The good thing about press releases is that it is much cheaper than cooking a huge ad campaign and the results if successful is even better than the result of an ad campaign that required an enormous amount of money. Now press releases are actually different from a resume, an advertisement or a sales document. It is actually an article written with a journalist’s touch that aims to highlight the interesting and newsworthy element of your company, product or event. In making press releases you need to consider that you are having two target audiences whenever you write one. You need to think of the journalists who will first asses your press release and the audience who will read it after the journalist found it newsworthy and had it published.

Since you still need first pass through a ruthless and intensive judgment of a journalist, you need to make sure that your press release will be able to convince the journalist that your press release is newsworthy to be published. Now these people are really busy and they really get tons of press releases each day. One thing that you really need to work on is how to make your press release unique and different from any other press releases that they get each day. It must be able to catch their attention just by the first look. And you also have to keep in mind that since journalists are super busy people, a long and flowery press release won’t appeal them. So make your press release brief and concise. In order for you to have this achieved, I have prepared some tips that will be very helpful when you make one.

You need to first put on your release date. This will let your journalist when to report your affair. Contact information should follow the release date. It should include your name and number and other contact details. A very informative, comprehensive and yet catchy headline must be punched in after your contact information. This should be catchy enough without too many words such as adjectives and adverbs. It must be able to answer at least three of the Wh and H questions. The introduction is next and this opening paragraph must be similar to the dateline of a news article. You have to maintain the simplicity and the newsworthiness even in this part of your press release. This should be able to provide the basic information about the event being discussed in your press release. The body of your press release must expand the information discussed in your introduction. This is where you put your supporting facts and issues that may be of help if your press release gets published. A line or two about your company and its mission shall complete the last part of your press release which happens to be the company profile. It is sometimes referred to as the boilerplate. Then you can just put the word END at the bottom of your press release as an indicator that your article is finished. It will also be helpful if you will put a more detailed and expanded contact information at the very bottom of your paper. Adding your company logo will also help your press release to get the authentic and official look.

Ready to really learn how to properly write a press release? Paul Hartunians free publicity information center will teach you and many other aspects of publicity. Visit this site now to get powerful profit-producing publicity tips!

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Tags: media relations, press release, media, news, newsworthy

If you want to get the attention of the press, you have to think like the press.

In the 20+ years I’ve been in public relations, one of the most difficult elements of the game to teach clients is that the press is not a service organization whose sole purpose is to cover what PR people pitch them. Their business model is simple; they exist to inform and entertain their readers, so they can grow their subscriber base and sell advertising against those numbers.

So, if you want to participate in the “press game” it is vital to recognize what wins the press loyal readers and increases their circulation…and then help them to do it! Step one is to get together a power-packed pitch. According to the Associated Press Stylebook the preferred term for a press release is not press release; it’s NEWS release. After all, it’s not called a press-paper – it’s called a NEWSpaper. Like it or not, public relations people don’t get to determine what the news is. Only news professionals get to do that when they choose what to write, print or air.

So, just because your company opened a new store in Cincinnati, doesn’t make it NEWS. However, there may very well be a nugget of newsworthiness that you can offer up to the press in order to get them interested in the opening of your store.

Where do you find those nuggets? Here are a few suggestions to help you mine the news gold in all your announcements:

Read Your Local Newspapers -You can’t find a news hook until you know what the news of the day actually is. And, because it changes every day, you need to stay on top of the news (or hire an agency to perform that function for you, and trust their judgment when they advise you of potential news hooks).

Determine How Your Story is Relevant – This is the lowest hanging fruit in the news hook orchard. Look for anything in your business that is relevant to news taking place in your community or nationally. If you’re opening a new bicycle shop in Los Angeles, then do some news searches to see what reporters have been writing about the area.

Say you discover that the area is economically depressed, in which case you can pitch to the press the idea that a new retailer opening there is a boost to the local economy, and that you’re willing to take a chance on success in that community. Or you may discover that bicycle ridership has increased nationally by 10 percent over the previous year, with new riders indicating they have started because they are trying to get fit. Now you can pitch the local press on the angle that your new shop is aimed at capitalizing on this national trend.

This strategy is known as “localizing” a national story, which every newspaper and TV producer loves. Because it’s a national story, they are going to report it anyway, but they’d prefer to have a local hook so they can be more relevant to the local audience.

Develop Stories That Have a Beginning, Middle and End – Make sure you tell reporters a full story. Let’s use the bicycle shop as an example. Opening a bicycle shop may not be much of a story on its own, but what’s the story behind the story? Did the owners overcome any unusual obstacles in fulfilling the dream of opening their store? Was the owner ever a competitive bicyclist? Have the owners used their knowledge of the sport or inventory to help any children’s charities or causes? Are they active in their community? Identify the story behind the story, and you’ll have plenty of opportunities to find a news hook that’s relevant.

Take Action – There is a reason why so many commercial enterprises and not-for-profit charities and community organizations partner up for special events – it’s a win-win situation for everyone. It’s important for every commercial enterprise to be a good citizen and use some of their resources to help others, and it also helps to make sometimes un-newsworthy events relevant. Opening a bicycle shop isn’t a big deal, but holding a grand opening event for a local children’s charity makes the opening more relevant. If the owners use the event to help raise money and donate excess inventory to needy children, it is both a worthy venture and a genuinely heartwarming feel-good story worthy of news coverage.

Helping people should be its own reward, of course, but that’s also why newspapers and charities love these events. It not only gives editors and TV crews something joyful and happy to report, but it also enables the charities to get their messages out to the community at large. Your business improves its public image, and deservedly so, as long as the help is genuine and comes not from the pocketbook, but from the heart.

At the end of the day, most of the time you can find news hooks in even the most mundane of news releases. The key thing to remember is that the focus of the release isn’t to sell, sell, sell – it’s to convince a reporter that you have news to report and that their readers would be informed or entertained by what you have to tell them.

Think like the journalist, help them do their job, and you’ll find that your enterprise will generate more press coverage as a result.

For 20 years Marsha Friedman has been a leading authority on public relations as CEO of EMS Incorporated. Go to this website to learn how to explode your business through harnessing the power of public relations today and get your free Ebook!

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Tags: media relations, 2008, news, newsrelease, press

The most obvious question to get you on your way with working with the media, is what is worthy of being put into a media release?

Firstly, it has to be of interest to the reader. And when I say reader, I am referring to not only your intended prospect but also the editor or journalist to whom you have sent the release. They don’t want to hear garbage or a sales pitch. They want news.

Have a good look at your business. You need to understand exactly what your business does. And what it sells. Then ask yourself whether your customers know what your business does and sells. If your business is like most, the answer will probably be no. Which items are the most profitable? Is there old stock that really should be moved? Are there products or services that only some customers know about and not others? How can you tell them?

The problem that most business owners, and indeed, employees in a certain industry, have, is that their work is so common-place to them, simply because they are there and do it every day, that the interesting things about it escape them. However, somebody not involved in your industry or business may well find the same piece of information terribly interesting.

Alternatively, some business owners have the opposite problem, where they think it is very interesting that they have just painted their office wall a different colour, for example, whereas the general public could not really care less.

So, how do you get past this stumbling block, when you cannot tell what is newsworthy within business or what is not? You need to think like a reader. What would you like to read in your local newspaper or see on the TV about other businesses and industries that you normally would have no association with? You probably will find that you would like to read about something that has relevance to you and your life. Do you care that a new hardware superstore has just opened its doors around the corner from you? Maybe, but new stores open everywhere all the time. However, if the new hardware superstore held workshops especially for women who were keen to get involved in some DIY – now that would be of interest.

Here are some other newsworthy ideas to get you thinking about how they might apply to your own business:

· Have you recently won a customer service, industry or community award?

· Have you or others in your business taken part in a charity event

· Has your business produced something different and unique to what is already on the market?

· Have you made a recent unique discovery about something in your industry?

· Have you added a new Manager to your business – someone with a story to tell (eg, the last three generations of their family were involved in the same industry?)

The ideas mentioned above are more likely to be of interest to your local newspapers, rather than the national news, however, if this is where the majority of your customers are located and accessing the news, then that’s ideal.

Learn more about crafting newsworthy media releases over at Diva Promotions with our very own expert PR person. Visit this website

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Tags: public relations, article, news, business, reader

If you are trying to get publicity without spending big bucks, then using press releases is a great idea. They are powerful tools that will inform people about your business. People look to the media for good information, making press releases a wonderful tool to use for company promotion.

Of course you want to make sure that you get your press release noticed so that you get the recognition and attention that you want. So, here are some top tips for getting your press release noticed.

Tip #1 – Make Sure the Release is Newsworthy

First of all, if you really want to get your press release noticed, you need to make sure that the release is newsworthy. It should sound like something that was written by a reporter. It should have the most important information in the beginning of the release and should avoid any hype.

Tip #2 – Send to Sources that are Relevant

You’ll also want to make sure that you send the press release to sources that are relevant if you want to make sure it gets noticed. Make sure you don’t send it to everyone you can think of, since this looks very unprofessional. Find out whom to send your release to and look for relevant sources before you start sending out the release.

Tip #3 – Only Use One Page

If you want your press release to get noticed, make sure that you only use one page. Most of the time, the editors only read a few sentences of the release. If they see that the release is more than one page, it will probably be rejected. After all, most readers are not going to take the time to read that much material, so it’s a waste of your time to write that much for your press release.

Tip #4 – Use Reader Friendly Text Formatting

Reader friendly text formatting is also very important. Make sure that you use easy to read, short sentences. Paragraphs should be short, and it should be written on a level that is easy for everyone to read.

Tip #5 – Have Evidence to Back up Statements

If you make statements within your press release, make sure that you have the evidence to back it up. After all, reporters have to make sure that they have sources. Including quotes that support your statements is a great idea and they really add to press release.

Tip #6 – Follow up With Editors

Following up with editors is also important if you want your press release to be noticed. You’ll want to make sure they received it. However, don’t just keep bugging them. Contacting them once is great, but going beyond this may decrease your chances of getting your release published.

Chris Simpson is dedicated to helping people find honest and legitimate work at home and home based business opportunities. Find a legitimate work at home opportunity today and learn to make money online at this site

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Summary

1. Contiguity of Marketing and PR
2. Definition of Marketing
3. Definition of PR
4. Goals and Tasks of Marketing
5. Goals and Tasks of PR
6. Relationship Between PR and Marketing

Contiguity of Marketing and PR

PR and marketing are like cousins: relation is obvious, but its degree is hard to define at once. And what do the press say about them? Usually reading an article on marketing or PR leaves an impression that both of them are absolutely essential for business, but their functions and the difference between them remains vague; in fact, it’s unclear even whether they are different branches, or one of them is the part of the other. It’s hard to understand whom to hire if a product needs promotion. Should it be a marketing specialist or a public relations officer? Or maybe both should be hired, because only one of them is not enough? And if both are hired, will they work independently or will they collaborate? And is it possible that they will start to interfere with each other’s work? So there are lots of questions, but to get these questions sorted out is not such a desperate task as it seems to be. Let us clear up the difference between marketing and PR point by point, because today they are the necessary tools for any company that wants to inform a customer about its product. Make the best use of them – and they will lead you to the great success.

Definition of Marketing

We come across these words here and there in newspapers, magazines, on the Internet, sometimes even in everyday life. So let’s see what they mean. There are several hundred definitions of the word marketing. Some analysts hold the opinion that nowadays the essence of marketing is not a customer service, but beating business rivals; but classic definitions support another viewpoint. Philip Kotler, the world’s foremost expert on the strategic practice of marketing, states that “marketing is the science and art of exploring, creating, and delivering value to satisfy the needs of a target market at a profit”. The most comprehensive definition, in our opinion, was given by the American Marketing Association (AMA): “Marketing is an organizational function and a set of processes for creating, communicating and delivering value to customers and for managing customer relationships in ways that benefit the organization and its stakeholders”.

Definition of PR

PR (abbreviation for public relations) is a set of actions aimed to promotion of a man, company, social movement, party and so on, based on informing the public and cooperating with it. One of the most popular definitions was given by Sam Black, former President of Public Relations Association: “PR is art and science of achieving harmony by means of mutual understanding, based on the truth and complete information awareness”. The definition, that reflects the essence of PR, was developed by Public Relations News magazine: “Public relations is the management function which evaluates public attitudes, identifies the policies and procedures of an individual or an organization with the public interest, and plans and executes a program of action to earn public understanding and acceptance”. If we compare the definitions, it’s easy to notice that there is a connection between PR and marketing, as both of them deal with informational influence on a customer. To understand it better, let’s consider tasks and goals of marketing and PR.

Goals and Tasks of Marketing

Textbooks define goals of marketing as highest consumption, highest consumer satisfaction, and widest choice. The tasks of marketing include research, analysis and estimation of real and potential consumers’ needs, supporting development of new products and services, analyzing condition and development of markets, developing pricing policy, sales, and so on. The tasks are performed during marketing process, which includes the following steps: market opportunities analysis, target markets choice, marketing mix development and marketing events execution. So, marketing studies demand for a definite product and opportunities of promoting sales and encouraging consumers.

Goals and Tasks of PR

As for PR, it aims to create a positive image of organization and prevent spreading unfavorable rumors and information. The tools used to manage public opinion may also be considered the three main parts of PR. They are:

1. Promotion, which implies activities aimed at creating and encouraging interest for a person, a product or an organization.

2. Lobbying, that is responsible for establishing and supporting relations between interest groups and government, in order to influence legislative and governing processes.

3. Media relations – this PR-team activity embraces producing informative articles for mass media, organizing media support for various campaigns, and making news to draw media attention. Small and medium-sized enterprises usually consider PR as just media relations, because this part is the most important one for their business.

Relationship Between PR and Marketing

Let’s keep in mind that all the PR tools are used successfully to achieve marketing goals of stimulating consumption. PR campaign is essential for positioning. It also increases the popularity of a product, influencing a customer and rising sales volume. Does it mean that PR is one of marketing tools? In this case – absolutely yes. However, public relations’ functions are not limited to this. Let’s get back to the beginning and compare the definitions: marketing is aimed to manipulate a customer, while the goal of PR is to manipulate company image. Not only products, but also companies and persons need a new image, and in this case PR is not just a marketing tool, but an independent practice. One more question is when one should choose PR from all the variety of tools. During the last twenty years the price of company image has increased, and now it comprises about 80% of the total company value. Even a minor growth of company image price results in a considerable increase of stock value price. Positive, stable company image has become an important intangible asset. And that is exactly the job of the public relations team: to create the image of the company. Using PR, one can correct image, thus immediately raising the profit. So we see, that marketing and PR are very close, and they often become allies on the battlefield of customers’ minds. That is the reason they are often mixed up. But in general, marketing and public relations are two independent disciplines, equally essential and important for everyone who wants to increase profit and efficiency of the company.

Authors: Eugenia Kolobukhova and Natalia Stepanova

Company:
Latte-PR
SoftPressRelease

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Eugenia Kolobukhova – EzineArticles Expert Author

Tags: public relations, marketing, advertising, campaign, news

Publicity can come from anywhere, and in many different forms. It can be as simple as having a letter published in the editorial column of your local paper, or as dynamic as having a front-page article with your name splashed across the headlines. But a successful publicity campaign is harder than you may think. It takes huge effort on your part to get your business noticed by the media.

So, why bother? Is publicity really that important? Yes, yes … a thousand times, yes! The effectiveness of your publicity campaign will ultimately determine the success of your business. Publicity increases your sales without the outrageous cost of advertising. It adds credibility to your message and develops name recognition in your field. Essentially, publicity makes you stand out, above all the other businesses, to the buying public.

Now, you don’t have to be a public relations expert to maximize the results of your publicity campaign. Use the following trade secrets to increase your visibility and sell more of your product or service:

1. Get to Know Your Audience

According to a survey conducted by Jericho Communications, the typical Fortune 1000 CEO is more likely to have watched The Simpsons than to have watched all three presidential debates. So, what does this mean for your publicity? Simple, it means that you can’t make assumptions about your audience.

Understanding your audience and what appeals to them is important if you want to get noticed. Keep in mind that you have a variety of different tastes that go beyond your work, and so does everyone else. Figure out what magazines your audience reads and what shows they watch, then you read and watch the same things.

2. Create News

By familiarizing yourself with popular publications within your audience, you should gain an understanding of what issues are important to them and what interests them. Understand what they find newsworthy, and develop your publicity around these issues. Tie your topic to current events and target your audience directly when you pitch stories.

For example, if your business focuses on home organization, you can reach a business audience for “Clean Off Your Desk Day.” Or, if you help businesses implement time management strategies in the workplace, you can reach an at-home audience with an article on how to tackle the home improvements you started, but never completed. Don’t be afraid to stretch the boundaries of your topic. And remember, create news that interests your audience, not that interests you.

3. Send Press Releases

Press releases are the easiest and quickest ways to advertise to a large audience, and they inform the media that you have something to offer. Press releases are also a good method for getting your product or service reviewed in publications. Watch the breaking news, and if something ties to your business, send a press release to the newspapers, radio and television shows, and magazines offering your take as an expert to interview about the situation.

