Creating Free Publicity Through Media Resources - Press Releases

Last week we covered trust and credibility. These are not free publicity tools but rather form the base upon which all other marketing and publicity must be built. For the next few weeks we will discuss using press releases to create free publicity.

A press release is a great way to get 'free' exposure in newspapers, radio, tv, magazines and on the Internet. Common sense will tell you that this offers you and your business the opportunity to reach literally millions of people for no money whatsoever. Those who have not used press releases in the past get very excited at the prospect of being able to accomplish this. And it IS a fantastic tool. But anything this good has to have a catch attached, does it not? Well, yes. Several catches, in fact.

Press releases are a magnificent tool. In a perfect world we would simply send a release and the media would run the thing. However, we do not live in a perfect world.

The press release is very highly regarded as a marketing tool. Small wonder! If a newspaper or magazine runs the thing it's like getting free advertising. You can certainly see the value in this. Unfortunately so can a zillion other people. That's catch one.

Catch two is even more important. The press release was never designed to be a marketing tool. It was designed to be a tool to be utilized to inform the media of news happenings.

I spent years as an editor. I have a unique perspective. I also write reviews and receive tons of these things every day. From my side of the desk, the picture is not so pretty. And so I will take you on a little journey through the mind of the receiver. This will give you a bit of an unfair advantage when competing with those zillions who are also attempting to create free publicity.

Spam

Though press releases are a fantastic source of gaining free publicity, you must understand that the gatekeepers have a tendency to treat press releases the same way we treat spam. Their mailboxes are flooded with them!

I never cease to be amazed by the number of people I speak with who believe that all one need do is send out the release and it is printed! Nothing could be further from the truth.

Forget this fairy tale now. When I send out a press release to targeted media for either myself or my clients, I expect a good return. But I am nothing if not realistic. When EMAILING a press release, the return will be just about the same return as using a targeted direct mail program. Somewhere between 1/2 to 2 %.

But let's suppose for the purposes of example that a quarter page ad in my local paper costs $200. I send this emailed release to my local paper and the press release runs.

I have just gained $200.00 in free exposure.

Now suppose that I, using my list, send this to say, 300 newspapers in my state. A modest 2% decide to run the release.

I have just gained $1,200.00 in free exposure.

Now suppose that I send this email to perhaps 1000 newspapers all across the country. Again, a very modest 2% make the decision to run the release.

I have just gained $4,000.00 in free exposure.

Those 2% (20 newspapers) may each have 50,000 readers. That is one million people.

(This of course assumes you have a list of contact info for 1000 media contacts and that their preferred method is email. Some prefer fax, others snail mail). The ratio of releases actually read goes up with faxed or mailed releases and can be greatly increased if you can create a relationship with the gatekeeper.

Now there are two categories of press releases you may use. First, there is the traditional press release that is sent to print media (newspapers, magazines etc) radio and tv. The other is electronic release media (Internet). The method used for each is decidedly different. I will start by covering traditional resources.

Traditional Resources

You begin by writing the press release. You then send this release to the proper department of the media. The release is received and then is acted upon. When sending any form of release please, at all times, remember the following 3 simple rules:

1. The gatekeeper does not know you.

2. The gatekeeper does not care about the success of your business, book or practice.

3. The gatekeeper cares about one thing, and one thing only in regards to press releases. The gatekeeper cares about . . .

The reader. The listener. Or the watcher. Period.

Above all else, every press release must meet three criteria in the mind of the gatekeeper. The release must be newsworthy. It must be tied to the local coverage area. And it must be of value to the local reader, listener or watcher.

I will use a book for our example. The same holds true for a business, a practice or a product.

Suppose you have written a book about how to bake creampuffs. You send a nice press release to the editor of the XYZ Times. The heading of your press release says:

Author Releases Book Of Creampuff Recipes

Unless the editor is your cousin, I can nearly guarantee you won’t get far with this. There are wars going on in the world. There is unemployment in the world. There is re-zoning of districts going on in the newspaper’s hometown. Who cares about creampuffs? Not the editor.

But suppose you live in a town where there is a creampuff factory. Now your headline reads:

LOCAL Author Releases Book Of Creampuff Recipes

Now you might get a little attention. This would certainly be of value to local readers, would it not?

Now suppose that, in this little town, there is a Creampuff Festival held every year. Now our headline reads:

Local Author Releases Book Of Creampuff Recipes
Just In Time For Annual Creampuff Festival

Now we are getting somewhere.

And finally, lets imagine that one spring day there is an explosion at the local creampuff factory. Now our most perfect headline reads:

Local Author Releases Book Of Creampuff Recipes
Learn to Avoid The Dangers of Improperly Baked Creampuffs

Now, at last, we are there, man!

I know, I know. Seems hopeless to try to get a press release printed for a book of creampuff recipes, does it not? But think for a moment -

How can this be tied in locally and become of value to the editor’s readers?

* Everyone it seems is trying to lose weight. Do you have low-calorie creampuff recipes in the book, thereby offering the opportunity to eat a creampuff without guilt?

* Are people bored with the same old creampuffs? Do you have cutting-edge, modern innovative recipes in your book that would be of value to those who might be bored?

