Hey there! This is Morgan Noonan, junior at the University of Maryland pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Studio Art. Yes, I get asked "So what are you going to do with that?" quite a bit. I plan on becoming a medical illustrator. Booyah!

An essential part of actually being successful in your field is getting noticed. It can be by potential companies / future employers or by current coworkers / supervisors. It also involves the press. Dealing with media and news outlets is a necessary part of gaining recognition for your work. And to be among the who’s who of [insert career field here], your name has to mean something.

Anyone in an artsy major is doubtlessly familiar with press releases, or will be soon, as they are typically destined to live a life of tireless self-promotion.

Of course, not everyone is burdened with trying to convince the public to come to their solo art show featuring a series of oil paintings of their pet hamster. Perhaps you are part of a team or are just more of a behind-the-scenes type person. You will still want that special project that you worked so hard on to be seen and appreciated. Press coverage means opportunities for networking, which can lead to job offers!

They also play a large part in business promotion as a smart marketing strategy. According to Hubpages.com, Press releases can:

Add more traffic to your website

Help build a brand

Establish credibility

Acquire free publicity

They invite newspapers, radio stations and television outlets to learn more about you and your work. A successful press release can be rather tricky to write, though, especially if it is for your own event.

Make sure to be descriptive, objective, clear and concise. People want to know Who, What, When, Where and Why. Also, you need to make what you are doing sound new, different and interesting. No reporter or editor will think your work is worth writing about unless it sounds news-worthy.

Here are 2 different, but equally useful, ‘How To’ guides to use should you find yourself needing to promote something: eHow or WikiHow

I’ll let you decide which you prefer; I couldn’t choose.

(Image courtesy of Alex Barth via Flickr Creative Commons)