Public Relations Tips: Press Releases

When done correctly, a press release can be a valuable and free tool for promoting an event, business, or news item. A press release is a short article, usually one page, that announces or summarizes an event in order to garner publicity or recognition. A press release is typically emailed, faxed, or mailed to the appropriate editor.

Press releases are not just limited to newspapers. A press release can be submitted to magazines, radio stations, and television stations and networks.

Who to Send the Press Release To
Before sending a press release, it's important to first determine where to direct it. Any organization that deals with media - be it a newspaper, magazine, or television station - is a busy, deadline-oriented environment. Most of the time, there is no time to be sending or forwarding press releases along to the right person in the event they are sent to the wrong person.

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Posted by DK at 07:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Trade publications are any magazine or newspaper that specializes in an industry. Companies, corporations, and other business entities utilize trade publications to glean industry related information and expose themselves to other industry businesses and to the public. Trade publications are important tools of company and corporate public relations. Trade press is the collective term describing trade publications. Trade press may also refer to exposure afforded a company or corporation in a trade publication. Companies, organizations, and corporations may submit articles, press releases, or other editorials to a trade publication, or, a trade publication may choose to feature a company, organization, or corporation in the publication.

There are over 23,000 trade publications in the United States offering individualized industry information, and, for corporations, the possibility of valuable exposure. Many companies exist with the sole purpose of assisting corporations with gaining access to trade press publications. These companies work with clients and arrange trade press with trade publication editors. These trade press service companies may also:

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Posted by DK at 08:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A boilerplate is a key component of the elements of a press release. The boilerplate is the part of the press release that gives information about you and your company and firm. The boilerplate is the part of your press release that links your company to the product that you're selling or the event that you're announcing. You wouldn't let people know all about and fall in love with a great product without telling them who produces it, right? A boilerplate is the way that you connect your products and your events with your company. Boilerplate are a subtle and unconscious way to create customer loyalty to your business.

If you're going to write a press release, you have to know how to do it. Here are the elements of a press release.

1. The first element of the basic press release is the headline.
2. The second element of the basic press release is the dateline.
3. The third element of the basic press release is the introduction.
4. The fourth element of the basic press release is the body.
5. The fifth element of the basic press release is the boilerplate.
6. The sixth element of the basic press release is the media contact information.

Continue reading "Boilerplate" »

Posted by DK at 07:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

How should you write an email follow-up? The first thing is that the subject line should be your headline. I always say to people, "Think in headlines," and that the more quickly you can think in headlines, the better results you actually will get. Don't title it: "Follow-Up to My News Release." Please don't do that. They'll hate it. In fact, they'll right over it. The subject line, the actual headline, is benefit-driven. In the body of the email-not as an attachment-is where the press release copy goes.

One thing reporters have told me again and again is, "I hate attachments," and I'm real big on saving them work. The truth is, the more work you can do on your end, so the reporter doesn't have to do any on their end, they're grateful. You are looking to save the reporter-always-time and energy, and to be a resource to them. That's what I would do. That way it keeps it focused, and they know what they're looking at, and they can pull it right up when you are talking to them. For more tips on email follow-ups and how to follow up effectively, read "Failproof Ways to Follow Up After Sending a News Release or Pitch Letter."
http://101publicrelations.com/failprooffollowup.html?utm_source=prideas&utm_content=fail-proof_follow-up

Posted by Dan at 01:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The most important thing to do before you even write a release is to decide what is going to be the focus of this release. Some people write news releases so infrequently that they think that once they do sit down to write one, they have to stick everything in it. That really doesn't work, because what that does is, it just disperses your creative energy and your writing energy so that you're trying to go in too many directions. You're trying to stuff unrelated things into the release, rather than choose the one thing that you want to make most prominent in the headline and develop in the release, and then people are going to get one message from this release.

Now, it's OK to mention other things. But you want to tuck them in casually toward the end of the release and not try and feature too many things up front. I'm going to make a general rule that there should be one main theme to a press release and you should know what that is before you sit down. If you have just one point that you want to make in the release, like any good news writer, you could stick it in one paragraph-the who, what, when, where and why-and everything else is elaboration. You have to choose how much elaboration are you going to put in that press release, and there's really no reason why a press release cannot be limited to one page, or one page and a half, at the very most. For more tips on how to write fantastic press releases, read "The Do-It-Yourself Press Release Makeover."

Posted by Dan at 01:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

How long should a press release be? I'm going to give you some rules that should never, ever, ever be violated. I don't care what your story is, there are no exceptions to these rules. And rule Number One is, "A press release is one page, and one page only." I don't care what your story is. You've got to get it into one page. And you're doing that for several reasons.

Remember what I said about the reporters getting hundreds of press releases a day? If they're all two, three and four pages, this reporter never gets anything done. But more importantly than that, the reporter wants a one-page press release because if you can get this enormous story--this great, exciting story-down to one page, what you're really saying to the reporter is, "I can get to the point." And that's what the reporter is looking for. Anybody can tell a story in 30 minutes. The reporter wants somebody who can tell that story in 30 seconds. Especially radio and TV talk show people, because they want to keep these shows moving.

Now, if you're talking to a magazine or newspaper reporter, they're a little more flexible, but they'll probably poke you along if you're getting too wordy. But on the radio, and on TV, they want you to get to the point. So when you send out that one-page press release, you've said, "Here's an exciting story. I can be concise, and I know how to write this press release to get your attention." So one page, and one page only. For more fantastic tips on how to write great press releases, read How to Write a Killer Press Release That Stops Reporters in Their Tracks
http://101publicrelations.com/killer.html?utm_source=prideas&utm_content=killer_press_releases

Posted by Dan at 07:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Why shouldn't you include a letterhead on your press release? One of the biggest enemies of success in publicity is creativity. People try to get creative and they go right down the tubes. Follow formulas that have been proven to work. In the upper left-hand corner of your press release, you're only going to write one of two things. You only have two options. It's very simple to tell which one you use. The first option is the exact words, "For Immediate Release." Some of you may have seen that, and some of you may use it. Maybe you don't know really know what it's doing, though. When you put the words "For Immediate Release" in the upper left-hand corner, it does two things. It says to the reporter, "You can use this information any time you want. You can use it today, tomorrow, next week, next month, next year-anytime you want is fine with me." More importantly, though, it's saying, "Stick with me. I know how to play the game. I know that `For Immediate Release' should go in the upper left-hand corner, and I know when to use it."

