Writing and distributing press releases

[german]

Hi,

 

does anyone use a service to write and distribute press releases (regarding

your wedding photography business)?

 

Can you recommend a good one for Los Angeles, California?

 

Can you mention your experience with sending it to the local press (at about

$99) or for internet distribution ($300)?

 

Thanks,

 

German S.

[dave_thielen]

This isn't a direct answer to your question, but deals with the issue of press releases in general.

 

What do you want to accomplish with the press release?

 

If it is just to let the media know your are in business, then don't bother. It will pretty much be a waste of your time. If you are in a small enough community, they already know, and if they want to do a story on you they will contact you. If you are in a larger community (as in LA) then the only hope you have of getting some ink on paper is to pay for it AKA advertising.

 

If on the otherhand, you have something that their readers would want to know about - then a quick phone call to the appropriate editor will probably work wonders.

 

But while you are thinking about this, remember - the editors that open their own mail do so with a very large garbage can beside them. If you do not catch their attention in the first 20 words, your piece will hit the can. If somebody else opens the mail for them, then you have an even smaller chance of them even seeing it.

 

A trip to your bookstore and getting a copy of a book on writing press releases would probably be a better investment than hiring somebody to write it and send it for you. Because press releases really are quite simple - you cover the five W - Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How, in a desending order of importance to the reader.

 

However, if you want to get past the original garbage can, it has to be written from the point of view of the reader. So German S. announced today.... is pretty much a guarantee to hit the garbage.

 

However, Brides in (insert local area) now have a new option for their wedding photography.... will at least get read (as long as local area is in the distribution area of the media involved).

[msquarephoto]

I used to do press releases. I can tell you that if you're not a person of note, print media won't even care. They would, in fact, be annoyed with receiving another piece of valueless paper that they have to process....even if to the recycling bin (LA is very green). As Dave wrote, advertise or get some photo scoop that might be of interest.

 

Aryc

[douglas lee]

My wife has done marketing communications for a number of years. She would agree with

both Arye and Dave. As Ayre said, if you are not a person of note ....

[german]

Hey,

 

thanks guys for your point of view and advise. (You may have saved me a bunch of money!)

 

At marketing source they have a good guide to use in writing our own press releases (http://www.marketingsource.com/pressreleases/pr_ebook.pdf).

 

Now, they charge way too much to distribute them and of course there is no guarantee that anybody will ever see the release in print.

 

When I started checking these services today I was of the idea it would be $20 or a bit more for the service to distribute said release (for that is how much they charged me to distribute a previous p. r. here in Utah). I guess pricing is "a bit" different for L.A.! Some people told me they read about my services in the local papers when I used said service here.

 

In any case, I'll have to see if I find another service to distribute them without the high cost and also use money for a more direct approach (advertising!) as suggested.

 

Thanks again.

 

G.