 Ever wonder why your
competitors get featured in the local paper or magazines
and you don't? It's not just luck that brings the
reporters to their door - chances are it's a press
release.
When you or your business
is featured in a publication, unless the article's there
to highlight something you've done wrong, it's a very good
thing. That article is free advertising, and even the
short one-paragraph blurbs can lead to a nice increase in
business. Such articles help build credibility and educate
the public about your philosophies, commitment, and the
business itself.
Should you put out a
press release?
Naturally, you'd like to
benefit from such free advertising. But is this the right
time to send a press release? Generally speaking, your
release will be ignored if it's not newsworthy enough to
interest the publication's readership. Grand openings,
awards, major client contracts (really big ones!),
seminars you're hosting, important policy changes, and
other events that interest the business community or the
public may qualify.
If you can't think of a
reason to issue a release, consider doing something
newsworthy just for that purpose. Hold a contest, launch a
frequent buyer program, or host a seminar on a topic
related to your business.
Goals of a press release
A press release has two
main goals:
1. To be published as
written, OR
2. To interest a staff writer in contacting you for
further coverage.
The temptation to
"just let them do it" is strong, especially if
you're not a particularly strong writer. Even if your goal
is to bring a reporter to your door, a professional writer
can help you state things in a way that will hook the
editor's interest and separate your release from the many
- possibly hundreds - that hit his desk each day. A
well-written press release also gives the reporter an easy
structure to follow, copy points, and phrases he can use.
This isn't plagiarism - it's teamwork.
There's an advantage to
getting it published as written, though, and many
publications will do just this if they're short on time or
space...or if it's perfect as is. When you do this, you
have control over the words. No need to worry about being
misquoted, misunderstood, or having key elements omitted.
The key is having it
perfect, as is, or as close to perfect as possible. A
professional writer, with experience in writing press
releases, can do this. It's not always easy to craft a
piece that covers everything you need while still
appearing objective. If the article is too much like an
advertisement, the publication will reject it and instead
suggest that you purchase ad space. But if the press
release reads like "news", is in the
publication's standard news article format and adheres to
editorial policies, you've got a good chance of seeing it
as submitted, or at least close.
Anatomy of a press
release
A press release consists of
five main parts: Contact information, Release Date, Title,
Body, and Call to Action. Depending on the situation, a
sixth part may also be included - the boilerplate.
Contact information states
who the publication's editor - not the reader - should
contact if additional information is needed. Release date
is usually "for immediate release" but if a
later date is specified, perhaps to tie in with a holiday
or a specific event, the publication will honor it.
Title is important, because
obviously it's the first thing the editor will read, but
also because it may very well end up as the title of the
published article - even if the reporter re-writes the
body. The body itself delivers the information, and the
call to action is the part that tells your reader what you
want them to do after reading the article. Should the call
you? Come in on a certain day? Don't leave that out.
A boilerplate is background
information, and is crucial if you or your business isn't
already well known in the community. This isn't part of
the release and won't get printed; it just gives the
editor and staff writers a bit more information about why
your release is important.
What to do with a press
release Your press release's destination depends on which
segment of the population you wish to reach, and which
publications are most likely to use such a release.
Generally the larger the publication, the less likely it
will use your release as written - it may use part, or may
use the release as a launching point for something
entirely different.
You can send your release
directly to the publications via e-mail or regular mail,
and as with any submission to an editor, it helps to know
the correct person's name and title. A professional writer
can help you there, too.
Also, services such as PR
Newswire (http://www.prnewswire.com)
or EWorldWire (http://www.eworldwire.com)
can help, for a fee.
Many professionals also
advocate purchasing advertising space in the publication
for the issue that will run your press release, if it's
possible to find that date out in advance.
When your press release has
been distributed and published, the benefits don't stop
there. You can often use the press release itself for
other marketing purposes, such as assisting with copy for
brochures, the wording for smaller print ads, sales
letters, etc.
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