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How to Get Free Media Publicity for Your Business:
Write, send, and target
your message so the media managers will use it.
Free Tips
from: YourBizWiz
by Grayling Lathrop
Index
of Articles
Grayling will write your press
release and send it to over 5,000 media contacts.
Stop languishing in obscurity! Stop spending way too much on advertising!
And most importantly, STOP PUTTING YOUR DREAMS ON HOLD! You may be just
the person who has an idea, service, or product that will change our world
for the better. Please excuse my boisterous tone. I'm no huckster. But
I AM a BIG believer in the power of mass media. The Internet and e-mail
put the power of mass media firmly in the hands of the smalltime operator.
That' right! The Little Guy has finally gotten a break.
Why am I so darned enthusiastic about mass media when that same media
is blasted by popular speakers?
I've seen the media work miracles in the hands of a skillful persuader.
And I can show you how to do it too for little or no money. You can get
your message to media--large and small--when you understand the insider
secrets of sending out a topnotch press release.
We've all seen it. Somebody gets a bright idea or develops a new product
and the media jumps on it. PRESTO!---everyone wants that person's product
or idea. Does this happen because the idea or product is a truly new and
brilliant one? Hardly. More often than not, THE PERSON SUCCEEDED BECAUSE
SHE OR HE KNEW HOW TO USE THE MEDIA. (Pardon my shouting, but THAT is
the most important message you'll ever hear, next to "Your house
is on fire!") And YOU can do it too. Read on!
We live in a mass society. Millions of people spending billions of dollars
and talking about trillions of ideas 24 hours a day. You can reach a FEW
of those people through old fashioned word of mouth. But to reach HUGE
numbers of them--which is what you will have to do to get the big results--you
must use Mass Media.
Do News Releases Work?
That's the question which people always ask me. If I host a chat , as
I often do, its guaranteed several people will want to know if sending
out press releases will just be a big waste of time.
Well...the answer is "yes." Yes, if you don't know exactly
what you're doing. But having said that, let me need, must have, crave,
can't-do-without a steady stream of usable news. YOU are the person that
can supply the news leads they need.
Preparing a Press Release
The news release is the time honored method of putting information before
the media. This is especially true for businesses and organizations. It
takes the form of a page or two detailing your message, generally slanted
a bit to favor your goals. In its most basic form, the news release has
your name and contact number at the top, followed by some points the media
outlet will be interested in.
News releases don't work for all situations. Radio stations get bags
full of them each day, and almost all go into the trash. Television doesn't
do much better. The real province of the news release is the newspaper.
Now the journalistic turf of the newspaper is being shared by the on-line
community--thousands of e-mail newsletters, newsgroups, discussion groups,
web sites, and e-zines.
Unlike most other media sources, newspapers require a very large and
steady flow of new information coming in on a daily basis. Reporters keep
all options open as sources of news. If you can dump a good message in
their laps, they will use it.
Reporters usually call their own shots. Following a few guidelines set
up by his or her editor, the reporter has the freedom to decide which
stories to pursue. Call the newspaper and ask which reporter handles stories
like yours.
If your message is fast breaking and can't wait for a news release to
arrive in the mail or for the reporter to check her e-mail, phone the
reporter and tell them about it. Make sure you have all your facts clear
and correct. Reporters despise inaccuracy. Set them up with bad facts
and they won't come back.
Also, make sure your story is something that the reporter will agree
is important. Newspapers don't like it if you send in an ad for your business
to be used as a news story. Their attitude is, "Hey, if you want
to advertise, call the advertising department and buy and ad." You
have to cloak your message in a story that is newsworthy, a story that
readers will find helpful, interesting, simulating, sad, or hopeful If
you're not sure, you can often leave your message on the reporter's voice
mail, and it has the effect of demanding less urgency. When the reporter
says your message is no big deal, as some occasionally will, it will reflect
less on you.
A recent business bulletin board session featured one entrepreneur complaining
that advertising was too expensive and none of her many press releases
to the media had ever netted any coverage. Another contributor guessed
that only one in every 20 press releases is ever used and the whole process
might be futile. Finally, a third entrepreneur pointed out that maybe
the failing press releases hadn't been newsworthy.
BINGO!
In order to get your product, service, organization, or idea into the
media, you have to talk the media manager's language. You must hit what
I call the Media Manager Hot Buttons.
