Editing PR tips for business

Question: Why should your business issue a news release? Answer: as you have something to say, you would like to say it in public and a press release encourages the press to say it for you. And because you want to show your business in a favourable light from the outset and begin the longer-term process of building awareness and knowledge of your service or product.<br /><br />There's plenty of research to show that young companies - weighed down by the business enterprise of simply owning a home based business - pay scant attention to PR, yet that's just what they must be doing from the very start to get their names and products known. For most businesses, PR isn't about spin or the abstract maintaining of "good relations" with the press and public; it's simply about telling people that you and your products or services are there and letting them know why they must be interested. It's about getting column inches in newspapers and magazines and fulfilling the adage that an inch of good editorial is worth a full page of advertising. It's about making your sales easier.<br /><br />Issuing press releases is a mainstay of basic PR. It's how you start the ball rolling with the press. The good thing is, if approached in the right way (whether you do-it-yourself or use an affordable professional, this activity do not need to cost the earth).<br /><br />But do remember you are presenting your organization to the public. A release that's poorly written, with grammatical or spelling mistakes, or full of jargon, or long-winded and unfocused, can do you more harm than good. Given the significance of PR, there's something to be said towards spending money on professional writing skills. PR writers don't just turn out good English: they learn how to structure a news release and present facts in a manner that appeals to busy journalists and grabs their attention.<br /><br />The next question is: "When must i issue a press release?" Certainly, issuing releases willy-nilly, at whim, is not any good. The time to produce a business announcement is if you have something topical and newsworthy to say (but remember: what you consider topical may not be of interest to the wider world or to journalists). All releases require a strong 'hook' - in other words, an angle which will appeal to editors and present your story an excellent chance of gaining coverage.<br /><br />So, what would be considered newsworthy? To begin with, perhaps you're launching a fresh product or service? Or opening a new branch? Or you're launching a spin-off venture from scratch? Whatever it really is, it ought to be presented as offering something reasonably new and interesting, not only as a "me too".<br /><br />Hopefully, your product or service has particular benefits and applications that will appeal to your market segment and generate interest. If whatever you're launching is technically innovative or it's being marketed within an unusual or visible way, you might have the foundation of a release. In this case, be sure to don't fill your release with unnecessary jargon or marketing-speak which could alienate journalists, such as "the cost effective, integrated, seamless, one-stop-shop solution to meet all your business needs." Tell people what it is you're actually offering. The aforementioned example is full of hype but what's the product? An accountancy service? A stationers? An abattoir?<br /><br />Other company activities could be newsworthy. Perhaps you have appointed any new members of senior staff who have a reputation in your industry? Won a large contract or client? Get involved in a sponsorship deal? Perhaps you have received an accolade or won an industry award? If so, the trade press may be interested.<br /><br />Forthcoming events can provide ideal material for announcements. Are you holding any open days, speakers' panels, rallies or debates? Charity events or donations from your organisation to good causes are worth highlighting, as are initiatives that benefit the wider community. If celebrities or public figures are participating, your newsworthiness will increase. The level of interest will relate to the stature of one's company and the type of your event. In case a famous chocolate factory held an open day with plenty of freebies, it could be of national press interest. If Bloggs the Grocers held a similar event, the local paper would be the main target.<br /><br />When you're seeking newsworthy stories, remember one of your very best assets - your personnel. Have any employees been recognised for outstanding achievements? Do they will have unusual hobbies? Have they received any unusual requests or orders from customers your company has fulfilled? The neighborhood press might decide on a quirky human-interest story.<br /><br />Whatever the reason behind your announcement, remember this rule of thumb: just one more pizzeria on a high street filled with pizzerias won't gain many column inches, regardless of how good the pizzas. But a pizzeria offering the hottest jalapenos in the united kingdom, singing waiters, Italian cocktails with every meal or three for the price tag on two (or something!) just might. Sometimes it's even worth coming up with an offer of some kind (particularly in retailing) only to garner press interest.<br /><br />Remember to monitor the news headlines for events to hook into. Can you associate your organization with upcoming holidays, public projects, or fads? Statements that may seem controversial, such as stating your organisation's stance on a volatile public issue, might gain coverage. Perhaps you have conducted research that provides you statistics you could release?<br /><br />Finally, if you're targeting different press sectors with exactly the same story, write multiple releases rather than issuing one generic release. An announcement concentrating on the metallurgy used to generate your new range of stainless steel cooking pans will be of interest to the trade press. However, it wouldn't be considered too thrilling by the lifestyle press and women's magazines.<br /><br />You need to think carefully about what you're announcing and who it's targeted at, rather than using the 'scattergun' approach and sending untargeted releases to whichever journalists you happen to get. Professional PR distributors retain up-to-date lists of all journalists in each industrial sector and geographical region, and have a lot of care to target the proper journalists with the right releases. If you are distributing your release yourself, a few hours' homework can pay enormous dividends.<br /><br />By Press Dispensary http://www.pressdispensary.co.uk Press Dispensary is a professional UK-based press release writing and distribution service that delivers news to the media and other opinion formers quickly and affordably.