Fifty Five Reasons to Send Out a Release
Before you contact the media, be sure you're newsworthy.
Related Resources • Basics of PR • Media Relations • Jobs in PR • PR Toolkit • Lots More PR Articles by Scott Lorenz Westwind Communications When should you send out a press release? You want to know my acid test? If it’s newsworthy and if it’s useful to the reader. It’s that simple. There are many factors to weigh when considering the need to send out a press release. As a publicist I have sent thousands of releases over the years and while there are no hard and fast rules, the most important factor is that you’ve got to make sure it’s newsworthy and useful to the reader. Any thing else and it’s just a waste of time for the members of the media. A good press release can accomplish a lot of things too. It can be used to announce information to the public, your investors, the media, your customers and even your competitors about you and your activities. To help my clients determine whether something is newsworthy I compiled a list of fifty-five press release ideas I give to them to get their ideas flowing about their own businesses. Some are for general consumer media and some may not apply to all business types. 1. Announce a new service. 2. Announce a new product. 3. Tie in with a national holiday, a birthday or anniversary. 4. Report a new study of your own and your analysis or forecast. 5. Tie in with a controversy by commenting on it. Read more...