The Software Developer's Press Release FAQ - part 1 of 5

Since the birth of the commercial software industry in the late 1960's, press releases have been an essential part of every software developer's toolbox. Press releases are an inexpensive way to generate interest and excitement about your software, ultimately resulting in more software sales.

For more than 24 years, I've been working with software developers, full-time, to help them write press releases and send them to the editors. Over the next five issues of this newsletter, I'm going to give you all the information that you'll need to create and send press releases, so you can compete with the large software developers in your quest for free publicity in magazines and newspapers.

Q: What is a press release?

A press release is an email that you send to magazine and newspaper editors about your software. If they think their readers will be interested in your program, they'll print a New Product Announcement in their publications. Those 300-word write-ups that you see in the computer magazines - they're your competitors' press releases. And they were printed for free.

Millions of software buyers make their purchasing decisions based on the recommendations of magazine and newspaper editors. Mastering press releases is a valuable skill that can increase your software sales, especially to that hard-to-reach group of people who don't spend a lot of time surfing the Internet.

Q: Which media outlets use press releases?

Almost all of the computer magazines print them. They're eager to tell their readers about the newest software. Like yours. Business and consumer magazines print press releases. So do daily and weekly newspapers. Even if magazines and newspapers don't have dedicated "What's New" columns, their editors use press releases to stay informed about new software and computer gear.

Q: Do online sites use press releases?

Almost all newspapers and magazines have online versions of their publications. In some publications, the same editors decide which write-ups will appear in their print versions, and which will appear online. Some magazines have web editors who make these decisions independently of the print version of the journal.

Q: What about online press release portals?

In recent years, a lot of so-called press release sites have been launched online. Few of them can help you sell your software. Most of these sites are modelled after the free-for-all (FFA) sites that were created a decade ago to trick the search engines into thinking that your web site must be important because it has a lot of backlinks pointing to it. Just as the FFA sites have proven to be failures, so too have the FFA-style press release sites.

Your guideline should be: If editors don't visit a site, and software buyers don't visit a site, then don't send that site your press release.

Q: Are press releases more effective than ads?

Press releases are part of the mix of tools that you need to use to market your software. They're a very cost-effective tool compared with banner ads, print ads, broadcast ads, brochures, directories, contests, sweepstakes, seminars, sponsorships, trade shows, catalogs, and other techniques to create sales.

Q: Are press releases more credible than ads?

When prospects read your ads, they know that the words were bought and paid for. But when they read a press release about your software, you're not identified as the source of the news. A professional editor has selected the press release for printing. The press release is seen as the editor's description of your software. So press releases are much more believable than advertisements. Every trusted editor inspires many software purchases.

Q: Are press releases less expensive than ads?

A press release campaign is an affordable technique for gaining a lot of publicity. Even a 1-inch ad without a picture or logo (known in the trade as a "tombstone") in a mid-size computer consumer magazine or computer trade magazine costs more than a modest press release campaign.

Q: What are the chances that my press release will be used?

The bad news is: Editors receive a lot of press releases, so many that they couldn't possibly use all of them.

The good news is: Editors tell us exactly what they are looking for. And with a little effort, you can increase your chances of having your press releases used by magazines and newspapers.

The two key questions that are going through the editors' minds are: Is your software application something that my readers will be interested in? Is your press release well-written, or will it require a lot of editing?

Q: Should I send a one-shot press release or launch a long-term press release campaign?

Press releases are a cost-effective vehicle for generating software sales. Any well-written and well-targeted press release should more than pay for itself in increased sales. By systematically sending out press releases whenever you launch a new product (or a new version of an existing product,) you not only generate sales, but you also increase your company's name recognition and credibility. When customers and prospects see your name in print month after month, they feel more and more comfortable with your products. So, setting up a press release strategy has positive effects in both the short- and long- term.

Next month, I'll discuss the structure and flow of your press release. And in the coming issues of this newsletter, I'll talk about content, writing style, communicating effectively with the editors, and more.