Earned media is more important than ever. The economic crisis has forced many organizations to slash their advertising budgets and rely on PR, or “earned media,” to get their message out. Targeted PR is considerably less expensive than advertising and helps establish third-party credibility.

But do you have a story to tell? To get reporters interested, you have to be newsworthy. This means your story is intriguing enough to entice a reporter to take your call, read your email (and maybe even respond), or, best-case scenario, agree to meet you for coffee.

Keep in mind that reporters receive dozens of pitches every week. At the major media outlets, they may receive dozens of pitches every day. The competition for media mindshare is fierce. So while you (or your client) may think your story belongs on the front page of the New York Times, the newspaper’s editors probably won’t.

The most effective PR pros will manage their client’s expectations realistically from the onset. Don’t promise the Washington Post and deliver the Smallville Times. For most organizations, a good media “hit” is a feature article in their local newspaper or trade publication. Therefore, set goals that are measurable and achievable.

The following checklist will help you determine whether it’s time to pitch a story or wait until a meatier opportunity comes along.

A newsworthy story includes at least one of the following attributes:

1. Local

People care about events that happen close to home. A warehouse fire in Atlanta has local interest but probably won’t be covered in other cities, unless it’s catastrophic (significant fatalities, explosions, etc.). Then it’s a national story as well (see “Catastrophic” below).

Consider this scenario: A real estate developer is breaking ground on a new shopping center – a legitimate news hook for the local newspaper and maybe real estate trade publications, especially if there’s a unique twist to the project (see “Unusual” below). Will Business Week care? Probably not, but the developers are reaching their target audience (i.e., local retailers and future shoppers), and that’s the goal.

2. Controversial

How many times does your local TV news show cover a city council meeting? Probably not much – they’re routine and (no offense) rather dull. But what if 100 angry citizens show up to protest a proposed sales tax increase? Now that’s a newsworthy event.

Or, say the local Chamber of Commerce learns about the city council’s proposed new sales tax. Concerned that it might negatively affect local businesses, the Chamber issues a statement strongly disagreeing with the “controversial” proposed tax. You get the picture.

3. Seasonal

We’ve all seen them – the feel-good Thanksgiving news stories or the profile of a local war hero on Veteran’s Day. Maybe they’re cliche, but the media is always looking for a local angle when covering holidays, anniversaries, etc. Check your calendar to see when an upcoming event may present an opportunity for your organization to pitch a timely story.

4. Unusual (first, largest, smallest, etc.)

Reporters like stories that are exceptions to the rule. Remember the real estate developer breaking ground on a new retail complex? What if the complex will house the area’s first outdoor ice-skating rink? Go through the checklist. It’s local and it’s the first. What if the rink is the largest in the Southeast? Even more potential media interest.

5. Human interest

A human interest story is the PR equivalent of a homerun, but they’re hard to score, especially as newspapers scale back on staff and “feature” writers. Pitching a human interest story requires creativity and finding the right reporter at the right time. Suppose that the real estate developer wants to build an ice rink in his shopping center because he’s a former professional hockey player and loves the sport? Interesting…

6. Catastrophic

Catastrophic (i.e. hurricanes, tornadoes, bombs) will always be newsworthy – because they’re unusual, involve a human interest component and, frankly, feed our natural fascination with cataclysmic events.

From a PR perspective, a catastrophic event might highlight the actions of a non-profit, a corporate donation, or an even individual act of kindness (i.e., relief supplies for Hurricane Katrina victims).

7. Visual

Never underestimate the power of telling your story visually. If your media pitch includes a visual hook, you’re ahead of the game. The city’s first ice skating rink on opening day – local, unusual and visual!

8. Celebrity

Let’s put it this way: everything President Obama does is newsworthy because of his celebrity – playing basketball, buying a new dog, walking down the Capitol steps. That’s why he has an entire press team to handle the volume of media requests he gets in a single day.

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

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Tags: newsworthy, media, media relations, specialist, relations

There are many resources for free publicity for small business available online. A great resource that we have found is Joan Stewart who is publicity expert with a wide variety of information available online. Anything from “How to write a press release” to “How to get Free Publicity” to Publicity Tips”. You can find many of these articles on our website or you can link to her own website. She even has a schedule of tours she makes in the USA to local business groups. Her publicityhound website has articles, CD’s, resources, tips, ebook, blog and a wide variety of sources for you to use online.

If you need even more information she has a newsletter with tips you can sign up to.

The big question is how do you write a press release that is newsworthy? Well see what’s going on in your local community and what is important. Also think about what is not being covered. In the end your press release must contact facts about the who, what, when, where, why and how but it most be beneficial to the community so determine what you provide that is beneficial or what information you can provide that may be helpful and determine where to send that press release. Most importantly, get some advice from an expert first, it will save you alot of time.

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As the end of 2008 quickly approaches, now is a great time to put the finishing touches on basic tools that you will need for your marketing efforts in 2009. One of these tools is a boilerplate. Not sure what this is? Let me explain.

In public relations terms, a boilerplate is a statement that is placed at the end of a press release (or other public relations document). It simply and quickly covers the 5 W’s of your business, products, and services and lets the press and general public know what your business has to offer.

A boilerplate is usually no more than several sentences long so choose your words carefully. In essence, what you are doing by creating a boilerplate is taking your 30-second elevator pitch about your company and putting it on paper.

Here are a few key points to cover when drafting your boilerplate:

1. Include a short, clear description of your business (what you do, who you do it for, and why you do it).

2. If you’ve won awards or been recognized in any way, use stand-out words like “award winning” or “best-in-class” when describing your products and services. Also use any stand-out numbers about your business (e.g., more than ? products sold or more than ? customers served).

3. Avoid industry jargon that the general public will not understand.

4. List your company website or other online destinations so that people can learn more about your business.

Also note that you can have one boilerplate or multiple descriptions if you have a number of product/service lines. You will be pleasantly surprised at how your boilerplate will come in handy during your marketing efforts once it is completed.

An expert in marketing communications, Kristina Hill provides integrated marketing consulting services to small and mid-sized businesses through MarComm Creative Group, LLC. The business offers an array of services, including: public relations and media relations; media planning and placement; integrated marketing plan development and execution; and article, website, advertising, editorial, and sponsorship writing.

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In a nut shell – if you have the capability to write and follow a few simple rules of style and formatting you can capture the attention of your audience with a single press release distribution.

