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35 Quick Tips for Writing A Press Release

Layout1. 1-2 pages in length.2. Double-space.3. 1.5 to 2 inch margins.4. Use company stationary with logo and slogan.5. Avoid bright or dark-colored paper.6. Center "News Release" at top.7. Place a "release date" under "News Release".8. On second page, type "page 2".9. Use company stationary with logo and slogan on page 2.10. Leave out "release after" date on second page, all else should be the same.11. At end of press release, type "-30-" or "# # #".12. Include both black & white, color, and a variety of font sizes (but no more than four). Format13. Inverted pyramid (biggest point or major... Read More

Smashing the Myth of the Press Release

A musician spends years honing his craft. He writes world-class songs and performs them in a manner that moves his listeners to tears. He records a demo tape and sends it to record labels. He gets a contract and becomes rich, famous and adored.The lesson: demo tapes are the secret of becoming a famous musician.Wait, you say, the demo tape was just a tool, just his way of conveying his talent. It's his ability as a musician that got him the contract and made him famous.You're right, of course. He could have become just as famous if a record executive... Read More

10 Tips for Tantalizing News Releases

Want to get radio interviews and coverage in print publications to sell more books? Master the art of writing magnetic media releasesthat attract attention of editors and publishers. A media release (which also goes by its former name, the press release) is a one page, double spaced, single-sided document designed to transmit news about books, products, and people. Because of its official sounding name, authors oftenmake the mistake of sounding like Sgt. Friday of the TV show "Dragnet" when they write the release, and make it Too fact oriented. Don't forget that real live people, editors and producers, must pull... Read More

The Four Seasons of Publicity - Building an All-Year Publicity

If you're like most publicity seekers, you probably think oneproject at a time. You've got a new product coming out in April,so you send out a release in March. You've hired a new executive,you'll put out a release when she's on board, etc. For hard-core publicity insiders, though, there's a rhythm togenerating coverage, based upon the natural ebb and flow of theseasons. Such an approach can help you score publicity throughoutthe year, and will help keep your eye on the ball from Januarythrough December. Essentially, a yearlong approach consists of two strategies: - Timing your existing stories (new product introductions,oddball... Read More

How to Tie-In With News Events to Score Publicity

It's safe to say that we live in interesting times. It seems wehardly have a breather between wars, tragedies, scandals,epidemics, circus trials and other events that capitalize themedia's attention. For the business seeking publicity, the "newshole" for more traditional stories -- new product reviews,business features, offbeat promotions -- keeps shrinking as the"big story" mentality takes hold. Fortunately, you're not completely at the mercy of world eventswhen it comes to obtaining some exposure. By being smart andaggressive, you can find a way to break through the logjam bytying-in -- where appropriate and tasteful -- with the news ofthe day. Here are... Read More

Publicity From Thin Air

In an ideal world, your business would be overflowing withnewsworthy stories, and the media would be waiting with batedbreath for your next press release, ready to give you front pagecoverage. In the real world, however, it's not always so easy to generatereal news. There are only so many hot new products orbreakthrough achievements with which a business can capture ajournalist's attention. So what do top publicists do to get news coverage for clients whohave no news to share? They create opportunities for publicity from thin air. A goodpublicist can quite literally invent a story that the news mediawill eat up.... Read More

Grandma Says...

Southern grandmothers have often said, "there are only three times a respectable person's name should be in the paper: when you are born, when you are married, and when you die." This is the one area in which I part company with my grandmothers. Publicity is more critical today for the success of a business than it has ever been. Why do I believe it's critical? Let's review what publicity ? particularly publicity in business and trade publications - can do for your business. Provides Neutral... Read More

Press Releases for Every Occasion

To many marketers, the press release is something of a "one sizefits all" proposition. You want to get media coverage, you knockout a press release, send it to some journalists and sit back andwait. Of course, smart Publicity Insiders already know that's aprescription for failure. You know that your press release hasto have a "hook", be well-written and sent to appropriatejournalists in an active, not passive, manner. But there'sanother part of the puzzle that even savvy publicity-seekerssometimes miss -- you can't just write "a press release", youhave to write the right kind of press release. There's no such thing as... Read More

Press Kit Elements That Work

Considering how fundamental they are to the publicist's trade,it's always amazed me how lousy almost all press kits truly are.Your typical press kit is a bloated folder filled with puffery,hype, irrelevant information and worse. The vast majority ofthese monstrosities do little besides kill trees and clognewsroom trash baskets. The good news is that creating a press kit that actually worksreally isn't that hard. Let's look at the elements of a winningpress kit, and help you avoid some common pitfalls. The Psychology of a Press Kit There are two fundamental rules to creating a good press kit: 1. The press kit... Read More

Forget the Press Release - Heres How to Pitch Like Roger Clemens

Stripped down to its core, publicity is little more than oneperson persuading another. You, the publicity seeker, mustpersuade a journalist that your story is worthy of receivingprint space or air time. Your ability to sell your story to ajournalist is what it's all about. If you've ever sat with an insurance salesman who droned on andon, you probably know that simpler is better when it comes topersuasion. A few choice words, a brief, well-reasoned argumentand a strong close can make the sale. Too much detail, too muchrambling and too much pontification can kill a deal. When pitching a journalist, the... Read More

