The Power of the Press Release

There is nothing like getting free publicity. A press release is a great way to do that. Here are some tips for a good press release.

I am sure you have heard of the saying even bad press is good press.  Well that is true and at the same time not true.  If your business is based on the foundation of excellent customer service and a great product then bad publicity could actually cripple your business.  However, if you run some type of business like entertainment, then some bad press might not be that bad as it draws attention to you.

Regardless of what type of press you are going after, you need to send out some press releases.  A press release is a news story format of something about your business.  It is usually around 500 words in length and contains some helpful statistics that make it newsworthy.

Your press release should answer the basics.  In other words the who, what, when where, why and how of whatever it is your business does.  Do a little research on current events and tie that into your press release to make it more of a news story and an editor is sure to print it.  I have had nearly a dozen press releases printed almost verbatim.  You have to give the editor a reason to use your release.  They receive literally hundreds per month.  What makes your press release more printable then someone else’s?  If it sounds like advertising it will more than likely be thrown in the trash.

Your press release should sound like news.  I recommend reading some newspaper and magazine articles that are closely related to what your business is about and get a feel for what an editor writes in regards to your business.  Their articles should tell you their writing styles.  Once you have read a few this will give you a better understanding of what format you need to put your press release into in order for it to get printed.

The less editing and editor has to do the more likely it will be printed.  That is your goal for your press release.  A friend of mine used to be president of a youth organization and he ran his entire advertising and marketing campaign through press releases.  When he needed more volunteers a press release went out.  When a fundraiser was being held he sent out another one.  For 5 years he ran the organization this way.  He saved hundreds if not thousands of dollars on advertising costs and was able to run an efficient organization by simply using press releases.

Your organization or business can have the same success with press releases.  Keep these tips in mind.  One, no less than 400 words no more than 600 words.  Two, type it in Microsoft Word format at least one and half spaced with a true type font such as Arial or courier.  Three, make it newsworthy.  In other words make it sound like a news story.  Four, answer the whos, whats, wheres, whens, whys and hows of what you are trying get across.  Finally, five, make sure you send it in a format that the editor is looking for.  If they do not like to receive them by email do not send it by email.  Ensure that it will at least get read by giving it to the editor via email, fax, or snail mail, or whichever format they desire.

A press release can be very powerful when done properly.  Follow these tips and your business can be receiving free publicity in no time.

About the Author:
Mr. Tucker is a regular contributor on Bukisa, an online community for writers that pays them for their articles.  You can also follow Bruce on Twitter.

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