Typically, press releases are a one to two page article containing up-to-date news and information about a company that is distributed to the media for distribution. Many times these articles are published verbatim; however, other press releases are used solely for background purposes – either way one must keep in mind that the content should be interesting, timely and catch the attention of the reader.

A properly formatted press release is separated into sections, each extremely important to the process. The first section is the Contact Information, which will provide the editor the information he or she needs to contact you directly. This particular area of the press release should contain the company name and the contact person as well as his or her phone number and email address.

The second section is the Release Date, or the date in which you wish the information to be released to the public. If your information is not date specific, you simply put “For Immediate Release” so that the editor knows that your press release is ready to be published. If by chance your information is date specific, you want to make sure that you include the specific date the information can distributed to the public – for example, “For Release: April 1, 2008.”

The next section is KEY to your press release – the Headline, as this particular item is the text that ultimately attracts the attention of the editor. Keep in mind that media outlets receive numerous press releases on a daily basis, so you are in essence competing against several companies for the editor’s attention. The best headlines provide a very brief summary of the uniqueness of your press release – in other words the headline answers the question of “Why” the information is newsworthy.

The Body of the press release is the next section and this section delivers the information to the public. The first paragraph should begin with the dateline, for example “Kansas City, MO, April 2008 -” followed by the first sentence immediately after the dash. The city and state are most generally the geographical location of your company; however, if your press release contains news and information that warrants a different location then provide the appropriate information.

The First Paragraph of your press release is just as important as the Headline and it is imperative that you pack this area with information in such a fashion that if no other aspect of the article is published you have still managed to tell your story. Many times press releases are printed in their entirety; however, not always. As a rule of thumb, news editors shorten from the back forward so make sure that you have told your story in the first paragraph of your press release.

Finally, the last section of your press release is the Response Information. This tells the reader how they can get in touch with you for more information about your products and services. Including this information in your press release is VERY critical, as if you leave it out of your article chances are the editors will not put it in the copy for you. In order for your press release campaign to be successful you must receive inquiries, so make sure you include any pertinent contact information – including your name, address, telephone number and email.

You can hire a freelance writer to write a press release if you would prefer; however, if you choose to write your own press releases remember – when it comes to your business you are the expert. Tell your story by keeping it news worthy, keep the information timely and create headlines that catch the editor’s eye!

Staci J. Nauman is a freelance writer and has been in the business since 2000. She has worked with numerous clients providing quality copywriting services for both online and printed documents. She recently titled her company Captivating Copywriting, which will be housed Here once the site is complete.

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“Life is a perpetual instruction in cause and effect.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Emerson called consistency the hobgoblin of little minds, but when it comes to public relations, consistency is THE most crucial key to success. Why? Because we live in a world of cause and effect. The number of people who know about your company is a result. Your company’s reputation is a result. The way people feel about buying from you is a result. What people associate with your product is a result.

All of these things stem from the communications activities you undertake on a regular basis. If you undertake no communications activities on a regular basis, your public perception will reflect that too. In that sense, public relations is a lot like exercise. If you do it effectively and steadily you’ll see good results. If you do it sporadically or not at all you won’t.

One of my clients runs a leadership development firm. It’s a small company with only a couple full-time employees, but because of a consistent focus on media relations, it has enjoyed media attention and awareness that belies its small size. My client says her competitors often comment that they “see her everywhere,” and ask how she does it. Our approach is not difficult, it just requires a solid commitment to ongoing media relations.

As a PR counselor and advisor, people often come to me because they’re unhappy seeing their competitors, who have a lesser product or service, garner the lion’s share of attention in their industry or town. When people are unhappy with the fruits of their tree, the solution is often found down in the roots. The first thing I look at is what they have done to build a robust PR program that incorporates all the audiences that matter most.

• TIP: What one small PR task can you commit to doing consistently? It could be a press release every quarter, a monthly ezine or picking up the phone to call your customers Just to say hello at least twice a year. The task isn’t as important as the commitment to actually doing it is.

This article may be reprinted when the copyright and author bio are included. ©2009 Barbara Wayman, BlueTree Media, LLC.

Barbara Wayman, APR, president of BlueTree Media, LLC, publishes The Stand Out Newsletter, a free monthly ezine for people who want to know how to leverage the power of marketing and public relations. Get your free subscription today Here.

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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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1) Price, Service, Selection

Although consumers might appreciate your company’s “great prices, great selection, and great service,” reporters find it boring. Think about it…where is the “story” in those phrases? Your publicity goals are better served by mentioning how a specific product you carry solves a problem for consumers. For example, if you are a physician who ONLY makes house calls, well that’s a novelty in today’s market. If you must focus on service, find the “story” in the service component.

2) Hype and The Hard Sell

Stay away from promotional hype. Also avoid using words like free and secret as they are mostly used by spammers and businesses promoting to consumers and infomercial marketers. If you’re writing to a reporter using email, filters will screen out your press release. Consider your audience carefully. Are you sending your press release to consumers? No. You’re trying to get the attention of a smart reporter. Don’t play games. Tell them what’s different or exciting about your product or service without all the hype and teasers.

3) Green and Giving

Is “green” still the new black? Does giving back get you anywhere? In today’s business environment most companies are giving a portion of their profits to charity, or are in some way going “green” by monitoring their carbon footprint. Stating that your company is giving back to the community is not going to guarantee you press coverage. It’s fine to mention something about charitable contributions at the end of your release, but it’s not a strong enough angle for a “stand alone” press release.

4) Trends

Ignore trends and you’re sunk. Reporters are in the business of reporting change. Part of your job as a business owner and publicist is monitoring shifts in business and service trends. What if you’re a company selling bedding and you notice a run on heavy quilts. Can you connect that to an increase in oil prices and consumers figuring they will need to keep their thermostats lower this winter? Customer feedback (used with permission) can often yield valuable trend information. Reporters working at daily newspapers actually welcome information citing real-time consumer trends.

5) Ignoring the Power of Pictures

Pictures still tell stories. Do you have a picture that says 1,000 words? Some products and services lend themselves to using images as much as words. The sand artist who builds exact replicas of castles along shorelines needs to have photographs of his work handy, and in various resolutions and file formats, that can be emailed to reporters instantly. You never want to say to a reporter, “I’ll send you something in a couple of days.” Send it the minute you get off the phone with them.