8 Ways to Use Local Publicity to Drive Your Business

While scoring anice story in BusinessWeek or USA Today is something tocelebrate, there are times when you need to grab attention a bitcloser to home. If your business draws its clientele from a specific town, cityor region, focusing your energy on getting an elusive nationalpublicity hit may be overkill, especially when getting publicitywhere you need it -- in your home town -- is often so mucheasier. Let's look at some techniques you can use to reach potentialcustomers right where you live, through your local papers, radioand TV stations. 1) Get to Know Your Business Editor. Unless you live in a... Read More

The Ultimate PR Edge: Getting Reporters To Open Your E-Mails

You know that getting publicity is vital to the health of yourbusiness. You probably also know that e-mail is the way mostpublicity seekers get in touch with reporters to score thatprecious coverage. Here's what you don't know: The vastmajority of e-mails sent to journalists never get read. Bottom line: if your e-mails don't get read, you have no shot atgetting the publicity you so desperately need. Here's how to beat the odds: Avoiding the Spam Trap To a spam filter, your humble e-mail pitch may appear to containan array of trigger words and suspicious phrases. A server thatrelayed your message... Read More

Editorial Calendars: A Key to Publicizing Your Business

What is the one thing that all of the best public relationsagencies do every year? They research and compile editorial calendars from publicationsthat are pertinent to their client's business. You should too. What's an editorial calendar? Editorial calendars are schedules of what topics a publicationplans for cover for a particular month. For example, the INC.editorial calendar for July 2003http://www.inc.com/advertise/magazine/calendar.html states thatthey're writing an article on various business services. Bingo! If you feel that you can contribute to this particular topic,call or email the editorial department at INC. (try to "speak" tothe managing editor) and find out who (which... Read More

Creating Your Online News Room: How To Build a Site The Media Will Love

From time to time, people ask me how public relations has changedduring the two decades in which I've been seeking publicity. Myanswer: technology. Twenty years ago, the fax machine was anewfangled novelty. Our primary means of communicating withjournalists was the telephone and the US Mail. The advent of e-mail and the web has made life easier in many regards and tougherin others - namely, thanks to hordes of clowns with money makingschemes and software that "blasts" press releasesindiscriminately to reporters, it's become very hard to get youre-mails through to spam-weary reporters. But there's another great advantage provided to publicity seekersby... Read More

7 Tips to Get More Mileage Out of Your Online or Offline Publicity

You worked hard to get a story on your business in a popularwebsite or your local paper. Don't let your efforts ends there --here are seven tips to help you maximize your online and offlinepublicity: 1) Reprint, Reprint, Reprint! A favorable article on your company or products is marketing gold- it implies that the publication or website has given itsendorsement. The best part is that you can enjoy the benefits ofthis "third party endorsement" long after the article hasappeared. If you want to re-print an article from an offline publication inits entirety, you must get permission from the publication. Mostpublications... Read More

Pot Roast and Public Relations (or, How Your Web Site Can Be Your Best P.R. Tool)

Recently I had a craving for pot roast. I racked my brain to think of a restaurant that offered a great pot roast (as you can see, I'm not a whiz in the kitchen). Anyway, I did what I usually do when I need to find information ? I searched Google for "pot roast boca raton" to see what restaurants came up.Well, only one restaurant's menu that featured pot roast came up. I had never eaten there before, so I phoned them to make sure they still had pot roast on the menu (alas, they didn't).But... Read More

How To Get Zero Cost Publicity For Your Business Part 1

Would you like to expand the volume of your business? You can let thousands know about your service, your store, or your new product without spending a penny. Whether you want to make more sales or get an offer on television, you can broaden the scope of your clients by free publicity.You don't have to climb a flagpole or hire a dancing bear to get attention. In fact, with just a telephone, flyers, and some follow up letters, you can be making much more money than you are now.What product or what business are you involved with that needs more... Read More

How To Get Zero Cost Publicity For Your Business Part 2

This is the ending to my previous article, How to get no cost publicity for your business. Some other options include signature files, joint ventures, free for all links, informational articles, webrings, and giveaways.Signature files are great ways to get free publicity for your business. It's just a short blurb at the end of your email. It's not considered spam. Of course, you shouldn't just send blank emails to people, just so they'll see your signature file. That might be considered spam to some people.Joint ventures are also great ways to get free publicity for your business. Joint ventures are... Read More

How To Write More Powerfully For PR, Offline And Online

Years ago when my Dad owned a group of local newspapers I spent my school and college vacations working in the editorial office. We used to amuse ourselves over our sandwiches at lunchtime looking through and trashing the endless press releases that would arrive in the mail each day, all beautifully produced with glossy photographs (this was in pre-internet days).We trashed them because all but the odd one or two were ill-considered, highly subjective, barely camouflaged advertising copy that had about as much editorial news value as last week's shopping list.Why am I telling you all this? Because despite the... Read More

Make Sure Your Media Room Rocks

If a reporter was writing a story about you and your company and she visited your website, could she find anything useful and interesting about you to use in her story? And could she find it quickly? Or would she immediately abandon your site and look for one of your competitors to write about? Make it Easy for the ReporterEvery website today should have a "Media Room" (also known as an online press room) with everything a reporter needs to write a story quickly. Not only should you include information about your company history, the management team and owners,... Read More