"I read somewhere that a business can get more customers if they can get into the newspaper. I want you to write a press release for my business. How much does it cost to do that?"

This is an actual start to a conversation I had with someone who'd approached me about doing media work for her business.  She, like so many other small business owners, thought that sending one press release would yield great results. Unfortunately for her, that's not the case. "A press release" rarely—if ever—works.

Five reasons:

1. No repetition.

How many marketing messages do you receive in a day? You'd lose count quickly if you tried to keep track.

With all of the information that's bombarding us every day, your business name and message needs to stand out from the rest. That's not going to happen with one press release that may or may not even be picked up by the publication serving your target market. Your name needs to be read again and again in a valuable context.

2. No backup.

What else are you doing to spread your message?

When I ask that question, I know my client or potential client is rolling his or her eyes, thinking I'm asking this because I want to get more business from them. That's not exactly the case.

I want their efforts to be successful. I know that sending one press release isn't going to work, so I want to know if they're also placing ads, using direct mail, or creating a community partnership around their news. Just like sending a press release once in a while isn't going to work, sending one once in a while and then not doing anything to back it up isn't going to work. It takes a comprehensive plan to get a message out effectively.

3. No relationship.

A business owner who sends one press release likely doesn't have a relationship with the media contact he's sending the press release to. This makes pickup of the release even more unlikely, especially if the news is pretty run-of-the-mill. Once your media sources know you and your business, they're more likely (in my experience, anyway) to do something with your press release, whether it's to give it good placement or to turn it into something larger.

Likewise, do you even know whether the contacts you're reaching with your press release are the proper contacts at that media outlet?

4. No news.

If you aren't dedicated enough to your marketing efforts to set up a repetitive schedule, a comprehensive plan, and a relationship with your media partners, you probably aren't going to realize the difference between sending a newsworthy press release and one that just strokes your business's ego. The media wants "news you can use." Your press release shouldn't be about what's in it for you as much as it is about what's in it for your audience.

5. No use.

It's entirely possible that a press release isn't even the best way to announce your news. With me being such a fan of press releases, I know it's shocking for you to read that. It's even shocking for me to put it in writing. It's the truth, though.

Sometimes business news is best left to word of mouth campaigns, trade show appearances, or direct mail solicitation. Going back to reason #4, if what you perceive as news is really just tooting your own horn and has no impact on your community or your industry, maybe you shouldn't waste the media's time with your fluff. And, going back to reason #2, even if you waste the media's time, you can still get results elsewhere. There are other ways of saying it without, well, saying it.