Are you ready to learn about the most valuable skill every business owner should add to his or her marketing arsenal?

First, what is a press release? Simply put, a press release is a letter sent to media outlets, eg, newspapers, magazines, radio and television stations about your company. They are usually one or two double-spaced pages and highlight a newsworthy event. A press release is not a sales pitch. If you don't remember anything else, remember this.

The media seeks news that is relevant to large numbers of people. So, the fact that you developed a new product is not news. However, the fact that you developed a new product that protects small children from harmful, household germs is news.

Visit www.press-release-writing.com to learn more about this powerful marketing tool. This site has sample releases; a template that guides you step-by-step in writing a release; and writing tips that outline specifically what should be included in a well-written release.

If you are not confident in your writing ability, most sites that distribute releases will write them for you as well. E-releases.com, Imediafax.com and the site mentioned above all offer writing services. I always advise this as a last resort. No one knows or cares about your business like you. If at all possible, try to develop this skill.

Remember, writing is a learned talent. Very few Shakespeares or Hemingways are born. And, this is not like writing a work of fiction. It's storytelling with something you know and love woven into the fabric — your business. The more you practice, the more comfortable you will become. Did I mention that the payoff can be huge!

Some of my biggest breaks have come from press releases. For example, I was interviewed for a newspaper article after a reporter read one of my press releases online and contacted me. The hits to my website tripled for the next few days.

As journalists are very busy and work on deadlines, it's refreshing for them to get an article that they can just publish without having to correct bad grammar, spelling errors, fact check sources, etc. FYI, a release that needs work will usually not get picked up — no matter how relevant it is.

The best way to make press releases work for you is to:

1. Cultivate the habit of writing and submitting a certain number of releases on a weekly basis. If you send out one release a week to at least 20 sources, that's over 1,000 times/year you will have contacted the media. At this rate, assuming your releases are timely and well-written, you will get coverage.

2. Develop a media list and stay in contact with them — unobtrusively, of course. Many reporters and editors will seek you out again and again if they perceive you as an expert in a certain area, and you have a reputation for presenting articles that are timely and well-written.