DIY press release or press release service?
By Publicity Heaven writer Susan Connolly
Press releases are a wonderful tool that small business owners can use to improve their credibility and generate leads, making potential customers aware of their business and the products and services they provide. Writing and submitting a press release yourself isn’t the only way to get that publicity. You might also want to consider using a press release service.
Why spend money if you can do it yourself?
One of the biggest benefits of a DIY press release is of course the fact that it does not cost you any money to write and submit the press release. The problem with this line of thinking is that it ignores the fact that you are using your most valuable asset – your time.
If you are inexperienced at press release writing you will need to look up a guide to the proper format, write the press release itself and then spend more time finding the contact details of journalists and newsdesks. If you pass off this work to a press release service you can use the time that you would have spent on aspects of your business that require your personal attention.
Do I need a professionally written press release?
Many business owners are geniuses when it comes to their own company, but do not necessarily have skills with the written word. A professional service can craft your press release so that it is perfectly written for its target. Even those business owners who are also wordmiths can benefit from the help of a professional.
A skilled press release writer will also know how to adjust the tone and format of the press release to be more suitable for the content and the intended publication. This level of industry experience and ability to “break the rules in the right way” is unfortunately not something that you can learn from the many guides to press release writing that you can find online. The only way to gain this ability is through years of experience and practice.
What do you get for your money?
While using a press release service will certainly get you a well-written press release, the writing of the release is actually the least valuable thing that you will gain.Your service provider will understand the industry and know exactly how and where to pitch your story to get maximum exposure for you and your business. There are many more publications out there than you see in a normal newsagents, but it takes experience of the market to know how to find them and how they are best approached.
In summary
A DIY press release is certainly a way to get free publicity and may well be the best option for a business without a marketing budget to speak of, but the benefits of a press release service will prove themselves over time in increased sales and awareness of your business.
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