Sending Out Press Releases

You've gone through all the work of writing that killer press release. Now what? Get helpful advice on the different ways to disseminate your press releases, along with helpful tips to get the most out of each medium.

Once you have prepared your press release, how should you send it and to whom?

Consider sending your release to the following media:

• Local newspapers
• Magazines that focus on your industry
• Specialized business newspapers (most major metropolitan areas have them)
• Local radio stations that cover business news
• Newsletters that cover your industry
• Local television shows that cover business topics

You should always send press releases to a specific reporter or editor. Spend a little time and effort contacting the various organizations to confirm the correct name and title of the most logical recipient. Then get to work sending them out. Read What Editors Want from Publicists - And When for a helpful insider's perspective on this topic.

Regular Mail. Sending press releases by regular mail is pretty old fashioned, but it's still the most widely practiced form of distribution. Unfortunately, if your material is extremely time-sensitive, the mail is not always a great way to get it out. Remember, it can take time for your press release to wend its way to the right person once it arrives at the media organization.

Fax. Faxes are a very common technique for disseminating press releases. But faxes have their own pluses and minuses. A plus is that you can send faxes immediately and get them to the person fairly quickly. A minus is that reporters are sometimes inundated with faxes and yours may be lost in the shuffle. Another minus is that fax machines can and do run out of paper. Most media organizations don't have full-time fax attendants manning their machines.

E-mail. These days, press releases are often sent by e-mail. But don't send it all across the country; many journalists will consider it "spam" or junk e-mail. If you do send it by e-mail, make the subject line succinct and compelling. Don't attach files. E-mail addresses can often be obtained by calling the media outlet or checking out their Web site.

Think about combining these approaches for maximum effectiveness. Obviously, you're much more likely to reach someone if you cover all three bases.

Finally, consider using press release services to distribute your releases. These services let you reach large numbers of journalists, even ones you don't already know about. Read What Companies Will Send Out Press Releases to the Media? for some good ideas on where to start. But even if you use one or more of these services, you should also send releases directly to the key reporters you want to reach. There's nothing like the personal touch.

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

Copyright © 1999 - 2007 AllBusiness.com, Inc. All rights reserved.

Back to Top Email Printer Friendly View

RATE THIS ARTICLE
Rate it:

Not Yet Rated: