Distributing your press release is just as important as writing it if you want it to be seen, and more importantly, written up in the media.Follow these tips shared by Marketing Concept, Inc. and reach your goals quicker and with more success:
- Target your audience. Only contact editors who write about your industry or topic. If you send your story to the wrong editor the only file it will end up in, is the “round file.”
- Don’t send your press release to a “nameless editor with no interest in your topic. It too will get released to the “round file.”
- When you do discover which editors cover your topic area, find out the best way to send it to them. For some email is optimum, others prefer faxes and some still do prefer to receive “news” via pony express (snail mail).
- If you do send your releases via email, never send with an attachments – let me repeat that, never send an email to a journalist with an attachment (unless they ask for it that way). It will be deleted.
- Unless the editor specifically asks for follow up, don’t! With the hundreds of press releases they receive, it will only annoy them if you call and ask if they have received it. If you wrote your release well, sent it to the correct person in the way they expect it to be sent and you made it compelling enough to want more information, let your press release do its job.
- Check editorial calendars and deadlines. And adhere to them. If you send a release to a magazine about an event taking place after their deadline, you are wasting your time – and theirs. Ask the media how much lead time they need to properly research and cover a story.
- Post your release to your site so it can be found there by journalists “looking” for information on your topic.
- Be sure and update your website before sending your release especially if you are writing about information to be found there ~ journalists will often go there first for more information before contacting you.
Tracking Your Press Release Performance
The following services can assist you with monitoring the coverage and reach of your press release.
Google News - GoogleNews crawls news stories and headlines from 4,000 news sources worldwide, and searching is free.
Bacon’s Clipping Bureau - Bacon’s Information provides a wide range of information and assistance for anyone needing to research, contact or monitor the media.
Dow Jones News Retrieval - A pay service that archives more than 60 million documents and 3,400+ trade and business publications. CustomClips® feature scans more than 2600 media outlets for specific information.
LEXIS-NEXIS Communication Center - The world’s largest provider of credible, in-depth information. From legal and government to business and high-tech, our products and services provide direct access to an enormous information universe.
Luce Online - An automatic, electronic news clipping service provider delivering up-to-the-minute stories from over 7,000 print publications, newspapers, wire services, magazines, trade publications, and Internet/Online news sites. Receive full text articles and abstracts of stories matching your custom news criteria via email or website delivery.
Source: Marketing Concept Inc. http://www.marketingsource.com
July 16th, 2008
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5 Tips for Writing Search-Engine Optimized Press Releases
By Michelle Howe
Online press releases are one of the most inexpensive and highly effective marketing methods for a small business owner. Yet, many people think only “big businesses” use press releases. Wrong.The Internet gives a small business’s website the same visibility as a large corporation’s website and online press releases work the same way. Once an online press release is distributed, it’s out there in cyberspace generating hits and driving traffic to your website for years to come. Just last week I received an e-mail from someone who read a press release I wrote two years ago!
Unlike an offline press release that is distributed directed to journalists at newspapers and other media outlets, the online press release is “evergreen,” it never goes away. A simple keyword search could turn up your press release years later. Compare this to the offline press release that may or not be used by the journalists and then is trashed, never to be seen again.
To read the rest of the chapter and others, visit: GET MEDIA SAVVY and download Your FREE Copy today!
March 7th, 2008
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How to Create a Press Kit That Attracts Positive Media Attention
By Dina Giolitto
An excerpt from GET MEDIA SAVVY - The Ultimate eGuide to Promote Your Products, Services and Ideas to the World!
Do you promote your business via press releases that you submit on the Web and/or to newspapers? Then you should ideally have a company press kit. A press kit is, in essence, a media-ready promotional package. Your press kit should be as professional-sounding as possible, and accessible via PDF download format from the PRESS or MEDIA page of your Web site.The purpose of a company press kit:
- Provide basic information about your company such as key contact names and address details.
- Communicate the company mission and philosophy.
- Describe the key market you’re targeting.
- Detail the biographies of company principles.
- Share company news.
- Include high resolution photos of key people, logos and products.
Having a press kit on your site makes it easier for members of the media who spot your name out there to grab what they need quickly. For example, let’s say someone comes by and decides to run your story. If for some reason they can’t locate the short version of your company bio or your photo, they should be able to access these in your company press release with no problem. Should they have a question, the press kit will tell them exactly who to contact for answers.
To read the rest of the chapter and others, visit: GET MEDIA SAVVY and download Your FREE Copy today!
February 23rd, 2008
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We are delighted to announce that the Women Business Ownners survey is officially closed and the results are in.
If you would like to read the press release, visit: WE Magazine For Women.
You can access the full pdf Report here: http://www.wecai.org/wbosforecast2008.pdf.
