Like other types of organizations, small businesses can benefit from public relations in terms of their relationships with customers, employees, investors, suppliers, or other interested members of the community. Since small business owners are the most visible representatives of their own companies, they frequently handle many of the public relations functions themselves. But experts caution small business owners against taking on this responsibility if they are unqualified, or if they are unable to give public relations the attention it deserves. In these cases, entrepreneurs may choose to hire a public relations specialist or contract with an outside agency.
A key piece of your small business organization’s public relations strategy is publicity. A common way to initiate publicity is through a press release. Some tips to good press release writing start with having the foundation of a good news story. In your release include:
1. Write the headline and make it brief, clear and to the point.
2. Write the press release body copy as you want it to appear in a news story.
3. Communicate the 5 Ws and the H. Who, what, when, where, why, and how. Then consider these points as your write your story:
• What is the actual news?
• Why this is news?
• The people, products, items, dates and other things related with the news.
• The purpose behind the news.
4. Include information about the company so that when an assignment editor picks up your press release for a story, he/she would logically have to mention the company in the news article. Reporters can then get the company information from this section.
5. Always add your contact information. If your press release is really newsworthy, a reporter would surely like more information or would like to interview key people associated with it.
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