It’s not every day that chiropractors rate themselves as journalists, but writing a press release for your local newspaper is a great way to get your practice known in your local community. It’s great, practically- free marketing.

But to make a real difference to your chiropractic marketing, press releases must pack a punch. Here’s how:

The message is king

Choose the right topic for a press release and you’re on to a winner; choose the wring one and your chiropractic marketing is dead in the water. So how do you get this right?

Firstly - by remembering that a press release is not an advert. It should be a news story:

· an open house event

· an award you’ve received

· a book you’ve written

· a community or charity service you’ve performed

· a training program you offer

Those are just some ideas – brief and concise ideas. Your press release should be brief and concise too. There’s no room for flowery descriptions and complicated sentences in a press release.

Structure

The first thing readers (or ignorers) will see is the headline. It should be the last thing you write, though. Make sure it gives an idea of what the press release is about, but make it grab attention. If you don’t, people won’t on and you will have missed a golden chiropractic marketing opportunity.

The lead (first paragraph) takes care of itself for you once you know it needs to have all the 5 W’s:

1. What
2. Where
3. Why
4. When
5. Who

It should also contain a ‘hook’. –

Captain Hook

A ‘hook’ is a reason for people to keep reading your press release and keep being exposed to your chiropractic marketing. Make it interesting and snappy and make it attract attention. Make it tell your reader that you’re writing this press release on that midnight train to Georgia or whatever. It doesn’t matter so long as it attracts attention.

Body bag

The next few paragraphs of your press release – the ‘body’ – are where you’ll really bag your clients. Expand on what you told your reader in the first paragraph. Think what you want people to know about your chiropractic service and tell them. That’s sound marketing practice.

Closing thoughts

Hopefully, the preceding paragraphs in your press release will have intrigued and interested the reader enough to want to know more, or to give your chiropractic services a try. Make sure you tell them how they can do that. Put clear contact details in the last paragraph.

Get it sent right…away

Different publications have different rules for how they want press releases submitted, so check you’ve got this right before you send your press release to them.

Thank you for reading this article – and don’t forget to thank the editor for printing your press release, once it appears in publication. You’re in marketing now, right? So you know that building up a good, trusting relationship means they are more likely to use your chiropractic services again. It works both ways – an editor who you thank courteously is more likely to want to print your *next* press release – get planning it now!