Thanks to all who participated.
545 Women took the survey … Your input was most appreciated.
Heidi Richards Mooney
January 29th, 2008
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Finding and interviewing experts who support your message or enhance your brand can also get publicity for your company or organization! That is, when you choose the RIGHT Experts to interview and the RIGHT Topic to cover.
What do I mean by that?
The right expert will help draw attention to your company or cause because she or he will already have a following of their own, as well as a good reputation. Remember the saying “reputation by association?” In this case it couldn’t be more true. Because if you have a good reputation, it will be easier to enlist the help of those with whom you connect and enlist to be interviewed. In addition to a good reputation, she or he will also have a loyal following of her or his own. In additon, the right expert will have name recognition with the media which helps to get the media’s attention.
The right topic means one that is timely, of interest to a specific group of people and worth the media’s time in seeking out.
How will you know when and how to find the right expert? Do what I do. Surf the internet. Read magazines in the topic area you are interested in pursuing. Ask for referrals both online and offline. When you find the right expert(s) contact them. Start by asking for an interview. I can tell you in the four+ years I have been interviewing experts only a handful have turned me down. And it is almost always because she or he does not have the time. Most of whom, invite me to contact them again in the future. Only twice in the hundreds of times I have contacted people has the person said, “no, your audience is not my target audience.” I respect that.
Which brings me to another point. If you do your homework, the right expert is right for your organization and your organization is right for her. It must be a win-win for both parties as well as whomever would benefit from reading, hearing or seeing the interview once been produced. I have made the mistake of contacting women (and men) who were totally wrong for my audience and once we had the opportunity to chat, it became clear.
Here are a few other tips when looking for experts:
When you are not absolutely 100% sure the interviewee would be perfect for your audience and your message, do a pre-interview. Make time to spend a few moments to get to know the person you are going to interview and it will soon become apparent if the “fit is in.”
Start at the top! Don’t be afraid to contact someone just because you think she or he is “out of your league.” When I first started looking for women to interview I connected with women who I really didn’t think would respond, let alone say “yes.” And surprisingly, most of them have been gracious and generous with their time and talent.
Make more than one contact. Especially when it comes to email. On more than one ocassion, my guest experts have thanked me for taking time to follow up on the initial contact, because they had lost track of the original message.
Next! Although I am a strong proponet of the “never give up” theory, I also know that spending valuable time pursuing one person can mean the difference between the “next right expert” being unavailable because I didn’t contact her sooner. You have to decide when to move on.
Contact the Media. Once you find the RIGHT Expert, start making contacts with the media to let them know about the interview. This could be in the form of an email (if you know that’s the way your media connections wish to be contacted). Send a media release to them and to any organizations or companies that would also be interested in reading, listening to or watching this interview.
Here are some resources you can use to find experts:
ExpertClick.com
National Speakers Association
Experts.com
December 11th, 2007
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Yesterday I sent out a notice to several of my friends and colleagues who I know create information products and or offer coaching/trianing and consulting. This was for a new project called 1000 Great Giveaways which you will read more about later.
One of the respondents was Krishna De of Biz Growth Live from Ireland. I had the pleasure of being interviewed by Krishna for a Women’s talk radio show she produces in Ireland and it was such fun!
Anyway, she sent me this great resource to include in 1000 Great Giveaways which I thought should also be included here. Here’s the scoop:
How to attract your ideal clients and raise your profile with the media as an expert in your field using proven no-cost and low-cost on-line PR strategies and tactics
You’re probably aware press releases are a great tool to connect with the media and share with them the great success stories of YOUR business.
But perhaps you’re not confident you have a newsworthy story?
Or perhaps you’re concerned you cannot afford the expertise of a public relations company to assist you in developing your media plan?
Well, in this downloadable 60 minute audio interview, I reveal the STRATEGIES, TIPS and TACTICS on how to create and distribute on-line press releases.
Implementing what I will share with you will not only ensure you attract media attention but also reach more of your ideal clients AND direct more targeted traffic to your web site.
I’ve taught these strategies to hundreds of service professionals and owners of professional services companies just like you.
One of my clients recently achieved the number 2 place on the overall best seller list for all books on amazon.com with the help of the strategies I share in this tutorial.
Want to learn more? All you have to do is go here and sign up for this resource and it is yours - http://www.bizgrowthlive.com/onlinepr/.
BTW, Krishna normally sells this for $97 US and she has offered to my circle for FREE. So hurry and get yours today!
Wishing you much success in your media and public relations campaigns.
Warmest regards,
Heidi
November 30th, 2007
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3 Mistakes You Can’t Afford To Make When You Write A Press Release by Paul Hartunian
You have the story of a lifetime. Editors are going to drop their jaws in amazement. You just can’t wait to get the press release on their desk. You fire up the fax machine, hit the go button and then rush over to your phone to wait for the calls.
