Do you send out news releases about your product or service on a regular basis?

If you don't, you could be missing out on a pot o' gold.

Many publications will print your news release, word for word. The exposure costs you nothing but the stamp, the envelope, and the letterhead it's written on.

Even better, a published article adds instant credibility to your organization. That's because a lot of people think (at least subconsciously) that if something is in writing, it must be true.

Here's a hint to help make sure your news release gets published: Keep the hype down. For example, don't use exclamation points (!). Think about it ... most newspaper and magazine articles don't use them.

Know your market... If most of your clients are female, put news releases in popular female magazines.

Effective news releases (Part 1)

Every day, the media are bombarded with news releases.

They can't use all of them. How can you make yours stand out so that it's more likely to be noticed?

Here are three tips:

1. Use a strong headline. If the headline doesn't grab the news editor's attention, he might not bother reading any further.
2. Include all necessary contact information: company name, contact name, address, e-mail address, telephone number, and fax number.
3. Don't call it a press release -- unless you're sending it only to newspapers. Call it a news release or a media release.

Here are three tips to make your news release look more professional:

1. Make it legible. Leave lots of white space, and don't get carried away with fancy formatting. If it isn't easy to read, it might not get read.
2. Keep it short. Try to get your message across in one page, or two at the most.
3. Write it right. Typos and poor grammar will hurt your image and your credibility. Check it for mistakes, and then ask someone else to double-check it.

"My goal is to translate response into results.
Some teachers teach for others to learn. That's not me.
Some teachers teach for others to accomplish. That IS me."
   - By Jim Rohn