Press Release

Send in to your local newspaper.

Don't stop at your local papers move further a field to papers in the surrounding areas.

Keep yourself in the public eye by regularly sending in press releases about yourself and your company.

The production of a short press release is the most effective way of introducing a "story" to a local newspaper or magazine. It should give the journalist the principle information regarding the subject, and provide a contact point for more details.

A few guidelines for the production of a press release.

Headline-It should be eye catching and immediately SELL the story to the reader - whether it be the journalist who originally receives the story, or the consumer who eventually reads the newspaper.

In order to retain the attention of the reader, the press release should be relatively short and to the point, preferably no longer than a page in double spacing.

Content

The introductory Paragraph Should summarise all the main points of the story, in order that the journalist can decide whether or not it will be of interest to his readers.

2nd/3rd Paragraphs Contain more detailed information regarding the topic.

4th Paragraph summarises the main points again, with availability details, address, telephone number. remember the story must appeal to the average consumer.

For further Information - Always provide a contact point for the journalist to obtain further information, photographs etc.

Always date a press release .Presentation- The press release should be printed on your own stationery, in order that it can be immediately identified with your organisation by the journalist.

Photographs - Wherever possible, include a photograph or illustration with the press release, as this will significantly improve its chances of the story being used by a journalist. Remember, for newspapers, they may only be able to reproduce in black and white so ensure it is an image that will reproduce well in this medium.

Timing - If the press release is to generate coverage for a specific promotion or event, remember to allow enough time for the newspaper to prepare the story and for the consumers to read the article. Generally, a press release should be distributed at least 3 weeks before an event in order to be most effective in generating consumer interest.

Distribution - A press release can be distributed to a wide variety of media with positive effect. You should investigate details of all your local media, including:

Daily, Weekly and Sunday Newspapers
Weekly and Monthly Magazines, i.e. Country Magazines
TV and Radio Stations

Always try to get the name of the editor or journalist covering consumer interest stories - this will ensure it gets to the right person straight away.

Follow - Up Always follow - up a press release after it has been distributed. This means, telephoning the journalist to find out:

(a) If they have received the story - if not, send another and follow that up.

(b) Whether they require any further information, photographs, etc - this is an ideal opportunity to invite them to your clinic and may result in an in-depth feature on your services etc. When will they be publishing the story - so that you can buy copies on the right day for distribution to customers, display in your clinic, etc.