By generating your own news and having it handled professionally, you are increasing considerably your chances of achieving coverage.  While there are no guarantees, you will be advised at the initial discussion stage about the likelihood of success.

Style

Your story will be written in journalistic style. It will be to the point, free of jargon, and possess as strong a news angle as it can.

Where possible, your press release will be humanised or personalised. That's because, whether your story is about a product, an event or whatever else you wish to promote, readers of newspapers and magazines as well as listeners to radio and viewers of TV programmes like to read and hear about people.

Target media

The media that will be targeted are your 'core' media - the ones with which you will have the best opportunities.

Timing

Your press release will be distributed when it has the greatest chance of success because timing can be the difference between a story being picked up by many journalists or only a few.

Just a couple of the numerous 'tricks of the trade' as examples . . .

• Newspapers are often thirsty for news the day AFTER Bank Holidays.
• Local radio love material that they can prepare in advance for broadcast at
  weekends.

Distribution methods

Email is, naturally, the quickest and cheapest form of distribution. That is its strength and its weakness. Many media email addresses are understandably inundated. So, it can be advantageous to send a copy of a story by fax as well - see Payment page for details. It's interesting, even in this era of online communications, how often the fax copy of a press release is the one that is picked up.

Royal Mail shouldn't be discounted totally either - yes it costs more, but on occasion it can be worthwhile.