Welcome to the Best News Release Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page. Below, we have tried to answer the most common questions we get about news releases. If you find that your question is not answered on this page, please e-mail us.

What’s the difference between a press release and a news release?

Why should I send out a news release?

What are some news releases I could send out?

Is my news release guaranteed to be used by the media?

Why should I include all my contact information in the release?

How long will it take for BestNewsRelease.com to produce my news release?

I already have a news release. Would BestNewsRelease.com edit, format and generally make it more readable and effective?

What does the ### and -30- at the end of a news release mean?

Now that I have my news release, what do I do?
 

Q: What’s the difference between a press release and a news release?
A: Press release is the standard term used to describe a release of information to the press, back when the media world was predominantly print journalism. With the tremendous amount of radio, television and online media today, however, the term news release has become the standard.

There are also media advisories or alerts, but they are traditionally not printed or carried on air by the media, but are more of an “advisory” document providing basic info about a situation, alerting the media to something they may want to cover.

Q: Why should I send out a news release?
A: Not sending out regular news releases is like having thousands of free dollars to market your business and not using them. Newspapers have space to fill on a daily basis, as do radio stations, television stations and Web sites. By issuing a news release - or better yet a regularly scheduled series of news releases - you will become positioned as an expert in your field, and your business or service will receive tons of valuable (and FREE) exposure to your current clients and potential customers.

Q: What are some news releases I could send out?
A: The list is endless. Here are just a few examples:

• You’ve announced a new product or service
• An anniversary of your business - 5th year, 10th, 25th, 50th, etc.
• A new employee, partner, associate
• You’ve promoted someone to a senior level position, such as VP, CEO, etc.
• A new building, a new address
• A new telephone number, or maybe you’ve added toll-free service
• Your company has just secured a major contract or grant
• Awards you, your company or your employees have won
• You’ve created or redesigned Web site or blog
• A sale on your products or service
• You’ve attended a major conference related to your profession
• You’re going to be/or have presented at a conference
• You’re giving a speech
• You’re going to host an event - book signing, workshop, speaker, fundraiser, etc.
• You’ve been appointed to a board, authority or commission
• You’ve been elected to office in your trade group, professional association or even your local civic club
• Your company is offering a free workshop
• You’ve written a book, whether traditional or e-book
• You’ve authored a trade journal article or other industry publication
• You’ve created a podcast
• You have a radio show or program on your local public access channel
• You’ve launched a newsletter, either traditional or electronic
• You’ve written a tips booklet
• Your company is making a contribution to a charity
• Your nonprofit has received a charitable contribution
• You’re sponsoring an event or some other “good deed” for the community
• You’re hosting a charity event or participating in some way
• You’re having an open house or giving building tours
• Your company is having its annual awards program
• Your company has created a white paper
• You are featured in your college or university’s alumni publication
• You’ve issued your annual report
• A celebrity (local, regional or national) is visiting your company
• Your company has handled an unusual order or customer request - large, quirky, etc.
• You are tying your product or service in with holidays and celebrations
• And the list goes on and on.

Q: Is my news release guaranteed to be used by the media?
A: No, there’s no guarantee your release will lead to a feature story or appearance on your local 6 p.m. news, but we do promise to provide you a well written, clear and concise news release capable of generating valuable attention to you and your business.

Q: Why should I include all my contact information in the release?
A: Oh, let’s see... you go to all the time and trouble to send out a news release, it makes it through the gauntlet of news editors, and then gets assigned to a reporter. The problem is, reporters most often don’t work a 9-5 job. So you’ve gone home for the night to have dinner with the family and the reporter calls your office number (probably even the main number because you didn’t want to list your direct line) and gets no answer. What do you think happens next? Your news release ends up in the circular file and your story is dead. While it might be a compelling story, reporters today are underpaid, overworked and just don’t have time to chase you down. So you’ll want to give them your cell number, your home number, a pager number, e-mail address, etc. Any possible way they can get up with you will help ensure that your story is the one used. And if a reporter has had a lead fall through and wasn’t planning on covering your news release, if you have after hours contact information and he/she is on deadline to fill space, they will give you a call. And if you do a good job and they realize you’re someone that is reachable when they need you, you’ll probably be added to their “Rolodex” of experts to call on - a valuable list to be on!

Q: How long will it take for Best News Release to produce my news release?
A: Woodrow T. Wilson once said, “If I am to speak 10 minutes, I need a week for preparation. If 15 minutes, three days. If half an hour, two days. If an hour, I am ready now.” Writing a news release is the same. We don’t just throw words on a page and say thanks. We like to craft the best possible news release we can. Therefore, from start to finish, we allow 48-72 hours. We can handle rush jobs if needed, just let us know up front what your deadline is and we’ll see what’s possible with our current schedule of projects.

Q: I already have a news release. Would Best News Release edit, format and generally make it more readable and effective?
A: We’d be glad to. Our cost for re-writing and formatting existing news releases is $75. We realize it’s not much of a discount off the price of our basic news release, but to be honest, we need to go through pretty much all the steps to re-write a news release as we would to start from scratch.

Q: What does the ### and the -30- at the end of a news release mean?
A: According to Wikipedia, "-30-" is a traditional closing for a press release. It started during the Civil War when telegraphers tapped "XXX" at the end of a transmission. XXX is the Roman numeral for 30. Essentially it signifies the end of the news release.

Q: Now that I have my news release, what do I do?
A: Good question. Having a well written news release but not putting it into the hands of potential customers is a wasted effort. Let’s first say that Best News Release is not a news release submission company - we specialize in crafting news releases that will generate results - so we’re not pitching news releases just so we can make money on distributing them for you. There are lots of news release submission companies out there, including free sites such as SanePR, PRFree and PR.com, as well as a lot of others that charge for that service.

So, after we send you your news release, you will want to send it to all of your local media. We suggest sending it by e-mail, but you can also mail it if you like. Most media outlets today have the contact information on how to send them news on their Web sites, so you can create your own distribution list. You’ll also want to send the release to your alumni publications and any trade publications that cover your area of business. Post the release online on your Web site to reach the millions of potential customers who are online, perhaps even creating a media room with other valuable information. Put copies in your billing statements, use as handouts at your next speaking engagement, have copies available in your lobby, etc. In other words, your news release should go to the media that cover you and your business, but don’t overlook the other areas where you can use it.