Greensboro, North Carolina, resident Paul Mason has worked in corporate communications for over 20 years. The director of corporate communications for a leading industrial supply company, Paul Mason of Greensboro has extensive knowledge in media relations and the value of press releases in certain situations.
Press releases are a great tool for businesses to market themselves. They can be used to announce new company products or services that a company is offering, or the company's financial performance, in the case of a publicly traded company. Press releases primarily are aimed at getting news media representatives to cover a company's "news" as contained in the press release. The goal is for the press release to pique a reporter's interest to cover the story and learn more through a follow-up interview with a company leader, subject matter expert or spokesperson. This type of third-party coverage by either mainstream media or trade publications can provide strong third-party endorsement of the credibility of the company and the weight of its announcement.
Most large companies use distribution services like Cision/PRNewswire, BusinessWire or other similar services to distribute their press releases to the news media. However, the added benefit is that these services post press releases on the internet so they can be seen directly by customers, suppliers, investors and other key stakeholders. Small, local market businesses are more likely to send news releases directly to local media to reach their target audience versus using a wire services. Companies of all sizes should post their own press releases on their websites for viewing by the news media and general public. In doing so, the company is able to "tell its story" or share its news in its own words versus coverage by the news media, which may or may not tell the story in the same manner.
There certainly are some cases in which a company may not elect to use a press release. For example, participating in an industry trade show is not newsworthy to the news media and would not attract coverage, nor are basic aspects of the company's business like hours of operation. In those cases, a company may elect to promote its participation and brand directly to its target audience through the use of social media.
Press releases are a great tool for businesses to market themselves. They can be used to announce new company products or services that a company is offering, or the company's financial performance, in the case of a publicly traded company. Press releases primarily are aimed at getting news media representatives to cover a company's "news" as contained in the press release. The goal is for the press release to pique a reporter's interest to cover the story and learn more through a follow-up interview with a company leader, subject matter expert or spokesperson. This type of third-party coverage by either mainstream media or trade publications can provide strong third-party endorsement of the credibility of the company and the weight of its announcement.
Most large companies use distribution services like Cision/PRNewswire, BusinessWire or other similar services to distribute their press releases to the news media. However, the added benefit is that these services post press releases on the internet so they can be seen directly by customers, suppliers, investors and other key stakeholders. Small, local market businesses are more likely to send news releases directly to local media to reach their target audience versus using a wire services. Companies of all sizes should post their own press releases on their websites for viewing by the news media and general public. In doing so, the company is able to "tell its story" or share its news in its own words versus coverage by the news media, which may or may not tell the story in the same manner.
There certainly are some cases in which a company may not elect to use a press release. For example, participating in an industry trade show is not newsworthy to the news media and would not attract coverage, nor are basic aspects of the company's business like hours of operation. In those cases, a company may elect to promote its participation and brand directly to its target audience through the use of social media.
