Daryl Willcox Publishing is a company which helps small businesses raise their profile in the media. In the fourthof a series of five weekly blogs, its founder and chairman Daryl Willcox gives his thoughts on ‘Press Releases and the Media’.
4. Press Releases and the Media
While the internet has undoubtedly made it easier for small businesses to communicate directly with potential and existing customers, there are still huge advantages to getting your company mentioned in the press.
Having established what you can offer and who your customers are, you need to decide which journalists and publications are relevant to your marketing needs. Expanding your business? You might want to get in touch with your local business press. If you think your news could be of wider interest then you could use a press release wire service to reach a wider number of journalists.
There is no point in sending out a press release unless it has real news value. Keep it succinct with a maximum of two A4 pages, although one is better, and try and tell the whole story in the first paragraph.
Journalists – no matter who they work for – are always pushed for time and appreciate to-the-point releases. Expand the story in the following paragraphs and weave in a quote from you, or maybe a customer. Don’t use attachments unless you have pictures – always paste the text in the main body of the e-mail. Always include your contact details such as a mobile number so that journalists can get back in touch if they have any further questions. Check spelling and grammar before sending it.
Next week, in our final instalment Daryl will be looking at monitoring the results of PR and marketing activity.
For more in-depth advice and a series of podcasts on how to begin or improve your own PR and marketing visit www.dwpub.com/smallbusiness