First, target your message to the medium that is most interested in your
type of story. Television goes for a mass audience. Radio seeks a very
tightly focused demographically-skewed crowd. Magazines touch a specialized
regional or national readership. Your local paper goes for a very local
angle. Media is ultra-fractionalized these days and each outlet tries
to stake out its own little corner of the audience. Think about which
media outlet in your community addresses your target customers.
What Media Managers Crave!
There are several topics that media managers almost always go for. If
you can think of a way to combine your message with one of these topics--you're
in.
1. Is your story trendy? At any given time there are certain topics
that the media seems to be beating to death. It may be reduction of crime,
or new schools, or the city's sorry streets. Find some way to connect
your message to the media's latest trend.
2. Does your message fit with one of America's cherish beliefs?
Story lines such as "the little guy takes on corruption" or
"formerly poor single mom takes on the business world and succeeds"
or "one guy gets fed up and cleans up his neighborhood" are
stories the media always jumps for. Even if you're selling gum, there
is probably some way for you to connect your business with one of the
many stories that fit into the cherished belief mold.
3. Does your message tie into a topic of mass interest? Media
frequently does surveys to find out the community's top five concerns.
The results are almost always the same. Crime, kids, schools, roads, employment.
The media always covers topics like these.
4. Can you relate your message to some community scandal? The
media loves to cover things that get people worked up. Corruption, dishonesty,
cover-ups, illicit sex (their favorite), racism, bully-ism, and any other
-ism you think of. Perhaps you can position yourself as a good guy taking
on an "-ism."
5. Is your message a reporter's pet subject? Under this category
absolutely anything has a chance of getting in the media (and it often
accounts for some of the strange stuff you see in the media). Get to know
media folks whenever possible. Radio DJs are especially approachable.
Stop by the studio of your favorite station with a box of donuts and start
a friendship. Your favors will be returned on the air.
6. Does your story relate to a specialized newsletter or e-zine's
general topic. If readers find your information adds to their knowledge
of the general topic, your in. This kind of publicity can be the most
effective and the easiest to get. Bigger publications may be flashier,
but it's often the smallest ones, focused at a very specialized audience,
that get the job done.
The bottom line is this: think like the media, shape your message to
fit their likes. Do that and your message has a good chance of being used.
Above all, don't let up. While one media manager may not have the slightest
interest in your idea, another will welcome you with open arms. The media
needs piles of fresh stories everyday.
Hang in there and make sure your product, service, organization or idea
is one of those stories.
These steps presuppose that one of your goals is to develop a lasting
relationship with reporters. You will be well ahead of the game as you
can become someone they regard as a solid source of reliable news. Think
about ways you can become the newspaper's source for news in your industry.
How to Write the Release.
Begin with a heading in the upper left corner. It must contain the name
and address of your organization and the name and phone number of a person
or two to contact for more information. Reporters almost always want to
talk with you for answers to additional questions. Since newspapers operate
around the clock, make sure that they can reach a spokesperson at any
time. Reporters are on very short deadlines and will simply drop a story,
or worse, unknowingly go with a mistake, if they can't reach someone authoritative
for more information.
The media is still a telephone intense business. Several times I have
forgotten to check my voice mail, only to days earlier. Too bad for me.
Whatever her story was, chances are she's long past writing in my information.
The media business moves fast. If it needs to be done, it must be done
now.
Follow the heading with the phrase:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE.
If you are sending them the information in advance of the date you would
like it reported, write:
FOR RELEASE: Friday, July 1 (for example).
A word to the wise, don't expect them to wait if the news is really big.
In fact, giving a reporter earth shaking news in advance, then telling
them not to report it for a few days, is likely to irritate them.
Drop down a few spaces underneath the release date and type in all capitals
a headline summarizing your message. For example:
MAYOR WILL COMMEND BOY SCOUTS FOR PLANTING TREES ALONG THE JORDAN RIVER.
Four spaces below that, type a second sentence supporting your headline.
Example:
Kearns den plants 200 saplings in destroyed fire area.
Now follow with the information you have to offer in the body of the
release. Begin with the name of the city you are reporting from and the
date the release was written. Your first sentence should retell the information
in the headlines.
For the example above:
KEARNS, July 1, 1986. In a ceremony at Salt Lake City Hall, Mayor Kathleen
Wilson will commend boy scouts from Kearns for planting over 200 sapling
trees in the area of the Jordan River park that was destroyed by fire
last winter.
Write it as you would a newspaper story, in inverted pyramid form. This
means that the most important information must go at the beginning, with
the less important details coming at the end.
