Continue reading »]]> In part one of How to Write a Successful Media Release, we shared Ten Tips to get the Media to take notice and READ your release.

Here are Ten MORE tips you can use:

1. The Body. The body of a release (story) contains additional facts to support the lead. The most important facts are always in the lead and each succeeding paragraph less important information. This method allows editors/reporters to easily and quickly trim for spade by deleting from the bottom.

2. KISS. Keep It Short & Simple! When writing a media release, brevity is the key. Thomas Jefferson is quoted as having said, “The most valuable of all talents is that of never using two words when one will do.”

3. Paragraphing. Newspaper paragraphs are short because paragraphs of more than three or four sentences are difficult to read. Your releases should conform to this rule. A paragraph should not be broken over two pages of your release. If you have a paragraph that runs over onto the next page, shorten it or start on the next page, even if it means leaving a larger margin at the bottom of the proceeding page.

4. Sub Headlines. Sub headlines are rare in media releases. They can be used in multiple page releases to highlight special information. Examples would include a long quote, a list of finishers, etc.

5. Page Numbering. After the first page, each page should be numbered at the top of the page. Example: -2-

6. Multiple Pages. If your release contains more than a single page, the “printer’s code word” – More – should be typed at the bottom of the page, in the center, indicating that additional pages follow.

7. End Sign. End a press release with either # # # or – 30 – typed across the center of the page a couple of lines below the end of your text.

8. Photos. If you have good photos, send them or include the words “Photo available upon request” with your contact information at the top of the page. Only send high quality photos. Only send photos when they add to your story. 8”x10” black and white glossies are best. Place photos on the top of cardboard when mailing. Don’t tape or paper clip. (It can ruin the photo.)

9. Who. Send to a specific person. Know whom to send it to, not just where. Find out who the editor/reporter is for the section in which you want your release to appear. Include their name on the release, not just the envelope.

10. Editorial Calendar. You can check the media’s editorial calendar for specific topic areas. You can use the information to “time” your release to coincide with the media’s interest or focus.

Excerpted from The Media eGuide. Visit: http://heidirichards.com/free-media-e-guide-special-report/ to get your FREE copy!

Continue reading »]]> … that doesn’t end up in the round file (trash).

A media or press release is one of the main ways you can share your news with the media. Reporters journalist, and editors are hungry for news, and often depend on releases to tip them off to new products, company trends, and other newsworthy developments. Much of what you read in newspapers, magazines, or trade publications, hear on the radio or see on television started with a media release. The average journalist receives several hundred media releases each week, many of which end up in the round file. Your challenge is to tell your story in a way that makes the journalist want to know more and ultimately tell your story.

Here are TEN Tips to write a media/press release that will get noticed:

1. Paper. Use standard, white, 8½ “x11” paper or the “standard” acceptable size in your part of the world.

2. Margins. Use wide margins on all four sides. Suggested top and bottom margins between 1 ½ -2 inches, side margins between 1-1 ½ inches. This makes it easier for journalists to make notes in the margins.

3. Folding. Fold the release so that the headline and date will be the first thing the editor or reporter sees upon opening the envelope.

4. Header. The name of your organization, contact info (address, address, phone numbers and email) should appear at the top of your release.

5. Contact Person. Always include at the top corner of every page, a two or three word description of the story. Title, the name, and phone number of key contact people – no more than two. Phone numbers are critical. Make sure those phone numbers listed are accessible 24/7. It is advisable to use a direct line, not a line that has to go through a switchboard or menu.

6. Release Date. The release date – Usually “For Immediate Release” or for release on (fill in date) – the majority of releases are “For Immediate Release.” This indicates the media may use the information on its own schedules.

7. Deadlines. It is important to know the media’s deadlines. Magazines, even weekly ones, are often planned months in advance. For calendar items, know when the media outlet’s deadline is. Daily newspapers have a deadline. Don’t fax a release out the day before an event expecting it to receive coverage. Allow sufficient time for the media to decide if and when they want to cover your story. If you think your event is so far in the distance the media might forget about it, then simply send another release as the time draws nearer.

8. Headlines. The headline is used to catch attention, make the words pay off. A good headline will compel the media to read the rest of the story.

Excerpted from The Media eGuide. Visit: http://heidirichards.com/free-media-e-guide-special-report/ to get your FREE copy!

Read Part Two “How to Write a Successful Press Release” Ten MORE Tips

Continue reading »]]> “Public relations is generally the result of form and substance” - Unknown

In business you need lots of plans. You need a Business Plan, a Marketing Plan, a Human Resource Plan and even a Media and Public Relations Plan.  And like any other plan, you need to define what you want to accomplish, what you want to say, who you need to tell, and what information would be considered newsworthy.

What do you want to accomplish?

Writing out the goals for your media and public relations plans will help you crystallize your intentions.  It will help you focus on results. It will help you determine what costs will be associated with your plans?

What do you want to say? And how should you communicate your message?

As with any kind of planning, you have to be able to maintain your message consistently throughout any program or opportunity that you take on.  That includes consistently delivering your organizations mission, vision, and values to your intended audience.

Who do you need to talk to?

Who do you need to tell about new programs, products and services? Make a list of all stakeholders. That includes News media such as print, radio, television, and Internet outlets. Other stakeholders can include:

Professionals who would have an interest in your news.

Customers & clients who do business with your company and have an interest in your news.

Influencers who could potentially share your news with their circles of influence.

Build your PR Calendar

A public relations calendar helps you in to coordinate your efforts around what’s going on locally and globally. The key element of any PR Strategy is consistent ongoing communications to your target audience using a variety of methods.

Using a PR calendar effectively will also enable you to track any budget items for training courses, PR tools, distribution of press releases, etc. Keep it simple. Decide on your key activities. Then look at those activities you will need to spend time with to complete each such as writing articles, contacting journalists, preparing for speaking engagements, launching new products, planning events etc. Take a look at the months of the year and plug in the activities you want to achieve and in which months and then make sure you follow the plan.

When planning your PR calendar, look for times when your business would have the best chance of getting coverage. Decide what type of newsworthy angles you could include to get the journalists’ attention. You can do this by creating a file story ideas and plan the timing for distribution.

By creating you media and public relations plan you will be able to capitalize on opportunities to get your story out.  It will raise your chances of making the news.

 Stay tuned for tomorrow’s post: Using awards to promote your products or services.

Also Check out Equal Voice for a list of Media (both local and national).

Heidi

Heidi Richards, Founder & CEO – Women in Ecommerce™

Continue reading »]]> Public relations and media marketing are extremely important to the point of imperative in today’s competitive marketplace. There are many ways an ongoing public relations program can benefit a business or organization.  Here are just a few:

~ A proactive public relations media campaign can build your organization’s profile in the news media and the local community.

~ Editorial coverage is considered more credible and can garner more positive attention from your target audience than paid advertising.  Recent studies in North America show that positive editorial coverage generates up to nine times more visibility than paid advertising.

~ Media Marketing and Public relations campaigns are an economical way of promoting your organization.

~ You can build a reputation as a “news media source” by sending regular media releases.

~ Writers and reporters are always looking for reliable and respected sources to quote, therefore developing media relationships can give you an advantage over the competition and potentially more coverage.

~ Regular media exposure builds credibility because it enhances the reputation of the individual and the companies being written about. There is a subtle yet real perception that mention in a newspaper or on television must be important.

~ Good media coverage can positively enhance your bottom line.

It is important to understand the needs of your target media, build relationships, set your own media goals and continue to provide quality information. Media relations can be a “crap shoot” because there are no guarantees you will get coverage, however if your message has merit and you continue to share it, the media will eventually take notice

Here’s a great resource…

Check out this list of more than 8,500 newspapers and magazines and more than 1,000 television stations: Ecola http://www.ecola.com

To your success… and then some.

Heidi

Continue reading »]]> Here is a list of 12 articles I recently read that can help you with your media and publicity campaigns. They include:

How to get publicity, publicity for bloggers, pr tips for artists, getting your message heard with press releases, choosing the right pr firm… and more!
1.
Publicity Tips To Get The Competitive Edge In Business by Annie Jennings

Continue reading »]]>

It has been a while since I posted anything on Women’s Media Pages and I thought it would be a good idea to share my top ten Media and Publicity Articles for the Week.

They include tips for free publicity, how to strike it rich with publicity, how to create a media relations strategy, word of mouth publicity, leveraging the power of publicity, and tools for publicity success.  And more!

Check them out today!

8 Tips for Fast and Free Publicity by  Melanie Rembrandt

GETTING FREE PUBLICITY!

How To Strike It Rich Using Publicity Strategies & Success Principles

by Annie Jennings

How to Use Articles to Create Publicity For Your Business by Lisa Mason

Connecting with Bloggers as a Media Relations Strategy by Drew Gerber

I Can?t Afford a Publicity/Public Relations Campaign — Can I? by TODD BRABENDER

Crash Course In Creating An Online Media Room For Outstanding Publicity And Promotion by Annie Jennings

Word of Mouth Publicity by Sue Currie

How To Think Like A Publicist To Achieve Like A Star Anne Marie Baugh

Meeting the Press: Effective Media Relations by Linda Pophal

Leverage the Power of Publicity for Your Small Business by Isabel M. Isidro

SUPERCHARGED PUBLICITY – 21ST CENTURY PUBLIC RELATIONS TOOLS Bruce Prokopets

If you have not done so, be sure to check out GET MEDIA SAVVY! – The Woman’s eGuide to Promote Your Products, Services and Ideas To the World by Shannon Cherry, Rhonda Day, Catherine Franz, Dina Giolitto, Paul Hartunian, Penny Haynes, Michelle Howe, Annie Jennings, Nancy S. Juetten, Meredith Pond, Lori Prokop, Heidi Richards and Rosalind Sedacca.

Excerpt from the book: “Before you even begin to think about contacting the media, you need to know what it is you want to gain from the connection. Once you’ve decided your goals, laid out your strategy and started making your list of which media you want to get attention from, then it will be easier to start building those valuable relationships!  Once the media gets to know about you, your brand and what you stand for, the more better your chances of being showcased to their audience.” GET Media Savvy will help you get the EXPOSURE you deserve!

Continue reading »]]> Here’s a great article by Bonnie Boots about how to get a reporter to use you as a resource, to become THE person they quote in their next article.  She always has easy to digest nuggets of information filled with resources you can take advantage immediately.

ENJOY!

How To Get Yourself and Your Business Mentioned By A Reporter by Bonnie Boots

Can you imagine what it would do for your business if you were mentioned in a newspaper or magazine article or even a book?

You can’t buy that kind of publicity. It only comes by chance, when a reporter calls and asks you for a quote. But there are ways of vastly increasing your chances, and they’re all online.

When I was working in print journalism, one of my biggest challenges was finding relevant people I could quote. By relevant, I mean people that had actually expertise or personal experience in the topic I was writing about.

For example, in writing a lengthy report on the challenge of providing adequate mental health care, I had to be able to quote people on both sides of the story, people dealing personally with mental health issues as well as those involved in providing mental health services.

It’s not easy to get people on either side to speak out publicly. People working for government-funded services can be fired for making statements that haven’t been approved by their supervisors. And because there’s still a stigma attached to mental illness, people with mental health issues in their family often keep it very private.

I spent many hours hitting the streets and working the phone to come up with enough people to quote for that feature article. Every reporter goes through this. And every reporter has seen a story they really want to write slip through their fingers because they can’t find appropriate people willing to be quoted.

Reporters need people to quote. And you know what they say about business…find a need and fill it!

So imagine if you were the person who provided a reporter with the quotes they need? Imagine if you were the one getting written up in the New York Times, or even your local newspaper.

You can do more than imagine it. You can make it happen. The easiest way to start is by subscribing to a service called Reporter’s Source at http://www.reporterssource.com/

Reporter’s Source describes itself as “a free service linking journalists and other members of the media with businesses and individuals.”

Reporters looking for people to interview fill out a form describing their intended story and exactly the kind of people they are looking for. People interested in being a source for a reporter can register for the daily newsletter. Every day it arrives with a list of requests from reporters and writers.

If you have information or experience that’s pertinent to their story, you can send a brief synopsis of information that Reporter’s Source will forward to the journalist. If the writer uses you, the result can be big publicity for your business or self.

On any given day, the requests from reporters and writers can range from parents of grad students willing to talk about the parent/almost-adult child dynamic, to experts on the health insurance industry.

If you are chosen for an interview, never ask a reporter to mention anything in particular about yourself or your business. For example, it’s highly inappropriate to ask a reporter if they’ll put in a plug for your web site. Reporters are in the business of writing reports, not your publicity. Don’t tick them off by asking.

But do be aware that reporters are looking for one thing–good story material. The more you tell them about yourself and your business, and the more you can tell it in such a way that it relates to the story being written, the more likely the reporter is to use your information.

For example, if you’re being interviewed for a report on people working from home, you’d naturally want to mention that working on the internet allows you to do business around the world, while sitting at a laptop in your living room.

Mention that you have the freedom to work in jeans and baggy t-shirts, to work any hours you choose, and to automate large portions of your business, and you’ll wind up making your web site an interesting and important part of the reporter’s story.
If you’re seeking free publicity, remember that reporters are seeking you!
About the Author
Bonnie Boots is the publisher/editor of The Internet Wizards Magazine for people who want to create their own products and market on the internet. Register for your free 1-year subscription at http://www.theinternetwizards.com

Continue reading »]]> By Sue Papadoulis

So, you’ve researched your target media outlet, know it reaches your target audience, have a great news angle, have written a great media release – now what? It’s time to pitch it to the journalist! This shouldn’t not be an intimidating exercise, especially if you’re done the leg work and are armed with all the right materials. Here’s a step by step guide to help you get your pitch across the line.

1. Send an email first. Many media outlets prefer to be sent an email in the first instance, rather than receive a cold call. It is important you have the direct email of the person you are trying to contact, rather than the generic email address you might find on the outlet’s contact page on their web site (forget ‘editorial@theherald.com’ for example, as that can be just like sending a letter to a big corporation addressed ‘to whom it may concern’).

