Publicity is often overlooked as a valuable marketing tool for attracting attention and interest in a product, service, or company. Using publicity as a sales tool is often much more effective than purchased advertising. Your customer is much more likely to believe a human interest story than an advertisement that consumers have been trained to view with great skepticism.
Creating a good press release is important. It is a good idea to hire an expert who can help you prepare a professional press release. But if you decide to do it yourself, do a quick Google search to find some good examples.
Consider making yourself available to the press as the "local expert". Call them in advance to introduce yourself and offer your services. Ask them about submitting stories discussing developments in your field of expertise that may affect citizens in your community. Put in the time and effort it takes to build a strong give-and-take relationship with the press. They know the game, so be a valuable resource and not a nuisance.
It takes work, but the result of even one good story can be a dramatic increase in sales.