.  Make sure that the press release distribution service you select distributes the release to print, radio, television, blog and website recipients.  For costs and free press release distribution services include:

Frequent press release distribution increases the number of times that a business stays in front of consumers.  This, in turn, can build consumer trust, a key element impacting sales and a company’s overall bottom line.

Sources:

http://www.pr.com/press-releases (PR.com)

http://www.press-release-writing.com/10-essential-tips-for-writing-press-releases (Press Release Writing)

http://www.ap.org/pages/about/pressreleases/preleaseindex.html (Associated Press)

http://www.entrepreneur.com/marketing/publicrelations/gettingpress/article46476.html (Entrepreneur:  30 Reasons to Write a Press Release

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