Creating Effective Messages
The goal of public relations is to disseminate information about a business. This information can be in advance of upcoming events or product launches, or to quell rumors or stop the spread of incorrect information about a company. Public relations also involves proactively educating staff on responding to media so incorrect information is not released in the first place.
Many small businesses and start-ups lack large advertising budgets; they rely on public relations to build a "buzz" about an upcoming business or product launch. One goal of a public relations campaign is to generate editorial coverage for a business, because editorial coverage is perceived as more authentic than advertising.
Effective Messages
A press release contains all the pertinent information about an event, product, or company.
The problem is getting attention from the media is not easy. The solution is to craft well-written, attention-getting press releases and submit them to the right media outlets. For example, a fashion press release should go to fashion-related media, not a sports journal.
Media Communication
All communication with the media should be clear, concise, and contain all of the pertinent information about the event (or product) such as date, time, and location. This information is often the most critical, so it should be at the top of the press release.
Many press releases also include some background information about the company and sometimes the team members for a particular project. This information is generally found at the bottom of the press release.
Remember to keep the communications free of typos and grammatical errors. For maximum effect, try to incorporate attention-grabbing language. One way to get attention is to describe a problem, and explain how the business or product solves that problem.