How Much Should You Spend on Press Releases?

A new entrepreneur asked me how much a press release should cost to write and distribute. And the answer is that it can cost anywhere from nothing (if you use your own time and effort to do it yourself) to thousands of dollars (depending on the services used and the distribution).

I think the real question to ask is… Why are you sending out a press release in the first place? If you want to reach a specific audience, perhaps you would be better off talking directly to a reporter at a targeted media venue. Once again, it all comes back to your specific goals and what you want to accomplish with your publicity efforts. Now if you want to announce some news to a large audience, remind media members you have current products and services and get the word out quickly, a press release is probably the way to go. And if you are not a skilled writer, I highly suggest that you find one to write your release for you. After all, you want to make a good impression and I’m sure you have core, business activities that need more of your attention and focus. Where to Get a Press Release To find out more about press releases, check out resources such as PRWeb, PR Newswire, BusinessWire, and PRSA. You’ll also find a lot of sites where you can post your release for free by doing a simple search. Look for pertinent media venues where your audiences hang out and see if there is a place to post news items. Press releases are a great tool for building buzz about your business. But before you spend too many resources on writing and distribution, review your goals and research all of the possibilities. You may want to pursue other publicity opportunities that will give you better results.

By Melanie Rembrandt