Sales Sagging? Let a Press Release Get You Out of a Pickle!

You don't have to be a rocket scientist to figure out that your business' success or failure is directly related to the amount of exposure your business receives. If your sales have been lagging a bit in recent months, there's a useful, but underestimated tool that can help revive interest in your product or service.

Even those of us with an established business need a little extra push once in a while, and that's just what a well-written press release can do for you. A good release gets exposure in the media, and you can only imagine what a short blurb on TV, radio, or print can do for the success of your business. Before you sit down to write your release, however, there are a few things you should know.

First of all, make sure that your product is newsworthy. A newsworthy product is one that is new, innovative, or is being offered in a new market or through new channels. If you're an established (or even a start-up) software company with a new, breakthrough product, you might have some great press release material.

Even if your product has been around for a while, an upgrade or supplemental tool that makes the product useful to a new audience might be newsworthy enough to make a great release.

In addition, if your company has decided to add a free bonus or incentive to buyers of an existing product, a press release is a viable option. Say your once stand-alone software package is now being offered in a bundle with something else. Although your product isn't a new one, you've done something new with it-- and that's newsworthy.

Even if your product has been on the market for a while, you may occasionally need a promotional push. If you haven't made any changes to the product or done something new, you might do better with a well-distributed article than with a press release. Media people want to see things that are new and previously unknown, so if your product isn't newsworthy, the media won't take much notice.

No matter how newsworthy your product is, however, it must be released to the right audience. It might be helpful to send your release to all the media outlets you can come up with, but to target the distribution for optimum results, a little legwork is required.

If your product is a brand-new cooking spray that adds a buttery taste with zero calories, you'll want to distribute your release to newsletters, magazines, and other publications that specialize in cooking and low-fat recipes. People who publish and subscribe to these publications will take more of an interest in your product than editors and readers of Sports Illustrated. Some research might be required to find the right publications for your intended customer-base.

Above all, when writing your release, make sure it doesn't read like a full-page ad or sales letter. Media people don't want to be pitched to. A good release reads more like an article. This "article" should be focused on the issues your product is meant to resolve, and casually announce that your company has a great new product that addresses these issues. Your release should explain what your product is and what it can do, without sounding too promotional.

To walk that fine line between a newsworthy announcement and an ad, you might find it helpful to use quotations from someone high up in your company, explaining the issues surrounding your product, and how it can be helpful in solving certain problems.

Finally, if you're not sure how to go about writing your release, check out the web sites of some reputable companies in your business. Many of them will have news releases posted on their site. From there, you may get some ideas on what a well-written release looks like. You can also find several releases in a variety of areas on http://FeatureRelease.com/

Meredith Pond is editor and manager of DrNunley's http://CheapWriting.com. See her low-cost writing and editing services for students and business people. Reach Meredith at meredith@drnunley.com or 801-253-4536.

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