And nothing happens.
You check your confirmation sheet, 500 faxes sent out successfully, but still nothing happens. Chances are you’ve made one of the 3 fatal mistakes people often make when sending out a press release.
The first mistake many people make in writing a press release is they allow their own biases to taint their story.
Who cares what you think? It may be important to you, but what really matters is what the editor and the audience he sells to believes.
Andrew Carnegie explains that he loves peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, but he discovered a long time ago that when he goes fishing the fish much prefer worms, not peanut and butter.
As you write the headline to your press release, be sure it pulls at the needs, wants or interests of your intended audience. Every press release needs to be either fascinating, shocking or relevant.
Some stories may seem hard to frame for the general public, but it’s usually just a matter of looking for the proper spin to frame it in.
The fact that the city mall installed an Automatic External Defibrilator (AED) may sound incredibly important to you, but most of the general public will only wonder how much of their tax money was wasted keeping some doctor happy.
If, on the other hand, your headline read:”20 Lives Could Have Been Saved If We Had Installed The Automatic External Defibrilator A Year Earlier” now you have the world’s attention. Which lives could have been saved? Could it save my life? What is this device?
Suddenly the “common folk” see a purpose for it.
The second deadly mistake many beginners make in sending press releases is to package them in flowery colors. They want to catch the editor’s attention.
They hire a graphic artist to draw incredible artwork along the borders, they mold their type into the shape of a tree. Anything you do to set you apart from the crowd will do just that, set you apart from the crowd.
Editors will realize before even reading your release that you’re a beginner. The old timers know better. The very fact that it’s being faxed as a news story gets the editors attention. He’s in the news business. He has to sort though what’s going on to find the information they need during their news breaks.
The headline of your news release needs to be in larger bold type, something that gets their attention. Everything else needs to look simple and tidy.
Delivering your release along with a dozen long stemmed roses will probably get a smile out of the editor, but chances are she won’t bother reading it.
The final mistake many make in composing press releases is to say too much. They’re worried the editor won’t find the story interesting enough unless they get all the details.
If you can’t make the story interesting in 150 words or less, then you probably need to go back to point number one and reframe the story.
A professional press release always fits entirely on one, single spaced page. And that includes contact information and a bold headline on top.
A cardinal rule that’ll keep you out of a lot of problems is to remember always that:
THE ONLY goal of a press release is to get the reporter to call you.
You just need to convince him that there may be something worth looking into here. If they’re at all interested, they’ll pick up the phone and find out more.
Avoid these three deadly mistakes, and you’ll be well on your way. As you write your release, be sure you:
1. Give them what they’re looking for, and not necessarily what you think is important.
2. Keep it simple, don’t use gimmicks,
3. Keep it short and to the point.
Then go sit by your phone and wait for the calls.
Paul Hartunian is widely considered the world’s leading authority on writing press releases and getting free publicity for any product, service, cause or issue.
Subscribe to Paul’s free publicity ezine “Million Dollar Publicity Tactics”. By going to www.HotPublicityTips.
Also be sure to check out all the great free publicity resources at his website www.Hartunian.com. You can read the story of how Paul used press releases and publicity to become the first person in history to really sell the world famous Brooklyn Bridge at www.PRProfits.com/bridge.html
November 15th, 2007
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Paul and Francine were FANTASTIC!
Special thanks to Francine Kizner and Paul Hartunian for the excellent interviews today. Each of them shared their wisdom and expertise in how to get FREE Publicity, how to write for major magazines and how to get known in your part of the world! Here are just a few highlights:
Francine shared:
The importance of getting to know the publications you want to write for. She told our listeners that too often the articles were too consumer oriented and not really geared toward her audience at Entrepreneur.com and WomenEntrepreneur.com. Although neither site is currently looking for regular columnists they are interested in receiving story ideas that are new, interesting and innovative.
Francine talked about the blogs on WomenEntrepreneur and their popularity. And that from time to time the 20 bloggers are looking for guest bloggers to add to the conversation.
She shared one story of success about the Author of the 10 Traits of Successful Women (http://www.womenentrepreneur.com/article/1330.html) and how after that article aired, she started getting calls to speak all over the country. This is just one example of how a great article appearing in the right place at the right time can turn into multiple PR and media opportunities and grow a business.
Francine said the best way to go about submitting work is to email womenpitches (at) entrepreneur.com with your story idea, a brief intro and why you feel it would be a good fit for either Entrepreneur.com or WomenEntrepreneur.com.
All this and more!
