The press release has long been an invaluable resource for businesses of all sizes: a simple yet effective way of getting the word out about a major acquisition, change in staffing, new product, forthcoming event or indeed any other piece of news the company deems to be worthy of promotion. As with other communiqués, however, there is both a good and bad way to write a press release; some will have the desired effect of stimulating interest or motivating action, others will be read and forgotten or ignored entirely. Come to think of it, some are remembered for all the wrong reasons – the result of unfortunate typos or a hectoring tone of voice that does nothing to endear you to the target audience.

In this blog post, I’ll show you how to put together a professional, impactful press release for your small business: a snappy pitch that, far from triggering instant deletion, compels journalists to sit up and take notice. But let me start by answering a simple question:

Why do you need to write press releases?

Press releases are statements shared with the media to generate positive news coverage. After all, who doesn’t want to generate laudatory media coverage of their product or service? Which business worth its salt doesn’t see the value in increasing brand awareness?

Nonetheless, some businesses fail to recognize the value of press releases, choosing to focus more on launching endless email campaigns, posting on social media and plowing funds into direct marketing.

However, this omission could be a lost opportunity. After all, press releases – which typically carry a word count of 400-600 – don’t take long to put together and yet, if done well, they can generate leads, create buzz and help you forge connections with influential media figures.

In short, press releases provide free publicity. With a panoply of online portals, news sites, blogs and other mediums seeking to publish valuable, well-written content on a regular basis, there’s no excuse to sit on your news story. Get the word out and you’ll quickly increase visibility for your business.