The only other option that you have for the upper left-hand corner is what I called a "time qualifier." And write that down, because you're not going to hear it anywhere else. It's called a "time qualifier." It tells the reporter exactly when to use the press release, and when not use the press release. For more fantastic tips on how to write great press releases, read "How To Write Killer Press Releases."
http://101publicrelations.com/killer.html?utm_source=prideas&utm_content=killer_press_releases

Posted by Dan at 01:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Should you always have a quote in your press release? No. It's not always necessary. In fact, in section number two-and this is a little bit of an advanced tip-in section number two, I will either put a quote, or I will use what I call my "media torture technique." I will put some bullets in there and then a really tantalizing phrase. For example, I wrote a book on dating and relationships called How to find the Love of Your Life in 90 Days or Less, and one of my bullet points is, "The worst place to go on a first date, go here and you'll probably never get a second date." Well, what does everybody on this line want to know right now? Where's that place? So that's media torture. And the media people love that kind of stuff. They have to call to find out the answer. But again, if you're just doing a bake sale, or a shop opening, no you don't have to put in a quote at all. For more fantastic tips on how to write great press releases, read How to Write a Killer Press Release That Stops Reporters in Their Tracks
http://101publicrelations.com/killer.html?utm_source=prideas&utm_content=killer_press_releases

Posted by Dan at 07:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

How do you find lists of media to whom you can send your press releases? I'm going to give you two quick answers to that. You can go to your library for two books. One is called Bacon's Publicity Checker. That's a set of five volumes. Just flip through, look for the ones you need, photocopy or write them down. There's also another book called Gebbie's All In One, a single volume of far fewer contacts, but that may do what you need. If you have any significant number, you don't want to do it that way, it's labor intensive. But if you need one, or two, or three, just go to the library.

What I use is something called Publicity Gold Mine Data Disks. I put information about it on my website. Go to www.hartunian.com/disks. You will find information, now on CD, that has over 20,000 media contacts. You just put it into your database program. You can sort any way that you want. You can fax right from there. You can do everything. That is all I'll use. I don't bother looking through pages of a directory. For more fantastic tips on how to write great press releases, read How to Write a Killer Press Release That Stops Reporters in Their Tracks
http://101publicrelations.com/killer.html?utm_source=prideas&utm_content=killer_press_releases

Posted by Dan at 07:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Should you send pitches or news releases? I don't believe in pitches. They just take up too much time, not to say that I'm wrong. Other people, I imagine, have used pitches successfully, but to me, that's duplicating effort. I already write, and my members write these killer press releases, far better than a pitch, and if you have to do your pitch on the phone, in person, wow, you'll be tying up time and money. I just want to write a killer press release, fax them out to my list that I've put together, and have this all take me 15 minutes, and then start getting people to call me immediately. And that's been going on now for 20 years with tremendous success.

There are many times when you might want to pitch a story idea instead of sending a news release-for example, when you want to customize the story idea for a particular media outlet, or when you are pitching only one or two media. One thing I can say though, and one thing I do teach my members is, in the beginning you may have a problem with the approval process. But when you show whoever's giving the approval that when you do things your way, the company is benefiting enormously, all of a sudden they start saying, "Geeze, Joan, you're doing a great job. You don't need my approval anymore. Just get these things out. We need more press coverage." So that could help you out. For more fantastic tips on how to write great press releases, read How to Write a Killer Press Release That Stops Reporters in Their Tracks
http://101publicrelations.com/killer.html?utm_source=prideas&utm_content=killer_press_releases

Posted by Dan at 07:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

What are good ways to write headlines? Avoid being punny or cute. You see that in your inbox and it doesn't even register. It's like it's as if you can't even see it or think about it because there's nothing there to grab onto. Instead of these mystery meat headlines, what you want to do is make sure that you have enough of the basic facts about the who, what, when, where and why-you don't have to have all five W's in there, but try to have at least three-that you have enough of the who, what, when, where and why in the headline so that people know, "OK, what is this about?" and "Is it relevant to me and my audience?" That's what people want to know.
They don't care about cuteness. Forget cuteness. I think that cuteness in press releases is way overrated, and you should concentrate on clarity and specificity first. If you can inject some cuteness once you have those other qualities, fine. Let me give you an example of what I think is a good headline. I have a collection of successful press releases and here is one, "New 100% Natural Product Increases Plant Growth By Up to 300%." Now, if you were a gardening magazine editor, would you click on that release. It's specific and it tells you what the general realm of this product is and it makes a claim that is very interesting, and that adjective, "natural," raises your curiosity. All in all, I think that's a very successful headline and it's not surprising that that release got coverage for this new product in quite a number of gardening magazines. For more tips on how to write fantastic press releases, read "The Do-It-Yourself Press Release Makeover."

Posted by Dan at 01:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

How can you get the press to give you great publicity? One organizer that I know went and helped a reporter get organized and did such a great job, the reporter did a big story about organizing and, of course, featured her and some others, by the way. I think you should absolutely offer the press a complimentary massage, for instance, or a facial, or whatever it is that you offer that will help them with their stress, which they have a lot of, and would actually serve you. What you have to know is you may or may not get a story, so you can't do it because of that.

The truth is, if you get them in your place and they love it and they have a good experience, well, certainly you stand a much better shot of getting a story, not to mention they may pass it to the right person, you'll form a relationship, and of course, you'll get a new client. But here's the other little joke that one of my friends says. She's a restaurant critic for a daily newspaper. I went with her to several restaurants and could not believe the kinds of things she was able to get. I'm talking the best of the best off every menu. She looked at me one time and she said, "Well now you know why they call it the free press." We all laugh, but the truth is, the press is used to getting things comped, meaning they expect not to pay for things. On the other hand, if this is the one thing that you can do to get them in, I absolutely think you should offer as many reporters who would cover your center a free.fill in the blank. For more great tips on how to get publicity and how to follow up news releases, read "Failproof Ways to Follow Up After Sending a News Release or Pitch Letter."
http://101publicrelations.com/failprooffollowup.html?utm_source=prideas&utm_content=fail-proof_follow-up

Posted by Dan at 07:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

What are common mistakes made when people follow up a news release? A few things.

1. They focus too much on them, and not enough on the story. That would be what I'd call focusing on the advertising, and not on the publicity. The focus is not on you and your story. The focus is how the story helps the reader and the viewer. That's a pretty common mistake.
2. They also either talk too fast or they're just not even pleasant enough to talk to, so that the reporter can't even really get what they're really saying.
3. They don't have their message clear enough-a strong enough focused pitch that's a one- to two-liner, and it's done. When I was interviewing for Gorilla Publicity on what journalists love and hate, one gentleman out of NBC in Denver said he's been in the business for 20 years, producing television, three times a day-and oh, I wish I could do his voice!-but what he said to me was, they have 10 seconds to tell him why they're news and why they're a good story. If they can't do it, he's off the air.
For more follow up mistakes and how to avoid them, read "Failproof Ways to Follow Up After Sending a News Release or Pitch Letter."
http://101publicrelations.com/failprooffollowup.html?utm_source=prideas&utm_content=fail-proof_follow-up

Posted by Dan at 07:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

What makes a press release catchy? It was an event designed to call attention to animal rights, and that really gets your attention, the alliteration, "Million Mutt March" (a play off the Million Man March). Those are qualities that are used in good writing, so why not use them in headlines as well?

If you want to learn this skill of injecting drama and pizzazz, then just start reading headlines and start thinking about what makes them work. When I stand in the supermarket checkout line, I always read the headlines on the women's magazines and just marvel at the skill at which they can make me want to pick up that magazine and find out what are the "7 Tricks that Every Married Woman Should Know in Order to." whatever. Here's one on Yahoo today, and this is timed for Valentine's Day, "Secret to Romantic Intimacy: Skip the Nagging." But it's timely, and even if you read that story before, somebody's going to pick it up and write it this year. Here's another one. This is on a science story. Now you would think that a story about some discovery of the geological composition of the rocks on Mars would have to be very dry and unimaginative. Well, here's the headline, "Water on Mars, But Not a Drop to Drink." Think about plays on words and putting a little fun in the headline once you have that clarity. For more tips on how to write fantastic press releases, read "The Do-It-Yourself Press Release Makeover."

Posted by Dan at 07:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Following up your news releases is an important part of getting them published, but you want to go about it the right way. You can’t be a pest or you won’t get what you want. Do the following:

Never follow up with a phone call to ask, “Did you get my news release?” or “Do you know when it will be printed?” or “Can you send me a copy once it’s printed?” The media receive dozens of these annoying calls each day and don’t have time to check. Keep calling and asking these dumb questions and you will soon be branded as a pest.

If you absolutely must follow up, a better approach is to call the person to whom you sent the release, and ask if there’s any other information they need.

Post recent news releases at your web site.

For more tips on following up, and on writing a great news release see Special Report #12 “52 Tips for Kick-Butt Press Releases (and Bonehead Mistakes to Avoid)”

Posted by Dan at 08:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

You have to keep two audiences in mind when you write a release. The first audience is the people, the media gatekeepers, who are going to be reading the release and deciding do they want to follow up and pursue this story for their publication or for their broadcast outlet. The second audience is the ultimate audience who you're thinking of as the television viewers or the newspaper readers. The story is going to be very much changed and transformed by the time the ultimate listeners find out about it. You really should primarily gear the way that you write the release for the needs and the expectations of those media gatekeepers.

Let me tell you what the Number One complaint was that came out in a survey of local newspaper editors. Their Number One complaint about the press releases they received was, "It sounds like an advertisement. It's too salesy." The thing that I have been able to pinpoint as being the biggest thing that gives that impression of it being an advertisement or being salesy, is the word "you," three letters. This rule can be overused, but it's a good thing, particularly when you're learning how to write these releases, to follow the rule of never using the word "you," either explicitly or in pride, in the writing of the press release, unless it's within a quote that is attributed to somebody. If you follow that one rule, then you have gone a long way toward avoiding that complaint, of it sounding like an advertisement or of coming off as being too salesy. What you should aim for is a journalistic tone, the same kind of tone that you find in news stories in the newspaper. They're not trying to sell something. They're telling you what's happening. And that's how you should write your headline. For more tips on how to write fantastic press releases, read "The Do-It-Yourself Press Release Makeover."

Posted by Dan at 07:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The most basic question to ask about follow-up is should you? My general rule is call everybody and follow up, because one of the things I love to say is, "First one to the phone wins" And your follow-up call may be the very call that gets you a story, because maybe the reporter needs someone to fill a deadline or needs you as the resource that is so important right at that moment.

I wouldn't follow up on things that announce a new employee, or that announce a new project even, or even sometimes an award you won. Where I'd put those is in what we would call the "movers and shakers," or "the people on the move" column in your local business journal, or in your local daily newspaper. They have a great business section that often highlights what I call the "brag" column. Those are great publicity pieces for those particular columns and are really excellent for getting your word out. However, to follow that up, and to say, "Oh, will you be putting it in?" or to think you're going to get a big story, because you've got a new employee, will not happen. For more great tips and ideas on how to follow-up, read "Failproof Ways to Follow Up After Sending a News Release or Pitch Letter."
http://101publicrelations.com/failprooffollowup.html?utm_source=prideas&utm_content=fail-proof_follow-up

Posted by Dan at 07:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Learn how to write headlines for your news release to really grab attention with the following tips:

 Because this is the most important part of the news release, the headline should be in type larger than the body copy. If the body copy is 12-point, print the headline at 14- or 18-point. Use a laser printer, not a dot-matrix printer.

 The headline you write most likely will not be printed. However, the headline flags the editor to the importance of the news release. If you are writing about an event that will occur on a specific date, it's a good idea to include that date in the headline so the editor doesn't have to search for it. (Example: Parade Kicks Off Fall Festival Parade on October 1)

 The headline should immediately convey why the news is important. Avoid promotional sounding words like "fantastic" and "unique."

For more great headline tips see Special Report #12 "52 Tips for Kick-Butt Press Releases (and Bonehead Mistakes to Avoid)"

http://101publicrelations.com/sr12.html?utm_source=prideas&utm_content=sr12

Posted by Dan at 01:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

What should you say when you follow-up? You should have a scripted message, and I do mean scripted. You don't want to sound like you're reading something, but you do want to know what your clear message is. What you're doing is you're following up and you're saying, "Hi, this is Jill. I'm calling about using publicity in a down turned economy," and you give them the bottom line of your message really quick. Again, benefit/solution oriented. And then you say, "I'd love to talk with you further. Please call me at.," and then say your phone number clearly and twice, and then hang up.

In my opinion, that should be 10-15 seconds. Don't ramble on. Don't tell them about "you're the best thing since sliced bread." Just keep it short and concise, and you're actually more likely to get a call back. We actually call it, in Gorilla Publicity, "The Rule of 7." What do I mean by that? I mean that it takes seven contacts to make one. First you phone them. Well, actually, first they would get the press release-that's one. Then you phone them-that's two. Then what I would do is email them or fax them. For more tips like this on how to follow-up, read "Failproof Ways to Follow Up After Sending a News Release or Pitch Letter."
http://101publicrelations.com/failprooffollowup.html?utm_source=prideas&utm_content=fail-proof_follow-up

Posted by Dan at 01:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

What are some examples of good press release headlines? Let me just inject a couple more good headlines that I found in my collection. Here's one that I like, and here it is, "Card protects travelers and motorists, assists hospital personnel in emergencies." What I like about this is, it's specific and it says who this is for and how those people are going to benefit. Who's going to benefit? Travelers and motorists are going to benefit by having some kind of protection from this card, and also hospital personnel in an emergency are going to benefit. That was a very successful press release.

Here's another one, "New mobile shredder arrives to meet unprecedented business security needs." This was a guy who had bought a franchise, for the Boston area, of this truck that comes to you and shreds your sensitive business documents when you've got a lot of volume. He actually injected some humor in the release. This was back, not long after the Iran Contra thing and there was some shredding of documents there. Too bad those people didn't have this. If you're in that position, you can call this company and they'll show up within an hour and shred your documents. That was, again, very specific and it says what the need is and what the purpose is of this new service. And who is it for? It's for people who need business security. One more example-this is something I wrote for a client that had a new website. What people like to do when they're announcing a new website is they like to say, "New website, www.blahblahblah.com launches." Oh, is that a boring headline.

For more tips on how to write fantastic press releases, read "The Do-It-Yourself Press Release Makeover."

Posted by Dan at 07:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Send your News Releases via email, but be sure you do it right:
Don't send e-mail releases as attachments. Send the release within the body of the message.

Be careful of the wording in the body of the message. Some spam filters might flag the message, and it may not get delivered.

Use a subject line that explains what the news release is about. Don't use the subject "News Release."

Do not send a news release as a zipped file that must be downloaded, unzipped and read into a word processor.

For more tips on how to write news releases via email see Special Report #12 "52 Tips for Kick-Butt Press Releases (and Bonehead Mistakes to Avoid)"

Posted by Dan at 08:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

How often should you follow up? The truth is, once it's in their hands as a story, you can't really control it. The only thing you control is what message you're putting out there. I will often ask them, "Listen, are you going to put a sidebar in?" The sidebar is where they actually put your product name and how to contact you. I'll ask those things. I'll tell you, the PR agencies spend a fortune with their clients convincing them that, "Oh yes, we'll get something out every month." They call it a rhythm method or a drum beat.

Truthfully, I've had reporters say to me, "I can't stand it. We hate when people do that." Reporters won't run your story immediately unless you have a real story that ties into something, or you have a comment on a local happening that's trendy and timely, terrific. Other than that, give them a pitch.

I'd say every three to four months is plenty. It's enough to keep you foremost in their mind without bugging them. For more tips on follow ups and publicity, read "Failproof Ways to Follow Up After Sending a News Release or Pitch Letter."
http://101publicrelations.com/failprooffollowup.html?utm_source=prideas&utm_content=fail-proof_follow-up

Posted by Dan at 07:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

What details need to be in your news release? Make sure you have a contact person and contact information, and these days, it doesn't hurt to have a main phone number that they can call and maybe your cell phone. Remember that they're going to be on deadline. Never, never just send them to your website. Make sure that you have the phone number and the email address. Some people forget to put their email address in, and it's true, if they're sending it by email, then the email is there for the recipient, but if somebody then forwards it on to somebody else, sometimes the email contact address gets lost, gets dropped off, so you want to make sure that you have all that contact information in the press release. You want to make sure you have the price in there.

