A press release is a newsworthy story about your business that you submit to various media outlets ~ newspapers, radio, television, magazines, etc. If the media is interested in your story, they may just interview you or run your press release in their publication.

This guide consisting of 2 parts will focus on how to properly write, format submit and make sure your press release gets read by your target audience.

A press release follows a specific format and is sent to solicit interest in your business. It’s very important to remember that a press release is not an advertisement about your business. It is a newsworthy story that the media might just be interested in picking up. When thinking of press release ideas, put yourself into the shoes of someone reading a newspaper, watching a show, etc. What would they want to hear about? You need to convey that information to the reporter, editor or producer effectively. This guide will show you how to do that.

The most important thing to remember is…don’t wait for news to happen…make it happen. Use your creativity when writing your press releases and create news. This guide will help you create newsworthy stories for your business and will show you how to write them in a way that will interest the media

There are so many reasons why press releases can be good for your business. Here are just a few to get your mind racing with new ideas:

The great thing about a press release campaign is that it is AFFORDABLE to the small business mom entrepreneur. Getting attention in the press puts small and big businesses on an even playing field.

You really can’t buy exposure like this. People are naturally suspicious of ads, but will take a story presented by the media as an endorsement of your business. You can end up on the front page of a newspaper or be featured on a talk show for 10 minutes. Could you imagine how much it would cost to pay for an ad in spots like that? Most major newspapers don’t even let you buy ad spots on the front page. And if you want a 30 second commercial on TV, you’ll pay hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars.

You can create brand loyalty. If people hear about you in the paper frequently or they hear you on their favorite radio program, you can become a household name for your product or service. Even if they don’t use your product, you are in the back of their mind when someone else is looking for a product just like yours.

Steady Stream of Website Traffic. When you submit a press release to various online newswires, they can spread like wildfire. They are picked up by other websites – and very frequently Google News and About.com. I’ll show you where to place your release for potential inclusion on these sites.

If you run your business from your home, you don’t have a storefront that is visible to the public. Your website serves as your storefront and it’s much more affordable than any brick and mortar store.

For your press release campaign, you will need your website for:

A public relations section – You will provide your press releases, press kits for download and other information for the media.

24/7 access to your business for the media and potential customers – With a website, your business is available for browsing and information searching at ANY time on ANY day.

Special landing pages to funnel the media into your website – You may send a release on a specific topic and want to send traffic to your business to learn more about that topic. With a website, you can make special pages to send traffic to with that precise information.

For example, If you want to send the over 65 magazine to your website, you will present them with information that will appeal to retirees. If you are sending releases to the “upper class”, you can have a whole different section of your website to present to them.

Most importantly, reporters and editors don’t always want to pick up the phone to call you. A website gives them the opportunity to get to know your business thoroughly before contacting you. Your website is also available 24/7 for reporters who are working on a late night deadline. You can get publicity while you sleep!

Resources for building a website

If you’re proficient in HTML (the language used to build websites) or have a little time to learn you may be able to save some money by building your own website on software such as Macromedia’s Dream Weaver.

If you don’t have the experience or the upfront cash to invest in the software you can consider an online website builder. Website builders take the hassle out of getting online because they provide the hosting and make it easy for anyone (even those without HTML skills) to set up a professional looking website

Domain Names:

A domain name is the online name for your company. When choosing your company name, you might want to secure the domain name at the same time (if you are just starting your business). A lot of domain names are taken, so you’ll want to make sure yours is available and buy it right away.

However you decide to build and use your website, it can be a valuable tool for your business that will serve as your 24-hour storefront (without all the hefty leasing fees) and a place for the media to learn about you.

You need a good hook for your press release to get attention. Remember to show benefits to the media’s audience – Why would they be interested in this? Shift the focus away from you and self-promotion. Your audience is most important. Here are some ideas to get your creative juices flowing:

The launch of your business or website – What is unique about your business? What problem does it solve for people? What are the benefits to your visitors or customers?

Adding new services and products – Again, make it newsworthy. Make sure to focus on the benefits and why your target audience would be interested in the new services and products. It’s all about benefits. Will it take 10 years off their appearance? Will it save them 10 hours every week? Will it increase their income by 2%?

Be the expert – This can’t be stressed enough. Even if you don’t think you are an expert, take some time to think about it and you’ll see that you are. If you are a web designer, be the web usability expert. If you operate an errand service, be the expert in personal service. If you can find that expert angle and build a relationship with the media, you’ll have the media calling on you for your expert opinion on related stories.

