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Media Publicity - Press Releases
While publicity is the most powerful advertising tool there is (since it has more of an impact, is more far-reaching, and far more credible than advertising) it is one that is least effectively used and often misunderstood. For example, all too often business owners view a press release as a form of advertising, when actually it is nothing more or less than a newsworthy story, one that should be of interest to a news media's readers or viewers. A press release is a document that is written in a specific format and used to pitch a reporter or editor or to make an announcement that you believe is newsworthy. One of the very best and least expensive (virtually free) ways to generate a lot of traffic to your Web site is to get yourself mentioned by the press. In fact, a press release can be one of your most effective marketing tools, and announcing your site via a well-written and newsworthy one is a powerful way to drum up business. Of course, the keywords here are... "well-written" and "newsworthy."
5
Things You Must Do In Your Press Release
Newsworthiness Is The Foundation Reporters are always looking for newsworthy items on which to report, that's their job. They like human interest stories that are related to current events or have emotional appeal. They also like stories that appeal to a wide audience, which is particularly true for the larger media. Targeted or specialized media, on the other hand, love to report on stories that appeal to their specific market and thus help capture more of it. Newsworthiness is the most important element of a good, almost always published story - and the one most often ignored. But if you do have a good story to tell, your press release should provide enough information to generate interest - but it should not tell everything. It must say just enough to incite the media to want to know more. An excellent press release - or any form of media coverage - tends to be a more effective form of promotion than advertising since it is coming from an objective third party. It can be used for announcing important company changes, new appointments or recruits within your organization, or your company's new products. TIP: If you really want to learn exactly how to carry out an effective Publicity campaign, a "must read" is Rick Beneteau's and Anne Marie Baugh's Power Publicity - The Secret to Internet Wealth and Fame! In it they teach you how to put together a Press Kit, how to write and send Press Releases that will dazzle the media all over the world, as well as how to save a ton of money on expensive Internet advertising that will bring tens of thousands, of people who would otherwise never know who you are, straight to YOU and Your Business!
Online Press Release Options You have three options when it comes to press releases: 1. You can pay someone else to do it on your behalf.
If your business is large enough to hire a professional publicist to write, send out and follow up on your press releases, by all means go ahead and hire one. It'll be money well spent. However, if you can't afford a publicist (which is a safe assumption) yet you do need some help, there are several less expensive, online press release services, that might fit the bill. (See the list below.)
2. You can use an online press release service or automated software tool.
If you opt to go that automated software route, several good choices that will allow you to put your press release agenda on auto-pilot include Media Magnet and PressBlaster!. Not only do they help you create your press release, assuring that it is in top form, they also take care of the submission and distribution process, on a massive scale.
As far as online press release services go, they run the gamut and I can't possibly cover them all here, but several excellent ones include:
3. You can write the press releases and send them out yourself. Since its a good idea to make a habit of sending out media releases at least every other month, or whenever you make any newsworthy additions or changes to your Website, having outsiders do it can become a costly business. For the sake of your business budget, it's a not a bad idea to learn how to write your own press release, although what priority you give it among your other marketing chores I'll leave up to you to decide.
How to Write A Press Release If you opt to you go ahead and tackle the task yourself, here are several things you should bear in mind:
The key elements of a well-written press release are:
The following is the accepted format or protocol that you should adhere to when writing your press release:
For help in formatting your Press Release, see the Press Release Templates at WebSuccessMaker.com (click the "Business Building Templates" link.) Two other helpful do-it-yourself services are:
Sending Out Your Press Release Although press releases have traditionally been sent out via mail or fax to the media, you can reach a far broader audience, for far less money, by sending them off by e-mail. Good online sources of Press Release Media Databases include:
You can get the fax and email addresses for the all the media you need here:
Although email delivery has the advantage of being fast and free, this can also be a disadvantage. Editors receive thousands of emailed press releases daily, so your release will merely be one of thousands and may be overlooked. If you want to assure that your message gets read and published, it's a good idea to send it out by fax as well.
The media is a very powerful medium to use to promote your business, so you should definitely take the time to learn about it and do it well. Below are several excellent sources of information on the subject of press releases that I'd recommend:
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