Who Should Get Your Press Releases?

Choose carefully when deciding who to send your press release to. By tailoring your message to a specific audience, you increase the odds that your release will be read.

Not everyone should get your press releases. Five well-targeted ones are much more effective than one hundred randomly sent ones. While press releases sent over Business Wire or PR News Wire reach a wide range of media outlets, it can be equally effective to target specific publications, and even specific journalists. If you have the time, that is.

Usually, the larger and more general a publication is, the bigger your story must be to get coverage. If you are a small but growing Internet startup, there is a better chance that you'll be profiled in the trade publication Internet World than in the more general computer magazine PC World. Regional business publications are also good places for growing businesses to target for coverage.

Targeting is important even within publications. If you send a press release to the general fax number at The Washington Post, chances are your fax will end up in the trash can. Press releases should be sent to a specific person, usually the reporter most likely to write a story about your company.

Most media outlets - offline and online - divide staffers according to "beats." At a general business publication, one person may cover the aerospace industry while another writes about hotels. At trade publications, such as the fashion industry's Women's Wear Daily, one reporter may cover Los Angeles-based companies that design shoes while another reporter may cover New York-based cosmetics companies. Leaf through your target publications to determine exactly who should receive your press release. Not only will you discover which reporter typically covers your industry, but you?ll also gain a sense of the style of the publication - and what kind of stories to pitch to them.

Once you have identified the correct recipients of your press releases, make sure your writing is up to snuff and you're including all the necessary information. Follow the guidelines in How to Write an Effective Press Release for more information.

You may not have the time or the expertise to concentrate on crafting ideal press releases. If that's the case, consider hiring a PR agency or a consultant to write your press releases (see Do You Need to Hire a PR Agency to Write Your Press Releases if you're unsure of your needs).

Find more tips on writing press releases and developing a press kit for your business at AllBusiness.com.

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