Press Release

Even if you have been selling Paradise jewellery for a few months you can try gaining media interest for the products and your business through a press release.  Press releases have been shown to work more effectively and are overall much cheaper than advertising.  Many times readers see an ad and they are not sure if they can believe what they read. Most readers are more likely to trust independent authorities such as reviewers, columnists or reporters.

A press release can be sent either by employing the services of a PR company or you could try it yourself which will cost next to nothing.  The DIY approach will be much easier if you are targeting your local media.  If you are writing your own press release, phone up the paper you would like to be featured in and ask who you should send it to.  Make sure you hand write the name and address so that it looks more personal and hopefully will be opened first.

Finding a story

Finding an angle for a story is easier than you might think.  Here are some examples:

• New product ranges – Paradise jewellery has a great story – fairly traded, real flower jewellery etc.

• New premises, expansion of business

• Change of owner

• Awards won

• Competitions

• Special offers

Many local papers are on the look out for a good story.  PR companies will tell you that journalists won’t come to you and that you have to go to them.  This is partly true, however my parents’ business has been featured in a number of papers, including the homes supplement of Scotland on Sunday.  All features were initiated by the journalist.

I found the best resource for writing a press release to be:  http://www.pressdispensary.co.uk/how_to_write_a_press_release.php

There are a number of websites which you can then list your press release for nothing.  These include:  www.pressbox.co.uk  and www.freepressreleases.co.uk plus

www.prleap.com

www.24-7pressrelease.com

www.pr.com

www.i-newswire.com

www.prweb.com

www.prfree.com