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Most entrepreneurs are well aware of the wonderful opportunity a
success public relations or PR campaign can provide. A press release is
an integral part of a successful PR campaign. It's a cost-effective way
to promote a company. There are minimal costs involved, as opposed to
other marketing tools, and depending on what outlet uses your release,
it could attract massive positive attention to your business. You could
get interviewed, profiled, quoted, or featured in various media
outlets. However, what most entrepreneurs may not know is that
journalists discard nearly all the releases they receive. It could
leave the struggling entrepreneur out in the cold without being noticed
at all. It's important for small business owners to realize preparation
is everything! First's important to know both your target market
and the media channels they prefer. Study your target outlet and review
what news seems to be of the most interest to the editor and their
readers. A story that may catch the attention of your city's local
newspaper probably won't make the short list for Newsweek. Be
selective. Sending releases blindly will just waste your time. Many
PR experts suggest starting out with local outlets first. It's a great
way to learn about the process and get experience, and possibly get
experience conducting interviews. Although a PR campaign can be
relatively easy compared to most business tasks, it won't come second
nature to most new business owners who most likely, are already
fulfilling several roles. So gaining experience will be increasingly
important. The best advice is to take considerable care writing
the release. Be sure to state the benefits of your service but avoid
using sales copy in your release. It's one of the quickest ways to get
our release in the trash bin. You should let the reader decide if your
product is the "best ever". The first two things to consider in
your press release are your headline and your first paragraph. You
should always use a headline that grabs attention. And your first
paragraph should answer who, what, when, where, why, and how questions
immediately. There are three types of press releases. - News:
This type of press release simply reports an event either indirectly or
directly related to your business. This includes new products, new
employees, community events, and other announcements. - Commentary:
You can position yourself as an industry expert by commenting on
current issues related to your area of expertise. - Mini-article:
You can write an article related to you business. For instance, if you
have a business that offers credit reports your release could center on
the rise in identity theft. You should be quoted two or three times
throughout the article.
You can find examples of press releases and also submit your own by visiting http://prweb.com A quick search on your favorite search engine will also help you refine the art of developing your release.Copyright © 2005-2006 Rhonda Winn - All Rights Reserved. Rhonda Winn offers free small business resources and business plan templates at her web site http://smallbizstartupkit.com Sign up for a free small business e-course and receive three free small business e-books instantly.
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