Give your press releases a professional look by using a letterhead. Keep them short (two pages maximum), and double space if possible. Direct it to a specific reporter or editor to make sure it doesn’t get lost in the stacks, and always use a slant aimed at the publication’s or show’s audience. And perhaps most important, don’t forget your contact information.

4. Develop a Winning Media Kit

As you approach the different media outlets, you’ll need to send them a media kit. Think of your media kit as your resume; it tells the media professionals about you and your business. A professional media kit should include your short bio, a summary of your product or service, and your contact information. Also include sample questions about your topic that the writer or host can use during the interview. Put all this information together in a professional folder, and present it to media professionals before interviews.

5. Solve Your Contact’s Problems

When it comes to stories, each reporter and producer has a unique personality and unique needs. If you can figure out what they want, you make their job much easier. And when you make a media professional’s job easier, they will come back to you for more quotes and more interviews. So ask them what other stories they’re working on, and for what other publications they write. Ask how you can help them and what other topics they’d like to see. Let the reporter, editor, or producer know that you care about their stories and their audience because in the end, you’ll both look good.

Establish working relationships with media professionals and develop strong contacts for increased publicity. Learn everything you can about the show or publication, and about their competition, so you can really make them shine.

6. Give a Great Interview

Do you know what it’s like to talk to a boring person? They drone on for hours about topics that don’t interest you, and all you can think about is getting rid of them. Keep this in mind when you talk to the media, because if you’re boring, they won’t want to talk with you ever again. But if you have energy and keep your responses on the topic, you’ll keep the media professionals interested.

Before the interview, take time to prepare three to five main points you’d like to cover. Then if the conversation goes astray, you can revert back to these points with ease. Also, don’t be pushy about what you want. They may or may not have room in their story to mention your product or service. But if you ask nicely, you’ll have a better chance of getting it mentioned.

7. Follow up

Once you’ve established contact with media professionals, maintain the relationships and follow up for more exposure. Avoid nagging with “did you decide yet” calls, but do ask when the article will be published or when the show will air. Maybe you can offer a new bit of information in your follow-up call. And remember to reintroduce yourself, because reporters and producers talk to many different people every day.

Another important aspect of follow-up and common courtesy is a thank-you note. These added touches of consideration let the media professionals know that you appreciate them and make them want to work with you again in the future.

Use the Public Relations Secrets to Success

A successful publicity campaign is hard work, but it doesn’t have to be excruciating. When you understand your readers and their interests, then target the publications and shows with a slant directed to the needs of their audience, you position yourself for maximum exposure. By using a professional approach and media kit, the media will take notice. Develop strong working relationships with media professionals, and you will get more quotes and interviews. Give a great interview, then follow-up with the reporter or producer to show your enthusiasm.

Publicity is the key to increasing your bottom line. Now you don’t have to be a public relations pro to make the most of your media exposure. With these seven secrets, you can maximize your public relations success and secure free publicity for your product or service.

Pam Lontos is president of PR/PR, a public relations firm based in Orlando, Fla. She is author of “I See Your Name Everywhere” and is a former vice president of sales for Disney’s Shamrock Broadcasting. PR/PR has placed clients in publications such as USA Today, Entrepreneur, Time, Reader’s Digest and Cosmopolitan. PR/PR works with established businesses, as well as entrepreneurs who are just launching their company. To receive free publicity tips, go to this site and register for the monthly e-newsletter, PR/PR Pulse!

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Tags: strategy, business, positioning, news, audience

Anyone wanting to be a guest on Oprah or Good Morning America must learn to master the fine art of generating sound bites for television. Television thrives on sound bites – those brief, quotable remarks that will be repeated again and again on television news and talk shows. Sound bites are the pearls that flow out of our mouths into the ears of TV producers and onto the airways.

If you want to be quoted, you must convert the message points in your book into sound bites. To do this remember that analogies, bold action words, emotions and personal examples, attacks and absolutes make good quotes and sound bites. The highly personal, classic sound bite has action, emotion, and attacks – all of these elements will work to make reporters swoon.

My experience as a publicist and book marketing consultant has taught me to shy away from humor which can be a tricky business. What seems funny to colleagues, friends, or family at 5:30 p.m. may not seem so funny the next morning when you read your comments in USA Today. Sarcasm and teasing types of humor usually don’t work well in the media because you lose control of context and, in the case of print media, you lose the ability to communicate with your voice and facial expressions. The humor that is most effective is self-deprecating humor.

What about YOU? Are you skilled enough in producing sound bites to earn an interview on local or national TV? If you’ve not had media training, believe me it’s too late once you get the call. You may have to get in a car or on a plane within an hour’s notice. It’s too late to get the training then. That’s why you need to be prepared before you get the call. When my clients agree to media coaching, my first choice for them is TJ Walker, CEO of Media Training Worldwide www.mediatrainingworldwide.com/

TJ Walker is one of the leading authorities on media training in the world. With more than 20 years of media training experience, Walker has trained thousands of CEOs, authors, and experts, including leading government officials in the United States, European Prime Ministers, and African diplomats.

Here’s TJ Walker’s Sound Bite Checklist:

1. Create sound bites that are 10, 15 and 30 seconds.

2. Work an example into the sound bite.

3. Clichés make good quotes and sound bites. Reporters can’t write clichés, but they love quoting other people using clichés.

4. Humor makes good quotes and sound bites but the problem with using humor in front of the media is that someone somewhere is likely to be offended, resulting in a permanent public record of your remarks. So, quip if you must, at your own expense and your own risk.

5. One great way to get your message quoted by reporters is to state your ideas in the form of a rhetorical question.

6. Opposition quotes make good quotes and sound bites. Opposition quotes remain a favorite of reporters, but use them only if and when they are appropriate to your message.

7. The first letters from the following: Analogies, Bold action, Emotions, Attacks, Clichés, Humor, Pop culture, Rhetorical questions, and Opposition quotes spell out A BEACH PRO. The higher number of A BEACH PRO elements you use, the greater your chances are of being quoted. If you have not used any A BEACH PRO elements, you will not be quoted.

8. Absolutes are absolutely quote worthy. If I say “We will be the next champions” that has a better chance of landing in the story than “We are hoping to win.” Saying “Our company is the top performer in this field” would be another example.

9. Recycle your quotes. If one worked well with another media interview in the past, use it again.

10. Populate your quotes with pop culture references.

11. Put analogies in your answers, use bold, action-oriented words, let your emotions flow freely, and attack your way to the headlines.

Memorize that checklist but understand that a sound bite is only one aspect of a successful television appearance. You also must be concerned about your total message, the knowledge you display, and the self-confidence you demonstrate.

As a publicist I’ll prepare questions for our clients ahead of time and include those in our press kits emailed to the stations. Often times the television host will read those questions right in order. Other times they refer to our questions and include some of them. That’ll help you because you’ll know what to expect and you can respond with the “sound bites” you’ve already developed.

The bottom line: Prepare some clever answers and snappy sound bites ahead of time, rehearse them every day and you’ll sound like a pro turning your TV appearance into a huge success.

Scott Lorenz is President of Westwind Communications, a public relations and marketing firm that has a special knack for working with individuals and entrepreneurs to help them get all the publicity they deserve and more. Lorenz has handled public relations and marketing for numerous authors, doctors, lawyers, inventors and entrepreneurs. As a book marketing expert Lorenz is called upon by top execs and bestselling authors to promote their books. Learn more about Westwind Communications’ book marketing approach.

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Tags: media relations, tv, appearance, service, news

The most common mistake marketers make when creating press releases is assuming journalists write stories “about” companies. Your new business, new company president, new hire or new product may seem great to you — but the sad truth for marketers is most reporters just don’t care.

As a former TV news reporter, I can assure you most press releases news organizations receive go directly to the trash can. The few releases that do catch journalists’ eyes have a few things in common. Here are seven types of stories reporters often deem “newsworthy”.

- Studies and surveys. A company with healthy marketing budget can pay a survey firm to conduct a newsworthy survey, essentially creating news whenever they want it. For example, an apartment listing Web site could conduct a survey about how more Americans are choosing renting over buying in the current economic downturn.

- Lists. You see these stories in the news all the time: “10 Most Congested Cities,” “15 Fattest States,” “Best Cities to Start a Small Business.” Simply think of a list that ties to your business and hire a research firm to crunch the numbers. For example, a lawn care company could publish the list “20 Best Cities for Beautiful Lawns.”

- Hero Narratives. You’ll know this story when you see it. The snowplow driver who clears off a nursing home parking lot in his spare time. The fireman who removes kittens from trees. The CEO who prepares inner-city children for the management track. To identify these stories, it’s important to have open lines of communication among employees at all levels of your company.

