If you think press releases are only for huge corporations and giant news outlets, think again. If there’s something you think is worth knowing about at your agency, you should consider writing a press release to reach the widest audience possible!

News sources that show interest in your content will likely change the press release around, but you should write it as a piece of news in the first place. Spend a few minutes thinking of an appropriate title and subject line. Draw your audience in with introduction that summarizes the important points in an engaging way.

In the old days, you would find a reporter and try to convince him or her to take a look at what you had written. These days, it’s a lot simpler, but it’s a similar concept. You have to get your press release hosted on an online service that has access to search engines and news organizations. Online press releases often include the ability to link back to your agency’s website within the release, which not only provides readers with a digital path to get to you, but also a high quality backlink to your website. Popular services like PRWeb have different tiers of PR service that give users access to news sources based on how much they pay.

Keep in mind that the subject should be of interest to your prospects and customers, and sometimes it isn’t what you would consider big news at your agency.

You may want to skip sending out a press release when:

• You stop working with a certain carrier
• An employee leaves the agency
• You change your hours of business on Fridays

These kinds of updates may be a big deal when it comes to your agency’s day-to-day operations, but they may not be of interest to hundreds of people around your area. You should also avoid using press releases to promote negative events within your agency.

Press releases should be used to share major and/or positive agency news, such as:

• A change in agency ownership
• The opening of an additional agency location
• The announcement of a major charity event that you’re putting on
• A new agent or employee that brings a new area of expertise
• A new insurance line or service your agency is providing

Your press releases shouldn’t drone on so long that they will bore the audience, but you don’t want to gloss over the subjects, either. We recommend a word count of 300-500 words and 4-5 paragraphs. Feel free to add an “About Our Agency” section at the end of the release content with a few sentences of background information on your business.

Don’t get the wrong idea; putting together a press release about your new branch isn’t going to catapult you to the front page of the New York Times. But a well-timed release can draw attention to you when there’s something newsworthy.