November
17, 2004

4 min read

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

It’s a well-known fact that a company’s visibility will
increase with powerful publicity. After all, publicity aims to
bring the news^[1] of your company to the world. The basic weapons
you’ll need to do this include a press kit, a company
background piece, press releases, story ideas and articles or
columns about your business^[2]. The most important of all, though, is
the press release^[3].

If you’re wondering what exactly should be covered in a
press release, think along the lines of “newsy” and
interesting topics. Examples include: your online presence;
important information and tools regarding a change in management or
the business components you offer; special information that can be
obtained online; any proprietary product or methodology that you
offer through your consulting services; the announcement of
articles, events and appearances; relevant worksheets, tips and
techniques; and so on.

A publicity campaign that uses press releases should begin with
a master plan. The more newsworthy you make your company, the more
coverage you’ll get. And coverage is important because it earns
the kind of credibility that advertising just can’t buy. When
writing a press release, your goals should be uniqueness,
timeliness and top-of-the-mind awareness. Once you achieve
publicity and visibility, both your company profile and your client
and prospect levels will rise. One successful story about your
company resulting in free publicity is advertising worth hundreds
and thousands of dollars.

There is definitely a knack to writing a “newsworthy”
press release, even though the ultimate goals are usually awareness
and promotion. Editors don’t like promotion, though, so
crafting a press release to appeal to an editor is key. If you
provide reporters with news that appeals to their readers,
you’ll gain instant credibility and be on your way to forming a
valuable promotional relationship. This can be very powerful from a
marketing^[4] point of view.

There’s no guarantee that any press release will ever be
published, but by taking a consistent, professional and newsworthy
approach with the reputable editors of respected publications, the
probability is good that you’ll get some coverage. Press
releases are also great vehicles for communicating with clients and
prospects. Putting them on your Web site is a very effective means
of promoting to your captive markets. It also further substantiates
your marketing efforts, as well as your credibility.

If you’re not sure about what you should cover in a press
release, consider these ideas to see if any apply to your
business: