Get Your Restaurant Noticed With Press Releases
How would you like to have an article about your restaurant appear in the newspaper instead of just being one of the many advertisments littering the pages?
The simplest way to make this happen is by sending a press release to your local media outlets (newspaper, radio, and tv). Approx. 70% of the material in newspapers is the result of press releases. Everyday, your local newspaper (or television station) must come up with new and worthwhile stories to fill their pages with.
Benefits of Press Releases
Press Releases are an amazing way to promote and get free advertising for your restaurant. A steady flow of news helps to make a small business more visible to the public and creates favorable interest in its activities.
A press release that results in a quarter page story about your restaurant can be worth thousands of dollars of free advertising. When your business is the focus of an article in the newspaper, their inherent authority and established trust is transferred to your business. After all, if the newspaper deemed your restaurant worthy of writing about then you must be important.
However, an advertisement of the same size that must be repeated constantly for consumers to become familiar with it. The price for a single 1/4 page advertisement can run anywhere from $300 in a local newspaper all the way up to $10,000 for one in the New York Times. Then consider the fact that an ad must be viewed an average of 10 times before a consumer notices it.
What is a press release?
Press releases-are brief, printed statements that outline the major facts of a news story in journalistic style...a small business may need to prepare press releases in order to disseminate new information about its products, services, operations, or other activities.
In general, a newsworthy story should be timely, of general or human interest, and somewhat unusual.
In his book Public Relations for the Entrepreneur and the Growing Business, Norman Soderberg lists several possible types of news stories that a small business could generate. For example, the promotion, transfer, or hiring of personnel, an upcoming event, the offering of a new product and joining an association are all newsworthy events that might occur in a small business.
In addition, human interest stories might arise from the unusual hobbies or avocations of employees, the success of company-sponsored sports teams or events, or the company's participation in charity or community activities. If a small business received an award or a visit from a celebrity, these events might provide impetus for a news story as well.
Formatting A Press Release
It is crucial that your press release be professionally written and in the correct format. More than 80% of press release are thrown in the garbage can because they are not in the correct format or aren't newsworthy.
TaDa - the Travel and Dining Association, an association for independent restaurants, has eliminated this problem for its members by emailing them 4 different professionally prepared press releases each month that they just have to customize with the restaurant's name and their contact information. For more information about TaDa, go to www.mytada.biz.
For an example of a correctly formatted press release, click here.
Build A Relationship With Your Local Media Professionals
It can only help your business if you take the time to develop a relationship with your local media professionals. It is a good idea to start by finding not only which department but also a specific person, if possible, to send your press releases to. Then go one step further and invite them to dine at your restaurant. Having a mutually beneficial relationship with members of your local press is truly priceless.
Press releases are one of the most cost-effective ways of attracting new customers and increasing visits by your existing customers because they're essentially free advertising. The hour or two it takes to write is more then worth the thousands of dollars of free advertising and new business, one can bring through your door.
About the Author:
Miss Bayfield is one of the founders of the Travel and Dining Association (TaDa) an association dedciated to providing independent restaurants with the tools they need to compete. For more information, please visit www.mytada.biz and www.doyoutada.com
Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Get Your Restaurant Noticed With Press Releases