- News You Can Use. These are often similar to list releases, but a lot cheaper — no need to hire a pricey research firm. They can often take the form of lists or bullet points. For example, “Seven Ways to Avoid Foreclosure,” “Top Tips for a Healthier Pet,” or “How to Save Money on Your Apartment Rental.”

- Legitimate News Tie-ins. To take advantage of this type of press release, you’ll need to act fast. Current events can become old news in a matter of days. Story ideas in this category include a church holding a vigil for a missing child and a company filling a truck with supplies for disaster victims.

- Far-Out Features. The stranger the story, the more likely it is to gain publicity with a press release. A local restaurant offering a $500 hamburger is the type of far-out feature story that may get the media’s attention.

- Trends. Are local rodent populations on the rise? If you’re in the pest control business, that’s a press release opportunity. Ideally, you’ll have facts and figures (bonus points for a graph) to demonstrate the trend. Be sure to include the relevant numbers in your press release.

Megan Tsai is a seasoned communicator and award-winning writer. As a full-time freelancer, she provides business writing, copywriting and marketing communications for companies and advertising agencies.

Visit site to learn more and sign up for the Red Wagon Writing monthly e-mail newsletter full of writing and marketing tips.

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Tags: press, press release, idea, news, narative

Journalists — and every other audience you want to influence — only care about stories they consider newsworthy or interesting. So you must ask yourself, and answer, these two critical questions before delivering what you consider news, or to make an announcement or pitch a story:

• Is this really news?

• Who cares?

Just because your company did something you or the CEO considers unusual or newsworthy doesn’t mean a reporter or editor or anyone else will read past the headline. Other organizations like yours could be bombarding the same journalists with similar stories every day. Yours isn’t different or special.

So what’s next if — in the cold light of day — you determine your potential news story isn’t really news or that no one would care about it anyway? You could ditch the entire idea right then and there, or you could ask — and answer — two more questions:

• What unique angle can I use to make this topic newsworthy?

• Who would care now?

For example, reporters frequently hear how hospitals’ fundraising events generate record-setting donations. It’s a weak story.

However, a story focusing on a particular patient — perhaps a child — who received life-saving care or a specialized treatment made possible through such donations would contain a poignant human element.

How is the child doing now? What doctor provided treatment? What made this case unique? What impact did the child’s recovery have on family members?

Now the story has a personal touch — lots of them, actually.

Is it news? Yes.

Who cares?

Everybody.

Brian R. Salisbury, a writer and a public relations and communications consultant, combines a wealth of communications know-how with an engaging writing style to help his clients shape the most effective messages and deliver them with the greatest impact where they count most. Visit Brian’s website at http://www.BriansQuill.com and subscribe to his free public relations newsletter and receive his free report “Ten Key Components of a Successful Public Relations Program.” Or send him an email at BrianSalisbury@BriansQuill.com

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Tags: impact, news release, reporter, company, news

Built for speed and power, TV is a badge of credibility for anyone seeking to get their message out. It allows you to present the audience with a visual image of your message, e.g., graphs, demonstrations and pictures. These visuals make your message easy to understand and more entertaining for the viewer.

What about the difference between local and national television exposure? Simply put, local television is good for placing a stake in the ground and getting the hometown crowd interested in your message. National television, on the other hand, is good for the same but on a grander scale.

Now what about the impression that you make on television viewers? TV viewers are used to 8 minute segments, and then a commercial. They’ll see your interview, and then forget about you a week later. Because of this fleeting nature, a TV campaign alone is incomplete as a full, lasting, PR strategy.

In the end, TV is most effective when you are able to obtain repeat interviews with multiple story angles to keep yourself on the tube.

Talk Radio – Talk radio is a great way to get your message across to a large group of people at one time. There’s a captive audience during morning and evening drive times, in the middle of the day with stay-at-home moms or people in the workplace, and with those “night owls” who listen late into the night. Also, the demographics of the audience are a marketer’s dream. According to the recent Talkers Magazine research project, talk radio listeners are educated, attentive, affluent, and active consumers.

Talk radio schedules are also packed with a plethora of specialty shows (politics, health, relationships, lifestyles, finance, consumer advocacy, sports, etc) enabling you to reach mass or niche audiences alike. Radio interviews also allow you more time to tell your whole story than a TV appearance. These interviews average 10 to 20 minutes in length (and some can go even longer) whereas, TV interviews only range between 3 to 6 minutes.

Print – A recent study executed by Forrester Research Inc. (an independent technology and market research company) revealed that people trust print news coverage far more than other media outlets. I’ve always felt print is “King” when it comes to media exposure. An article or story about you and your company not only popularizes your message to millions of readers – it also provides legitimacy and credibility in a way that’s unmatched.

Although this industry is being hit pretty hard with layoffs, there are a growing number of opportunities for PR agencies to obtain solid placements. Just think about it: with less staff journalists writing good editorial content, these publications will depend more on PR professionals and syndicated content to fill their pages.

In the long term a print campaign can help boost sales, which is especially true when combined with a radio and TV campaign.

Not to mention that your newspaper and magazine articles can be recycled in numerous ways to strengthen your entire sales and marketing efforts. Why not use your published article as part of your email newsletter, as a feature on your website’s homepage, or part of a sales package to prospects or retail store buyers. Overall, print is an excellent source for establishing credibility and increasing brand awareness.

Internet – Not so much the new kid on the block anymore, an Internet campaign is a proven method to reach both mass and niche media. If you want to market to an enthusiastic audience who enjoy interacting and sharing information, an internet (or online) marketing and PR initiative is perfect for you.

As the internet is a “useful” content driven medium, if you have lots of terrific articles (published or unpublished), company photos, video presentations or even old PowerPoint presentations, these can all be fed into your online marketing machine which can syndicate it widely through the web, thus increasing your brand’s visibility and building credibility simultaneously.

With websites, blogs and other social media outlets you have the added bonus of starting or interacting with a large community of prospective clients in a real way. Imagine the idea of a networking cocktail party without time constraints and costly travel? Sounds great right? The internet offers extensive reach and cost-effectiveness, while supporting the other aspects of your media PR strategy.

Depending on your campaign’s goals, I would advise using a combination of all the above media outlets. Again, the key thing to remember is your messaging. Be sure that whatever media you end up utilizing properly serves your message and is a good fit for your marketing objectives.

For 20 years Marsha Friedman has been a leading authority on public relations as CEO of EMS Incorporated. Go to this site to learn how to explode your business through harnessing the power of public relations today and receive your free ebook from Marsha!

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Tags: media relations, 2009, tips, write, media release, news

The “why” of writing a press release is quite simple: A good press release will attract attention, increase your links on the internet which drive people to your site and ultimately result in getting new patients and more revenue.

“What” is a press release? It is a journalistic article which highlights new products, services or occurrences in chiropractic or in your office specifically. It allows the public to know what’s new and interesting in your field.

When you have a good press release, news services can and will pick it up and then two things happen:

First, your site will be automatically become linked to those sites. As a standalone website, you only have traffic (visitors to your site) coming in which is directly guided by you (your current patients and referrals), and chances are your site won’t come up on the first page of an internet search. With the help of heavily frequented sites linking to you, there’s a better chance of being seen during a search and elevating your placement in the listings, like being higher in a phone book.

Second, your press release is seen by people on the sites which have used your feeds and thus traffic to your site increases by direct hit; that is, the person who wants the information or service that you’ve written about in your release clicks on your link. Furthermore, someone may use your information in another article which will also link back to your site.

How to Write a Press Release

There are ways to make a good press release – that is, ways to make it noticeable and picked up by news feeds and used in articles.

