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Part 2 – Old fashioned Public Relations: The Press Release

March 31st, 2010

We cant all be as awesome as Billy Mays...

We can't all have a PR guy like Billy Mays at the helm...

By Matt Cook
Point.Click Media

As we outlined last week in Part 1 of this series, a press release can have a profound effect on your public relations. They are the most traditional method of getting your business name some ‘air time’ in the public eye. Anytime your company has some worthwhile news that may garner some interest from your demographic, a press release can certainly achieve that goal.

So what does a 21st century press release look like?

Remember, the goal of a press release is to interest, educate and in the end, engage your demographic. The interest part can be taken from the event itself, for example, if your company is writing about a new product that may be launching.

The education process is important in describing the new product to the consumer. Of course, I’m not just talking about the physical description of the product, but also what makes it attractive to potential customers. Here are some questions you can ask yourself:

  • What is it?
  • What does it do?
  • What are the benefits of having this product?
  • What makes this better than a similar product?
  • Where can I get it?

Enhancing the education process will also help your customers realize the need for your product. With so many people being more susceptible to visuals, adding photos, video (or audio) clips and links will allow people to get a much clearer picture of what the product and your company are all about. In addition, adding quotes from the company owner, customer testimonials and even product reviews will all give extra credibility to your press release.

Finally, engaging your reader with a call to action is the ultimate goal. Be sure to provide plenty of contact information, not only for your readers but for media outlets as well. If someone has taken the time to read your press release, chances are there’s something there that has peaked their interest, and you want to be able to provide them with additional information if they choose to seek it. A call to action can be as simple as saying “For more information, call 1-888-8888” or “Visit www.newproduct.com to learn more.”

Note: Be sure to use proper formatting when writing a press release. A press release should have a clear headline, summary, location and dateline, a body and contact information. Some media outlets require a certain formatting as a sort of ‘screening process’ in accepting press releases, so it’s important to take the time to cover everything.

A great example of a press release with proper formatting can be found here

What you do with your press release after you write it, and who you contact is up to you. Your business may decide to distribute the document to a variety of local or national media outlets, or you may choose to just keep it brief and post it on your website or Facebook group. In any case, make sure that your readers can get a good sense of what you’re trying to accomplish with the press release and offer them the best information possible. If you’re in need of some direction, a starting point for establishing good public relations, or even some expansion on the few points we’ve made here, contact Point.Click Media.

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Posted in Branding Tips on March 31st, 2010

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