Part 1:
A published news release or story about your business that resulted from a news release is one of the most cost effective marketing tools available. Best of all, it also builds your credibility. A well-written news release can impact your sales, create awareness about your company and greatly enhance the image of your business.
A professionally written news release can make the difference between a successful release, which is picked up, and one that fails to grab the media’s attention. While there are many guidelines to follow to ensure that your release is successful, here are four important rules to remember:
1. Be sure to include your complete contact information. Providing a contact name, the company name, phone number, email address, street address and web address will ensure that a reporter knows exactly how to contact you if they find your release newsworthy.
2. Write a headline that will grab the media’s attention, followed by a story that is newsworthy and factual—it must never contain a sales pitch. The body of the release should include the information about your product, service or event. You need to answer who, what, why, where, when, and how.
3. Include a quote from someone who is a credible source. Include their name, title and why they are considered a credible source.
4. Last, include a section about your company containing a brief description of the products or services it provides.
These tips should help put you on the right track. Watch for the next issue of the NL News, where we’ll tell you how and where to distribute your news release!
In our last issue we talked about best practices for getting your news release picked up. Today, we’ll explain where and how to distribute your news release.
Now that your news release is written and ready for distribution, there are many outlets to consider when distributing it. Which ones are right for you depends upon the nature of your release. Here are a few to consider:
- Local newspaper
- Regional business journal
- Industry trade publications
- Groups you belong to like chambers of commerce or associations
- Services like PR News Wire or Business Wire
Next, you’ll want to contact each of the outlets you’ve selected to identify the correct contact person, and find out if there is a preference (email, fax, submit online) for receiving releases. After you’ve submitted your release, it’s always a good idea to follow up to see if there is any interest, questions or need for additional information.
The resulting coverage can range from a small news brief to a front page story!
If you have more questions about news releases, we can help provide answers or review your release and distribution plan. Call 484-686-8760 for more information.