Several rules of thumb for writing a good press release are listed below. Even if you choose to have a ghostwriter prepare your press release (more in section 3), here are the things to look for:

* Make sure the topic of the release is newsworthy. A press release isn’t an advertising venue. What you want to do is relate a major advance, cause, event or occurrence which effects your practice whether directly or indirectly.
* Examples are: an advance in arthritis treatment, a new holistic use for an herb in curbing headaches, a new device, an exercise trend, special educational program, fitness program, in-house acupuncturist or dietician, special event you sponsor or special award received . Think of all of the things that will set you apart and focus on its newsworthy aspect; imagine what sorts of things you’d take a second look at an article.
* The point is to make the press release centered around something that’s considered interesting and unique in terms of its newsworthiness. Find a good hook and use it to its maximum potential.
* First, you’ll want to write a summary of your press release, one to four sentences; it’s essentially your hook. This is what will appear on feeds to websites that have requested updates in health and medical news or news in a geographical region. Example: “Women in Somewhere, NY now have an alternative method of relieving pelvic and back stress during pregnancy, as Dr. O. Smith is the first in the area to get certification in this innovative chiropractic technique designed just for expectant mothers.”
* Next, develop a catchy and telling headline. You need to grab attention right away and entice a reader to continue to read the release. Here are the facts: Dr. Smith of Buffalo, NY completes Webster Technique certification. “Local Doctor Certified in Webster Technique.” That’s pretty boring and vague by itself; it tells nothing about what it can do for a patient’s family. How about, “New Help for Expectant Mothers.” Tell me what pregnant woman or expectant father won’t read that? Or perhaps, “Make Mom and Baby Comfortable During Pregnancy.”
* A subhead immediately follows the headline. This will help refine what the headline teases. “Webster Technique reduces back pain and help baby’s position for delivery.” Now we know what kind of help, and it’s really a must-read. The patient knows how it can help.
* Make the first paragraph count. In journalistic writing, the first paragraph should say it all – who, what, when, where and why. Be specific about the point and grab attention right then. Details and fine points are reserved for the body of the press release. The article continues from the summary. “The Webster Technique not only helps to relieve pain associated with pregnancy, but also helps restore a woman’s pelvic balance to allow the baby to get into the best possible delivery position. Dr. O. Smith of Somewhere, NY is now uniquely qualified to assist pregnant women in the area.” All five points have been addressed.
* The body should be written as though you’re writing a newspaper article. The style is called inverted pyramid, where the most important facts are told first, with the details and specifics related further into the article. Excess adverbs and adjectives are for poets and creative writers. Be succinct in relaying highlights of the press release; don’t pad the energy down with statements that mean nothing, jargon or hype.
* In the body, use every day, conversational words. The press release isn’t written for your fellow chiropractors, so don’t use office slang or technical verbiage. Write as though speaking with a patient.
* Also use quotations. Testimonials go a long way in promoting your practice. Incorporate them while talking about the main subject. For example: Joan Smith said, “I’m so glad that I won’t have to give up my treatments now that I’m pregnant.” Obtain a quote or find reference from someone well-known who uses the same treatment or procedure to add validity and support to your claims. Make sure you get necessary permissions. If you can, use statistics to punch up your statements.
* Use standard formatting procedures (sample below). There are several resources including the most widely used, PRWeb.com, which has nicely detailed instructions. No caps, no sales slogans/jargon, no exclamations.

Dr. Michael Beck invites chiropractors to discover freedom, profits and success in their practice. Receive his special free e-course on “The 7 Biggest Chiropractic Marketing Mistakes” along with having access to his blog where he post 2 to 3 times a week at this site

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Tags: public relations, marketing, advertising, campaign, news

You’ve convinced your marketing manager or company president that adding publicity into your marketing mix is of great value – congratulations! But now what? How do you peddle your story in a way that offers a valuable story idea to a reporter and encourages him to write a story about you? It’s time to develop your writing skills and start developing an arsenal of press releases to fire off to the media.

The Backbone of Publicity – The Press Release

While some may argue that the press release is dead, it is not; it has just evolved over the years. The release is actually the primary means of communicating to the mass media the facts and background for a news story – your story. The trick is writing your press release in a way that engages the reporter to want to learn more about your business or product. Pick up a newspaper and glance at the headlines. Which ones grab you and urge you to read on? Which ones do you skim over? Chances are the reporter or editor receiving your “news” is doing the same with your release. To get noticed, you must think like a reporter. Communicate the who, what, when, where, why, and how, and then explain why your product is unique and different – and most importantly, why your story is worth writing about. Remember though, this is not a sales pitch. Write your release like an objective reporter. Anything that smells of self-promotion will not get picked up by the press.

You can also tie yourself into something bigger. What are the latest trends or fads in your industry? Can you start a trend with your story? By showing how you fit into the bigger story as opposed to why you are the story sometimes gets you even more publicity on a broader scale.

Sadly, however, many journalists are skeptics. They have seen many companies with the “next big idea” fall flat on their face. Journalists have their own reputation to protect so they’re more apt to pursue a story based on fact and significant proof. Again, this is why you want to steer clear of marketing, sales speak, and jargon. If you use this type of language, the Delete button will wipe out your release immediately! If you have customers willing to give a testimonial about how great your product is or statistics from nationally respected researchers, use this objective praise in your release. This information supporting your story idea will go a long way in showing a reporter that your idea is legit.

The Blank Screen – Don’t Panic!

Don’t worry too much if you’re not the next Great American Novelist. While the ability to write well is definitely a bonus, writing in a clear and concise manner will put you miles ahead of many people who regularly send out press releases. Golden rule: don’t make journalists work to find information. Give them the details they need from the beginning and you’ll be on your way to building positive, long-term relationships with the press.

Now, for the actual nuts and bolts of the release? Include:

- the date
- contact information (who should the reporter call or email for an interview to learn more?)
- a headline
- where the news is coming from (also known as a dateline and typically the town where your business resides)
- your lead-in as to why this story is so important
- the body text of the press release, which includes information that supports your lead or story pitch.

Keep it clean and crisp, steer away from fluffy adjectives. Use facts to support what you’re saying. Reporters and editors don’t want to hear marketing speak about how your product is the best, number one, or the largest. Communicate those thoughts through supporting facts.

Essentially, you are becoming a reporter and writing a story (your press release) as you might see it published in a newspaper or magazine. If you write tight, with all the facts, some great quotes with substance, and a little bit of creativity, you have a good shot at garnering some “ink.” I had one client who wrote a press release about a new software package they were introducing to market. Granted, there are so many “new” software packages out there, but this one was unique in that it addressed a growing trend – food traceability. With the recent food scares in spinach and tomatoes, more and more people want to know exactly where their food is coming from.

As a result, the growing trend now is to buy and eat organic or locally grown foods. The VAR wrote a basic release about the new software that addressed this trend, but the release was nothing fancy. However, it included all the facts and it sounded newsworthy. Two weeks after it was distributed to the media, a news article appeared in the state’s primary newspaper. It was the VAR’s press release verbatim, with one of the staff reporter’s byline! Now, you might say, “This is plagiarism. How can they do that?” Reality check: You want them to copy your release verbatim! This is great and successful press release writing. The VAR wrote such a fantastic release with all the correct information that the reporter didn’t have to do any work! The VAR earns an A+ and reaps the rewards of a story about his company. Now get out there and tell your story!

A dedicated marketing professional, Michelle Kabele has been helping technology companies develop award-winning channel partner programs and marketing strategies for over 10 years. Michelle has worked extensively with small businesses throughout North America.

Michelle has an MBA from the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management (Evanston, Ill.)

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Tags: pr, press release, write, news, newsworthy

Advertising agencies may not like what I have to say, but in most cases, getting an article published gets more credibility from readers than paid advertisements. Construction and real estate executives who can get articles published in magazines, newsletters, or online publications will be perceived better than those who pay to be in those same publications. Here are five tips on how to get published in print or online.

Make comments on other people’s blogs. This is an excellent brand building strategy. Find blogs relevant to your client’s interests using search engines like Google or Yahoo and share your thoughts and opinions by making comments on these blogs. Include your contact information and see how fast you start showing up on Google. Journalists also read these blogs and don’t be surprised if they start contacting you when they need sources for their stories. It’s happened to me on several occasions all because I made comments on other blogs.

Write informational articles and publish them on a web site or blog. Make sure you’re not writing a sales pitch. Offer information that your prospective readers will find valuable like things to consider in the preconstruction processs, etc. Then let people know about the articles. Include a link in your email signature and let your clients and friends know about this information source.

Survey your prospective clients and send a news release of the results. This helps position you as an expert and encourages journalists to contact you.

Build a list of client trade publications along with the journalists who write for them and start the relationship building process. Many of these publications now have blogs. Start the relationship building process by commenting on their blogs. Then pick up the phone once in a while and ask them how you can help them. Ask them what type of articles they are interested in writing about. If you can’t provide the information they need, offer them access to colleagues who can.

Interview industry experts and publish them on the news page of your web site or blog. Featuring industry leaders in the news section of your web site or blog is a great way to build good will. Video and/or podcast interviews are also effective ways to get media attention and PR for your company.

Finally, it’s important to take a stance. Too many people are afraid to state opinions for fear of alienating others. Show me a group of 10 people and I’ll show you a group that often has differences in opinion. That’s ok. Disagreements promote dialog and make articles much more interesting. The goal should be to create interest, not consensus.

