There are lots of great reasons to send out a press release. My clients typically do it to keep their name in the news and gain credibility as being an expert in their field. If you need some idea starters, I have created a helpful list:
10 Great Reasons to Send Out a News Release
- Winning an Award
- Placing in a Competition or Ranking on a List
- Adding or Promoting an Employee
- Gaining a Certification
- Adding a New Client or Project
- Promoting a Grand Opening, New Office or Expansion
- Publicizing a Special Event (pre or post event releases both work)
- Promoting a New Product or Service
- Publicizing Involvement as a Speaker or Exhibitor at a Trade Show
- Announcing Pro Bono or Community Service Work
I distribute releases via PRWeb (an online distribution source) and I email the releases directly to the appropriate editors, as well. PRWeb helps get the releases picked up in Google and Yahoo, etc. and has great results in supporting SEO initiatives. Plus, my clients still like to see their news “in print” when we can get it…so also emailing the editors at traditional print publications directly is still important.
My clients and I use the links from PRWeb to easily share the releases on LinkedIn, Twitter, facebook, etc. With advanced-level releases from PRWeb, social media sharing is embedded in the releases, as well.
To see a variety of news release samples, please visit and “like” my facebook business page and scroll down to see all types of press release examples posted on my wall.
There are a multitude of helpful “how to” guides online if you want to learn how to create your own releases. For ongoing campaigns and higher-level directed pitches to specific publications, hiring a PR consultant or Public Relations firm can be a very wise investment.
There is a famous saying (author unknown) that sums up the value of PR most succinctly, “Advertising is what you pay for, publicity is what you pray for.”
Good luck in sharing your news and gaining all the great publicity you deserve!