* Can you figure out a way to show others how to give out creampuffs as a gift? As a reward?

* Is there a National Creampuff Day?

* Is there a local Creampuff Club? A baking club?

* Did creampuffs somehow play a role in Martha Stewart going to jail?

You get the idea. Be creative.

'Cookie Cutter' Releases

The body of the press release should be completely in your own words. There are many books available and all types and styles of pre-packaged ideas you might use to develop your release, but I would quite simply advise against using them for two reasons.

a. If you use them, your press release will end up sounding like all the other press releases the editor receives. He will know what you have done. And

b. YOU are completely PASSIONATE about your subject matter. You can bring this passion to the release you write. I firmly believe everyone should write their own releases in their own words, for it is this PASSION you wish to convey to the editor and to the reader.

I have sat and read through hundreds of releases for new books, being on the receiving end. Release after release starts in precisely the same way:

‘Brilliant new book reveals . . . ‘

‘Stunning new novel details . . .’

‘Gripping new fiction tells the story of . . . ‘

As an editor, I simply trash them without so much as a glance at the content. They are cookie cutter. Boring. Unimaginative. If the writer is so unimaginative with the press release, what must the book be like?

Now certainly you will want to use some of these fine resources to help you develop your own, especially if you have not written a press release in the past. Just don’t copy any of them or resort to using a formula or anything of the kind. I remember receiving one that began:

‘I have written a book . . .’

That one caught my attention. I actually ended up buying the thing. It has since become one of my favorite books.

I have spent 30 long years learning to market effectively. You might expect me to have seen nearly everything but I still learn something nearly every day. I am one of the smoothest (this is known as a shameless plug in the industry), most polished and well-spoken technologically advanced marketers you’ve ever met. But, guess what I have discovered. . .?

Too much ‘smooth’ makes one appear ‘slick’. These days I have begun to shy away from appearing too polished. Believe it or not, I now hand-write thank you notes, something no self-respecting marketer will even consider these days. I buckle down and do this because this methodology has the distinct advantage of setting me apart from my competition.

I also never use auto-responders on any web site, as I insist that each and every email be handled and answered individually. Why do I go to all that trouble, effectively taking a technological step backwards?

Here We Go Again

People Do Business With People They Trust. Inherent in that statement is the fact that I must appear to be a real person. People will recognize an auto-response and will know that I am simply collecting names. I am not collecting names. I am building personal relationships. Editors especially will spot a pre-formulated press release from several miles away. They get literally thousands of them.

Sorry. Got off track again...

Formatting

You must also understand that editors and those who work in media have developed their own rules and regulations in regards to what is considered ‘acceptable’ communication. This holds true within any type of closed organization. You must learn not only WHAT these people want to hear – you must also learn HOW they wish to hear it.

You do not have to be precise. You must be close. Believe it or not, a few mistakes in your release CAN build some trust. That being said, there are some general and very simple rules for creating a press release that will be noticed.

1. A good headline – This is, above all things, the most important part of the release, for it is the headline that will get your release noticed or simply canned. Avoid sensationalism (GREAT NEW! – FANTASTIC – EXCITING! This will surely get your release forwarded to media Siberia.

2. Keep it short – don’t send 5 pages. Don't ramble. Try to keep it to 1 or 2 pages at most.

3. Keep it readable – Use Times New Roman and double space.

4. Use the proper format – Not all editors wish to receive a press release by email. As a matter of fact, only the smaller percentage prefers this. Some prefer a faxed release, others snail mail. Call first and talk to the assistant. Do not ask to talk to the editor or reviewer or director. He or she is quite busy.

5. Include the six key elements – Who, what, where, when, why, how. Miss any of these and your release will most likely be canned.

6. Send it to the right contact person – Not all releases should be sent to the editor or director. There may be a managing editor, news editor, city desk or news desk contact who is responsible for releases. Call first and be certain to get it to the right person the first time or it will certainly be lost forever.

7. When emailing a release, always put the release in the body of the email – NEVER send it as an attachment. Most gatekeepers will not open an attachment. Attachment equates to potential virus.

8. When emailing a release, put the primary message in the subject line of the email. This allows the receiver to know immediately what information this release contains. You will also want to identify this as a release. The format I use is ‘Free Training Class For Local Widget Developers – Press Release'

9. NEVER USE ALL CAPS OR EXCLAMATION POINTS!!! This is equivalent to screaming in computerese. You want to avoid this.

10. Send your release 4 weeks before the hoped for release date. This is especially important when announcing an event.

In closing this lesson I will say this again – and I urge you to listen. The purpose of a press release is to release news – not to obtain free advertising. Do not put out a release that starts with ‘XYZ To Hold Giant Widget Sale!’ This is advertising. Save your paper and ink.

‘Bob Jones Takes The Helm At XYZ Widgets’ is acceptable news.

HOT TIP:

Simply google ‘press release format’ to further explore acceptable formats for media press releases.

Feel free to contact me with any questions or requests for clarification or additional information.

Next week we will discuss an even more lucrative opportunity - Internet press releases.