1. Email is instantaneous. Constantly
scan the headlines for a popular story or
topic that you can relate your business to.
Get your release to editors ASAP while the
topic is still hot. Right after an important
story breaks, media looks for related stories
to keep the topic in front of their audiences.
You can email press releases to media
inexpensively using a good media contact guide
or database. We've had luck using the fine
media guide at gebbie.com and the press
release program available from media-magnet.com.
Most guides divide media into a number of
categories: radio, TV, daily newspapers,
weekly newspapers, and magazines.
2. Target general interest media. It's
important to send your release to the kind of
media that will be interested in it. It's safe
to send just about any release to the general
interest media: radio, TV, newspapers, and
general business and news magazines. Sending
your release to everyone on the list will fill
your mail box with angry replies from editors.
Once we got a stern reply from the editor of
"Soil and Conservation Monthly" after we
accidentally sent him a release on 900
numbers.
3. Write your release to appeal to
radio. The vast majority of major media
outlets in North America are radio stations.
Most cities have one or two major newspapers
and a handful of TV stations, but they often
have 15 to 30 radio stations. Radio
overwhelmingly uses locally produced
programming that has to be produced daily
every day of the year. Since most radio
stations are designed to entertain, they
gobble up any story that is funny, sad,
thought provoking, or pertains to a
fashionable topic. Be sure to include your
telephone number and offer to be available to
do a live on-air interview.
4. Write a press release filled with
your expert tips. It's ok for it to be a bit
of a how-to article. Editors will use it if
the information is helpful to people in their
audience. If you are an accountant, announce a
free checklist available to small businesses.
Include your free tips in the press release. A
web designer can provide ideas on how to make
a businesses' site sell. A daycare provider
can lend some ideas on how to keep children
entertained.
5. You will also want to choose some
addresses from a list of magazines and
newsletters that relate closely to your
industry. Often these industry publications
are easiest to get into and will give your
business a greater amount of publicity. Things
that seem like no big deal to a daily
newspaper can be big news to a magazine or
newsletter in your industry. Watch for the
same email addresses to show up multiple times
on directory lists. If you're not careful, you
can end up sending two, four, even eight
copies of your release to the same media
person. Media companies often have one person
who collects press releases for several
stations or publications that operate within
the same company or building. A single person
can be listed as the contact for two to eight
media outlets. You can avoid the
multiple-copies problem by alphabetizing your
email list. It's easy to spot duplicates of
the same address. Occasionally you will hear
from a media representative that thinks small
businesses shouldn't send them a release. In a
media world that is increasingly dominated by
mega-corporations, some media people start
thinking of one and two-persons businesses as
insignificant. I would argue that America's
rich selection of media is only possible
because of the First Amendment which allows a
free press and freedom of speech. It is your
freedom to express ideas to media that
guarantees the existence of media. It's also
important not to abuse this freedom. Use your
access to media wisely.
Kevin Nunley provides marketing advice, copy writing, and promotion packages. See his new, lower priced, better value deals at www.DrNunley.com.