Lisa King is an editor and writer for the Xpress Press News Service. For more information visit this website

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Tags: public, relations, communications, corporate, manager

If you want to get quoted in the media, learn to talk in sound bites. It’s the single most effective way of transmitting a message. In this age of headline news, you must appeal to people with short attention spans and limited time. So regardless of what you have to say, say it quickly and with impact.

It’s not that the public doesn’t care about your expertise; it’s just that they won’t pay attention (nor will the reporter) unless you make your point interesting and concise.

In my years of media training and coaching, I’ve seen interviewees make the same mistake again and again: “I’m very smart; thus, everyone wants to listen to me tell them how smart I am.”

Wrong. Few of us have the time or inclination to stay tuned in for more than a few minutes. We skim articles, maybe read the text under subheads, and keep our finger on the remote at all times.

So, how do you get your message heard?

The answer is the KISS principle – Keep It Simple (for) Sound bites. By remembering the following three tips when talking to reporters, you can control the message and improve the odds it will be heard.

1.Write down your main points – and limit the number to just three or four.

This requires preparation. Before an interview, consider the primary points you want to make. You may think you know them off the top of your head but just wait until the reporter doesn’t ask you, “Hey, what are the major points you want to make?”

The truth is that it’s hard to gather your thoughts and communicate effectively when you’re trying to respond earnestly and honestly to questions. If you write down your major points beforehand and practice saying them, you’ll be prepared to state them over and over.

2.Say your main points over and over.

(See tip #1.) The more you say it, the greater the chance the reporter will use it. This is not to suggest that you should be devious, unresponsive or aloof. Just remember that all questions lead back to your key messages. Or, in other words, “That’s a great question, but the real issue is…”

3.Be prepared to give a closing statement.

Ninety-nine percent of the time at the end of an interview, a reporter will ask, “Is there anything else I’ve forgotten to ask you or that you’d like to share with me?” This is the perfect time to restate your key points.

While these tips may seem like common sense, when you’re under the gun it’s hard to be articulate and persuasive. It’s human nature to want to answer any and all questions. Just remember that you can be informative and send your key messages at the same time.

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

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When you know the basics about press releases and how they can be an effective online marketing technique, you should now learn how to write an effective press release and use them to grow your business.

Press releases may vary in length, but to be effective they should be between 300 and 800 words. Moreover, many written publications usually prefer press releases to be printed on one page or two pages with the content on the reverse.

Most media companies have a huge amount of material to print. Therefore, your press release has to stand out in order to be published. It may be easier to have your press release published on the internet, but to make it an effective marketing tool, you need to make sure it gets maximum exposure.

You should be aware of the fact that despite the popularity of the internet, there are still quite a few people who tend to believe traditionally printed material more than what they read on the internet. You can see why it’s essential to build your credibility when marketing online.

You should avoid writing press releases that sound like sales letters, which is one of the biggest mistakes people often make. We all know that business press releases are written with the ultimate intention of increasing sales. However, to increase the likelihood of getting published, you should write your press release in a newsworthy fashion. In other words, the content should contain more information than sales pitch. If you’re a talented writer you can sell without selling.

Choosing your angle is very important when writing a press release. Tell a story about your business or company, and make it interesting so that it becomes a newsworthy piece of information. When writing your press release, start with a catchy title so that the readers will be intrigued and want to read more. Your title and opening line should be both compelling and keyword rich.

Consider adding a personal touch to your press release by including quotes from the owners (you and your business partners). Remember, your objective is to make the media companies and readers want to read your news release and get more information about your company or business. Press releases are very important for the success of your business, so if you’re not comfortable writing them yourself, you should hire a qualified ghostwriter.

Besides reading the content of your press release, the media and your potential customers should also have the desire to contact you or your company. A press release becomes a powerful marketing tool when it accomplishes this objective. If your press release is in print form, it’s very important to add your contact information as there is no link for your potential clients to click.

Following the above tips should enable you to get started writing an effective press release that you can use as a marketing tool to develop your business.

Aiden Wangsa is an internet business owner. Learn why writing articles is a great internet marketing technique.

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Public Relations and Marketing are vital for business success and business growth. Traditional methods of marketing and public relations can be expensive but there are many cheap and effective options that you can look at to boost your business whilst saving you money. To boost your presence and your brand you could consider:

* Press Releases- Press Releases can be submitted in two ways, online and offline. If you or your business has something newsworthy to say, you should submit a press release to all offline news sources. You can also submit press releases online, which can see your business name mentioned in a variety of online news sources. Press Releases are also great for Search Engine Optimisation as they can become ranked in the Search Engines in their own right.
* Blogs- Another cheap option to boost your brand, your marketing and your public relations is to use a blog. Blogs are a great way for you to connect directly with your target audiences, as well as provide instantaneous feedback.
* Forums- Web Forums are another great way for business owners to network with customers and potential business partners. They are a great way to network and to build your reputation as an expert.
* Articles- Submitting articles to online article directories are great for Search Engine Optimisation and for building your expertise. If you provide valuable information, you will get great click through rates, and back links to your main site can help boost the ranking of your main site in the search engines.
* Search Engine Optimisation- Build back links through directories, submit articles and have blogs to make sure that your main sites appear high in the Search Engines. Make sure you do proper keyword research to ensure that you are actually appearing for results that people are searching for.
* Web 2.0- Social Networking sites such as facebook and myspace can be a new and vital way for you to network with potential customers. Web 2.0, and user generated content can be a great way to boost your business.

Hamish Jones is the founder of Best Business Deals, and is a public relations specialist.

If you want to cut your costs or grow your business, contact him here

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Using PR to get noticed by clients and prospects can be one of the most effective tools you can use as a small business owner or manager. There are five key elements you need to know if you want to get great PR results for your small business on a consistent basis. They will help to put you ahead of the competition and secure results time and again. Here are the top five to get your PR on its way:

You need to understand that it’s all about the audience It’s very easy, whatever your business, to get advertising and PR confused. It’s important to understand that they are very different. As far as PR is concerned the programme or publication you are targeting is not interested in your business alone. What they need is information, news and stories that will be of interest to their readers, viewers, listeners, website visitors etc.

You need to get your timing right Timing is crucial. Knowing when to contact a journalist with an idea or a story is key to your potential PR success. That means knowing the timescales journalists work to and timing your approach so that it presses their buttons.

