Developing a press release doesn't have to be expensive, long or complicated. Read this article and you'll soon be on your way to having routine press coverage.
Copyright (c) 2009 Meredith Liepelt
Have you ever wondered how the business magazines and papers fill all of those sections called "People in the Know" or "Movers and Shakers" and so forth? The fact of the matter is that every day, these publications are waiting for you to send them your news so they can fill their publication!
One quick and extremely simple strategy to get your name in one of those sections is to send out an announcement. Announcements are basically very short press releases. They are great visibility builders that you can write in four sentences or less! They create general awareness of who you are, and you can send these out up to once a month and increase your visibility to your target market and also to the press.
There are four basic components of an announcement:
1) Your name
2) Who you are - your company
3) What you're announcing (new product, service, client, speaking engagement, etc.)
4) A short bio (if there is room)
Remember that these are around four sentences or less.
Topics can be just about anything: a new product or service, an appointment to a board, a new client, a speaking engagement, an award for you and/or your business, a joint venture, a new certification, a renewal of a certification, national press coverage you receive or an event you hold. Really the topics are limitless!
Once you have your announcement, look in the publication itself to find the name of the person who coordinates the section you are targeting. Alternatively, you can go on the web site and find the contact information there. Email is generally the best way to communicate with this section of the publication. Put your announcement directly in the body of the email. Do not attach it in a Word document or PDF. It is not likely that your announcement will be opened.
Here is an example of an announcement I recently sent out that was picked up by local business paper. I'm including my entire email so you can see how I do this:
Dear "Name",
Please consider the following for publication:
xxxx of XYZ company and xxx of YZX company announce and congratulate the graduates of their program called "XYZ Series." The 15 graduates include (we listed the names of the graduates). Graduates successfully completed the 12-week educational workshop designed to provide women entrepreneurs with marketing strategies and business guidance to significantly grow their businesses. More information can be found at www.xxxxx.com
Thank you, xxx (my name) And I include my signature line here.
Keep in mind that the news for your announcement can be up to a year old! Take 15 minutes today and brainstorm about any news you have that you can offer to your local papers and magazines about you and your business. Write up a few and have them in queue for the coming months and see how many times you can get mentioned in the press!
A Surprising But Powerful Marketing Tool
Discover the three rules to attract more business with testimonials.
Three Simple Steps to Defining Your Target Market
The term "target market" is a business term meaning the market segment to which a particular good or service is marketed. Fair enough. But what does that really mean to us as business owners? Get the answers in this article "Three Simple Steps to Defining Your Target Market."
Defending Your Business: 5 Questions to Ask Yourself in The New Economy
Marketing during tough times may be the best offense for business sustainability in a rough economy. Get the answers to the 5 questions business owners should be asking in the new economy.
