Where to Send a Press Release
After you have written your press release and structured it in a professional and eye grabbing way the next think to decide is where to send it.
Local Press
The story should always carry some weight on a local basis so always send it to the local newspapers, magazines and radio stations. Remember if there is a specific journalist that tends to cover stories on your industry sector it is always best to get the press release directly into that persons hands.
Maximise your Localisation
When sending to local press always localise the story. For example a new company with three directors from three different counties might well expect to get local press coverage in all three counties.
To achieve this it is vitally important to tweak the release slightly when sending it out to the press in the different counties. In Dublin the press release might have a heading “Clontarf woman involved in high potential start up” whilst in Tipperary it might be “Thurles man involved in high potential start-up”
Its best to go a little bit further than this by including direct quotes from the most relevant director in the press release that goes out.
If the company has only one director. Lets say its a woman from Cork who is starting a business in Co Clare don’t forget the fact that she is a Cork native would make the story relevant to the local media in Cork as well.
Don’t Forget the Online Outlets
Don’t forget that most counties now have specialist regional online news sites too. For example in Mayo you got www.mayotoday.ie and in Wicklow you got www.wicklownews.net. Many people forget about these news outlets and thus your chances of being published here might be greater. The other super thing about have a press release published by an online news outlet is that they will often link the story back to your website and thus help to drive traffic to your site.
National Press
Your Business is Important to you but not everyone!
As important as your business is to you if your press release is not of National significance it is best not to bother wasting your time and energy sending press releases to national newspaper titles, tv stations and radio stations.
To achieve National media coverage you got to be able to potrait how the press release is relevant to the country as a whole as opposed to your locality.
For example if it is a SPAR shop in Waterford that are opening a new deli counter it would be extremely difficult for them to achieve National press coverage. On the other hand you could have a very small start-up business but because your selling online and delivering nationally your press release might carry some weight with the National press.
When sending to journalists who work on behalf of the National press it is therefore important to your terms like “Ireland” and “Nationally” or “throughout the country”
Again it is key to get your press releases in the right hands. If your company doubled its turnover in the past 12 months the news reporter might not give a damn but the Business editor might find your press release very interesting.
The Colour Story Angle
All media outlets like to cover what is termed colour stories. If what you are doing is someway unique or your doing as a result of changes in your personal circumstances this might be a way to achieve national coverage.
For example if John lost 5 stone and decided to become a Personal fitness trainer having been on social welfare payments for 5 years this might well be worthy of National media coverage.
Therefore it is important if possible to add a life-story element to your press release.
This type of press release might get nowhere with the business editor but the editor of the weekend magazine or health magazine might find it appealing.
Sector Specialists
Most industry sectors have specialist sector or trade magazines, online news site or specific radio and television programme so be sure to research those that are relevant to your business sector and get your press release to the relevant contacts.
For example if you running a technology based business you might want to get your press releases to Technology Ireland Magazine and the ComputerScope magazine. You should also submit it to the online technology news site www.siliconrepublic.com and to www.techcentral.ie. Get the release to specialist technology reporters in all National daily and weekend newspapers. Get it to the George Hook Show on Newstalk as this show covers a piece on technology weekly. The opportunities are endless you just got to find them. A good website for sourcing industry specific media contacts is www.medialive.ie
Online Press Release sites to submit to
There are a number of websites where you can submit your press releases to for free.
The main Irish sites include www.news4media.ie and www.irishpressreleases.ie.
News4media have an extensive journalist database who receive an email very morning with a brief on the latest press releases submitted on the site.
Another site to consider submitting your press release is www.prlog.org
Related Links
Why are press releases important
How to write an effective press release
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