You need to understand how journalists think The way you package your news story or idea needs to make it as easy as possible for the journalist to use what you have to offer. That means understanding how they think and what they want and ensuring that you can give it to them. You need to be one step ahead and aware of the type of information they want and the best way to give it to them.

You need to think ahead It can be thrilling to get results from your PR efforts but the key is to build a relationship with journalists so that each conversation helps to lead onto another opportunity. Always have the next idea in mind when liaising with journalists – so you can plant the seed early on and encourage them to see you as a trusted source. Ideally, you want your PR to work so that journalists contact you for comment rather than always having to chase them.

You need to be persistent Results do not happen over night and it’s easy to get downhearted. The key is to understand that, as with most things in business, you need to keep trying and not to give up. Just because a journalist turns you down once do not think all is lost. This is an ideal opportunity to understand why your idea or news story is not relevant and to fine tune your next approach – it’s all a learning experience.

Access more free articles, tips and information on how to make the most of small business PR by visiting this site

Debbie Leven is an award winning PR expert – here

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In today’s challenging economy it is imperative for businesses to be proactive with marketing and advertising efforts. However, marketing and advertising can become quite expensive and often times only last for a small period of time and then – its forgotten. That is why it’s so important for small businesses to take advantage of PR efforts. Not only is public relations a great alternative to spending thousands on advertising and marketing, but its much more effective and highly respected.

Any business, well mostly any business, can go out and purchase an ad in the newspaper or magazine. But on the contrary, not any company or entrepreneur can have a respected journalist or publication write an article or broadcast information about their business. Only small businesses that understand the importance of branding itself and building a reputation with its targeted audience, receive the benefits of community recognition and respect among consumers, media and investors. This can only be achieved through strategic public relation efforts.

Not only is the competition for small businesses fierce, but there’s almost a new business established everyday. And the launching of that new company could potentially put yours out of business. But if you already have a solid foundation and reputation within your community, its very likely that your customers and audience have a sense of loyalty and trust within your organization and will not jump ship very easily.

But what exactly is public relations and how do you achieve that consistent, trusted and recognizable image? Simple… the first thing you do is consult an experienced PR specialist to assist you with branding your company and creating a unique identity. Your PR Pro will help you identify your competition and develop a strategic plan to propel you ahead of your competitors, while implementing a comprehensive campaign to reach your audience. The key to a successful PR campaign is consistency and creativity. Consistency basically means to incorporate ongoing strategies and not something that’s just going to disappear in a few months and to understand the point of constantly communicating your message and remaining in the public eye. And well the creativity part speaks for itself… don’t just do the same old thing that everyone else is doing or has done. Incorporate a twist, a spark or something that catches attention and grabs interest.

Public relations is an important tool for the survival of your business. If you’re not communicating your organization’s message and informing the community what you have to offer, then how will they know? And what’s worst is to communicate, but not communicate effectively which could only confuse your audience and have them quickly running to your competitors. Don’t make that crucial mistake – Take advantage of public relations to ensure the success of your small business.

Manuel Public Relations is an upscale, innovative entertainment and events publicity agency. We specialize in creating dynamic media/publicity plans. We also offer convenient and cost-effective press release and media distribution writing services.

Visit here

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Want more copywriting clients? The easiest way to get them is to develop a public relations campaign, just as you would for a business which hired you. This time you’re your own client.

All public relations (PR) starts with setting measurable goals. So write a goal for your PR campaign.

Your goal could be to:

* Increase your stable of clients by 20 to 50 per cent (or even get your first client, if you’re a brand new copywriter); or

* Publicize a new offering – perhaps you’ve added Web copywriting to the services you provide.

Next, describe your audience. And please – don’t omit this step. Targeting is essential. Describe your audience in 100 words, and think about them. What needs does your audience have? When their needs and your publicity goals mesh, you’ll get ideas for the perfect pitch which will attract their interest.

What’s the Pitch? Summarize your Pitch in a Sentence

By now, you should have ideas for a pitch which will appeal to your audience. Write it down, in a sentence.

Create a PR Plan, With a Timeline

In a PR campaign, everything works together. The centerpiece of your campaign will be several press releases, which will work in together with your Web site, blog, and any advertising you’re doing, to make your pitch. It’s essential that you “stay on message” – that is, repeat your pitch for the time of your campaign.

Staying on message for the length of your campaign ensures that your message (pitch) gets through to your audience. It’s been said we need to hear a marketing message at least seven times before we remember it, so make sure your message gets through.

Remember to stay on message when media get in touch. When doing an interview on radio or with a reporter for a story, stay on message! Don’t get sidetracked.

Once you’ve completed your timeline, and have entered the dates into your calendar, you’re ready to go.

Write a Report When Your Campaign’s Over

When your PR campaign is done, write a report, just as you’d do for a client. What did you achieve? What surprised you? Did you meet your goals? What follow up activities will you perform?

Great publicity never happens by chance; it’s all in the planning. Start planning today and create some great buzz for your copywriting business.

Want guidance to learn copywriting? Angela Booth’s “Copywriting Master Class – Ten Weeks to Copywriting Genius” helps you to start and run your own copywriting services business and/or write copy for your own business.

Angela’s ebook “Seven Days To Easy Money: Copywriting Success” takes you from novice to pro copywriter in just seven days. This popular ebook has been turning writers into successful copywriters for five years. Packed with information, the ebook also includes exercises which become your copywriter’s marketing processes and portfolio. You could be signing up your first clients within two days.

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Writing a good press release is a powerful marketing tool. If you want the attention that the document deserves you will want to follow some guidelines that are standard for writing good releases. Here are some tips that can help writers understand the process for writing the best press release and getting some well-planned attention.

Good Press Release Tip #1 – Remember who you’re writing for. If you plan to submit to online media outlets then you will need to make sure to include keywords in your headline and keywords throughout the document. You are writing for search engines and online readers. Search engines will pick up on the press document only if you are sure to include the keywords in the first part of your headline. Online readers will only actually read a document if you give them a catchy headline and some entertaining content.

If the plan is to submit the press document to traditional news and media outlets then the audience are journalists. Journalists are very busy people and they will need to be convinced very quickly that your press release is newsworthy enough for them to follow up on. If you can’t capture their attention in the summary part of your press offering, which will be at the beginning of the document then you won’t capture them at all. Focus your attention on this summary and make it sound as exciting as possible. You should also give them a reason why your news release is newsworthy. This is the lead.

