Should I Hire A PR Firm?
The answer to this question will vary for most people. The best answer today, may not be the best answer a year from now. As a small start-up you may not have the funds readily available for a firm and I firmly believe that you don’t need one. There are many ways to write a press release, but the information news organizations need is pretty standard. The sad part is that information is often buried in the third or fourth paragraph, and many assigning editors never get to it. I’m sure I’ve missed a few juicy stories here and there simply because I couldn’t make it past all the unnecessary gunk.
The most important information, however is what makes your company/event/product worthy of news coverage. IF you want to write an effective press release, ask yourself this question: “Why should anyone care?”
That’s the information you have to provide. THAT is the selling point, nothing else. And who is better equipped to provide that information? You, or a PR firm? Who will sound more sincere and passionate when relaying that information to an assignment editor over the phone? You or the PR professional? I think you know the answer to that.
So I say save that money upfront. Contact every single local media outlet you can think of and find out who you need to contact. Try to reach them by phone and see if you can spark their interest in the first 30 seconds. If you do, you’ll likely get another 30 seconds and maybe even a few questions and a request for additional information.
This isn’t rocket science, and that’s what I want you to get from this blog entry if nothing else. You can do this.
You’re good at what you do and you deserve media coverage, right? So go tell them why they should care!
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