John P. Kreiss

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John Kreiss – EzineArticles Expert Author

Tags: media, online, print, news, public relations

Press releases: from the newspaper page to the Web page

Writing a good press release is not exactly a talent that was born as a result of the Internet. Marketers and business owners have long since been submitting press releases to editors, reporters and other journalists in the hopes that the news story may get published in the newspaper, or better yet, may inspire reporters to write related stories. Now that the Internet has taken over as the one and only information super highway, it only makes sense that today’s advertisers are battling for online space, instead of a spot in their local newspapers.

Why write an optimized press release

Even if you have managed to get a couple of your press releases published in your local newspaper, you can still benefit from the fruits of your efforts if you write an Internet-friendly press release. One of the biggest reasons why you should target the Internet is the fact that you will be reaching a much bigger audience. More and more people today are turning to the World Wide Web for their latest dose of news. Logging online and searching for the news items that they are interested in is much easier and more convenient rather than waiting for the news report on BBC or CNN. Even these giant news corporations are maintaining and promoting their own websites to keep up with the online world. Imagine how many people you will reach if you become featured in a popular news website or engine.

Another advantage of writing optimized press releases is that it lets you track how much readership your news story is receiving. This is virtually impossible with newspapers. Even if you keep track of how many people purchase newspapers, there’s a huge possibility that they’re buying for the comics, the classified ads or even just to have a shelter from the rain!

The power of keywords

Just like in the optimization of any online content, keywords will play a major role in the optimization of your press release. You need to research which keywords are the most relevant to your business or news story. These keywords can range from single words to whole phrases. Once you have decided on the most relevant keyword for you, be sure to use this in the title of the press release. You can also use related phrases in the subtitle and throughout the entire body of the article as long as the text reads well. Never overdo this tactic as quality content matters more than artificially trying to trick the search engines.

Target human readership

Even though you are vying for a top position in the search engine results, this doesn’t mean that you have to put all your effort into pleasing the spiders or other software that handles the positioning of the search results. Remember that you are, first and foremost, appealing to your readers. Create a press release that is newsworthy, informative and interesting and you can rest assured that your news story will gain online popularity in due course.

At PR Friend, you can learn all about how to promote your organization in a digital age. We offer a free press release posting service and other promotional advice. You can also sign up for our newsletter.

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Tags: press release, optimize, write, news, publicity

1. Set the Time and Place

There will be many factors to be taken into account when choosing the location and date for your news conference but remember that you are in charge. You can usually choose when and where to have it. If the event is being held to make an important policy announcement you need to be fully prepared (see below). If you are holding the news conference to respond to some criticism or some emergency, it is even more essential that you are not panicked into making hasty decisions.

2. Prepare a ‘Press Pack’

The pack of information given to those attending should include a printed copy of any statement by your client or his employees. Include a copy of any press release prepared for the event, any background information, statistics and relevant photographs. But do not include any junk.

3. Choose a Firm Chairperson

The chairperson of the news conference is one of the most important people. He or she will have to be fully briefed on the subject of the conference, needs to be ready to answer questions (which may sometimes be hostile), needs to be prepared to say ‘No’ when necessary, and must bring the event to a tidy conclusion.

4. Anticipate Problems

Do not assume you can always control the questions reporters will ask. Prepare a list of the possible questions and write down the answers as part of the chairperson’s briefing. You must be honest with yourself and anticipate all the controversial issues. Be ready with positive answers but also be ready to give a strong defence in cases of controversy.

5. Invite the News Media

This piece of advice is not as silly as it seems. Make sure journalists can find you and give them detailed information on date, time, location and include a map. Give them plenty of time to enter your invitation in their busy diaries. You will probably be competing with other organizations who are holding press events on the same day. Be careful also to check the credentials of those who attend, and admit only those who can prove they were invited.

6. Make an Opening Statement

The chairperson of the news conference is in the best position to set the agenda, and the opening statement should be short, clear and to the point. Explain why you have invited reporters and describe the supporting documents you have produced for the press pack. When the statement is completed, invite questions.

7. Be Assertive with Journalists

Ask each person to identify themselves before they ask their question. If you do not understand the question ask them to repeat it. Always offer an answer to the question, even if you have to say, ‘I don’t know.’ Be positive, and if some details are not readily available make sure they are passed on later to the journalist who asked for them. Make sure reporters address all questions to the chairperson. It is the chairperson’s job to re-direct questions to the appropriate person if he/she can answer them better.

8. Be Prepared for Interviews

Radio and television reporters always prefer one-to-one interviews. It is often a good idea to have one well-briefed spokesperson for interviews. It is best to delay these arrangements until after the news conference. By that time the spokesperson will be familiar with the questions (and answers). Use a small tape recorder to keep your own record of the news conference and interviews. It is also a good idea for the spokesperson to be trained in radio and television interview techniques.

9. Close the Conference when Appropriate

Never allow a news conference to drift. If you feel that the reporters have got answers to all the most important questions, the chairperson should politely close the conference and thank everyone for attending.

If you follow these nine principles, your news conference should be a resounding success and garner lots of valuable publicity for you or your client.

You can make very good money as a self-employed PR consultant. Maple Academy (UK) runs a highly successful PR training course for anyone hoping to set up in this field. For full details, see here

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Tags: media relations, organize, news, conference, publicity

Even the best products and companies can fall into some sticky situations. How do you deal when the media wants to talk to you about it?

Achieving trust is the aim of anyone practicing public relations. The most practical consideration in achieving trust is through your dealings with the news media – anything less than total honesty will destroy credibility, not only for you personally, but for your company as well. The news media will be depending on you as a source to provide honest information about your company that they, in turn, convey to their readers and listeners.

So what to do when you’re under fire?

Above all, prepare in advance, and keep your cool. This is true for every interview, but particularly when you have a difficult situation to discuss, you never want to come off as angry, embarrassed or flustered.

In all your dealings with the press, if you don’t know the answer to something, the only acceptable way to address this is to say you don’t know, but will look into it and see if you can find a response – then follow up in a timely fashion. Never make up an answer to something you don’t know or about which you are unsure. And if there is something that you simply wish not to answer, you can simply say that the particular information requested is not available at this time.

If the journalist presses, you are under no obligation to provide a response. You can utilize a technique called “bridging,” in which you use the line of questioning as a way to turn your response into something positive. For example, “That information is not available at this time, but what I can tell you is that we have a new line of products about which we are very excited.”

Sometimes a reporter will inaccurately cite information; this may be a way to trick you. Only deny the accuracy of the information – do not correct it unless it helps your story.

Remember, what may seem beneficial in the short- term, could come back to haunt you down the road. It is far better to build a long-standing and trustworthy relationship, than to jeopardize your credibility for immediate gain.

Visit this site for more resources on how to handle your do-it-yourself publicity campaigns. Regina Novickis is co-founder of Media Tonic and this web. A seasoned public relations executive with more than twelve years of experience managing brand positioning, public relations and media relations efforts on behalf of consumer/entertainment clients, she has secured coverage for clients in every genre of national press ranging from USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Time and Newsweek, to Self, Marie Claire, GQ and Maxim, to “Entertainment Tonight,” “The View” and NBC’s “Today” show.

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Tags: tips, media, interviews, publicity, news

Creating an effective press release represents one of the most fundamental elements of any public relations program, and there are several basic rules to help you write one.

1) Choose a newsworthy topic.

The emphasis for newsworthy is on the word “new.” The release must discuss a recent development or frame the topic as a new one.

2) Use the local angle as a news hook.

You can increase the coverage of your release by focusing, in the headline and the body of the release, on your organization’s physical location. For example, “Church Sends Group to Rebuild House in New Orleans” may not garner as much regional publicity as “Greenwich Church Sends Group to Rebuild House in New Orleans.”

3) Keep the writing factual and concise.

A press release should state the facts in a direct, succinct manner.

4) Use the inverted pyramid style.

The most important, newsworthy facts belong at the beginning of the release with supporting information below. The “inverted pyramid” also refers to the decreasing newsworthy value in each subsequent paragraph.

5) Re-state the headline in the first paragraph.

The first paragraph of the press release should re-state the headline almost word for word. It should only be two-to-three sentences long.

6) Describe and quantify the newsworthy element in the second paragraph.

The second paragraph should describe why the first paragraph is newsworthy and provide any supporting numerical data.

7) Provide a quotation with a favorable opinion in the third paragraph.

The third paragraph should contain a quote from your CEO, and this is the only place in the entire release to include an opinion about the topic. Also, you should not introduce new facts in the quotation. These facts belong in the body of the release.

8) At the end of the release include a “boilerplate” describing your company.

The boilerplate should be the same in every release you distribute and should be given a subhead, “About [My Company].” It should be about two paragraphs long and include your company’s main activities and prominent clients as well as its qualifications. For smaller companies, the boilerplate should also provide a short bio of the CEO.

9) Keep the length short.

No press release should EVER be more than two pages.

