WHY A PRESS RELEASE?
A Press Release gives a journalist information about the product / service in question, or even the person or company involved. Essentially, it�s about getting publicity, and getting yourself recognized. They are one of the more credible publicity methods, and are more cost-effective than advertising.
Are you wondering why you should write a Press Release about yourself? Well, do you have a rather special product or service? Or have you done something that you think people ought to know about? Yes! That�s exactly it. Those are the keywords right there � �People ought to know about�. If you want people to know about what you�ve done � then you need to write a Press Release. Today, Public Relations is a million-dollar industry, and companies have Public Relations arms, and one of their jobs is to write regular Press Releases, updating the Press about the latest events / acquisitions / mergers of the company. In essence, a Press Release is written to inform the Press about a news peg.
So what exactly is a Press Release, then? It�s a statement (either written or recorded), which is circulated among the members of the Media, with the main intention of announcing some news-worthy item. They may be circulated in various ways � emailed, faxed, or mailed. They are sent typically to newspapers, magazines, television stations, radio stations, and television networks.
The Internet too, has played its part, with many Press Release agencies springing up online. Being a member of these means one can upload the Release onto the World Wide Web, where it will be circulated to various sites � meaning that the readership is increased tenfold, than the usual case.
So why a Press Release? Well, it will give the person in question favorable publicity. You submit a Press Release just about anytime and anywhere � news launch, book signing, exhibition inauguration, festival opening, software promotion seminar, awards ceremony, launch of a product or service, and the list goes on. Circulating a Release means that the Editor becomes interested in the story idea, and usually carries it in the newspaper / channel. Thus, the news peg will have been promoted.
A Press Release should be relevant, and to the point. It should avoid endless flowery language, rambling on and on, instead � it should be crisp, concise, and clear, and provide the journalist with information.
Publicity is good for everyone, and at its very basic level, a Press Release ensures you get publicity. Editors and journalists are always looking for good stories and ideas � giving them a Press Release about something important could just about make their day! Also, if you circulate the Release online, you could end up getting a lot more hits and publicity � as billions of people are online every moment, so the target audience would be increased beyond your imagination.