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Sure Fire Press Releases - Generating Massive Free Publicity For Your Business |
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A properly written, targeted press release can be one of the most potent marketing tools available to you. By following the steps in this article, your press release has a much better chance of being accepted than the rest. In fact, this method should put you ahead of about 99% of all the other press releases submitted - provided it is timely and proper for the venue you submitted it to. Main Objectives of Your Press Release 1. Get your press release read by the editor. You have about 10 seconds to catch the editors eye with your press release before it is tossed - even less if it is an email press release. If your headline doesn't grab the editor, it is all over. To ensure the headline will grab the editor's attention, you must know the publication you are submitting to and what their hot buttons are. 2. Get your press release printed. For your press release to be printed, it must pass the editorial review. This means that it must give useful information to the readers of the publication. Editors know the purpose of a press release is to benefit the company it is about and they know a press release gives free advertising to the company. What they insist on though is that the press release give something of value to their readers. Is the press release contributing to a discussion of current events? Does it offer a timely solution to a problem? Does it tell in a feature rich way about a new product that your company produced that would interest and benefit their readers, etc.? In other words, your press release must be perceived as giving benefit to the readers of the publication even if they do not do business with you. 3. Get the readers of the publication to take action after reading your press release in the manner you planned. Part of crafting a press release is to create a well scripted call to action. Even though you are not writing a sales letter, the reader must be led to the conclusion that their life would be better if they visit your website, pick up the phone to call you, order your product, hire you for your service, attend your event or whatever the action is. If someone reads your press release and it doesn't hit their hot buttons, they will not take action. If your press release is a bit vague about what you want the reader to do, no action will be taken. Something as simple as "For further information, go to mywebsite.com" can generate lots of new business from an interesting and targeted press release. Step by Step Guide to Writing Your Press Release 1. Identify the publications you wish to contact. When you complete this step, you should have a list of all publications that would have an interest in what your business does. This can include newspapers, magazines, trade magazines, newsletters, ezines, etc. You should think targeted when making this list. While it may be impressive getting a press release in USA Today, you have a much better chance at succeeding in Widgets weekly (where widgets is your industry target.) 2. Get a sample of each of the above publications for your files. (Note: It is a good idea to keep these sample publications as you will probably refer back to them many times.) 3. Circle each press release in the above sample publications. It may take a bit of guesswork to sort the press releases from the articles in some magazines as some (generally trade publications) will seem like nothing but a series of press releases on products, services, etc. 4. Go back to each publication and write a press release for that specific publication. From the previous step, you will be able to uncover a style that a particular publication favors. The closer you can craft your press release to that style, the more likely it will be accepted. Style includes word length, length of headlines, if photos are included, etc. Your goal is to minimize the editors work. If he is evaluating two press releases and if the first one can be run as is and the second one needs heavy editing to be run, the first one will win every time. This is a bit more work than the "write it once and blanket the world approach", it it will give you much higher returns. 5. After it is written, proofread it carefully to be sure it reads exactly how you wish, fits in the publication's style and has no spelling or grammatical errors. 6. Print the press release on a high quality paper on a good printer - preferably a laser printer or an inkjet printer on high quality print mode, attach any photos you may have and a short cover letter and send it to the editor of the publication. (Of course, if you fax the press release, you probably wouldn't include photos but rather let the editor know they are available.) Do this once for each publication and you should soon be getting publicity for your business. Other Helpful Hints 1. Always address the press release to a specific editor at the publication. 2. Always spell the editor's name correctly. If you are not sure of the correct spelling, call the publication to check. 3. A cover letter is generally a good idea but not a necessity. A cover letter would just contain a few sentences telling the editor why the press release is newsworthy. If you include a cover letter, be sure the entirety of it can be absorbed in 10 seconds. 4. Whenever possible and relevant, include a photo of your product in the press release - even if it is a book. 5. There are a variety of ways to send a press release. They are detailed below with reasons why you may want to use a particular method. a. Email - Personally, I would never use email. Editor's email boxes always seem to be full and the chances of your press release getting noticed are pretty small. b. Fax - A fax directed to a particular editor is a good way to get a press release delivered instantly. It is effective and it gives the editor a physical piece of paper to be handled. The only drawback of a fax is that you can't easily include a photograph. c. First class mail - This is good for a press release that doesn't need to go out immediately as it will take some time for delivery. If you use the mail, be sure to use a 9 x 12 envelope so the pages are not folded. Mail allows you to send a photo and requires additional involvement on the editor's part by opening the envelope so it has a better chance of being looked at than a fax which can get buried on the desk. d. Signed delivery - This includes FedEx, UPS, and USPS Express Mail. If you really want to get the editor's attention, you can invest the money to send your press release Next Day Air by one of these services. It is sure to get the editor's attention as it is not every day that an Express envelope gets delivered so it is sort of an "event." This method is not a guarantee of publication but it does get the editor even more involved and if it is related to a hot breaking news story, it packs a powerful punch to be delivered in this manner.
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12 Tips to Getting Instant Free PR
10 Steps To Promote Your Small Business
Writing a Press Release: A Template for a New Product Press Release |
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