Press releases are often thought of as the ultimate in free advertising, but there are no free lunches, newspapers are not a soft touch.
You must have a story which will interest their readers, and what may be very important to you might not do that. From many years of placing stories in the press I know that the London and provincial markets are different.
Outside London the local newspapers still command a dedicated readership and news about a local business is read with interest, because readers can often identify it from personal acquaintanceship. In the metropolis many small businesses ply their trades in anonymous office blocks, or on trading estates hidden away from the casual visitor.
There is unlikely to be the instant spark of recognition that leads to interest which happens when the reader takes ownership of an item of news. As Editors are often unwilling to publish much in the way of contact details, their articles are often only of use as ‘press clipping’ sales tools.
However, a well placed article in a specialist, or trade magazine, may well be helpful in raising your company’s profile and the Editor may well have a more enthusiastic idea of what is news within that trade or profession.