Saturday, July 5, 2008

Don't Limit Your Business with Only Online Press Releases

By Theo McLanahan

A press release may be a simple sheet of paper, but it can also be the key to publicity and profits. Simply put, a press release is a document that contains information about your business or an event you are holding and is sent to the media. Once they receive it, they may choose to feature a story about the information contained in it. If they do, your business will gain a lot of exposure.

Businesses gain credibility when they are commented on by the media. The average person will tend to believe that businesses mentioned by a well known local news source are reliable. Publicity created by such trustworthy sources is great for business and free, too.

Small time local stories can eventually turn into big national news. Your company could be the next big story that newspaper writers and television news producers are competing to find. If you appear on the local news, you will benefit not only from the publicity, but also from the experience you gain interacting with the media and becoming less nervous when you find yourself in such a large, public setting later on.

When your company works together with other businesses, you can accumulate more media exposure by encouraging such business partners to send press releases to news sources in their area. Companies that have regular podcasts can suggest that guests inform the local media that they will be featured by means of a press release as well.

You may even want to create a press release template and have it available for download from your website. That way, whenever you collaborate with someone on a project, you can simply have them download it, fill in the "blanks," and send it to their local media.

Stay in close contact with the news anchor or writer that prepares the story your company appears in. This will encourage them to use you again in a future news report, perhaps as an expert in your field. Be sure to show your appreciation for the publicity by sending a thank you card.

Any time you are featured in the press, more people are familiarized with your business. This can lead to new customers, clients, and business projects.

As you become featured in the press, don't forget to save the clippings or links to online news stories and add them to your website. This will add to your credibility and make you look very professional.

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