Press releases can be a great, affordable way to get the word out about your local or small business. If you know how to write a press release yourself that are many free distribution tools now a days that allow you to make this form of marketing virtually free. The key is to be able to catch the eye of someone that will write a story about your company. Learn what you should include in your press release, where you can distribute it and how this can help market your small or local business.

1. Writing a Small Business
Press Release
Brought to you by the marketing experts at
www.demandmart.com

2. One public relations tool small businesses can
easily implement to gain relatively inexpensive
visibility in their markets is the small business
press release. A press release is a specific who,
what, where, when and why announcement
about a company’s newsworthy event that is
distributed to the media to entice them to write
and run an article about the company.

3. Press releases are short and succinct; the
compelling small business press release is
skillfully crafted with creative, newsworthy
content to engage reporters and media outlets.
Posted on your own small business website, a
press release rich with keywords that attract
search engines can secondarily function as a
marketing tool. A small business press release
can attract new customers, garner publicity for
your business, and bring more traffic
to your website.

4. What to Include
• There are a number of common events for almost any
business that can be newsworthy milestones and
appropriate for a small business press release.
• These events demonstrate your innovation, expertise,
company growth, and industry recognition.
• Release of a new product or new product features
• Hiring of new employees
• Announcement of awards or recognitions
• Promotional or charitable events
• Announcing new business partnerships
• Reporting on interesting survey results

5. Press Release Elements
Headline:
The headline is the most important element of your press
release as it is the “hook” that contains keywords and entices
readers to continue reading.
• It should be short, creative, informative and under 80
characters: Demandmart.com Integrates E-Commerce
Partnerships with One Click Events
Summary:
The summary is a short synopsis of the event in no more than
four sentences.
• Like the headline, the summary should have impact as
media outlets may only see the title and summary followed
by a link to the press release.
• If the summary does not make an impression, your press
release may go unread.

6. Body:
The body of the press release always begins with the
city, state, month, day and date followed by 2 dashes:
– Miami Beach, FL May 1, 2010 -- The body of the press release
contains the who, what, where, when and why details of the
event. This information should be engaging and informative
without showing bias. A press release that blatantly advertises or
shows bias will be tossed aside and your small business will lose
credibility when engaging the press.
• The body of your press release should be between 300-800
words.
• Be sure to include facts and relevant information backed up
by quotes from company leaders and experts in the industry.
• Bios of key players in the event will reveal
experience, expertise and motivations that add credibility to
the event and generate interest.
• Include websites (not emails) where readers can learn more
information about a person or an event.

7. About Company ABC:
Include company description that reveals the
nature of your small business, its products,
services and locations.
Contact Information:
– Media Contact:
Name
Phone number
Website address

8. Press Release Distribution
• There are many newswire services that can distribute
your small business press release to a variety of media
outlets.
• In addition, posting your press release in HTML format
into your website will drive customers to your website.
• Sending bulk emails to reporters and news media with
one message can be viewed as crass marketing and
impersonal.
• Tailor individual messages to each media outlet and
reporter; your first impression will be professional and
your message will be taken more seriously.

9. 60 Day Free Trial
Capture and share leads, build local networks, while
marketing online today!
Try demandmart free for 60 days. Visit demandmart.com and
enter the code Slideshare.
demandmart will
– Create a personalized marketing profile
– Submit your company to leading search engines and directories
– Allow you to build business networks and share leads
– Provide an easy to use blog and newsletter tool
– Allow you to easily create and share coupons
– Provide a simple to use appointment request system
– Send automatic email responses your customers