You've convinced your marketing manager or company president that adding publicity into your marketing mix is of great value - congratulations! But now what? How do you peddle your story in a way that offers a valuable story idea to a reporter and encourages him to write a story about you? It's time to develop your writing skills and start developing an arsenal of press releases to fire off to the media.
The Backbone of Publicity - The Press Release
While some may argue that the press release is dead, it is not; it has just evolved over the years. The release is actually the primary means of communicating to the mass media the facts and background for a news story - your story. The trick is writing your press release in a way that engages the reporter to want to learn more about your business or product. Pick up a newspaper and glance at the headlines. Which ones grab you and urge you to read on? Which ones do you skim over? Chances are the reporter or editor receiving your "news" is doing the same with your release. To get noticed, you must think like a reporter. Communicate the who, what, when, where, why, and how, and then explain why your product is unique and different - and most importantly, why your story is worth writing about. Remember though, this is not a sales pitch. Write your release like an objective reporter. Anything that smells of self-promotion will not get picked up by the press.
You can also tie yourself into something bigger. What are the latest trends or fads in your industry? Can you start a trend with your story? By showing how you fit into the bigger story as opposed to why you are the story sometimes gets you even more publicity on a broader scale.
Sadly, however, many journalists are skeptics. They have seen many companies with the "next big idea" fall flat on their face. Journalists have their own reputation to protect so they're more apt to pursue a story based on fact and significant proof. Again, this is why you want to steer clear of marketing, sales speak, and jargon. If you use this type of language, the Delete button will wipe out your release immediately! If you have customers willing to give a testimonial about how great your product is or statistics from nationally respected researchers, use this objective praise in your release. This information supporting your story idea will go a long way in showing a reporter that your idea is legit.
The Blank Screen - Don't Panic!
Don't worry too much if you're not the next Great American Novelist. While the ability to write well is definitely a bonus, writing in a clear and concise manner will put you miles ahead of many people who regularly best press release distribution service send out press releases. Golden rule: don't make journalists work to find information. Give them the details they need from the beginning and you'll be on your way to building positive, long-term relationships with the press.
Now, for the actual nuts and bolts of the release? Include:
- the date
- contact information (who should the reporter call or email for an interview to learn more?)
- a headline
- where the news is coming from (also known as a dateline and typically the town where your business resides)
- your lead-in as to why this story is so important
- the body text of the press release, which includes information that supports your lead or story pitch.
Keep it clean and crisp, steer away from fluffy adjectives. Use facts to support what you're saying. Reporters and editors don't want to hear marketing speak about how your product is the best, number one, or the largest. Communicate those thoughts through supporting facts.
Essentially, you are becoming a reporter and writing a story (your press release) as you might see it published in a newspaper or magazine. If you write tight, with all the facts, some great quotes with substance, and a little bit of creativity, you have a good shot at garnering some "ink." I had one client who wrote a press release about a new software package they were introducing to market. Granted, there are so many "new" software packages out there, but this one was unique in that it addressed a growing trend - food traceability. With the recent food scares in spinach and tomatoes, more and more people want to know exactly where their food is coming from.