If you haven't tried online press releases you should consider how beneficial they are to your business. Some are free and some ask a fee, which is fine since you are spending less than a display ad in the newspaper. If other sources pick up your "news", you get even more exposure. Here is one of the press releases we sent out about our store opening this week--
http://www.free-press-release-center.info/pr00000000000000011118.html
This one was free and you can send out a press release anytime, as much as you want, about any subject you wish to release as newsworthy. Best of all, my site has back links and text links that increase my site's ranking.
Just a suggestion worth looking into when you are looking for marketing on a shoestring.
Julia Russo
http://www.StorkandVeil.com

It's free because the reach is extremely poor! Try paying wire service, they are only a few dollars $100 -$200 and really get your message out there.

Good Luck!

I've got to agree with Barcelona.

If you want your message out there, pay the fee. Use the free networks for augmenting your SEO coverage area, but beyond that... don't expect reporters to come knocking.

I will also add to that, if you don't already have an email list for all of your local, state (or Provincial) and federal news services, make one. Simply posting your press release to the web isn't going to get you on the National news.

>It's free because the reach is extremely poor! Try paying
>wire service, they are only a few dollars $100 -$200 and
>really get your message out there.
>
>Good Luck!
>


Tina Brooks, VP Marketing
Brooks Pepperfire Foods, Inc.
Makers of Peppermaster Hot Sauces
http://www.peppermaster.com

Eat more peppers!

You're on the right track. A press release is THE best free publicity for a business. However, everyone else is correct in that you will reach very few customers with this one.

When I had a retail shop I used prweb.com for a national reach that was picked up by a television station that wanted to do a story on the franchise.

But, I had the greatest success with a press release I wrote myself and sent to two local newspapers. From there several other newspapers picked it up and ran their own stories. All were accompanied by great color photos. This went on for months afterward and I only wrote one press release.

For direction in how to write it I followed the advice in a book by Marcia Yudkin. I have a link to it from my site below (scroll down to advertising/marketing):
http://www.smallbusinessstartup.biz/recommended/

Offline surface exposure media is your best source for press release submissions. The reach is enormous and geographically specific for your business. Always make sure that your release is newsworthy and not just ad copy posing as a press release...a sure way to thoroughly annoy every editor.

Be well,
Michele

http://SpreadtheNews.net

Affordable Daily Newspaper Editors Non-spam Email Addresses for Your Press Release Submissions on a per State Basis

Rereading the posts in this thread, I realize that someone needs to say, that although free press releases have zero reach potential they do offer one thing that conventional press releases don't...

SEO.

The more often a "relevant" hit is on the web, the more often your website gains relevancy.

If your crappy little maybe almost an ad press release isn't newsworthy, then don't send it to the conventional media, but DO post it to the free sites, it will be good for your website.

But as... who said it... said, make sure it reads more like a news release than an ad (Even if it really is just an ad disguised as a press release).

For example... If you bring on a new product... don't notify your local media, but do send out an free online press release. If you bring on a new employee, do notify both the local media and the online free press.

Free press may be useless for actual reach, as has been stated, but it does have its uses.

(Great discussion and comments, folks).

T

Tina Brooks, VP Marketing
Brooks Pepperfire Foods, Inc.
Makers of Peppermaster Hot Sauces
http://www.peppermaster.com

Eat more peppers!