Good Press Release Tip #2 – Figure out what your angle for the story will be. Journalists love good news stories. It is what they are all about. Make the item timely and connected to current news happenings and you will likely get their attention. Find the angle, or the hook and you will have a great press release on your hands.

Use the five w’s and an h approach to your document. Who is involved, what is the story, where is it happening, when will it happen and why should anyone care. The h question is how can someone take an action based on this press release. For instance, if a new product is being introduced, how can someone get more information on the product?

Good Press Release Tip #3 – Add a human element to your story. Was there a particular problem that was resolved by the company? Is there a community implication to your news release? These human elements can be a very good hook for a reader.

Good Press Release Tip #4 – Finally, don’t bloat the document with unnecessary words. People like to get the information and move on. If they are looking for flowery prose they will pick up the latest offering from James Patterson not a news document. Keep it simple and to the point. Following these good press release tips will help you write the most effective documents on the internet.

Rod C. Beckwith, co-creator of the Press Equalizer software, has made hundreds of media contacts and distributed thousands of press releases online. If you need to distribute press releases online, then check out his software package.

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Business, non-profit or association managers hurt their own public relations results when they become fascinated with PR tactics – press releases, publications and brochures and, particularly, fun-to-manage special events – while failing to plan for the perceptions and behaviors of the very people who probably hold their managerial success in their hands.

We’re talking about those important outside audiences whose behaviors most affect their departments, groups, divisions or subsidiaries.

Obviously, some of the less sensitive among those managers just don’t get it – the fact that the right public relations alters individual perceptions leading to changed behaviors among key external audience members and, thus, the achievement of managerial objectives.

When they compound that oversight by not persuading those awfully important outside folks to their way of thinking, then moving them to take actions that allowtheir units to succeed, bingo!, they badly hurt their PR results.

Needn’t be the case. Take a moment and savor this approach: people act on their own perception of the facts before them, which leads to predictable behaviors about which something can be done. When we create, change or reinforce that opinion by reaching, persuading and moving-to-desired-action the very people whose behaviors affect the organization the most, the public relations mission is usually accomplished.

Look at what could come their way: fresh proposals for strategic alliances and joint ventures; community leaders beginning to seek you out; rising membership applications; welcome bounces in show room visits; prospects starting to do business with you; customers making repeat purchases; and new approaches by capital givers and specifying sources not to mention politicians and legislators viewing you as a key member of the business, non-profit or association communities.

A few questions as to how this work might be assigned. To an outside PR agency team? To folks assigned to your operation? To your own public relations people? Just realize that regardless of where they come from, they need to be committed to you and your PR plan beginning with key audience perception monitoring.

You should meet with your public relations team in order to be certain that those assigned to you are clear on why it’s vital to know precisely how your most important outside audiences perceive your operations, products or services. They must accept the reality that perceptions almost always lead to behaviors that can help or hurt your operation.

Discuss your PR operating plan with them, especially how you will monitor and gather erceptions by questioning members of your most important outside audiences. For instance, how much do you know about our chief executive? Have you had prior contact with us and were you pleased with the interchange? How much do you know about our services or products and employees? Have you experienced problems with our people or procedures?

Have no hesitation (other than budget) in using professional survey firms in the perception monitoring phases of your program. But remember that your PR people are also in the perception and behavior business and can go after the same objective: identify untruths, false assumptions, unfounded rumors, inaccuracies, misconceptions and any other negative perception that might translate into hurtful behaviors.

The most damaging distortions you discovered during your key audience perception monitoring will respond to the right kind of PR goal by calling for straightening out that dangerous misconception, or correcting that gross inaccuracy, or stopping that potentially fatal rumor as quickly as possible..

Big challenge here is selecting the right strategy. Namely, a strategy that tells you how to move forward. Please remember that there are just three strategic options available to you when it comes to handling a perception and opinion challenge. Change existing perception, create perception where there may be none, or reinforce it. Since the wrong strategy pick will taste like sea salt on your rice pudding, be certain the new strategy fits comfortably with your new public relations goal. You don’t want to select “change” when the facts dictate a “reinforce” strategy.

It’s inevitable and unavoidable — someone on your PR staff will have to write a strong message and aim it at members of your target audience. Because crafting action-forcing language to persuade an audience to your way of thinking really is hard work, you need your best, first-string writer to put together some very special, corrective language. Words that are not only compelling, persuasive and believable, but clear and factual if they are to correct something and shift perception/opinion towards your point of view leading to the behaviors you are targeting.

Less taxing, and occasionally fun, is the selection of the communications tactics most likely to carry your message to the attention of your target audience. Do this after you run the draft by your PR people for impact and persuasiveness. There are dozens of tactics available to you. From speeches, facility tours, emails and brochures to consumer briefings, media interviews, newsletters, personal meetings and many others. But be sure that the tactics you pick are known to reach folks just like your audience members.

As we all know, the method by which we communicate a message, if tainted in any way, can affect its believability and credibility. So, if unsure, you may wish to limit its initial scope by unveiling it before smaller meetings and presentations rather than through higher-profile news releases.

Suggestions that progress reports might be a nice touch, should be viewed as an early warning that a second perception monitoring session with members of your external audience, be undertaken. Many of the same questions used in the first benchmark session can be used again. But this time, you will be watching carefully for signs that the problem perception is being altered in your direction.

If you suspect the program is lagging, accelerate matters with more communications tactics, then increase their frequencies.

Thus, instead of hurting your PR results, you will indeed increase the chances of program success. And once you as a manager digest the underlying premise of managerial public relations, as outlined above, you’ll understand how the right PR really CAN alter individual perception and lead to those changed behaviors you need.

Please feel free to publish this article and resource boxin your ezine, newsletter, offline publication or website. Word count is 1135 including guidelines and resource box.

Bob Kelly counsels, writes and speaks to business, non-profit and association managers about using the fundamental premise of public relations to achieve their operating objectives. He has been DPR, Pepsi-Cola Co.; AGM-PR, Texaco Inc.; VP-PR, Olin Corp.; VP-PR, Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Co.; director of communi- cations, U.S. Department of the Interior, and deputy assistant press secretary, The White House. He holds a bachelor of science degree from Columbia University, major in public relations.

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Much has been said about the demise of the printed press kit. Online and electronic versions – pundits say – are the way to go. No editors or reporters want to receive printed press kits when they could have electronic versions. Right?

