View Larger Map

Part 1 – Old Fashioned Public Relations: The Press Release

March 24th, 2010

Megaphon

photo credit: floeschie

By Matt Cook
Point.Click Media

Supplying useful content to your client base is a key part of building customer loyalty. It’s important that your clients can get what they need, when they need it. Getting the word out takes good public relations. This can be achieved through many different avenues including online, newsletters, mailers, television, radio and any other traditional medium available.

With a growing list of possibilities to reach your demographic, there’s one particular piece of traditional PR that is being overlooked by a plethora of small businesses: the press release. There are many business owners out there today who feel that their small business news doesn’t warrant such an event, or that there’s a certain white-collar vibe that comes attached with it. I’m reminded of a recent television commercial in which a potato farmer interrupts the narrator with the line “This ain’t no romance novel… it’s just a sweet potato.” No matter what product or service your business is putting to market, and no matter what the size of your company may be, a little positive news goes a long way.

So what exactly is a press release, and how should I be using them?

A press release, in general, is some form of statement from your business that is sent out to various media outlets. It could be information about a new product, a new location, or an event that your company may be organizing or participating in – whatever you feel is important for the public to know about your business.

In the long gone days of yore, press releases were originally created for damage control, and are still used this way in some cases. When bad publicity caused turmoil between a company and consumers, a press release would be sent out to set the facts and the record straight. Eventually, companies began sending out carefully written press releases to all sorts of media outlets with the hopes of their information going viral (in today’s terms). If the statement got picked up by a major newspaper for example, it was like hitting a PR jackpot.

Today, press releases can take on a different form. Although submitting your press releases to various media outlets can still be an effective method of public relations, the internet has changed the way we distribute information. With the efficiency of today’s search engines, posting a press release even on your own website can have a global effect without having to contact anyone. With Facebook groups, Twitter, and internet forums all part of the mix, reaching out to your demographics has never been easier.

Next week we’ll look at writing a proper press release and what should (or shouldn’t) be included.

You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Posted in Branding Tips on March 24th, 2010

Have a Question? Leave a Reply!