Use Press Releases to Publicize Your Business

One of the most underutilized and best kept secrets in effective marketing is the use of the Press Release. It is an easy, no-cost way to spread the word about your business. A well-written press release can be used to describe events, grand openings, new services you provide, new personnel, or even new products that you are using in your business.

The content must be newsworthy and cannot appear to be an ad for your cleaning service.

Press Releases can be sent to 2 different markets:

1. Local media such as newspapers, TV and radio stations, Chambers of Commerce, and trade associations.  This release would announce an event or award or participation in an event and would appeal to the local community. Example:  ABC Company is hosting the St. Pete Chamber of Commerce monthly breakfast on (date and time)….etc.
2. Press Release distribution sites.  These will be more generic about your company and go out over the internet to have a broader appeal. Example:  ABC Company located in St. Pete, Florida announces that it is now offering a Green Cleaning Program to all clients and has recently become Green Seal Certified.

There are many free press release distribution sites on the web that cost nothing and publish almost everything. Freepressrelease.com and PRLog.com are just two of the hundreds that will appear when you search for free press release sites. Submission to local papers and media is more scrutinized for content and form and can be rejected easily.  Call your local paper to get their specific requirements for press releases to insure yours is not rejected.

So how do you write an effective Press Release? What's the format?

DO:

• Double space
• Use Black Ink
• Proofread
• White Paper
• One Page

DON'T:

• Use all caps except for the words:  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
• Change fonts, underline or use exclamation points
• Use a colored font or background
• Submit as an email attachment

Format as follows on company letterhead:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact information (name-address-phone-web-email)
City and State 

Headline (centered)
City- The lead sentence contains the most powerful and important information in 25 words or less, should grab the reader's attention and be strong enough to stand alone.
Keep paragraphs short and answer the questions; who, what, where, when and why.
Final paragraph is a summary of key points and short blurb about the company.  Always include: for more information contact Mary Smith at 888-123-4567 etc.

Always end a press release with three pound signs as this is the universal symbol that the press release is finished.
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How do we send the press release to make sure it gets published?

There are 3 accepted ways to send Press Releases: pick any two (all 3 are not necessary)

1. Email is the fastest method. Send the email directly to the person who will be responsible for publishing it.  Call ahead to get the correct name and email address.  Don't send a mass mailing through email or do a BCC as they will get rejected. Send one at a time to the correct address.
2. Snail mail is the 2nd choice and should arrive a few days after the email has been sent.  Address the press release to the appropriate person.
3. Faxing is the least desirable choice as it often will be discarded and not get to the right person.

Overall, email is the preferred method to send a release because it is easy for an editor to copy and paste into a new article.  To repeat, don't send as an attachment as often editors won't open the attachment. Make their job easy by including the release in the body of the email.

When submitting online, make sure you follow the rules each site has in place so your release is not rejected.

Press Release writing and submission is one of the easiest ways to get FREE no cost publicity for your cleaning company. What's better than that? It costs you nothing except a little time and an internet connection.  There are many services who will even write the release for you. Now that part is not free.

You now know about one of the best kept secrets in marketing and how to do it.  Take advantage of this knowledge and maximize your exposure with Press Releases.

Sharon Cowan is the President/CEO of Cleaning Business Consulting Group/Maid For Success. CBCG is a consulting firm specializing in helping cleaning companies who engage in cleaning commercial and residential accounts. Sharon can be reached at www.cleaningbusinessconsultinggroup.com or www.maidforsuccess.com. or email her at: info@maidforsuccess.com.

See her profile at: http://www.thejanitorialstore.com/public/603.cfm