How to to Distribute Your Press Release About Your Small Business

Once you've written your press release or hired somebody to do so, how do you get it out to the public?

First, determine whether or not a news outlet prefers submissions by fax or email. Get as specific as you can. If you can get the name of the editor responsible for an individual section, do so. It's human nature that an editor is more likely to read a fax directed to her name rather than to the generic title, such as Automotive Editor, L.A. Times.

Here are four avenues to consider:

Instructions

1. Submit to trade publications.
   Believe it or not there are trade publications for every industry. Recently I've been writing copy for a polyurethane truck bed liner company. You guessed it, if you want to subscribe to a newsletter about the movers and shakers in that industry you can subscribe at polyurethane.org. Trade publications are great place to submit postings about people moving from one company to another. Daily Variety and The Hollywood Reporter are filled with such notices. In a highly mobile business like entertainment, it's a major way to keep track of who is working where.

2. 

   Reach the local press.
   Newspapers are struggling to retain relevance in an Internet dominated information world. Many are choosing to emphasize local coverage. Don't turn your nose up at the local weeklies distributed for free in markets and laundries. These publications could be very interested in crafting a story along the lines of "Local Boy Makes Good."

3. Post on the Internet.
   There are several sites that will post your press release for free. Whenever possible, try to get a distribution service that will allow hot links so that your readers can click through to your site. The links will increase your rankings on search engines and make it a lot easier to reach your company. One of my favorite outlets is PR Web at http://www.prwebdirect.com For a modest fee, the company will post your release with active links. PR Web has a tiered distribution system. Don't buy more exposure than you need.

4. Send the release to broadcast and cable television and radio.
   You can submit the same release here as to other outlets, but here's a helpful hint. Keep the release far shorter. Most news items are 20 - 45 seconds long. I just got assigned to write and produce a piece on Solar Power for Fox 11 News in L.A. This will be a veritable epic at 2 ½ minutes long.

   To get the attention of a broadcast news outlet, emphasize the dramatic aspects of the story and highlight the best visuals and sounds that would tell your tale.