Most entrepreneurs are well aware of the wonderful opportunity a success public relations or PR campaign can provide. A press release is an integral part of a successful PR campaign. It's a cost-effective way to promote a company. There are minimal costs involved, as opposed to other marketing tools, and depending on what outlet uses your release, it could attract massive positive attention to your business. You could get interviewed, profiled, quoted, or featured in various media outlets. However, what most entrepreneurs may not know is that journalists discard nearly all the releases they receive. It could leave the struggling entrepreneur out in the cold without being noticed at all. It's important for small business owners to realize preparation is everything!

First's important to know both your target market and the media channels they prefer. Study your target outlet and review what news seems to be of the most interest to the editor and their readers. A story that may catch the attention of your city's local newspaper probably won't make the short list for Newsweek. Be selective. Sending releases blindly will just waste your time.

Many PR experts suggest starting out with local outlets first. It's a great way to learn about the process and get experience, and possibly get experience conducting interviews. Although a PR campaign can be relatively easy compared to most business tasks, it won't come second nature to most new business owners who most likely, are already fulfilling several roles. So gaining experience will be increasingly important.

The best advice is to take considerable care writing the release. Be sure to state the benefits of your service but avoid using sales copy in your release. It's one of the quickest ways to get our release in the trash bin. You should let the reader decide if your product is the "best ever".

The first two things to consider in your press release are your headline and your first paragraph. You should always use a headline that grabs attention. And your first paragraph should answer who, what, when, where, why, and how questions immediately.

There are three types of press releases.

1. News: This type of press release simply reports an event either indirectly or directly related to your business. This includes new products, new employees, community events, and other announcements.
2. Commentary: You can position yourself as an industry expert by commenting on current issues related to your area of expertise.
3. Mini-article: You can write an article related to you business. For instance, if you have a business that offers credit reports your release could center on the rise in identity theft. You should be quoted two or three times throughout the article.