Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Don't Limit Your Business with Only Online Press Releases

By Theo McLanahan

Though they may be short and simple, press releases are one of the best ways to boost profits and publicity. Press releases are documents released by businesses to the media that explain something about the company or an event that will be taking place soon. The information in a press release can be used by media sources to create a feature story and make the company more visible to the public eye.

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.

You can further your chances of getting in the press by asking anyone you are working with on a joint venture to also submit press releases to their own local media. If you happen to have a podcast, ask your guests to submit a press release to their local papers, informing them that they will be a guest on your show.

Preparing a template to use when you send out press releases can be a smart move. Put it on your company's website so that business partners can download it. This will make the submission process faster and easier.

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.

Your business becomes better known and more familiar to customers every time you appear in the press, drawing in more customers and projects for your company.

Each time you appear in any form of the press, save the stories to show to future clients. This could be links to online news sources or newspaper clippings. Adding such credential boosting details to your company's website will add a professional touch to your business.

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