You might think the most important thing in a press release about your salon is that it gets printed. Wrong – if doesn’t even get read in the first place, it never has a chance to make it to print or on air or online.
Or maybe you’ve never considered writing a press release for your salon at all. In which case, consider it your ticket to free coverage in industry or community papers and publications. Did your salon win an award? Are you hosting a charity drive? Then drafting a press release to send to your local paper’s news desk is the perfect way to get the positive attention such news deserves.
Open Small Business Forum writer Shira Levine offers a few tips on writing a good press release.
First and foremost, learn the format. Reporters are busy, busy, and won’t spend several minutes hunting for the actual news hidden beneath the long story or the series of irrelevant info. Have an informative headline (ABC Salon Raises $1,000 for XYZ Charity vs. A Touching Story of Hope). And put the five Ws right up front: who, what, when, where and why. Then consider adding your anecdotes or extra info. But remember...
The shorter, the better. You shouldn’t write anything longer than one page – if the person you’re sending it to needs more info, include the best person to contact to get it. Which brings us to:
Include contact info. And not just any contact info – someone who can speak on behalf of the salon and the info in the press release, and is available. In a deadline-centric newsroom, waiting for a call back just won’t fly.
Use quotes You can even quote yourself, as the owner or manager. React to the news: “We are honored to be named Best Local Business.” Or quote someone affected by the news: if it’s a charity drive, get a quote from the charity director.
Don’t be afraid to follow up. Make a polite inquisition to the media outlet – do not harass or harangue them. If your press release included hi-res photos, they could have been filtered out or bounced back without a notice.
For more tips, click on the source article.
Source:
Open Small Business Forum: How to Write a Winning Press Release: A step-by-step guide