Many poorly written news releases start with, "The Huge Corporation
conducted a meeting of board members on Friday July 1. In attendance were......"
The outcome of the meeting was that the directors voted to build a forty
story building that will be the biggest in the state. Unfortunately, this
jolting news was buried in the middle of the news release.
Put your newsworthy information first. Lead with whatever you think the
reporter will be most interested in. Let the less important details bring
up the rear.
Don't write your release like a feature story, beginning with something
like, "It was a dark and stormy night and Bill Higgins woke up in
a cemetery." Even though there seems to be a growing number of papers
across the country who turn all their news into feature stories, it is
bad journalism.
Keep your release to a page or two. Even a half-page release will often
do the job. Reporters want the information quickly and with a minimum
of effort. They will call you for more details, and these will frequently
be details you never thought about including.
Conclude your release with the sign "#" or "-30-"
placed in the center of the page, immediately following your text. These
are traditional ways of signifying that the release is finished.
Keep your writing clear. Uncommon terms will require a quick explanation
of what they mean. If the reporter may be unfamiliar with your point,
compare it with something they'll probably know.
You can reinforce a concept by saying the same thing again in different
words. This is valuable when talking with reporters. Accentuate the important
points of your message, saying them slowly so that the reporter can get
them down. The reporter is often writing the story as he or she talks
to you. Listen and you will hear the clacking of computer keys as you
talk.
Some reporters says they appreciate a few handwritten words of thanks
along with the news release. Others say they are much more likely to open
envelopes that have been addressed by hand. This may be particularly appropriate
if you are trying to cultivate a personal relationship with the reporter.
When to Issue a Press Release.
Watch for those opportunities when a news release will be appropriate
and likely to get into print.
1. Official announcements. Such things as appointments, new services,
and organizational accomplishments are regarded as newsworthy.
2. Celebrities and public figures who are doing things with you,
your organization or cause.
3. Events such as open houses, tours, award ceremonies, accomplishments,
anniversaries, rallies, and debates.
4. Statements that involve you in controversy such as stating
your organization's stance on a public issue. Offer a prediction or pass
a resolution.
5. Public appearances and big media coverage can interest a reporter.
If your work is being featured on "The ABC News," let the newspaper's
television editor know about it.
6. Remember to watch for things you can tie-in with. Can you associate
yourself with upcoming holidays, public-service projects, and news happenings
that are getting lots of attention?
7. Watch for regular newspaper columns that deal with your area
of interest. They are especially likely to use your news release, sometimes
in its entirety, if your message directly relates to the column's topic.
If the paper includes a weekly profile of what's happening on radio, be
sure to send them a release anytime you have a scheduled radio interview
or when you have recently appeared on the radio with something interesting.
Remember Smaller Newspapers, Newsletters, and E-Zines!
Often times when the big daily paper in your town isn't interested in
your story (for example it has too much to do with your business interests
with not enough interest for a general audience) consider a more specialized
publication.
Trade or industry papers can be excellent for this. The fact that you
added a new printer to your printing business is probably of no interest
to the big daily paper. However, it might be a good story, accompanied
with a photo, for a magazine, newspaper, or newsletter that specializes
in the printing industry.
If your business coincides with a minority group or opinion, look for
publications which target that smaller group. There's nothing wrong with
reaching a smaller audience, especially if that audience is made up of
a high percentage of your target prospects. One of the biggest problems
with big mass media (like newspapers and TV) are that they send your message
out to just about everybody. It's rare that a business actually needs
everybody. Chances are you only sell to specific groups with certain types
of interests and needs.
Tips From a Newspaper Editor
I recently spoke with a newspaper editor about what kinds of stories
they would cover. Much of what she said is a repeat of the things you
have read above. But she had several other interesting points that you
would do well to keep in mind.
Don't call the morning paper's office at 3 PM. It's deadline "crunch
time" and no one has time to take on a new story. Reporters and Editors
and tired and stressed. Try calling earlier in the day when things are
more relaxed.
Be concise and be prepared to tell the reporter why this story is important
to their readers. Don't ramble on with too many details. Get to the meat
of what interests the newspaper.
If you want the paper to publicize an event, get it in writing and make
sure the paper has it one week in advance. Your story has to be timely.
If it happened last year, or even last month, it may no longer be of interest
to the newspaper. News must be new.
Where Do You Find the Addresses for the Media?