10) Check carefully for spelling, grammatical or punctuation errors.

Editors may receive up to 300 press releases per day. Errors in spelling, grammar or punctuation make your release look unprofessional and may result in its immediate rejection.

In 2003, Willy Gissen founded Cut-It-Out Communications, a full-service Westchester public relations firm. With over 10 years of related experience, he trained with a former SVP of a top New York City PR firm, Hill & Knowlton, and served on the communications staff of the McCall/Mehiel gubernatorial campaign. He holds a BA in Government from Harvard College.

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Press releases can win you more credibility if you write them correctly

Otherwise known as free publicity, the press release is one strategy commonly used by individuals and businesses to assist them in establishing a significant presence in the media, on the Internet and in society.

They may sound the same as advertisements but press releases are able to stand apart from them by helping you building more credibility to the media and the readers. However, in order to achieve that, you need to make sure that you are able to write your press release correctly.

The press release is not an ad

First and foremost, keep in mind that when writing a press release, you are not writing an advertisement that is going to be promoted in the newspaper, magazine, on radio or TV, or on the Internet. Rather, you are writing something similar to a news article but this time, it is aimed at building credibility whilst still focusing on being newsworthy.

When we say newsworthy, we mean that what you are writing can interest your readers and make them want to read more. Therefore, if you are going to write a press release for a new product, make sure you do not sound as if you are promoting it. Cite how the product can play a significant role in people’s lives without sounding like an ad. Remember that you cannot fool the reader because they can tell what is an ad and what was endorsed by the media without paying for ad space. You can usually gain your reader’s trust if your product is endorsed by third-party people, like reporters who have read your press release and decided to do a feature on it.

Simplicity is the key

Keep your press release simple and in plain English. This means that you should not use jargon or terms that can make readers raise their eyebrows and go, “huh?”. Make sure that even a 10 year-old kid can understand what you are writing. Then, write your content in short paragraphs with precise sentences. Do not bother with complicated sentence structures and clauses anymore. Also, write in the active voice and never sound uncertain or doubtful in your article. Remember that in writing press releases, you need to keep everything simple but still understandable and enticing for your readers.

Build your press release

A press release contains standard parts that should never be ignored. Basically, the way it is formatted can easily alert the editor and reporter that what they are reading is not an advertisement but a press release. Therefore, never make do without the following elements in what you are writing:

1. The release date: This indicates when your press release should be released.

2. The title or the headline: This one should be short but should already be able to catch the attention of your reader and keep him or her interested.

3. The lead: This is the part that emphasizes the who, what, where, when, how, and why.

4. The main body: After citing the 5 W’s and the 1 H, make sure to explain them in this part. Just remember to cite the important parts first and generalize later. If you can, make sure that your readers realize on their own that what they are reading is indeed relevant to their lives.

5. Background information about you or your business.

6. The date and your contact information so the reporters and editors will know how to get back to you. On the Internet, your press release may be aimed directly at your customers so your contact address and Web URL are essential.

You also need to make sure that your press releases are published in the right place such as Quality Press Releaser or Press Release Studio. These websites are structured to take care of your publicity needs so that you can get the exposure that you need.

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Tags: public relations, strategy, press release, publicity, news

Many people find themselves wanting to do public relations for themselves or for their company, but don’t really know where to begin. Following are three easy steps to get your campaign going:

Step One: Answer the pertinent question of why what you do is newsworthy.

What’s in it for the reader or viewer of a particular outlet you are approaching? Watch your local news, read the newspaper, scan magazines. Not only is it a great way to pinpoint what news you could create for your company with that outlet, but it’s a great way to get inspired for story ideas that you can pitch to other media genres. For example, if “Staycations” apply to your business and the Today show recently covered the rising trend, you can pitch an adaptation of that story to your local news.

Step Two: Brainstorm! Gather your team together.

Think about upcoming holidays, events, trends, and more. How can you or your company serve as a part of these occasions in a news story?

Step Three: Execution and media relations.

Craft your pitch, then send out emails and make phone calls. Though many reporters prefer email these days, nothing beats the one-on-one connection you can make during a conversation on the phone. Don’t be afraid to pick up the phone and make a call.

Success with media relations is not always immediate. Don’t get discouraged if reporters don’t bite on your first few story ideas. The point of PR is to build relationships. The more a reporter sees how your company fits with his or her beat, the more likely it is that you will gain media exposure. If you are coming across stumbling blocks, sometimes offering to bring a coffee to a journalist and getting 15 minutes of face-to-face time without pressuring them with your pitch will lead to requests in the future.

Visit this web for more resources on how to handle your do-it-yourself publicity campaigns. Regina Novickis is co-founder of Media Tonic and Publicity411.com. A seasoned public relations executive with more than twelve years of experience managing brand positioning, public relations and media relations efforts on behalf of consumer/entertainment clients, she has secured coverage for clients in every genre of national press ranging from USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Time and Newsweek, to Self, Marie Claire, GQ and Maxim, to “Entertainment Tonight,” “The View” and NBC’s “Today” show.

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Tags: pr, publicity, newsworthy, news, steps

You sent out another press release… and waited for a journalist to call. If you’re still waiting, it’s often that you committed a fatal mistake in your announcement that sent it straight to the reporter’s trash bin.

There are several issues that make a reporter cringe. Are you doing one – or more – of these?

Grammatical Errors- You can be the best writer in the world but still miss grammatical errors and typos when proofreading. Look over your work when you are most alert and read your copy aloud to yourself. It is also a good idea to have at least three other people review your work before submission.

Upper Case Letters- Do not write your news release in all uppercase characters as it is bad formatting. Use mixed casing when writing your press release.

Lack of Content- Be sure your media announcement answers the five W’s (Who, What, Where, When, Why) as roughly 90% of all press release submitted to reporters are rejected. Also ask yourself if your release is newsworthy. The main purpose of a news release is to inform a public.

Press Releases that are Really Ads- Do not write your news like an advertisement. You are not trying to sell anything when writing a press release. Remember a reporter’s job is to inform the public, not to sell to the public.

You want to be professional when submitting press releases to reporters.

Shannon Cherry, APR, MA is your Power Publicist and owns Be Heard Solutions, a virtual publicity and marketing agency. She helps entrepreneurs become more successful at attracting more clients, selling more products and services, and boosting their business. Get more tips and tactics with your free publicity power pack by visiting here

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Tags: media, relations, press release, news, mistake

For smaller business, the responsibility of public relations often rests on the shoulders of a “non public relations professional.” For these people, the first question may be, “How do I Start Pitching?” But I think people can be equally confused by what opportunities exist in the first place. It seems logical that other companies are on TV, in magazines or quoted in newspapers; you see that every day. Yet a disconnect can remain with your own business and the coverage opportunities available in the media.

Before you tackle how to pitch, let’s take a look at where your company can be covered in the media. Each of the following categories can be broken down into even further categories – which is good news – but let’s start with a 10,000-foot view.

Category One: Newspapers. Look at your local paper and you will see a variety of sections. Generally, each local paper has some version of sections such as local news, national news, entertainment, real estate, lifestyle and more. This means there are multiple opportunities for media coverage in just your local paper, depending on how you frame your “news.” If you have a product or service that is available nationally or on the Internet, now your opportunity to be in newspapers has literally reached into the hundreds when you consider all the local newspapers across the country.

Category Two: Syndicates. Syndicates are news organizations that write stories to be picked up by other media. If you look at your local paper, for example, you will likely see at least one story attributed to the AP, or Associated Press. That same story was sent to thousands of local news stations, newspapers, Internet sites, radio stations and more, each with the opportunity to run it. Syndicates have writers with “beats,” or areas of coverage, just like newspapers. Pitch one of these reporters on your company and you have the chance to literally be in hundreds of media outlets at one time.

Category Three: Local Broadcast News. Your local news also has a variety of stories they cover, though the news value has to be bit greater than some other media outlets. They are mostly covering breaking news, or the day’s events. If your company can tie-in with the breaking news topics that’s great. If not, other opportunities still exist such as human interest stories or coverage of local events.

Category Four: National Morning News. This category of media is one of the harder ones to break into, such as the Today show or Good Morning America. But again, you never know what will strike the fancy of a producer, or how your company or product can suddenly be “hot” based on topical news. Let’s say, for example, the news is covering food safety issues based on recent violations uncovered by the FDA. If you are a food manufacturer and can provide an expert to discuss what consumers should do to help keep their families safe, then that is a good time to pick up the phone and pitch.

Category Five: Magazines. There is a magazine for just about every type of person or interest out there. From women’s issues, technology, entertainment, gardening, home building, fashion and more, this is certainly a category of media where each company should be able to easily envision itself finding an interested reporter.

