Press Release Writing Services

A press release for a local business? Isn’t that a thing for corporations?

It’s true — corporations are the biggest users and abusers of PR. A neverending river of self-aggrandizing press releases flows from corporate headquarters.

But a well-timed press release can make perfect sense for some local businesses and nonprofits.

To announce a special event, like the 25th anniversary of business
To broadcast a new service
To highlight something of note, like the winning of an award

Properly written and distributed, a press release reads almost like a news story. Many articles that now pass as “news” in the mainstream press are cleverly crafted press releases.

Why Write & Distribute a Press Release?

A press release offers a fast and easy way to publicize your brand and extend your reach. News outlets, especially local ones, may republish your press release for free.

Are you opening a new store? Send out a press release to let customers know about it and help them find it.
Are you donating to charity? A press release will promote your company and the causes it supports.
Are you hosting a special event? A press release is much cheaper than TV or even radio.
Are you launching a new product? A press release complements traditional advertising and lasts much longer when published online.
Are you offering new senior discounts? More than any other demographic, seniors read the paper.

Press Releases Are Surprisingly Cheap

Compared to other forms of advertising (yes, we’ll come clean and admit they’re glorified ads), press releases are inexpensive to produce.

It takes a couple of hours to write one — less if you have a press release template for recurring events.
They don’t require design or SEO expertise.
Distribution is a 20-minute exercise.

Today, there are more good low-cost distribution platforms than ever. Gone are the days when you shelled out $750 or more to transmit a badly-written press release through PR Newswire. The internet has democratized PR and made it available to everyone.

Why Culture Cube for Your Press Releases?

First, and possibly the most crucial point to small business owners, we won’t fleece you. We’ll write a quality press release and distribute it on a quality platform at a fair price.

Second, we’ve been around the marketing block. Some Culture Cube staff have worked in marketing for over two decades, including stints with Fortune 500 corporations. We’ve been on the receiving end of the press release scam.

At many agencies and PR firms, junior employees and interns write press releases. It shows in the results.
Some agencies barely understand what a press release is and what it should accomplish. They write puff pieces and not legitimate news-oriented press releases. Puff pieces do nothing to promote your business. Regular news outlets won’t republish them.
But at Culture Cube, experienced and qualified staff handle all writing chores, including PR. They’ve authored media releases for corporations and built entire PR campaigns for small businesses and nonprofits.

Our Guidelines for Press Releases

A successful press release should accomplish two goals:

It must be newsworthy. That usually means it’s timely and has an urgency to it.
It should promote your brand or product in a favorable light.

Ideally, the press release should follow these guidelines:

It should be short — 400-500 words.
It should include a catchy headline summarizing the news you’re announcing.
The first paragraph should answer the 5Ws (who, what, when, where, why) so that readers know what the rest of the press release is about.
Subsequent paragraphs can provide more details about your announcement.
The last paragraph should contain a call to action (e.g., “For more information, visit www.example.com”).
It should be written in the third person.
It should use correct grammar, punctuation, and spelling.

How to Distribute Your Press Release for Maximum Effect

The old-school way of distributing press releases is to pay a service like PR Newswire to send it out to news outlets for you. That method still works if you have a large budget and don’t mind spending $750 or more per release.

If you want more bang for your buck, lower-cost alternatives will accomplish similar results at a fraction of the price. They don’t load the press release for you — it’s strictly a DIY affair in a WYSIWYG interface. We’ll do the work as part of your press release package.

Here are some popular low-cost press release platforms:

PRWeb: One of the most-used press release distribution services, PRWeb starts at $99 per release.
PR Leap: A less well-known but effective service, PR Leap’s basic package starts at $69 per release.
PR Underground: Another low-cost provider, PR Underground’s rates start at $49 per release.

When You Should (and Shouldn’t) Issue a Press Release

There are certain situations when it makes sense to issue a press release and others when it doesn’t. Here are some examples of each:

When you should issue a press release:

You’ve just won an award or been honored in some way by your industry
You’re launching a new product or service
You’re holding a special event, such as a grand opening
You’re relocating your business

When you shouldn’t issue a press release:

You haven’t done anything newsworthy (save your breath and money in this case)
You’re trying to sell something that’s not genuinely newsworthy (again, save your breath)

Would you like to learn more? Please contact us for help with your next press release!