It used to be that you had to shuck out a few hundred bucks to buy a
media guide on CD-ROM. Now that just about every media entity in the world
is on-line, the process of getting accurate addresses is much easier and
cheaper.
Remember, bulk mailing your press release to media is not the same as
spamming individuals. Media expects to get unsolicited promotional announcements.
That's the business they're in. No media person in their right mind will
object to getting your press release unsolicited.
There are also companies that will send your press release out for you,
although I'm not so sure it's better than the do-it-yourself method. The
top press release agency in the corporate world is PR Newswire ( http://www.prnewswire.com
or 800/832-5522).
PR News Target ( http://www.newstarget.com
)claims to have cultivated a relationship with thousands of editors covering
a variety of industries. I would take that with a grain of salt. When
I worked in media we often got calls or cards from PR firms asking if
we wanted to get their stuff. We usually said yes because they would sometimes
send free hats, shirts, and other trinkets. The press releases often went
into the trash.
It's much better if YOU cultivate your own relationship with editors.
Also check out Automated Press Releases ( http://www.gapent.com/pr
). For the nice price of $12.50 per hundred, they'll send your release
to any of their 7,600 media sources in 37 countries. While you're at the
Automated site, read through their "Pet Peeves of the Media"
article.
Other great services are at USANews.net
and XpressPress.com.
Some PR firms will write your press release for you. The price usually
runs around $200 - $300 for a one-pager. (Don't do it! I'll
write it for you cheaper.)
Now and again somebody will say, "Come-on Grayling. Tell me the absolute
best way to get my press release used by the media." There's
no better way to get free media than to take the time to find exactly
the right TV, newspapers, radio (etc.) to send your release to, and send
it yourself. No send-em-in-mass service can touch you doing it yourself.
Here's my advice. Give us a call 517-447-4080 or
and tell us what type of business you're in and we will
give you the contact info for the editors interested in your specific
business. We have a database with 23,000 USA TV/Radio stations, Daily/Weekly
newspapers, Trade/Consumer magazines, Black/Hispanic media, syndicates,
networks and more.
Why spend your hard-earned money to have a service send your release
out just once, when you can do it yourself many times for FREE!
Let's Review the Important Points
While news releases are not always effective for radio or television,
they are an important part of newspaper operations.
Get the name of a reporter covering your type of story and send your
release prepared in the standard format. Conventional appearance will
tell the reporter that you are a fellow professional.
Write clearly and make sure your facts are accurate.
Include names and numbers for contact people who can be reached at any
time. Reporters will often call back for further details or clarification.
Increase your frequency of media exposure by striving to be a professional
and reliable source that the reporter will want to work with again in
the future. Although there is no rigid standard for media releases, here
is an example that will be acceptable to virtually everyone (excluding
the content, of course).
Here's a simple example of what a standard press release looks like:
Your Biz Wiz
226 W. River St
Deerfield, MI USA
phone: 517-447-4080
Contact: Grayling T. Lathrop
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
YOUR BIZ WIZ TO GIVE AWAY FREE LIFE-TIME WEB-HOSTING
In a bold move today area businessman Grayling Lathrop announced his
firm YourBizWiz.com has began giving out FREE Life-Time Web-Hosting to
businesses and individuals.
Deerfield, MI: Making this gesture so unique is the fact that it is guaranteed
to be free forever. Unlike other free services YourBizWiz.com contractually
obligates to provide the user with free web-hosting for life. Other companies
have disclaimers that allow them to begin charging for their free service
whenever they like. With YourBizWiz.com there are no monthly, maintenance,
or membership fees ever.
Mr. Lathrop points out there are major differences that separates YourBizWiz
from other free services as well. Such as, they do not place banners,
pop-ups, or any other type of advertisement on the users free pages. In
fact, no one even knows that the user is getting the service for free.
Additionally, they will host your own domain name for free too. Users
simply pay a small one time fee of $99 to setup their account and their
hosting is free for life.
Graphic designer Brad Miner, of MinerGrafx says, "I love the service!
This is one of the best things that I've ever found on the web."
Mr. Miner also pointed out that the company even pays $15 to users when
they refer others that sign up.
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Have Grayling write your release.
Grayling provides marketing advice and copy writing for those wanting
to succeed at business.
Visit http://www.yourbizwiz.com
for more FREE advice and for all your e-commerce solutions! YourBizWiz.com
provides FAST Low-Cost Hosting and is committed to your Online Success.
Grayling Lathrop is YourBizWiz!
Email him for FREE advice here:
or call him at (517) 447-4080.
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