Report: How the press release can increase sales

If you think all you have to do is put a few product details on a page, a price point and ship it off to interested new hubs, you are mistaken. That is the word from a new report from the Society for New Communications Research.

by Kristina Knight

The report finds that, despite the fact that press releases are a good way to get news coverage, the information included could get your press release dropped instead of picked up.

In the past, and even now, press releases are used primarily to increase business' profile and to announce news; of almost equal importance is reaching consumers. And this is where many businesses need to improve their press release writing.

In addition to including the product name and possible uses, businesses need to include how the product can make things easier or better for the consumer; by adding these facts, news hubs are more likely to pick up the press release to create a new story. That news story, in turn, will reach more consumers.

The challenge is in including the information of most use to consumers and reporters without cluttering the copy and creating an overloaded feel for the reader. Press releases also need to be targeted. Sending a press release for cleaning supplies, for instance, will be of no use to a news hub focused on better business practices.