Among all of the ways to get free and instant publicity for your site, product, or project, press releases have to be one of the most effective methods. Press releases have been used for decades by anyone hoping to gain attention for whatever they have done, or are planning to do. This method of advertising, and it really is an advertisement, gets your message out to the entire subscribed readership of whatever publisher decides to print your press release. Let’s look at how you can submit a press release to reap the rewards of this great tool.

First, and foremost, you must write the press release. It should be well-written and include the who, what, when, where, why, and how of your sale, opening, or whatever else you’d be announcing. The writing should be clear and to the point, effectively using proper grammar. All words should be checked for spelling. The last thing you want is to put out shoddy work that won’t make it past the desk of it’s recipient. The publisher has total choice in whether or not to publish your press release, so you’re going to have to sell him or her on it. If you don’t feel that you have the ability to write an effective press release, consider having someone else write it for you. Sure, you may have to pay a fee for the service, but the rewards of a good press release make it well worth whatever you might have to pay.

Once you have the press release written, you will need to know where to send it. To do this you will have to compile the contact information of all the publishers you will want the release to go to. The most efficient way for you to do this is with an online search. Most everyone these days has a website for their business, and publishers of news and other writing are no exception. So get that list together, and send the release to each of them in the format they require. Bear in mind that you may have to alter the document several times to meet the requirements of individual publishers.

You may be contacted about the press release. If you are, answer their questions politely and thoroughly. They may be looking for a little more than what you put in the release, so it is to your advantage to be available for their questions. Once they have everything they need, they will publish your press release and potentially millions of readers all over the world will know about what your company is doing. What better, more instant way can you think of to do all that?

Ted Jones is 19 yr. Old Ex college student who has consistently been averaging thousands per day with the #1 fastest growing internet marketing business on the net. Nobody can do what I can do, Posting 1000 Ads on craigslist everyday is easy when you know how. Let me show you how to get 200-400 Opt-ins per day no matter what program your in.

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Recently, I told a friend (who’s a business owner) that she needed to write a book. Although she’s a good writer with terrific ideas, she said, “Do I really have to do it?”

For her — and for those of you who have a business — the answer is yes. Here’s why:

1. Additional revenue. I don’t just mean revenue from book sales, although that can sometimes be substantial. I’m also thinking of speaking engagements. Speaking engagements can be very lucrative, and a book gives you great material for speeches!

2. Business development. Some of the people who purchase your book or e-book may become even bigger customers, buying additional services/products from you. As an example, I have had several major clients who bought my e-book, The Do-It-Yourself Public Relations KitT, and then came to me for additional assistance. Now, I would have been happy if they just bought the book. But often, they grow and need more services than my book can provide. And since they’ve already had a “taste” of my P.R. expertise from my book, they feel more comfortable working with me on a bigger scale.

3. Word-of-mouth. Like many others, I’m a big fan of Michael Gerber’s books, on the E-Myth. Just this week I sent a copy of the book to a friend, and told several others how the E-myth principles could help their businesses. Did Michael Gerber pay me? No. But I am such a big proponent of the ideas in the book that I want to share them (thanks by the way to Jeff Bolton, who originally got me excited about the book). The word-of-mouth from many people leads to referrals and sales of products and services for Michael Gerber (he has a hugely successful organization).

4. Publicity opportunities. Wouldn’t I be remiss if I didn’t say this? When choosing between someone who has written a book and someone who hasn’t, the vast majority of media people will prefer to use the author as a source. Why? Again, because this person has obviously gone the extra mile, putting in the time and effort to put his or her expertise out there, and gotten a book published.

Copyright 2008 Margie Fisher All Rights Reserved

Margie Fisher, President of Zable Fisher Public Relations, is the author of the Do-It-Yourself Public Relations Kit. For more information on the Kit, the Pay for Results Publicity Program, and to sign up for the complimentary PRactical P.R. newsletter, visit on this site.

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If you’ve saturated your local newspaper with story ideas about your business, it might be time to step up your game.

Getting on television – especially locally – is easier than most business-owners realize, if you know how to approach producers and how to prepare for a segment. The following tips can help increase your chances of landing on a news segment and making your time count.

Do your homework:

Study your local TV news programs to see which might be the best fit. Some may use more local guests than others. You may want to suggest a particular segment in your initial query to the station. This might include a morning show with a family-focused segment (if you’re pitching about your three-generation toy store), a noon show that covers local leaders (“my clothing store donates 10% back to low-income women”) or a nightly newscast that covers business (“our products are changing the world”). Remember, the better you can present a good fit for your business on their TV show, the more likely producers are to feature you.

Get to the right people:

Getting your idea considered means getting it seen by the right people. This means not only finding out who to send it to, but how. Your first step should be to research the TV station on the Internet, and then to make a call to the station receptionist. Your conversation could go something like this:

RECEPTIONIST: “ABC TV-5, this is Jen. How can I help you?”

YOU: “Hi Jen, I’d like to suggest a segment idea for the morning show. Is David Jones the correct person to contact?”

RECEPTIONIST: “Actually, John Smith is in charge of the morning segments.”

YOU: “Great. Can you tell me his title and how he prefers to receive segment ideas?”

RECEPTIONIST: “He’s our program manager. He hardly ever checks email so let me put you through to his voice mail…”

YOU: “Thanks Jen. I really appreciate your help.”

You should have a simple, PRACTICED pitch that you can use and make sure you leave all your contact information on the voice mail. While you’re waiting to hear back, drop a query letter and any supplemental materials in the mail.

If you can present a visually appealing idea, all the better. While simple interviews are done all the time, suggesting a segment with a strong visual hook is often enough to give you the edge.

“We contacted local TV stations with an idea to show parents how they could use simple items and games to increase their kids brain power,” says Tanya Mitchell, Director of Training for LearningRx, a world renown brain training franchise. “I told them I’d bring things like building toys, blocks, Scrabble tiles and stacking cups and then demonstrate how parents could use these at home to increase things like attention, memory and processing speed. They loved it. I think that if I had just suggested a sit-down interview, we wouldn’t have gotten on the show.”

Mitchell also suggested that the TV show mention that viewers could get additional ideas by visiting the station’s Web site, which hosted a link to www.LearningRx.com. “They loved this idea because it provided additional information to their viewers while driving traffic to their Web site,” says Mitchell. “And, of course, we loved it because it drove traffic to OUR Web site.”

If you can offer an additional free product or service through your Web site, you may be able to convince the station to post a link.

