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For anyone who sells, press releases matter. They let customers and prospects know that new products or services are available, announce new strategic partnerships, invite people to open houses and tell them how to find you at an industry trade event. Press releases remain one of the most valuable tools for reaching diverse audiences. A well-crafted press release can strengthen your brand, establish thought leadership, and generate new business opportunities. As powerful as a press release can be, it is common for companies in the print industry to exclude them from promotional campaigns. And, sometimes, when they include them, they miss some of the best practices associated with the power of press releases.

Let’s start with what a press release is meant to be. The baseline is that a press release is an official statement intended to share newsworthy information with the media, industry professionals, and the public. In the print industry, many news outlets pick up press releases and run them as they are delivered or use them to develop stories for their readers. Whether you use an agency to write and distribute them or do it with your internal team, there are best practices to consider.