2. Personalise your email. (‘Dear Jane,’ rather than ‘to whom it make concern’, or worse, nothing at all). Include your well-written media release headline in the subject heading of the email.

3. Introduce the story. In the body of the email, write a snappy sentence about your story angle, where it fits into the media outlet (such as the new product section), basic details about the product, and a call to action for the journalist (would the journalist like a sample, or set up a time for an interview?).

4. Include your media release. Follow the introduction with the text of your media release, copied into the body of the email. Never send a media release as an attachment as they won’t be opened. In fact, many media organisations have computer firewalls that prevent attachments from being received.

5. Keep a database of journalists you have emailed to ensure timely follow up.

6. Consider deadlines and lead times when pitching a story. If you’re pitching a story about a Valentine’s Day product to a monthly magazine, remember they work around three months ahead, so unless your story angle is with them by November or December the year before, you won’t have a chance. Obviously daily newspapers, TV stations, web sites and radio outlets have shorter lead times, but always aim to give an outlet at least two weeks notice for product launches and the like.

7. Time to respond. Give a journalist a day or two to respond to your email. If you don’t hear anything, follow up with a phone call.

8. Stay professional and have a can-do attitude. Before making the call, make sure you have a professional attitude that is centred on helping the journalist. It is important to treat them as you would your very best customer. It’s also important to always be on hand to provide additional information as soon as it’s requested. It may be the case that the journalist has left the story to the last minute and if you’re not available to help meet the deadline, they will simply find someone else who can.

9. What to say. When calling a journalist, introduce yourself, advise that you sent an email and are following up. Be sure you know your angle, have plenty of back up information and have images to provide (or be available for photographs to be taken of you).

10. Consider your timing. Think about if it’s a convenient time for a journalist to take your call. A major pitfall is calling right on deadline – you can expect zero response if you pick the wrong time. For example, it’s never wise to contact a radio newsroom in the last 10 minutes before each hour as the news bulletin approaches.

11. Develop an ongoing relationship. Once you’ve made a media contact, it’s important to keep the flow of information and communication going. It doesn’t mean hounding the journalist every day, but simply keeping them regularly informed about product updates and developments. This may be as simple as sending a monthly media release or asking a journalist if they would like to be added to your database to receive a regular e-newsletter.

For more detail on how to generate free publicity, there are plenty of articles relating to this at HomeBizChicks.com including:

How to Write a Media Release

A Do it Yourself PR Starter Kit

How to Pitch Your Story to the Media

And more!

© 2009 Home Biz Chicks ~ Online entrepreneur Sue Papadoulis publishes the popular e-newsletter Smart Biz Chicks. If you’re ready to jump-start your home business to make more money and have more fun and free time, get your FREE tips and FREE report “How to Generate Free Publicity for Your Home-Based Business” now at www.homebizchicks.com.

Continue reading »]]>

When you think of public relations, the first thing that comes to mind is a press release. A press release is, and will always remain to be an important tool for reaching the media and getting the word out about your business.”

But there are other ways to tap the media, and here are some strategies you can use for your business:

• Bullet articles
• Talk radio
• Article Reprint
• Market Studies “ (note: check out the Women Business Owners Survey results to see a study done by the Women’sCommerce Association)

To read the article by Isabel M. Isidro at Power Home Biz, visit: http://www.powerhomebiz.com/blog/2008/01/public-relation-pr-tools-for-your.html

Check out Media Marvel for a list of Media featuring Red Hot News: http://www.mediamarvel.com/

And for some great all around Media Ideas download your free copy of GET Media Savvy.

Here’s what one reader had to say about GET Media Savvy:

When I first started reading, “Get Media Savvy”,  I quickly recognized the table of contents even got my attention. Then I began to read the pages and almost on every page, I learned something new about media, pr or marketing. This guide is full of great tips, strategies and techniques to help any business owner “get media savvy”. Teresa Morrow, Owner of KeyBusiness Partners http://www.keybusinesspartners.com Virtual Assistance & Online Promotion for Coaches, Speakers & Writers.

Continue reading »]]>

Did you know that February 1- 7 is Publicity for Profit Week? “ There’s a fairly well-kept secret among top PR agencies and major corporations. What’s the secret? Most newspapers, and many other types of media outlets, are understaffed and often have significant editorial gaps to fill. They rely on free outside copy that arrives in the form of “mat” releases, articles that are prewritten and ready for publication. You can take advantage of those gaps by writing articles and sending them to your local editorial staff (the one that would most likely handle your topic area).  Be sure to include your byline (signature file) who knows, they may use it and it could potentially generate dozens of leads–or more.  Make sure the article is filled with quality content, not just a self-promotion piece.

Here are ten tips to help you turn frustration into satisfaction and raise your chances of getting the media coverage you work so hard to get: