How To Make News With a Press Release
All three organizations are excited to join forces for this fun event. Jeffrey Davis, founder and CEO of Paws and Care, says, “We are honored to help the Springfield SPCA raise funds for and awareness about their upcoming expansion. They are doing amazing work for homeless pets in our community, and we are pleased to be able to give back in this small way.”
Canine Clips is located at 437 Winding Way, across the street from Sycamore Park. For more information about the event, please visit pawsandcaretraining.com/dogwash, or call 812.474.3991.
Turning Your Press Release into Press
Now that you’ve got a great press release, it’s time to do something with it. Start by cultivating good relationships. Even small local publications and TV news programs receive many press releases, so it’s a good idea to develop and maintain a contact list of editors and producers who are most likely to be interested in your news. Check in regularly, even if you don’t have anything to share, to see what kinds of stories these folks are looking for, and to make sure there hasn’t been a staffing change.
When you send your release (usually by email), include a personal note, and follow up in the next day or two with a phone call.
You can also post your press release online using any number of free press release companies. While not as powerful an SEO tool as they once were, online press releases can still occasionally lead people to your door, and they’re free.
When the Silence is Deafening
If your news doesn’t get picked up, don’t lose hope. You may be a victim of bad timing—for example, having to compete with a big school board election taking up lots of space in your local paper the week you issue your release. Or you may be the fifth person in three days to send a release about a similar kind of story. Be persistent, and it will eventually pay off.
And even if your news isn’t deemed newsworthy at the time, you can repurpose your press release into a blog post or other web content to keep your website fresh and interesting. Share the information in your print and email newsletters, too. That way, even if you don’t make the local news or papers, your time and efforts have been well spent.