How, When, Why & Where To Use A Press Release

Wondering How, When, Why & Where To Use A Press Release? Here are my tips to get you started.

HOW -- Time to write a Press Release

Step 1

OK, stop rolling your eyes :-)

Yes, this is an 'old school' way of letting people know about your products and services, but it is also supported by new online technology and is faster than the speed of light.  I've created a very quick and easy Press Release join-the-dots and fill-in-the-blanks Template this week, which I hope you'll be able to use effectively. Recently I posted a Press Release online, and it was picked up by Google News in less than 24 hours! It was being tweeted about on Twitter, and brought visitors to one of my sites whom I normally would not have found.  Remember, everything you can do to bring interested website visitors to your site is a bonus for your online marketing strategy.

Start by creating your own Press Release - please watch the quick video, read my 8 Press Release Tips and download the Template >>

WHEN -- to write a Press Release:

• the best time to write a Press Release is when you have something INTERESTING to say
• if you are active on your website or blog, you could easily write a quick Press Release each week
• at the least, once a month is a good rule of thumb.

WHY -- to write a Press Release:

• the best tip is to write a story about HOW your product or service SOLVED a problem - this is a sure-fire winner (think about QUESTIONS clients & potential clients ask - now weave it into a little story offering your product or service as the ANSWER - this ties in with last newsletter tips FAQ pages too)
• you have news to share about your product or service
• you have a NEW product or service
• your client has had a SUCCESS using your product or service
• you've moved offices, hired new staff, made a change in your business
• and yes, this applies to everyone, whether you're a yoga instructor, travel specialist, musician, store, real estate biz, work at home Mum/Mom, arty and craft type, etc etc
• you should be sending out a Press Release once a month when things are quiet, then send out more often when things are HAPPENING :-) ... the key is to keep doing it.

"But I don't have a website!!"

Don't let that stop you:

• sign up for a f-r-e-e blog at http://blogger.com or at http://wordpress.org
• type some -interesting- info about your product or service
• add a photo or two
• set up a form (using free software within the blog).

This could be done in an hour or two, so do this BEFORE you send off the Press Release. Tip: it does not have to be War and Peace, but it does need to be inviting and interesting.

You will need to put a web link (URL) in the Press Release so people will come and read what you have to say, so use the complete link for the blog, starting with the "http://".

WHERE to Publish your Press Release

You can of course send your Press Releases using snailmail (as in the 'good ole days'), but with the internet and trying to have our voices heard over the millions of other people with online  and offline businesses, we need to find a better way.

As mentioned above, I've just had one of my Press Release land in Google News (because I submitted it to the other Press Release links on this page, and I was AMAZED. Trust me - this isn't the way it usually works with Press Release websites! I've tried many of them.

I've just used these, it worked for me, and I'm recommending it to you.

Press Release websites:

Format your Press Release FIRST, then post it to each of these places (you will need to create an account at each website, and copy and paste each section into the relevant places) :

http://www.prlog.org/ (includes a PDF) | http://www.free-press-release.com | http://www.pressmethod.com | http://www.presszoom.com | http://www.pressbox.com

How to track your Press Release Distribution

Don't forget to create a GOOGLE ALERT using the Title of your Press Release (make sure you put speech marks, quote marks, inverted commas around the entire heading when you add it to Google.com/Alerts - this holds it together as one phrase. For example, my Google alert for this page might be "Press Releases - How, When, Where & Why".

If you'd like to download my Press Release Template, and watch a video explaining how to use it, pop over to my Press Release Template page >>

For step-by-step tips on How To Create a Google Alert pop over here to watch my Video Tutorial >>

Have you had any success with Press Releases? Or can you recommend other great places to post Press Releases? I'd love to hear from you if you're happy to share that information here with my other readers. Thanks in advance! PS - don't forget to share this article and Add A Comment :-)

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