Getting the media to pay attention to your business may be about the hardest thing you’ll ever undertake for advertising any business. It’s even harder to effectively promote your multiple businesses to the media, but here’s how you can do it:

Press Releases are the Answer

Press releases are buzz that you control, at the outset. This directed information, or directed buzz, can give you a leading edge against any competitors you have, and will create a tangible and solid link between your related businesses in the public eye. It’s important to remember that though press releases are incredibly powerful, they can also backfire badly.

To ensure that your media contact is positive – there are several things you can do:

Hire a Talented Writer

Unless you are a solid writer, it’s simple – hire someone to create your press release. Look on reputable sites for freelancers or find someone local recommended by your chamber of commerse or other trusted information source. Ensure they’ve got adequate experience for the needs of your business and then create an outline that they can work from.
Your freelancer will need a lot of initial input from you to create the basic draft of information, but the more facts and angles you can offer for your business, the easier your press release will pull together.

Efficiency Where Possible

If you’re able to, create other items such as brochures or articles while the writer is available and then you can tie that to your press releases, which will give you a deeper leverage on the areas you’re targeting. Using the writer to their fullest potential will also allow you to gain a return on your investment in them. Allow them to undertake some basic research for you, to create a list of local contacts, and specialized areas to send your release, or articles to.

Target your Press Release

Once you’ve created your press release, the next step is to target your press release. Though you can send press releases to free and distribution outlets, finding all of the local media contacts that accept press releases, and ensuring they are addressed to the appropriate editor or editing team will increase the chance of your release being well received and used. Don’t discount the online outlets either though, so once you’ve submitted to the local and in some cases, national outlets and any specialist presses that may be interested. Then submit to online distribution services, as you may find that surprising contacts come out of them.