A lot of people have this idea that if you're announcing a new product, then you want to hold back on the price. That's one of those details that people want to know, so just put it in there, and if there's a range of prices, then put the range in there. That really helps. And also, being an author, I have discovered that most people don't have a clue that you can actually order any book in print from almost any bookstore. They think they have to go to the bookstore and look at shelves, and if they don't find it there, they're totally bewildered about how they can get it. You're right. It's good to say that this book can be found at Barnes & Noble, Borders and other real-live bookstores as well as at Amazon and other online bookstores. For more tips on how to write fantastic press releases, read "The Do-It-Yourself Press Release Makeover."

Posted by Dan at 10:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

1. Identify media outlets that need the information you are sending. If you are not familiar with the publication or broadcast outlet, call and ask if they would be interested in what you are writing about. It’s better to send your news releases to fewer quality contacts who are really interested than to paper the landscape with news releases that end up in the wastebasket.

2. Find out the name of the person to whom you should send the news release. This saves time later if you must follow up with a phone call.

3. Create a database of your media contacts who will receive your releases, and update it as your list grows and changes. This makes it easy to print mailing labels and do mail merges if you are sending a cover letter to accompany your release. And you’ll have a current list of media contacts for future use.

For more tips on what to do before you write your news release see Special Report #12 “52 Tips for Kick-Butt Press Releases (and Bonehead Mistakes to Avoid)”

Posted by Dan at 01:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

What's the best way to follow-up a news release? The first method is usually phone unless you're pitching a technology story. Then the follow-up should be by email. (Editor's Note: That's because almost all technology reporters prefer email rather than phone, fax or snail-mail contact.) But I would tell you phone tends to work best. You could talk hi-touch versus hi-tech. I still think people like to be talked to. A reporter is often lonely, and they like the sound of the human voice at the other end of the line saying, "Here's the story. Here's what I've got, and here's why it's important."

You should know absolutely who you're sending it to because a generic news release typically ends up in a generic wastepaper basket. I would absolutely get the names and get them spelled right, because reporters like accuracy. The phone pitch should go like this: I think it's mostly around, again, problem/solution. When you're calling them, you don't say, "Excuse me, did you get the press release about.?" Let's say I was pitching my book Gorilla Publicity. I would call them up and say, "You know, in today's down-turned economy, publicity is the only thing that works. It's doesn't cost you a fortune, it's effective, and it gets great results."

Now, did I mention anything about a book? No. Did I mention anything about a service? No. What you talk about is the problem and the solution. Notice, by the way, I also did it fast and effectively without spending a lot of time and explanation. Those are some of the key points. Don't start pitching your service, your product, yourself, or anything about you. Keep it off you, and focus on the benefit/solution. For more information on how to follow-up and when, read "Failproof Ways to Follow Up After Sending a News Release or Pitch Letter."
http://101publicrelations.com/failprooffollowup.html?utm_source=prideas&utm_content=fail-proof_follow-up

Posted by Dan at 01:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

How should you choose editors to whom you should send your press release? If you are focusing on a certain industry, then it does make sense to try to get to know those media people. And if you're comfortable making those kinds of calls and finding out how they want to be approached, then go ahead and do that. The one thing that you want to preface your phone call with every time is, "Is this a good time to talk?" because they are usually, or often, on deadline, and they will appreciate your thoughtfulness. Then if they are on deadline, they'll tell you when to call back. If you forget to do that and they're very brusque with you, don't take it personally because they need to get off the phone and meet that deadline.

A good resource also is my favorite directory, Bacon's Publicity Checker.actually, that's not what it's called anymore. It used to be called Bacon's Publicity Checker; now it's called Bacon's Newspaper Magazine Directory, and then they have another volume for TV, radio and cable. What I like about that is that they list the preferences that the media person has expressed for how they want to be contacted-do they want to be contacted by phone, fax, email or snail mail? People always ask me, "How do you actually send off this press release?" and the answer is, "It depends." If you have a chance the find out, either by calling them up or by consulting a guide such as Bacon's, how they want to be approached, then always go with their preference. That's the best answer I can give. For more tips on how to write fantastic press releases, read "The Do-It-Yourself Press Release Makeover."

Posted by Dan at 07:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Opinions differ on exactly when to send a press kit. I'm a big believer in not wasting time and money on unsolicited kits. Instead, fax or mail your one-sheet to talk show producers. If they are interested, they will contact you for more information. Joe Sabah, author of the book "How to Get on radio Talk shows All Across America Without Leaving Your Home or Office," uses a giant gold postcard instead of a one-sheet.

"This 5 ½-by-8 ½ postcard works," Joe said. "I've kept track of results. I got a 6 percent return, which means that out of every 100 Giant Gold postcards, I mail out to radio stations, six stations call me."

Before mailing or faxing your one-sheet, you must be absolutely certain that the person whose name you have as a contact is correct. It's a good idea to call the radio station to make sure they still work there, get the correct spelling of their name, the correct address and find out whether they prefer that your information be sent via fax or snail-mail.

For more press kit tips for getting on a radio talk show see Special Report 28 "How to Get Booked on Radio Talk Shows, Give a Great Interview and Get Invited Back"

Posted by Dan at 11:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Your press release doesn't have to be alone, but you also don't want to weigh it down. The following are some ideas for optional attachments:

 The news release announcing the antique show that features unusual salt and pepper shakers might accompany a list of the 15 most-sought salt and pepper shakers.

 Attach only good-quality black and white or color photos, or color slides in a protective jacket. Each photo should have identification information on the back, printed on a computer-generated label. Write the caption as you would like it to appear. People should be identified from left to right. Double-check spelling of names in captions, and make sure they are spelled the same way as the names in the news release.

 Never ask that the media return your professional business photo. It is to your advantage to have the media file the photo for future use.

