Moreover, when submitted for online distribution, it helps your web presence as well. Include some links to your web site in your release and voila — you have backlinks from reputable web sites that post it, adding “juice” to your SEO efforts.  A few keys to developing a successful press release:

1. Make it newsworthy.  As much as your new product or service excites you, is it relevant and exciting to others?  An important aim of your press release is to get some attention from writers (traditional news and blogs alike).  Be sure to test your message on friends, clients, advisers, etc.  Does your “news” help people resolve a problem?  Is it related to a “current” issue?  Bottom line, think like a reporter.
2. Get it out.  Simply posting your press release to your web site may help you stay positioned as a viable, active business to your existing visitors, but it doesn’t help you get additional exposure and traffic.  Submit your release to relevant sites, or use a service like PRNewswire or Free Press Release to get it out there.
3. Follow up.  You can’t make someone write about the topic of your release.  If you’re calling writers and professional bloggers, they have busy schedules, deadlines, etc., and pestering them will only guarantee your position at the bottom of their pile.  However, you can use their busy-ness to your advantage — outline the potential “angle” for an article they could write and leave a short message on voicemail and a brief email.  Don’t keep after them, just drop that suggestion and only work with the responses you get. You may hit the right person at the right time who is happy to have a story idea handed to them.

I have put together a simple report to help you create the right message and get your business the exposure you’d like via a press release.  This includes a MS Word template and samples of well-written press releases.  If you’d like it, just drop your email in the form below and I will send you a copy.  Not sure if a press release is right for you?  Check the box for a free consultation, and we’ll set up a time to talk about your circumstance.  I’ll help you figure out the right plan for you.

If you haven’t yet registered with Google in this way, or are not sure what the Google Local Business Center is, watch this short video to find out.  With no web design skills (in fact, even if you don’t HAVE a web site), you can DRAMATICALLY increase your exposure to people near your business using Google to search for your type of product or service.

This simple step has brought thousands of dollars in new opportunities to my clients and me.  It is very straight forward, but is not as well known as it should be, so I wanted to spread the word!