Press releases are an excellent method of getting the word out about your school by announcing newsworthy events to your community. The emphasis is on newsworthy here because if it sounds like an ad, it won't be printed. A list of newsworthy events would include: seminars, public demonstrations, awards presentations, promotions, and many other events that you may wish to bring to the public's attention.

The underlying reason for a press release is to essentially get your name out there more. Sure, maybe people have glanced through the yellow pages or may have even glanced at a newspaper ad or driven by your school a hundred times. The more people hear your school's name and what it is doing in the community, the more inclined they may be to check out your school.

You should also remember the letter you are sending to your newspaper needs to be noticed above the others being submitted as well. Things to remember when creating a press release:

• It's news. Not an advertisement (stay away from adjectives and other unnecessary information. If attention is brought to the article, they will look for more in the phone book or elsewhere).
• Professional. This should be seen as news and should be in a concise format
• # # # (In newspaper lingo, this signifies the end of the press release.)
• If there is more (say a second page) use the characters -more- at the bottom of the page.
• Use clean white 8.5" x 11" paper. Use one side of the paper.

If an editor deems your event newsworthy based on the information provided, then they may send a reporter to cover the event, and that could include photos of your event as well; something that could assist in marketing your name to the community.

Below is an example written in the standard format. It is quick, gets the point across and gives some details about what happened that day. The release shown was never submitted, though; there was a reporter there taking photos already.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Editorial Contact:
Joshua Meredith
The KenpoNet
(319) 721-2347
josh@kenponet.com

Universal Kenpo Karate Raises $3,000 for "Jerry's Kids"

Storm Lake, IA, September 1997 -- Universal Kenpo Karate Dojos, a local martial arts school, raised over $2,000 in money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association's annual Labor Day Telethon. This was the school's second annual Break-A-Tthon held here over the Labor Day weekend for the MDA.

The event was held at Chautauqua Park in Storm Lake during the city's annual Balloon Days. While people visited other craft booths and admired the car show, they could also here an individual dressed in black asking people to listen to their cause. Head instructor Clint Hughes and a group of over a dozen students in uniforms gave demonstrations of their art. If you donated $5 to the MDA, someone from the school had to break a board on your behalf. By mid-afternoon there was already a stack of broken boards growing off to the side and a pile of unbroken ones waiting for people interested in donating. For $1 or more, they would put your name in a bowl for door prizes.

Throughout the day, items like foam nunchuckus and cups were handed out as door prizes to individuals who stayed around to watch the demonstrations being given. The grand prize handed out at the end of the day was a year's worth of free classes with a uniform, won by an elderly gentleman who said he would let his grandson take advantage of it.

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Works Consulted

• Joshua Meredith, personal experience.
• National Association of Professional Martial Artists- NAPMA