 You may include good-quality graphs, charts and maps that illustrate your news release.

For more ideas for attachments see Special Report #12 "52 Tips for Kick-Butt Press Releases (and Bonehead Mistakes to Avoid)"

Posted by Dan at 01:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

When it comes to writing news releases there are some important things to avoid:

Sending a cover letter with the salutation "Dear Media Professional." If you must send a cover letter, personalize it.

Wasting time and money sending books and products to media professionals who might not necessarily want them. If you're publicizing a product or service, or you want to get reviews for a new book, first query by suggesting a story angle, or a news hook and see if they are interested. If they are, send them the product sample or book.

Wasting money on expensive, ostentatious "packaging" for your news releases, such as a release rolled up and tucked inside a gift box that's then wrapped in colorful plastic that's tied at the top with a big bow. This problem seems to be an epidemic among those who are publicizing fund-raisers and society balls. Particularly annoying are news releases sent in packages that also contain confetti or glitter. An unsuspecting editor removes the release and watches the entire mess fall into her lap. Even worse are news releases that cannot be extracted from cardboard mailing tubes.

For more tips on writing a great news release see Special Report #12 "52 Tips for Kick-Butt Press Releases (and Bonehead Mistakes to Avoid)"

Posted by Dan at 10:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

When you are actually onsite at a trade show, there are some important tips for things you can do to increase your chances for publicity:

Take plenty of news releases with you.

Make sure your booth is media-friendly. That means setting aside a spot in the booth where you can meet with editors and reporters. It's a good idea to also reserve a place away from the booth where reporters can interview company representatives in a more peaceful setting.

If you want to demonstrate a product, be sure you know who is responsible for the demonstration.

Let the people in your booth know how they can reach you if a media person stops by unannounced and needs information. They should have your cell phone or beeper number.

Make sure everyone in the booth knows where coats, purses and other belongings can be stored during the show. Be aware of local fire codes. Give the media what they need. You might be tempted to give reporters everything you think they want to know. Instead, ask them to tell you what they need. You will save them and you a lot of time.

For more great tips for great trade show publicity see Special Report #24 "How to Create Media Publicity at Trade Shows and Conferences"

Posted by Rachael at 07:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

What's the format for the body of a press release? In Section Number One, tell your whole story in two or three sentences. That's all you get. Two or three sentences, because the reporter just wants to read that first section and say, "What's this about?" They don't want to have keep reading. I can tell you the history of the Revolutionary War in two sentences, "We fought the British. They lost." That's the whole Revolutionary War. Everything else is just detail. So if I can tell you the history of the Revolutionary
War in two sentences, you can tell me your story in two sentences. Now we're done with section one.

In Section Number Two, quote yourself, put a quotation there. And the quote should come from you, by the way, not anybody else, and put your credentials. Who are you? Who are you to this person? Why should you be telling me about this topic? What is your background? A brief credential.

Section Number Three: What do you want to happen because the reporter got this press release? Do you want somebody to go to your bake sale? Do you want somebody to get a free report? Do you want somebody to call you? What do you want to happen? That's section number three.

One huge warning now-probably the Number One reason press releases are thrown out is that they violate this rule. And that rule is "Never single space the entire body copy." Never. I will guarantee your press release will be thrown out regardless of how
good your story is.

For more fantastic tips on how to write great press releases, read How to Write a Killer Press Release That Stops Reporters in Their Tracks
http://101publicrelations.com/killer.html?utm_source=prideas&utm_content=killer_press_releases

Posted by Dan at 01:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Submit a news release about your book and a sample copy to the many newspapers and magazines throughout the country that publish holiday gift guides, those tabloid-size sections that include holiday gift ideas. The Gift List for Holiday 2002 explains how to reach holiday gift guide editors easily and inexpensively. It includes national and regional magazines, the top 250 newspapers, major wire and news services, and national television. $349. Order at http://www.giftlistmedia.com

List the titles of your books in your signature file so that everyone who receives an e-mail message from you will know what you have written.

You can post messages to news groups and discussion lists. Mention your book, but spend more time providing helpful advice.

Reader's Digest, with a circulation of more than 15 million, has expanded its section that excerpts non-fiction books. Topics include personal finance, travel, fitness/health and consumer news. Contact Ed McFadden at Edward.mcfadden@rmail.com.

For more ideas, see Special Report #40.

Posted by Rachael at 07:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

How should you write a great press release? A lot of people write a press release the way they want it to appear in the newspaper, and that's dead wrong. The main reason that it's wrong is that if you take a one-page sheet of paper and you translate that into a news story, you're going to get about one column by two inches, and that's about it. That's not we're going to be talking. The only job that a press release has is to force the reporter to call you for more information.

We're talking about getting full pages in the newspaper. And if anyone seeing this thinks that that's not possible, they should come to one of my talks where not only I, but lots of my clients, bring in full pages from newspapers, and half pages, and magazine pages, and full hours on the radio, and a half hour on TV. That's what we're talking about. You're not going to get a lot from two inches by one column in the newspaper. You want a big story. You want to tell your whole story. They want a lot of coverage for whatever their story is, whether it's a product, or a service or a business. You don't get that by getting the story printed word for word.

