5 Easy Ideas for a Press Release

Copyright (c) 2007 A Marketing Connection

One of the least expensive ways to garner attention for
your business is by writing press releases. Having a
journalist write about you and what you do is an invaluable
way to promote your business. Your business is exposed to
people that it otherwise would not be, and you are saving
yourself the time and expensive of running an often
ineffective ad.

As an entrepreneur, the key to your public relations
success is to come up with things about you and your
business that journalists and their readers care about.
There are some basic things that many businesses routinely
write press releases about, that are easily and
effortlessly put in the calendar section of the paper. If
you have a class or event coming up - send a press release
about it. This should be a standard press release that you
incorporate into the routine of running your business.

What are some other things that you, as a small business
owner, can do to generate some publicity for your business
that's a little bit different - that is more likely to
generate a feature article or a bigger mention than just in
the calendar or what's happening section?

Here are five easy ideas to get you thinking...

If you are interviewing someone, doing a teleclass
(especially a free one), a webinar, or other free something
for your clients or subscribers, tell the press about it.
Invite the general public to come or invite the journalist.

Partner with an unlikely business and teach a class
together, or simply announce your joint venture and how
that benefits people in your community. An example could be
a chiropractor offering free health and wellness classes
together with the city or county nutritionist or health
office. The chiropractor is giving back to the community
and the city is educating the community on health issues -
something they just looooove to do.

Agree to write a short column for your local paper - for
free. If you are a copywriter this could be on marketing
tips to grow your business. If you are a dentist you could
provide tips on oral hygiene. A tip - keep your tips
educational in nature and besides your byline there should
be no selling involved. This tip may not involve a
journalist writing about you, but it does get you in the
paper on a regular basis and it is an article rather than
an ad - so it is much more likely to be read. It's very
similar to an advertorial.

Have an open house or annual party. If you work from home
and don't have a place to hold an open house, consider
doing an open house over a teleconference line and you can
give away prizes or gifts over the course of an hour.
Another option is to partner with another business and hold
your open house together. Both of you can do promotions to
both of your clients and to the press individually. Another
angle to the story is WHY you are holding the open house
together.

Write a press release every time you have a new product, a
new client (may not apply to all of you), a new volunteer
position, a new award - anything you can think of. Read the
papers and trade journals and get ideas from what other
people do. Can you put a twist on what you read and write
your own press release too?

Make a commitment to yourself to write a press release
every two weeks or once a month. This will make you keep
looking for ideas and have getting free publicity at the
forefront of your marketing efforts. And just think how
impressed your clients will when you show them your press
clippings!

----------------------------------------------------
Author of Healthcare Copywriting Secrets Revealed, Kelly
Robbins is an award winning copywriter and marketing
coach/consultant. She also publishes The Healthcare
Marketing Connection
(http://www.healthcaremarketingconnection.com), a free
e-zine on healthcare marketing tips. Contact Kelly to
receive her free report, "5 critical things you must know
when writing for the healthcare industry" -
info@KellyRobbinsLLC.com or 303-460-0285.