Category Six: The Internet. The Internet provides good news – and slightly less good – for media coverage possibilities. The good news is that the Internet offers an ever-growing community of dedicated media outlets (think Slate, which was created specifically to be an online magazine), blogs, and counterparts to traditional media (online versions of People or Shape magazines, for example). More good news is that “softer” news has a better chance of being covered since online outlets must update and refresh their content often to be relevant to their audience; thus, they need more content. The less good news is that finding all the possible outlets to reach can be time-consuming and, when you do, it’s harder to track the number of “eyeballs” any one site gets. That said, for a new or growing company, the Internet can be the very best place to build a portfolio of media coverage that will take you to the next level.

Category Seven: Talk Shows. Talk shows are arguably another one of the more challenging areas for coverage. That said, there are still opportunities for companies who can make themselves relevant or offer the human-interest angle of an issue, for example. Another opportunity is for product coverage as, you will notice, several times a year many of these shows do segments such as holiday gift guides, good products for kids, the latest technology products or product giveaways for the audience.

Category Eight: Radio. An oldie but a goodie. Radio is still a great medium for getting the word out about local events, people and companies of interest in your community, experts on various topics and more. The advent of satellite radio has created even more opportunities, as has dedicated Internet radio stations. While satellite and Internet radio stations may have a smaller number of listeners than traditional radio, they are often broadcasting to niche markets of people who, when marketed to, are more likely to buy your product or service.

Category Nine: Trade Publications. Like general magazines, there is probably at least one trade publication for your industry. And since these publications essentially write about one topic, they are often hungry for news. Another perk of media coverage in your trade publication is that influential “players” in your industry will likely be reading about you, which can always lead to larger synergies such as partnerships, promotions or speaking opportunities.

As you can see, there is no shortage of opportunity. Understanding that a vast, and growing, universe of media exists – all looking for products, news and experts – will hopefully provide you with the confidence and inspiration to get the word out about your own company.

Visit this site for more resources on how to execute do-it-yourself publicity campaigns.
Stacey Johnes is a co-founder of the web, and a seasoned public relations professional with more than fifteen years of experience in the industry. Currently running two successful public relations business in Los Angeles, Johnes has managed public relations campaigns for some of the world’s most high-profile brands, including Microsoft, Disney, FOX, Nissan and more.

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Tags: media, companies, coverage, news, publicity

Dawn, a former Veuve Clicquot Business Woman of the Year, takes to the stage at the event, organised by Junior Chamber International UK (JCI UK), being held at Nottingham University between 5 and 7 September. Boots are the main sponsor.

JCI UK – an organisation for anyone in their 20s and 30s who wants to bring about positive change in their lives – is now in its 80th year, a celebration marked with the theme of ‘Exploring Inspiration.’

Dawn kicks off the conference by exploring the concept of ‘A Walk on the Wild Side’.

She will provide real-life examples from her own successful career as an entrepreneur – including her experiences in founding the multinational Flowcrete Group – which she sold for millions of pounds earlier this year.

Dawn, who starts off the event on Friday afternoon, will also explain how she is injecting inspiration and innovation into her luxury lifestyle brand, Barefoot Flooring, currently being launched.

The Cheshire-based businesswoman said: “JCI UK is a fantastic national organisation, which is making a real difference in the UK by developing young leaders.

“Exploring Inspiration is a wonderful, motivating theme for their annual conference and I’m looking forward to taking part in the event.”

Other speakers at the conference include Steve Parks, author and entrepreneur, as well as Sean Chapple, known as the ‘Ice Man,’ – a polar expedition leader, who explores the business of winning.

The conference culminates in a black tie dinner, and, in-keeping with JCI’s 80th anniversary celebration – the theme will be the 1920′s.

For more information on the conference, visit here.

Ends

NOTES TO EDITORS

Barefoot Flooring, based on the edge of the Peak District, near to Macclesfield, provides luxury seamless flooring for the consumer sector. Founded by Dawn Gibbins MBE, ‘the barefoot entrepreneur’ the company’s floors are designed to encourage people to lose their shoes and enjoy the feeling of freedom underfoot.

More about Barefoot Floors Here

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Tags: media relations, media, conference, publicity, news

Although some companies have an in-house PR department to manage Press Releases, for many companies, it may not be possible to distribute the Press Release or Press Statement to all media channels due to resource and manpower constraints. This is where companies providing Professional Press Release Distribution Service become essential.

A Press Release is generally used to inform the public through news and print media of an event or issue, or information for the general public, which concerns the company. Press releases are also a useful tool to create visibility about a company and its activities. In the present day and times, with the whole world connected to the Internet and most Internet savvy individuals spending many hours every day searching and browsing for information, knowledge, services, products, etc, an Online Press Release Service is extremely crucial for a company, to create online visibility on the internet, through proper and affordable Press Release Distribution Services and gain widespread media coverage.

Some Press Release Distribution Services companies specializing in offering Online Press Release Service also combine Search Engine Optimization (SEO) with very high quality news distribution, thus making the press releases more visible to the top search engines like Google, Yahoo, and MSN. These Press Releases come up in searches when users search with a search term related to the client company and the Press Release, thus creating visibility for the company. These Press Release Service companies ensure widespread coverage of the Press Release, drawing the attention of bloggers, journalists, and general public alike. Press Release Distribution Services companies also ensure that the Press Releases and announcements reach the people interested in the client company and its activities, company news and information, etc, and provide links in the Press Release content for the interested individuals to follow back to the companies website, thus ensuring targeted traffic.

To increase a client company’s online Internet presence, and thus the potential for increasing sales and revenue, the Press Release Distribution Services employ teams of experienced professionals with years of experience in writing and optimizing Press Releases in many diverse areas for many companies involved in many different fields like Real Estate, entertainment, etc. This does not mean that these companies offer Press Release Service only for big companies or large Multinational corporations only. Press Release Services are very affordable and are also available for individuals like members of the legal and medical profession, small business professionals, and small companies too, with different packages and services available according to requirement.

In the modern world today, as in the good old days, it is important to remember that – “Out of sight is Out of Mind”, which simply means that if a company or an individual is not visible continuously and regularly in the print, news, and online Internet media, the world will soon forget they exist, and move on to something more interesting. Everyone wants fresh and interesting news and information on a regular basis and abhors stale news and soon forgets an individual or company, which is not in the news on a regular basis. As a company or individual, aspiring to be visible on the Internet, it is important and crucial to hire the services of a company providing Professional and experienced Press Release Distribution Services.

For more information on Press Release Distribution Services and a Professional and experienced Press Release Service, please do visit our site or write to us for services and packages.

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Tags: public relations, news, company, credibility, information

Watching the news – and media storm – unfold about Republican VP Nominee Sarah Palin’s pregnant 17-year-old daughter brings to mind an underlying premise about effective public relations – no surprises, please.

A PR person’s worst nightmare is finding out as the news breaks that a client has been less than forthcoming. You are then forced to play a game of catch-up and backtracking, which can destroy your credibility. This applies to both public figures and organizations.

In today’s electronic world, anyone with access to the Internet can become an investigative reporter and widely distribute information within seconds. So, if you’ve got something you’re not keen to release keep in mind that someone, somewhere is likely going to find out. If that happens you’re boxed into a reactive fire-fighting mode instead of controlling the content.

The bottom line is you want to be the manager of your message. Give your PR people the ability to do so by following these basic PR tenets.

Tell PR staff the truth early and often.

This allows your team to strategize about what information should be released when. You have the advantage of controlling the message rather than reacting once the information has already leaked. It’s more advantageous to be forthcoming and candid rather than respond to the “did you know about this?” line of questions.

Share corporate developments with your public relations counsel, even if it seems insignificant to you.

Lost funding for a project? Had to stop construction due to permit issues? Maybe it’s all in a day’s work to you, but if it affects employees, contractors, traffic flow or investors, it may be newsworthy after all. At the very least, key stakeholders should hear developments – good or bad – from you first, not read about it in the newspaper or on a blog.

Remember that most people are willing to forgive a mistake or error in judgment if you’re honest about it.

You may think a personal misstep or corporate misdeed is unrecoverable, but people understand we’re all human and make mistakes. Seek advice from your trusted advisors and be sure to include your PR pro. Get your message out and stick to the facts; apologize if appropriate. Remember that sometimes the news isn’t about the mistake itself (extra-marital affair, illegitimate child, insider trading, etc.) but the fact that a person lied about it.

Many people refer to PR professionals as “spin doctors.” Call it what you want, but our goal is to help clients put their best foot forward even in the worst of times.

Karen Preiss Miller is a partner in JKP Group, a marketing communications consulting company. For more tips, visit this site

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