Let's talk about what the job of a press release is. A press release has only one job, with the exception of these little bake sale press releases. But if we're talking about the press release we're going to be discussing today, the only job that press release has is to force the reporter to call you for more information. And I literally mean that word "force." The title of this teleseminar is "How to Write a Killer Press Release That Stops Reporters in Their Tracks." The job of that press release is to stop the reporter in his or her tracks because a reporter will receive dozens, if not hundreds, of press releases in a day. That sounds like a lot, and it is a lot. But the good news is, most of the press releases they get stink. They're terrible. They're boring. They're self-promoting. They're not believable. And we'll talk more about each one of those. So if you know a good formula that works, you will be able to stop them in their tracks, and get them to say, "Wait a minute! Now here's a good story." For more fantastic tips on how to write great press releases, read How to Write a Killer Press Release That Stops Reporters in Their Tracks
http://101publicrelations.com/killer.html?utm_source=prideas&utm_content=killer_press_releases

Posted by Dan at 07:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

While planning your news conference, write down the goals you need to accomplish. For example, are you calling a news conference to refute criticism by one of your competitors? Are you trying to rally public support for an unpopular project your organization is spearheading? Are you calling it to set the record straight after someone besmirched the reputation of one of your key people?

Keep your goals in sight, and plan accordingly. You might not have a lot of time to stage a well-orchestrated news conference, and you want to make sure the precious time you do have is spent wisely. The ideal length of time for a news conference is anywhere from 20 to 40 minutes.

For even more things to contemplate and consider before holding a press conference, check out The News Conference: When to Hold It and How to Do It Right.

Posted by DK at 07:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Email is a very intimate kind of a medium. And it’s perfectly acceptable to be personable and chatty. Try to take a formal business letter and put it into an email is nonsensical at this point. Emailed pitch letters are a new medium, you need a new approach to it.

Because what you want a pitch letter to accomplish is to make the journalist feel like they can talk to you, want to talk to you. If you can talk to a journalist on the phone, you can pretty much get a placement. You want to get the journalist interested in finding out what you are talking about and what you have to offer. You want to do it really quickly. You don’t want to waste your time trying to get the journalist to talk.

For more tips on new approaches to this new and fascinating medium, check out Transcript—How To Write a Pitch Letter.

Posted by DK at 07:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Regularly scan the headlines on the front of the major magazines while they are waiting in line at the grocery store. Start compiling a list of the ones that catch your attention. Then when you need a headline for a how-to article you are writing, or a speech you will deliver, simply remove one or two words from the original headline and substitute them with your own words.

Professionals utilize and teach this technique in workshops around the nation. You can study their methodologies and suggestions in Tips for Writing Eye-Catching Headlines for Your News Releases and Articles.

Posted by DK at 08:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

1. Don’t bury your press releases where no one can find them. If you’re going to have press releases at your website, make sure that there’s some way to find them from the home page.

2. Post your press releases in plain old HTML. Don’t put them in PDF format. Believe it or not, some people put their press releases on the web site in such a way that you have to download them.

3. Make sure your website is set up in such a way that search engines can get into the inner pages of your site.

4. Put a button on their home page called “media room” or “press room.” If the media is coming to your website just to nose around, to see if you’re worth interviewing or calling, they can click on that button and immediately go to the new releases and backgrounders, Q&As and profiles.

More helpful tips can be found at Secrets for Getting Through to the Media Online.

Posted by DK at 10:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Making a good impression is important when pitching your press release to media outlets. Over-extravagance, however, can produce the wrong impression. Try to avoid these mistakes:

-Wasting money on expensive, ostentatious “packaging” for your news releases, such as a release rolled up and tucked inside a gift box that’s then wrapped in colorful plastic that’s tied at the top with a big bow. This problem seems to be an epidemic among those who are publicizing fund-raisers and society balls.

-Particularly annoying are news releases sent in packages that also contain confetti or glitter. An unsuspecting editor removes the release and watches the entire mess fall into her lap.

-Even worse are news releases that cannot be extracted from cardboard mailing tubes.

Learn more mistakes to avoid in 52 Tips for Kick-Butt News Releases.

Posted by DK at 12:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

If appropriate, consider a “tips list” to accompany your news release.

For example, if the release is about your tips booklet on “51 Ways to Make Moving Day a Breeze” attach a separate sheet with 7 tips taken directly from the booklet. Include the phrase “Permission to Reprint” at the top. Below that, list a headline such as “7 Tips for Moving Day,” then list the tips.

At the end, include a paragraph explaining how the booklet can be bought, and the price.

Find out more ideas that will draw attention to your news release at 52 Tips for Kick-Butt News Releases.

Posted by DK at 10:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

When writing a news release, keep in mind these common mistakes:

-Don’t forget to answer the questions who, what, where, when, why and how in the first two paragraphs.

-Don’t use anonymous quotes. Attribute the quote to someone and mention their title, and why they are a credible source.

-Don’t use the following hackneyed words and phrases from your news releases: breakthrough, cutting-edge, unique, only-one-of-its-kind and state-of-the-art.

For more mistakes to avoid look at 52 Tips for Kick-Butt News Releases.

Posted by DK at 12:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

So you’ve sent in your news release and you want to follow up. How can you do this without being an annoyance?

Never follow up with a phone call to ask, “Did you get my news release?” or “Do you know when it will be printed?” or “Can you send me a copy once it’s printed?”

The media receive dozens of these annoying calls each day and don’t have time to check. Keep calling and asking these dumb questions and you will soon be branded as a pest.

If you absolutely must follow up, a better approach is to call the person to whom you sent the release, and ask if there’s any other information they need.

For more information check out 52 Tips for Kick-Butt News Releases.

Posted by DK at 12:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The headline is the most important part of the news release and should immediately convey why the news is important.

The headline you write most likely will not be printed. However, the headline flags the editor to the importance of the news release.

If the news release is about something controversial, like a town meeting to discuss the local library refusing to filter pornography on the Internet, be sure the headline reflects the controversy. Example: “Town meeting will ask why library isn’t filtering porn”is much better than “Town to discuss library’s Internet policy.”

More great tips on news release headlines can be found at 52 Tips for Kick-Butt News Releases.

Posted by DK at 09:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It’s always better to send a pitch letter than a standardized press release. However, that’s not always going to be possible because sometimes there are just too many media outlets that you want to contact. The best pitch letters are customized to the particular media outlet that you’re trying to get into.