Paul shared:
His story about how he sold the Brooklyn Bridge - by using the system he created and finding just the right NEWS story as his “hook” and then following through with a press release that grabbed the attention of reporters from around the world!
The only purpose of a press release is to get the attention of the reporter.. nothing more! That includes not selling anything!
Paul said the biggest mistake most people make it making it about them and not about the readers!
He gave some great examples of how anybody and any topic can garner publicity, even dust bunnies :).
Frequency and professionalism are extremely important in order to “grab” the attention of the reporters. If it doesn’t look like a press release, the media won’t take you seriously! PERIOD!
He also mentioned 4 hot publicity tips that are 100% legit including “Claiming your title,” “using surveys to get attention,” Align yourselves with a non-profit” and “get your column up and running.”
Paul is availalbe for coaching and has excellent resources at his site www.milliondollarpublicity.com
You can sign up for Paul’s free newsletter at www.hotpublicitytips.com.
And if you are a professional speaker or aspiring speaker, I highly recommend you check out Paul’s Speaker Boot Camp System at www.growyourspeakingbusiness.com.
If you want to listen to this session and any or ALL of the sessions from the Women’s Media Summit, you can sign up to get access to the audio files at http://womensmediasummit.com/register/
October 29th, 2007
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Are you making one of these news release mistakes? by Shannon Cherry
The circular file next to the reporter’s desk: it’s the last place you want to be when trying to get media coverage. But statistics show that almost 95% of news release never see the light of day.
If you want to get out of the trash heap and onto the reporter’s radar, make sure you aren’t making any of these PR mistakes:
Your press release reads like an advertisement. The media is in the news business. If you focus your release on how great your product or service is, it will surely be thrown away. Find newsworthy angles that tell as story.
The release is laced with jargon. Big words, acronyms, and words that have questionable meaning all spell “LOSER” in the eyes of a reporter. You need to remember the average reading grade level is 5 or 6 grade (which is what most publications use), so keep your writing to that level.
You’ve sent the release to the wrong person. Just sending a release to a media contact without knowing what topics they cover is just a waste. Also, don’t send it to everyone in a newsroom. Do your homework.
Your release is in a nontraditional format, or with added ‘stuff.’ Put your release on letterhead or plain white paper. Don’t use big envelopes, brightly colored paper or scented handwritten stationary. And don’t include samples unless you’re asked. When it comes to email, no attachments.
You’ve submitted your release during busy newsroom times. Reporters, like all of us, have deadlines each day. Know when they are and avoid any communication with journalist during that time.
The release contains grammatical and spelling errors. When you offer a release, you are offering a look at yourself. Do you want to convey sloppy or professional? Don’t rely on spell checks and grammar checks for everything.
You forgot to put your contact details on the release. Even if you use company letterhead, put separate contact information on the release, including a name, phone number, and email address. A savvy publicist also includes after-hours contact details, because you never know when a reporter may call.
Shannon Cherry can be found online at Cherry Communications and Be Heard Solutions.
On Thursday, October 18th at 3 PM (Eastern) Shannon Cherry will be presenting The Inside Scoop: How to Get the Media Interested in You.
Be sure to register early for the Women’s Media Summit. To register go to http://womensmediasummit.com/register/
October 12th, 2007
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Ponn Sabra just put the finishing touches on her newest book, How to Create a Search Engine Optimized Press Release, Effective Use of PRWeb” and I couldn’t wait to share it with you!Here’s what I wrote about the ebook:
“Ponn - First, Congratulations on your newest endeavor! After perusing the contents at length I realized just how valuable this eBook is. It is one of those resources that is going to be around for a long time. I seldom have time to read ebooks and generally save them to my desktop to read when I have a few moments to devote to the contents. That is not the case with “How to Create a Search Engine Optimized Press Release. Effective Use of PRWeb”. This is an ebook I will save and read and reread. In fact it is the perfect size to print out, take home and read. I plan to do just that and of course will have highlighter in hand to keep track of what I need to do to create the perfect SEO press releases for my many business endeavors. Many thanks for sharing your expertise! I am looking forward to helping you promote How to Create an SEO Press Release to my members! All the best!” Heidi Richards, Founder & CEO, The WECAI Network™ - http://www.wecai.org/ To get your copy, visit: http://empowerwomennow.com/news-women-entrepreneurs/index.php/podcast-2-interview-with-mario-bonilla-of-prwebcom/ TODAY!
While you are there, be sure and sign up for her RSS feed at http://feeds.feedburner.com/EmpowerWomenNow
Ps. Ponn is speaking at the Women’s Media Summit at 9 am - “How to create web-optimized media releases - Write for the spiders and the media will take notice!”
To register, visit: http://womensmediasummit.com/register/
September 23rd, 2007
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