Writing A Press Release That Calls Attention - Part 1

Publicity and more specifically press releases are often a daunting area for small business owners. Writing about yourself or your business is hard, not to mention the time it takes out of your already busy day and generally there’s little to no money available to hire someone else to do it for you. I get it, I’m guilty of neglecting press releases for Lightbox SF in lieu of writing them for our paying clients.

However, I’ve recently been reminded of their strength so I want to first convince you of their importance and then share a few tips on how to write your own press release that will get attention.

The Basics

A press release should follow a basic format, be only one page in length and only be used when you have something of interest to share, an event, new product, or tie in to a current trend.

Well-written press releases attract the attention of writers and editors who will then write about your business in their publication. This is free advertising of the best kind. An interesting story is engaging and worth sharing. An interesting story that mentions you or your business gives you credibility, broadens your audience, and reminds previous customers how wonderful you are. It also sparks other publications to pay attention to you.

I recently sent out a press release for a client of ours, Amy Ahlstrom. The next day I got an email from The Jealous Curator saying that she loved Amy’s work and would write about it tomorrow. A couple gracious sentences and a few photos was all the post contained, but that was all it took. The next day there were 4 more blogs that had posted something about Amy’s quilts. Mentions on other blogs continued for the next 3 days, 11 mentions in total and none of them except The Jealous Curator had been sent the press release.

I’m Convinced, But What Do I Say?

If your first instinct is to say, “What’s newsworthy about my business” or “Why would the press pay any attention to me?” Then you need a new perspective.

First try looking at your business from a customer’s point of view. What are you doing that benefits them? Do you solve a problem? Are you great with customer service? Does your product make people laugh or make them feel better? 

Then look at your business in the larger context of current trends. Are you addressing a growing awareness or concern? Do you fit into a trend or buck a trend? Do you or your business have a connection to a country or issue that’s in the news? Or can you provide insight on a current news focus?

Be sure to think both National and Local when looking for your angle. Human interest is always a great focus, giving back to the community, helping an under served population, hosting a fundraiser, or simply beating the odds and doing something most wouldn’t.

Now Dig Deeper

After you’ve decided what the general angle or focus of the press release will be use as many details as you can to really target your message. Show that you know your audience by speaking to their needs, concerns and/or interests.  My favorite analogy for this is dressing for an interview. I would guess that you would wear something very different to an interview at a bank than you would for an interview with a design start-up. Tailor (pardon the pun) your language accordingly. If you’re sending to DIY craft magazines you’ll have a different tone and make different references than if you’re sending to fine art publication or even a small business magazine.

Additionally make sure you’re aware of any time issues. Is there a holiday coming up that your news would be perfect for? Is one of your target publications doing a special issue on handmade or San Francisco? Also be aware of lead times. Blogs generally only need a few days, but giving them a few weeks with time sensitive information is considerate. On the other hand many newspapers and weeklies need 4-6 weeks lead times and national magazines can need as much as 9 months lead time. Plan ahead!

I challenge you to start jotting down ideas and headlines for your press release.

Next week I’ll talk about making the writer’s job easier and cultivating your list of media contacts.