Follow up:

If your pitch is timely (“our salon is holding an open house next week with all proceeds benefiting the children’s hospital”), you should follow up quickly. If the piece is an ‘evergreen,’ give your contact some time to review your idea then follow up in a week or two.

If your contact declines your idea, ask if you can continue to submit more ideas in the future, and/or if you can be considered as a source for other segments that cover your industry.

Most importantly, be positive and courteous at all times. If the station is even a little interested but gets the idea you’re too pushy or rude, or believes you’re simply trying to ‘sell’ your business (as opposed to giving them a real story idea), you could burn that bridge for good.

Play by the rules:

When it comes to working with TV stations, you’ve got to play by their rules. Here are a few to follow:

1. Don’t call in the morning. This is the busiest time at most stations and you’re idea will get lost in the shuffle. The exception to this rule is if you have an extremely timely subject. For example: A huge computer virus has consumers scrambling to find out how to fix their computers and your software company offers free downloads from its Web site.

2. Don’t use the word ‘pitch.’ For many in the media, this word sends up a red flag that they’re about to be sold something. In TV, this implies that you’re essentially trying to get a free commercial for your business.

3. Remember that nothing is ‘off the record.’ Be careful about what you say when the camera is off, too.

4. Return calls and emails promptly. Television is a fast business. Sometimes it’s only a matter of minutes between you getting the interview … or your competition.

Prepare for the big day:

If your segment idea does get picked up, there are some things you’ll want to do to prepare. First, have someone tape the segment for you. Don’t ask the station to provide you with a copy, as this is often expensive and time-consuming for them.

Second, practice what you’ll say with someone who can play interviewer. Let them throw some curveballs, like “So, exactly what percentage of your sales go to charity?” or “How do you feel about the new laws that are affecting your business?”

You’ll also want to practice sitting still, sitting up straight and making eye contact with your mock interviewer if you’ll be seated during the interview.

Thirdly, pick out your outfit in advance and set it aside so it doesn’t get stained or wrinkled before the big day. If you’re running late for the interview, you won’t have to worry about searching for something to wear. Stick with medium-hued, solid colors on top as patterns can appear too busy on TV and light colors can wash you out.

“I was running around like a mad woman trying to find something to wear when I appeared on ‘Good Morning America,’” says Christina Katz, author of Writer Mama. “Finally, my aunt picked out this really simple button-down blue shirt. It was less glamorous than what I had originally thought I’d wear, but it ended up being perfect.” Don’t wear anything that can reflect light (such as metallics) and keep jewelry simple. Plan to wear something lightweight as the lights in the studio can get warm. Wear a bit more makeup than usual and keep your hair simple but professional.

Show your appreciation:

Although it’s exciting – and often profitable – to appear on TV, be cautious about pitching the station again too soon. Likewise, you may want to show some loyalty by not appearing on a competing station’s program soon after your initial appearance.

As for whether or not to send a gift to the station, don’t feel obligated. If you do decide to show your appreciation, keep it simple and inexpensive. Drop off some homemade cookies or a bag of bagels and cream cheese, or send a small fruit basket. If nothing else, send a nice thank you card to your contact…and that nice receptionist.

Wendy Burt is a full-time freelance writer and editor with more than 1,000 published pieces. She is also the author of two books for McGraw-Hill. WendyBurt-Thomas.com

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Recently, one of my clients came to me with a question. He had been approached by someone that offered to get his company onto the first page of Google for their keywords within a month. My client wouldn’t have to pay unless they succeeded.

My clients question, which was a valid one, was “Why shouldn’t I give it a try?”

After all, can’t hurt to try, right?

Unfortunately, if they don’t get paid until they perform, they will do anything, and I really do mean anything, to succeed.

My client is already coming up on the first page for many of his keywords on Google and other search engines, from the work we’ve done for him. We have just started our marketing plan for the site, and have a plan in place to continue to improve his rankings so he will get, and keep, more page 1 search engine listings.

Remember, you can’t just hit Page 1 in the search engines, you have to stay there if you want to be successful.

There are a few different methods to use if you want to get to the first page, but that is another discussion. Just know that the basics involve keyword focused content, and building high-quality, relevant in-bound links. These two often go hand in hand.

One effective strategy is publishing articles to article directories and Web 2.0 sites. There are three reasons this is effective. First, you receive direct traffic from these sites as members read the articles they are interested in, and follow the link. Second, you’re using keyword-rich content in your articles, so you give the search engines more ways to find your content, and you end up with more listings on the first page. Third, over time, you will begin to see the quality, keyword relevant incoming links coming in from the hundreds of sites that syndicate these articles.

The problem is, though, you can’t build these links too fast. If you do, you give Google and the other search engines a flag that you’re not building your links naturally. And when the search engines flag your site, their response is to “Sandbox” or de-index your site (which means they remove it from their search results, and don’t add it back in for a ceratain period of time or until you can show you’re on the up-and-up. Good luck with that!)

This is a good method for improving your listings in the search engine rankings. Google knows it, and they’re okay with it. They won’t penalize you for using tools such as article directories, or other Web 2.0 sites. But if they think you’re using these tools to “spam” the sites, and your only intent is to get incoming links, well, they don’t like that. They will penalize you, quick, when they realize what you’re doing, and then it’s into the Sandbox with you!

This is why I feel business owners need to be very cautious of anyone that says “I can get you first page listings in Google in a month or it’s free.” He probably can, but what will it cost in terms of your online reputation, longevity, and your bottom line?

And, traffic is only one piece of the puzzle. You also have to have conversion. If you have lots of traffic, but aren’t generating leads, customers and die-hard fans, that traffic doesn’t mean much. Will he stick around to make sure your traffic is converting? Will he help you analyze your traffic, and suggest improvements?

Once he gets paid for landing your site on the first page of Google, he’s gone. And unfortunately, you usually don’t have any long-term customers, or lots of sales, to show for it.

If you value your internet reputation, think long and hard before you put your online reputation in the hands of someone without a long term plan for your business. Or go with the better option – a company that really does watch out for your online reputation, and has a long-term strategy that will keep you at the top.

Barry Wayne is an online business consultant and project manager with 13 years experience in web development and Internet marketing. Please visit his blog, 1Cat.biz for more tips on how to build a successful online business

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Most press release advisors suggest that you should post each of your press releases in as many places on The Web as possible.

