Writing a press release can be a daunting task, but if you’ve ever pretended to be a reporter, you’ve got a start! Just put on your “interviewer” hat, and interview yourself!

Questions to ask yourself:

1) What makes your new business or product special?
2) What market would be interested in it?
3) What made you decide to develop this business or product? And what are the benefits to your target market?
4) How are you perceived by your peers and customers?
5) What are your plans for the future?
6) What is your website address?

After you’ve answered these questions, put them in the form of an article. The format should be as such:

Top: CONTACT INFORMATION
Your name, Phone Number
Email address

Next: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Next: HEADLINE
Make this catchy, and it should be relevant to the material in your article

Next: City (example: Charlotte, NC) in bold type—then transition right into your article- WHICH SHOULD BE ONLY 1 PAGE! End the article with something to the effect of “You can see all this company has to offer on their website www.business.com “

Once you have written your Press Release, send it to a couple of good friends or relatives to get some feedback. Then, when you are satisfied with it, it’s time for distribution.

Don’t be intimidated by that word-“distribution”. It’s not as difficult as it sounds. There are some steps to making it very simple:

1) Write an introduction letter—not a long one, just stating who you are and that you have a story for _________ that you feel might be of interest to their audience. And include ways you can be contacted if more information is needed.

2) List your local newspapers, radio stations, and TV stations

3) Out to the side list a phone number or website (if they have a website, that will be
the best place to start!)

4) Go to the website’s “Contact Us” page and look for the editor.

5) If there is no website, or no editor, you will need to call and find out who to send your press release to. Just be pleasant, give them your name, and let them know you have a press release to send. Let them know what it pertains to, and ask them who would be the best person to send it to, and how to send it (by mail, or email).

6) If you send it by email: the subject line should say ‘Press Release” and then your headline, the email should consist of your introduction letter, sent to the specific person (i.e.; Dear Mr. _____), and make sure you put the name of the newspaper, radio station, or TV show in the 1st sentence (I would like to submit a story idea for ____________). The press release should be an attachment.

7) If you send it by regular mail, type the introduction letter on your letterhead, and print the press release out on regular paper. Make sure you know who’s attention to send it to.

8) A very awesome website that you can post your Press Release on for free is: www.prweb.com . You can also find contact information for your local press at this site: www.kidon.com/median-link/index.html .

9) Don’t forget to send the press release out to your friends and relatives, as well as to customers. They might just know someone who’d be interested in your story!

10) Also, remember those trade magazines you subscribe to? Look for the editor, and send them a copy too!

Even if your story doesn’t get “picked up”, many times you will get helpful tips and emails from the people you sent your Press Release to.

Don’t forget the option of having a Press Release written and distributed for you! There are many wonderful, small marketing businesses out there that can help you with that.

Having a press release is a great marketing tool! And don’t forget to post it on your website! Put a link on the main page of your site, so that if a reporter is surfing around, it will be easy to find.

Happy interviewing!!

Nola Cooper is the owner of Classic Creations, a graphic design business she started in 1995. She has written and published many articles about running a business, and family life and is editor of her own online ezine-The Classic News.

You can read more about Nola and find out about her business at http://www.ClassicCreationsDirect.com