Stop! Before Sending Out a Press Release, Do This!

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Article by Wendy McCance

It drives me crazy!  I will write a press release, hand it over to the client and it is used without tying up their loose ends.  A press release is used to make an announcement, to get noticed and to promote a business or person.  Don’t send out a press release until you are completely ready to get the attention you are after.

I have had a few occasions in the last year where a press release was written and sent out to media outlets, yet there was no website or a halfway completed site at best.

When someone reads about your business, they (hopefully) will be interested enough to look you up.  They will want to learn more about you.  What does it say to a potential customer when they go to a website and your pages aren’t filled in? What if there is no information about the owner or they are promoting a sale, yet there is no mention of the sale on their website?

Worse yet, what does a company look like to a potential customer when they Google the business and nothing or very little shows up?

To anyone who is building a brand or business, I beg you to take care of the details before promoting yourself or your company.

Below are the things that should be in place before making any announcements to the media.

1.  A website with (at absolute bare minimum):

  • an about page
  • contact page
  • home page with information on your product
  • an address, phone number, email and hours of operation.

2.  A Twitter account.

3.  A Facebook page.

4.  A completed LinkedIn profile.

This is all you need to get started.  If you want to look like you are relevant, the above items are absolutely necessary to have in place.  A plus to having the additional social platforms is that you or your company will show up in search results more readily.  Think about it, the more information that can be found about your company in search results, the more established you will appear.

So, before you start announcing your company to the world, make sure you have the proper items in place.  The web is everything these days and showing that you are easy to find in a search result will create a feeling of trust and comfort when a potential customer looks you up.  It’s an easy way to ensure that your press release will be worth the effort and that you have a better shot at getting that success you are after.

Wendy McCance

Wendy McCance is a Michigan based freelance writer and social media consultant. Wendy has gained attention as the founder of the popular blog Searching for the Happiness which can be viewed in 9 local papers online, including the Oakland Press. The combination of writing skills and social media knowledge is what makes Wendy such a powerhouse to work with. Stay tuned for opportunities to advertise, guest post and as always, have your questions answered.

To contact Wendy McCance about a writing or social media assignment, interview or speaking engagement, please email her at: [email protected]

6 thoughts on “Stop! Before Sending Out a Press Release, Do This!

  1. This post came came just in time. I’m getting ready to send out a press release, on a film I’m working on, and a 5 time Grammy winner, music producer. This is a great post. It will come in handy.
    Happy New Year. Blessings.

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