We have found that a different strategy works better. We advise our clients to change the content of their release each time they post it.

Why do we advise this? Duplicate content is the bane of search engines. It clogs them up and it makes their task of sifting sense from nonsense all the harder. Where two identical press releases are posted in different places, the search engine algorithms have to decide which press release deserves more weight. They will usually decide this on the basis of which press release was published first. But you can be sure that your subsequent postings of identical content will be given less weight.

On the other hand, if you post different and interesting content subsequently, you are establishing useful locations and back links to your organization that will survive for longer. We recognize that this strategy is much more time consuming but we believe that it will lead to better promotion of your product or service long into the future.

Press Releases are one of the most useful strategies for Internet Marketing. Today, they tend to be directed at your potential customers directly, rather than at the media. And using unique content each time makes it all the more likely that one or other of your future clients will find you by searching for the aspects of your business that that particular press release talks about.

With increasingly sophisticated search engine algorithms, we also believe that it is better to concentrate on the quality of the information provided rather than on any particular arbitrary key words.

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But – there’s a lot more to getting free publicity than just writing a few press releases and submitting them to online directories, or faxing them to your local news media.

Putting together a short-term and long-term media strategy is the first step – especially if you want to differentiate yourself from your competition, or spotlight your upcoming book.
The first step to creating a buzz and building a successful publicity campaign is to ask yourself these questions:

1. Why do you want to get publicity in the first place? (Are you trying to build your credibility? Let people know about your latest book or newest services?) Are you trying to build or strengthen your brand?

2. What is your core message? And how does it tie into your answers in question #1?

3. Who do you want your message to reach? (Put together as clear a picture of who you want to talk to as possible.) This is also known as your “target demographic.” You want to know as much information about them as possible – but especially what newspapers and magazines they’re reading, where they go online, what radio stations they listen to and what television stations or programming they watch. Knowing their ages, background, spending habits, etc. is all useful and will help you to create a stronger message if you can craft it towards “one person” – which is the whole point of building an ideal customer profile.

4. What type of coverage are you looking for? There are three main types – Print Press (which includes newspapers, magazines, ezines and newsletters), Radio (which includes local commercial radio stations, podcasters, and online radio), and Television (which includes local, national and cable channels, independent channels, and online television and videos.)

5. What is going to be the best way to get your message out? When creating your message and deciding what media types you want to target, keep your ideal customer in mind. For example, if you’re an author who’s writing a retirement advice book – you’re probably not going to find a lot of potential book buyers on MySpace, but you’d probably get a much better response if your message was heard on NPR radio.

You want to choose your marketing mix carefully – don’t put all your “publicity eggs” in one basket. By answering the above questions, you will strengthen your message and increase your chances of getting free publicity for your writing business.

If you make your living with words and you’re having a hard time marketing yourself or your writing business, maybe it’s time to stop stressing and learn exactly how to build a wildly successful writing business! Start from where you are and learn how to market yourself to find your ideal clients, get paid the fees you deserve and have the freedom that comes from being able to work from anywhere in the world, making money from writing! The Writer’s Business Academy

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1. Introduction of your business: If you have just started your business, launched a new product or added new features to the existing one, press release is the best way to let people know about it. You can inform the public about why your product or service stands out from the crowd.
2. Link Building Press release is one of the best ways of getting backlinks. Google has also started showing press releases on their search results. While writing a press release you can use your important keywords as your anchor text. You can then link it to the pages on your website. When you distribute your press release, your link is pasted on various distributors’ site, giving you better inbound links.
3. Organic Traffic Optimized press releases have higher chances of getting good ranks from search engines displaying your PR on their search results. This means you can get organic traffic onto your site.
4. Promote You can write press releases to promote: person, business, product, service, event, idea, contest, fundraiser and many more.
5. Educate or Entertain your targeted audience You can share your knowledge about your industry. You can discuss about growth of your company, current trends, updates and other subjects that interest the audience.

Press Release Basics:

Press release is a powerful form of advertisement. A good press release can help you convey the message to your targeted audience and lets you promote any development or enhancement in your business. While writing a press release you need to focus on special features of your product or service that sets you apart from the crowd. This should include those attributes that makes you better than your competition. You need to avoid jargon-filled sales pitch in your press release and try to keep the tone natural and conversational. You need to optimize your press release before submitting it. You can include the most important keywords on the title and first paragraph. You can also make use of these keywords for anchor text.

There are many press release distributors available online. You need to submit to the ones that are popular and read by more audience. Press release distributors might charge you according to the number of words. They might charge you extra for images, videos, documents or podcasts. There are wire distribution services which will publish it for free but will check it manually before publishing it. Wire distribution services classify a press release into:

* National Release: National release targets all the national media outlets.
* Regional Release: The wire services might distribute your press release according to regions.
* State and Local: In countries like U.S.A the press release could be distributed according to the state.
* International Release: It can be distributed based on countries and/or continents.

You need to follow the proper format of press release before submitting it. You can then specify the category under which you want it to appear. The most important thing of all is you need to create effective and compelling press releases to draw attention of readers, bloggers and journalists.

How to write an effective Press Release:

There are few simple steps you need to follow in order to write an effective press release:

1. Headline You need to create catchy headline to grab the attention of the readers. Use relevant and benefits oriented headline.
2. Contact Information You need to provide all the contact details to let the audience reach to you easily. You can include your postal address, phone number, fax number, email address, your webpage address and even IM services. You can also mention the hours you’ll be available on phone or IM services.
3. Summary Before writing the body content it is important to write the summary of the press release. You need to make this interesting to let the readers go through the whole content.
4. Body/Content This is the most important part of your press release. You need to write all the details about the news. Your targeted audience is not only the potential customers but also the journalists, editors or reporters who’d want to publish it if it appeals them. You need to make your press release benefits-oriented.
5. Signify the End Let the readers know that they have reached the end of the press release by using some symbols like *** or ### .

Other Tips:

• Keep your press release short up to 1 or 2 pages. Eliminate unnecessary information.
• Do not forget to number your pages if it is more than 1 paged press release.
• Address your press release directly to the editor or the reporter.
• Stick to the facts. Do not fabricate your story just because it sounds good. You need to provide relevant information.
• You need to pick an angle. Make your story interesting and relevant to the current events and social issues. Make your story a good news hook.
• Use only enough words to write the story. Avoid unnecessary flowery sentences or adjectives.
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