Celebrities or public figures who are doing something with you – Are you interviewing a famous author? Has a celebrity endorsed your product? You can seek out these opportunities and when you do, tell the media all about it.

They don’t have to be huge names. Just local celebrities or people who will be known by your target market will do.

Events – Announce your special events, like public speaking engagements, open houses, seminars, fairs you are arranging, etc. Create quality events just to get publicity. Be unique, set yourself apart from other events and make sure your contributing to the community.

Sweepstakes and Contests – Write a press release about your contest or sweepstakes while it's running.

Follow-Up to Your Sweepstakes and Contests - Then send a release announcing the winners once the contest is over. Check legalities in your area.

Fundraisers and Donations – If you are running a fundraiser or making a considerable donation (ex: 5% of your sales for the month of September), write a press release about it.

It will bring attention to your business and help you run an even more successful fundraiser. Make sure your story encourages others to help you make those contributions – offer your customers an incentive, have a theme, give a little gift.

For example, if you are supporting breast cancer charities, give out a little pink candle with a pink ribbon for every purchase over a certain amount.

Follow-Up on Your Fundraiser – When you’re fundraiser is progressing or is over and the results are in, send out a follow-up.

Free stuff – Do you have a great freebie on your website? Everybody loves free stuff. Whip up a press release announcing your freebie.

Community service – Do you offer training or apprenticeships to students or unemployed individuals? Does your business sponsor a local sports team? A press release is a great way to let people know about your community service.

Major awards and Accomplishments – If you've been given a prestigious award, write a press release about it. Just keep in mind that a press release is not your opportunity to brag about yourself. You still need to focus on how that award shows you can help others.

Interviews you’ve been a part of or books you’ve been featured in - If an interview has been published on a website, newspaper or other media, this is a newsworthy event in its self.

Conduct surveys or statistical analyses – Survey a sector of the population on a topic of interest and report your findings in a press release. For example, if you are an aromatherapist, conduct a survey to see how many people believe scents affect moods.

Create a special day – Create a “National Day” for something related to your business. If you’re a hot dog vendor, make a National Hot Dog Appreciation Day and celebrate with hot dog specials.

Offer a free booklet or report – Information is very valuable. If you can create a free report on a relevant topic, people will come running. If you are a parenting expert, you could create a booklet on dealing with difficult toddlers, for example. Don’t forget to include some good promotion of your business in that very informative book.

With your website, you can do this in digital format – like a .pdf file, an audio mp3 or even a video – but make sure your target market is tech-savvy. Or better yet, offer a digital format and a hard copy format so that people can make their choice.

Digital is perfect for people who want their information NOW and know how to download off the Internet. Mailed information is for non-technical people or ones who prefer to have the information right in their own hands.

Announce Your Grant Program – If you don’t currently have a grant program, consider setting one up. It’s a great thing to do for your community and is good publicity. Think of your target market in figuring out which type of grant to offer. If your market is parents with older children, consider offering a grant to high school students going into college.

Open up your phone lines for support on your hot topic – This will likely take more financial resources and/or time than the booklet, but allows you a more personal approach to delivering the information.

You could also schedule a teleconference. You can do that for free (for up to 100 people) at http://www.freeconference.com

Check news stories (newspaper, magazines, TV news or online news websites) and look for stories related to your target market, expertise or product. Share your opinion and possible solutions to the problem shown in the news story. Here’s another idea: If there’s a heat wave and you sell purified water, choose a date and offer free samples for a few hours.

Tie in your story with a TV show or popular movie – With today’s crazy TV reality shows, there are endless possibilities. If you’re a couple’s therapist, write a story on the effects of programs like Temptation Island. If you sell camping gear, tie in a fun promotion with Survivor.

Tell them when you start an email or print newsletter – If you’re starting an informative newsletter, tell the media about it.

Find a problem and solve it – If your product or service solves a problem, write a story about the problem and offer your expert advice on its solution (part of which will be your product!).

Tie into holidays – Holidays are a great time to get a little extra publicity. Throw a Halloween party for kids so they have a safe environment to enjoy the festivities. Run a food drive for needy families at Christmas time.

Give out awards – Sure, it’s great to tell people when you get an award, but why not turn things around and offer awards to people in your community? These could be certificates, bursaries or even scholarships.

Thank you for taking your time to read Part I of this guide.

Part II of this guide will discuss how your website and marketing plan are tied together, how to create media and distribution lists, how to talk to reporters and focus on many other important topics related to press releases. Also part II will offer an extnesive list of sample press releases.

Continue to Part II...