Are Press Releases a Waste of Time? If you fear your press releases are getting stuck in the round file, try something new: Write the article yourself.

I was sending press releases all summer...and getting noresponse. I changed my approach, and now I have my own weekly liveradio show starting this month.

Wouldn't it be great if you had to keep customers waiting atyour door because you were too busy? I think it's everyentrepreneur's dream to have qualified buyers ringing the phoneoff the hook. Attracting good customers is always a better strategythan finding good customers; the question is, How is that done? Formany businesspeople, the use of a creative press release has been astaple of any low-cost marketing campaign. Media exposure andpublicity is the most cost-effective way to market your productsand services. More important, it helps build credibility becauseyour audience is more likely to trust an independent third partylike an editor, broadcaster, columnist or reporter.

I added a press release component to my marketing mix lastspring. These releases reflected on me personally, so I reallywanted to make sure the campaign was professionally done. I did afew things upfront to make sure the campaign worked. I subscribedto a well-known national media list that was updated each quarter.I did my research and learned how to write newsworthy releases,followed the standard format and then started sending out myreleases.