Just about everyone is concerned with parenting issues at some time in his or her life, which is why there are so many products and services for parents. A press release campaign is one of the best ways for a parenting-focused company to get information out to the parents who need it the most, says Mass Media Distribution.

Long before the simple and perfectly respectable noun “parent” became a verb (probably some time in the mid 1970s), millions of mothers and fathers were preoccupied with parenting and how to do it “right.” Competent parenting was an obsession long before the good Dr. Benjamin Spock released his famous book on baby and child care at the beginning of the U.S. baby-boom generation in 1946. Old magazines and books from decades and even centuries past are full of all manner of moralistic, guilt-producing, often pseudoscientific, and frequently contradictory parenting advice. It’s a minor miracle that any child or parent survived this constant flood of well-meaning parenting instruction. These days, of course, there is even more guilt-producing, moralistic, and contradictory parenting information available, but marginally more of it is based in real science. One point is certain: as long as the human race continues to reproduce, there will be widespread interest in parenting, as well as an abundance of industries catering to every possible aspect of the parenting experience. This translates into an overabundance of information through which bewildered parents must sort. How does a company or an individual entrepreneur break through all this noise and reach parents who need their product or service? One powerfully effective way is through a press release, says Mass Media Distribution (www.massmediadistribution.com), one of the world’s foremost press release writing and distribution services.

A press release is one of the most inexpensive and yet effective ways for parenting-focused companies or entrepreneurs to get their message out to parents. Advertising, a search-engine-optimized Web site, an informative parenting blog, and participation in social media such as Facebook and Twitter are all good ways to reach consumers of parenting products, services, or advice. But a well-written press release, says Mass Media Distribution, will get the attention of journalists who write about parenting issues, and these journalists will add an extra layer of credibility by writing or broadcasting stories or reviews to the parents the company wants to reach. Furthermore, many experts insist that a press release campaign is critical not only to the successful launching of a new parenting oriented business but also to the continued success of an established one.
Whether a company is selling educational items, children’s clothing, family-friendly games and movies, parenting books and magazines, or information products about effective parent-child communication, there is almost certain to be a lot of competition. Large companies such as toy chains, or media empires that own TV networks, magazines, and book publishing companies, have huge marketing budgets to keep their names before the public, so it may seem they have an unfair advantage over the “little guy” in capturing the attention of today’s busy parents. However, notes Mass Media Distribution, it doesn’t take a vast budget to attract people who are looking for products for their children, or products and services to help them improve their parenting skills. A well-orchestrated parenting press release campaign can sometimes accomplish as much as – or even more than – a multimedia ad campaign or a slick catalog.

After all, producers and editors are already interested in parenting topics, as evidenced, for example, by the way these topics constantly come up on morning shows, afternoon talk shows, and occasionally the evening news. Parenting tips, reviews of new toys and games, and dysfunctional-parenting stories are regular TV topics. Magazines and newspapers are filled with feature stories about parenting matters. This is understandable, since parenting plays a part in virtually everyone’s life at one time or another. People are constantly seeking information that will help them better negotiate the complexities of parenting, or that will simply assist them in finding a gift for their eight-year-old who’s hard to shop for. Journalists who cover parenting issues are well aware of this, says Mass Media Distribution, and their job is to deliver information that will be of interest to their audience. Accordingly they are always looking for good parenting stories, and they obtain many of these stories from press releases.

However, there’s a right way and a wrong way to write and distribute a press release, and a weakly written or untargeted press release – even one that has to do with a perennially popular topic such as parenting – is likely to be ignored or discarded.

A parenting press release can be a straightforward announcement of a new product or service for parents or their kids, in which case a basic fact-filled release that summarizes the features and benefits is sufficient. Nevertheless, it is crucial to present the facts in a way that is not only comprehensible but is also compelling enough for the journalist who receives it to want to share the information with his or her audience or readers. That said, a press release is not the place for hype, even if the sender sincerely believes that the product or service will revolutionize parenting. Most journalists automatically discard press releases that read like ads.

Also keep in mind that press releases are not just for new parenting product or service announcements. In fact, companies marketing to the parenting community should look for every opportunity to publicize their activities by means of a press release. Any type of community involvement, such as participation in an educational event, sponsorship of a literacy program, or a fun run to find a cure for a childhood disease, is likely to appeal to journalists looking for an interesting angle for a story. Of course it is still essential to stick to the facts, steering clear of too much obvious self-promotion, but this type of press release can read more like a parenting feature article than a simple product announcement. If it’s good enough it could very well inspire editors to print it verbatim, or producers to build a larger story or segment around it. That, says Mass Media Distribution, is the best kind of free publicity a company could ask for, and it’s an excellent way to reach parents, educators, and anyone who is interested in parenting issues.

Even parenting-focused organizations that aren’t specifically selling products or services should issue press releases. Research institutions, non-profit organizations, and advocacy groups that are in any way concerned with parenting matters need to reach out to the public on a regular basis. This is especially important to those organizations that depend upon public donations, as favorable press coverage encourages giving.

No matter what the subject or purpose of the parenting press release, good writing is crucial, and Mass Media Distribution uses professional writers to create effective press releases. Distribution is the other critical factor for a successful parenting press release. Even the most well crafted parenting press release is pointless if it isn’t distributed to journalists whose beat is at least marginally related to parenting. This is why Mass Media Distribution uses an exclusive “4-Way Distribution Process” that consists of reaching individual journalists by email; contacting newsrooms by wire services; posting online (including Google News); and RSS syndication to popular news sites. The company sends proof of distribution to each client, as well as links to help the client track hits to the press release online.

As indicated above, targeted distribution is necessary as well. Mass Media Distribution maintains a media list of more than 500 categories, and over 800,000 media contacts (and growing), enabling it to target individual journalists who are looking for parenting press releases. Moreover, each press release is sent individually rather than grouped with other releases, ensuring that every parenting press release receives the most advantageous exposure possible.

A final point to remember is that while a single parenting press release is very effective in the short run, it’s generally not sufficient to keep a company or organization in the public eye. Parents of all people have masses of distractions these days, with the result being that sometimes their attention spans are as short as those of their four-year-olds. Therefore, regular exposure is the secret to success for any company that wants to reach them. This is why so many of Mass Media Distribution’s clients choose a full press release campaign.

Though parenting advice may be continually changing, the basics of sound parenting remain the same. Most parents want what is best for their kids, and they’re willing to pay good money for products, services, and information that will help make the toughest job in the world a little bit easier. And as long as people continue to have kids, companies that cater to parents will always be able to benefit from good media coverage. A professional parenting press release campaign is a reliable way to get that coverage, enabling businesses to reach the parents and kids who will in turn benefit from their products, services, and information.