Your pitch letter should be long enough to give the recipient enough information that they understand what your publicity angle is. You don’t have to tell the whole story. If they want to know more, then you will tell them how to contact you.

In your letter, state right up front that you have a clear understanding of the types of stories that they’re looking for. You’ll impress the heck out of an editor or a reporter, simply because so many people pitch ideas that have absolutely nothing to do with what their publication covers.

Check out Secrets for Getting Through to the Media Online.

Posted by DK at 08:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

When preparing for a news release, it is best to do some homework first:

Identify media outlets that need the information you are sending. If you are not familiar with the publication or broadcast outlet, call and ask if they would be interested in what you are writing about.

It’s better to send your news releases to fewer quality contacts who are really interested than to paper the landscape with news releases that end up in the wastebasket.

Find out the name of the person to whom you should send the news release. This saves time later if you must follow up with a phone call.

Find out more at 52 Tips for Kick-Butt News Releases.

Posted by DK at 10:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

1. Using a delivery service or a newswire. Four services that are very reputable are the following: PR Newswire, Business Wire, E-Releases, and PressReleaseNetwork.com. They have up-to-date lists of media and they get your stuff out when they say they’re going to get it out. Delivery services and newswires, however, are going to cost several hundred dollars per press release.
2. Buying a database of media email addresses. Now this is very tempting to many people because it seems like you make one purchase and can then use it any number of times. The trouble is, whatever form you buy a database, it’s almost always at least somewhat out of date.
3. Creating your own media list. It can be email addresses which you can compile by visiting the websites of various media outlets. This method of finding media email addresses is very tedious, but it’s very successful and it’s totally free.
4. Going to the library and looking at Bacon’s Magazine and Newspaper Directory. It’s extremely expensive if you wanted to buy it. It comes in two volumes, but many libraries have it.

Find out more at Secrets for Getting Through to the Media Online.

Posted by DK at 10:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

There are two key reasons to send a news release.

First, you can announce routine information such as a promotion or a special event.

Second, you can attract the media’s attention and give them enough information about a story—results of a new study or a new product your company is introducing—so that they call you for an interview. That means you are under no obligation to include all the facts of a story in your release. If the media are interested, they will call. Your job is to catch their attention.

For great ideas about news releases, check out 52 Tips for Kick-Butt News Releases.

Posted by DK at 08:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Many people who set out to write a press release have a basic misunderstanding of their objective.

They dutifully slave over a release, choosing the exact words to best tell their story in a single page.

Unfortunately, even if their release gets printed, that's only enough copy to fill a few column inches of space.

Isn't your real goal to have full-page articles written about you, or to be a feature story on the news broadcast? You simply aren't going to get there with a standard press release.

So what's the real purpose of a press release? To get the reporter to pick up the phone and call for a complete interview.

Therefore press releases to really do their job have to grab their interest, make them feel you'll be a great story subject, and that your story will be of news interest to their audience.

For more information on how to do this check out Creating Powerful Press Releases: 11 Steps To Creating Press Releases That Get Printed!

Posted by DK at 05:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

When you come across a negative rumor about your company on the web, your first inclination may be to send out a news release stating the truth. Don't do this, because it will only give the rumor power.

People who regularly watch TV or read the newspaper may not have heard anything yet, and by jumping the gun to defend yourself, you are giving people negative information that they weren't looking for.

Instead of issuing a press release, turn to the place the rumor started: the web. Consider that many of the people who get their initial information online will continue to search the web for answers.

By posting something on your home page, you will be able to correct the rumor without offering negative information to the masses. If you do nothing, you lose your chance to frame the situation in a positive manner. Post something discreet but informative, and you'll minimize the spread of the rumor.

This is just one of the many tips found in What to Do When Someone Damages Your Good Name.

Posted by DK at 08:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

You've sent out a press release or story pitch and now it's time to follow up. You dial the reporter's number, and get sent to voicemail. Should you just hang up or should you leave a message?

Especially if it's your first follow-up call, don't hang up! Leave a powerful message, one that makes them want to return your call.

To do so, you should have a scripted message. You don't want to sound like you're reading something, but you do want to clearly know ahead of time what your message is.

So your message may consist of something like, "Hi, this is Jill. I'm calling about using publicity in a down turned economy," and then give them the bottom line of your message really quickly - in 10 to 30 seconds. Your message should be clearly benefit/solution oriented. And then you say, "I'd love to talk with you further. Please call me at ..." and state your phone number twice clearly, then hang up.

Continue reading "Story pitch follow-ups: what if you get sent to voicemail?" »

Posted by DK at 09:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

What's the best way to send a press release? E-mail? Fax? Or regular snail-mail?

For immediate attention fax is best. If you're doing a local publicity campaign, you can do that campaign for pennies - just the cost of your local calls.

If you have an urgent story, don't depend on mail, because by the time they get it, the news is dead. A good idea is to fax them and follow up with mail.

If you have a story that needs a photograph to really put juice into it, yes, mail the press release along with the photograph. So don't be opposed to snail-mail. It's just that faxing is preferable.

Continue reading "The best way to send a press release" »

Posted by DK at 08:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

If the headline doesn't do its job, the rest of the press release is worthless. The job of the headline is to force the reporter to keep on reading. Don't be worried about be overly creative.

What you need are called "formula" headlines. All you have to do is take a "formula" headline, replace a few words, and you've got your headline. For example, a "formula" headline may be "14 Ways to End Headache Pain Immediately." That's a formula headline. Now what makes it a formula headline? If you saw that headline in a book on publicity, or example, the number "14" would be underlined, and "headache pain" would be underlined. Any time you see something underlined, that means take it out. Eliminate it. And put in your information.

Continue reading "Use formula press release headlines to get the reporter's attention" »

Posted by DK at 04:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)