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25 Great Reasons To Send a Press Release

I’m often asked, when should you send a press release to the media? My response is always the same. If it’s newsworthy and useful to the reader go ahead.

When determining the need to send out a media, there are many things to consider. There are no hard and fast rules, but as a public relations professional I’ve sent out hundreds of media releases over the last few years and the most important thing the remember is be sure that the release will be of interest to the reader of the publication you are targeting and is newsworthy. If it doesn’t meet these two criteria, you’re just wasting both your own and the editors time.

A great press release can accomplish a lot of things for your organization. It can be used to announce information to the public, your investors, your customers and your competitors about your activities.

Because it can be difficult to determine whether or not something is newsworthy, I press release ideas|ideas for news releases}|developed this list of 25 media release ideas a scholarship – Scholarships bring opportunity to individuals who might not otherwise have the chance to go to school, which is why it always brings good PR along with it.|Announcing a contest or promotion – Who doesn’t want to win something or get something for free?}

Host a seminar, class, or workshop – This is another great way to establish yourself as an expert in your field while educating the public with your message.

Opening of a new location, office or plant – Although it isn’t major news, it helps position your company as moving upwards.

Major Media Mentions – Recent spotlights in magazines or in television programs can demonstrate your credibility to other media outlets, so you should let them know about it.

Announcement of new certifications received – Whether it’s certification from the American Vegetarian Association or ISO 9001 Certification, the third party approval shows how your company is improving it’s existing practices.

Recognition of Longtime Employees – Retaining employees says a lot about the quality of a business and it’s business practices, so you should let the public know about it.

Innovative use for your products – If your product helped someone out of a major bind, it’s might be newsworthy. If they discovered new creative ways to use your product it allows you to feature the product in a new light.

Reports on financial earnings – Releasing financial information about your company can demonstrate it’s strength, an attractive attribute to investors.

Announce your public appearances – Whether it’s an industry tradeshow or the county fair, your customers want to know where you’ll be.

Now that you have written the press release, what’s next? How do you get your story in the hands of the media? {Should you submit the release yourself or hire a press release distribution company|Can your company handle the media relations or should you hire a PR {professional|specialist|firm? The following questions may help answer your question:

Are we getting the PR we deserve?

Would additional media coverage bring more business to our company?

Do we have an effective public relations strategy that remains consistent in maintaining media exposure levels?

Does our competition an unfair amount of media coverage?

Have we prepared a press kit to give to journalists and interviewers with the necessary items? Are we able to keep this up-to-date?

Is our staff properly trained to interview with reporters and relay our message to the public?

We should first define the roles of a public relations firm. Many people don’t understand the difference between a Public Relations firm and a marketing firm or ad agency. A public relations firm handles media relations. It is the interface between a company and the news media, focusing on the company’s reputation and image. A marketing firm, on the other hand, handles advertising placements or develops advertising messages and strategies.

The public relations firm or specialist, often referred to as the publicist, will pitch journalists and editors on a story idea involving a company, invention or individual. The publicist will attempt to match a story with a particular media outlet with respect to the interests the people who read, watch or listen to that particular outlet.

Many large companies handle their public relations in-house by maintaining as staff trained in media relations, while others hire outside PR firms and or publicists to handle their media campaigns. The route your company should take depends upon your company’s own resources and needs.

Article Source: http://www.freetextarticles.com

These news release writing reasons were written by search engine optimization specialist, Wes Upchurch and distributed through PressDr.com's article marketing service.

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