Saturday, May 9, 2009

Press Releases: Where to Start?

PR distribution sites and social networks are full of rubbish press releases that no one would ever really bother reading.  The truth is, every business has a story that is interesting enough to capture people's attention- but this required careful planning and close attention to detail.

Before embarking on your PR campaign you should first sit down and ask yourself the following questions:

1. Are you really a good enough writer to write your press releases yourself?  Can you write a press release that will really capture people's attention?  If you're not sure, ask a friend to read what you have written.  There are lots of cheap press release writing services out there that can assist you in providing a well-written story that will be of interest to people.

2. What about your story is actually newsworthy?  Why are people interested in what you have to say?  If you're only interested in selling something you may want to stick to advertising. PR probably isn't right for you.

3. How does your story tie into the bigger picture?  Can you link your story to current issues people are actually reading about and interested in?  Are journalists following your issue?

4. What results are you looking to get out of your PR campaign?  Are you just promoting your brand or do you expect your press release to directly generate sales?

5. Who is your audience?  What channels are you looking to distribute your press release through and who will be reading them?

Through careful consideration of the questions above you will have a much better idea of how to turn the story of your business or product into something people will want to read about.


No comments:

Post a Comment