Writing a press release can seem quite daunting-much of the advice around press releases we read are for product-based businesses, but what about if you want to write a press release for your service-based business instead? Fear not, you still need a press release!
In my experience in working with small businesses on their PR, a lot of service-based businesses just don’t think that getting press coverage can work for them-they imagine that press coverage is all about product reviews and giveaways and that it won’t work for a service-based business.
But that couldn’t be more wrong! Getting press coverage for your service-based business is a brilliant way to cement you as an authority in your field and get known for what you do.
A press release is a quick and easy way to email journalists-think of it as a cribsheet that best sums up what makes you an expert and how you can help the journalist with their stories. I recommend you write around a page and it includes all the key information about you, your story, and how you help others.
But how do you write a press release for your service-based business when the product is, well you? Here are my top tips. For more support, you might want to check out my press release template bundles or my free press release cheat sheet.
1. Figure out what makes you unique
Whilst a product-based press release is all about selling why we should buy a product, a service-based press release is all about why people should invest in you. Use a press release to outline what makes your service-based offering unique. This might include: giving an overview of your qualifications and expertise; breaking down the different ways people can work with you; explaining who you are and how you can help people and an overview of your business story.
2. Consider what journalists are writing about
Before you write your press release, read some of your favourite magazines and publications to get a feel where you could fit in. We are used to seeing product-based businesses in the media but with service-based businesses, we need to get a little more creative.
For example, if you’re a mental health expert-start by looking for publications about mental health and mindfulness. Do they take guest writers who are experts in your field? What sort of topics do they cover and how does that fit with what you do? Do they often have guest experts in a similar line of work to you providing a quote or being interviewed by the journalist?
You might notice one aspect of your work is more widely written about than others so this can be a good place to focus your press release.
Let’s go back to that mental-health expert example. Whilst it’s okay to have one press release to provide a general overview of your business, some service-based businesses have quite a few different offerings for different audiences.
So, if in your research, you notice that lots are being written about menopausal women and you offer a coaching service for menopausal woman and their mental health, you could choose to focus your press release purely on this side of your work as you know it’s something journalists are interested in. You might then decide to begin there and create another press release, if needed, down the line. The good thing is once you’ve created one, it gets easier!
3. Always write in the 3rd person
Service-based businesses are used to selling to people-but the journalist isn’t your ideal customer. We’re not selling a 121 or membership to the journalist, we’re selling a really great story. Because of this, we always write our service-based press release in the THIRD person-yes that means no ‘I’ or ‘you’. Refer to yourself by name (just like the journalist will who goes on to write about you) and rather than saying things like: ‘I can help you with your mental health switch to ‘(full name) helps busy parents with their mental health.)’
4. Offer yourself as the expert
An easy way to get PR as a service-based business is to offer yourself up as an expert so make sure you have this in your press release and spell out what you can help journalists with. I personally always recommend having a sentence or two at the bottom of your press release spelling out how you can help the journalist as an expert. For example, ‘Jenna Farmer is on hand to provide expert quotes about blogging and working in the media.’ As you don’t have a physical product to send a journalist, being as helpful as possibly by supporting them with their work is often the best way to build relationships.
5. Keep it concise
One of the pitfalls of writing a press release for a service-based business is that they often have an in-depth backstory to share-whether that’s how they started their business or clients’ success stories. However, remember a press release is really just a cribsheet-the journalist will get in touch if they need extra details or more specific answers. I always advise aiming for around a page with your press release so you do need to be careful not to write too much. I always advise the ‘why should they care test?’ For example, a sentence about your qualifications and accreditations is a must but they do need a paragraph on every award you’ve been nominated for or the topic of your dissertation. Focus on the elements that make a good story rather than just what you want to brag about.
If you’ve found these tips useful and feel ready to write your own press release as a service-based business then why not check out my step-by-step template bundle to get you writing your first press release in less than an hour? Simply watch the video tutorial, follow the step-by-step instructions for each paragraph, and then compare against the real-life annotated examples to make sure you’ve got it to spot on before you send it out!