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Nearly 2/3 of employees say their company has not fully communicated what its brand stands for. - Entrepreneur Magazine |
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The formal practice of what today is called public relations is less than 100 years old. - Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) |
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The circulation of Sunday newspapers in the U.S. is over 58 million. - Newspaper Association of America |
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| Understanding Public Relations and What it Can do for Your Business, Part II |
| by NOELLE BATES |
In last month's 'Marketing Tips & Secrets', I wrote about public relations - what public relations is, and specifically about the component of public relations called media relations to view this article, click here. As a refresher, media relations is the arm of public relations that is concentrated on dealing with the media - working with the media to place stories, developing relationships with reporters and journalists, and making sure that the press understands and writes favorably about a company.
For a small business, putting together a media relations strategy that will help it get press coverage, and therefore third party credibility, it is crucial to understand how to write a press release. A press release is a statement prepared for distribution to the media. The purpose of a press release is to give journalists information that is useful, accurate and interesting.
But writing a press release is not the whole story - you must actually get it in front of the right people. This involves writing a press release that is interesting, and then knowing how to get a reporter to look at it.
Press releases are a fundamental of any small company's media relations strategy. In this article, I will focus on how to write a press release, and how to get it in front of the right people based on the news you are trying to share.
THINGS TO CONSIDER BEFORE WRITING YOUR PRESS RELEASE
Press releases follow the Who, What, Why, Where and How construct, but another element that is important for the press release is what I call the "So What?" component. Why should a reporter our journalist care about your news? Reporters at larger papers, on average, are sent anywhere from 25-100 press releases a day, so there has to be something about your news that makes it stand out enough to warrant coverage (be sure to also read the second article in this newsletter by Rhonda Abrams on 'Getting Publicity for Your Business' for more tips on writing an effective press release).
However, before you embark on putting your fingers on the keyboard, know that your release needs to be concise and well-written. A good way to ensure your press release is tossed out is because it's too long and includes poor spelling or grammar or illogical and unsubstantiated claims (like saying your company sells something cheaper than anyone else if you aren't absolutely positive that it does). Read on...
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| Getting Publicity for Your Business |
| by RHONDA ABRAMS |
Wouldn't it be nice if you could get free publicity for your business? Imagine what it would do for your business if newspapers, magazines, or TV or radio stations ran stories praising your amazing products or outstanding service. We'd all like good publicity for our companies, but how do we get reporters and editors to notice us?
The basic building block for any publicity effort is the press release (also called a media release).
Of course, it takes a lot more than just sending out a press release to get coverage, but writing a good press release is a critical first step.
When designing your press release, remember most people in the media are overworked. If you make your story "easy" for them - in the sense that all the details are there - the better your chances of getting publicity.
Most importantly, you've got to have something the readers, listeners, or viewers of a media outlet will find interesting. Sure, you think it's important you've promoted Ann Wong to vice president, but why would others care? Is she the first woman/minority/disabled person to reach this level? Is she only 17 years old?
It helps to know what are newsworthy items, or when you should issue a press release. Here is a list of announcements that are appropriate:
- A new product or service
- Launching a brand-new company
- New hire in the executive ranks
- Winning a large contract or client
- Becoming involved in a sponsorship deal
- Expanding or opening a new outlet
- Winning an industry award
- Holding a speaking event, panel event, round- table discussion or debate
- Making a large donation to charity
- Conducting research in your arena that has produced interesting statistics
Once you've determined if your news item is warrants issuing a press release, it's important to write your press release correctly since press releases conform to an established format.
Read on... |
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| Company Name: |
| Mockingbird Public Relations |
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| Location: |
| Phoenix, Arizona |
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| President: |
| Sarah Hawley |
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| Tips from Sarah: |
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Get results. And if you are struggling, brainstorm and find new ways to go after results. |
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Be ethical. Don't overcharge, do stay focused and remember that your clients aren't paying you to be distracted. |
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Respond to potential business as if you have already secured it. It'll showcase your ability and professionalism and will help win new accounts. |
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Network and share business. Find trusted colleagues within your industry to learn from and share business with. It helps the market and helps clients. |
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Learn how your client sells and makes their money so you can make high impact suggestions and better represent them to the press. |
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Is there anything you"d like us to include in our next newsletter? As a dedicated partner for your organization, let us know how we can help you out.
Click here to send us a note. |
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