Your 2010 marketing tool box: Press Releases

If you don’t currently utilize press releases as a marketing tool for your business, you might be missing out on an easy tool that could increase your exposure and bottom line.

Over several years, I’ve learned there are some specific, quick truths about press releases.

You can never be 100% sure your press release will be printed (if submitted to a print publication) or picked up by other sites (if submitted online).
There are no guarantees that a press release will bring you new business (much like there is no guarantee that if you make outbound calls for a client you will get a live person on the phone and book an appointment…you just can’t guarantee that).
It takes consistency and quality to produce a good press release and visible results. (You may have to submit several press releases before one even gets printed and you may not get any bites after just one, two or three press releases).
Press releases are just one tool from your marketing tool box. Don’t expect that solely submitting press releases once a quarter or once a month will generate all the interest and business you desire.

With any marketing tool, you have to be consistent, clear and target your communications to your desired clientele. In order to develop a sound, consistent and clear press release, follow these steps.

Speak to Your Target Market – don’t develop press releases with sophisticated technical speak imbedded in it unless you are 100% sure your target market will comprehend and value that language. Speak their language; appeal to their vocabulary.
Keep it Simple – Typically a press release should be one page and highlight your news in the headline and summary at top. If it’s too wordy, people won’t read it…just think of how busy we all are. Everyone is so inundated with news, tips, etc. that often we have to be very selective of what we choose to read. Remember, simplified public relations is best…don’t over-think it.
Hook Them at hello – The headline is the first thing readers and journalists will see. If they don’t have interest in your headline, they likely won’t read your summary or click the link (if your press release was submitted online). Make your headline stand out and identify your business name or yourself in the headline.
Consistency is Key – You won’t grow your exposure or gain new clients after just one press release. It’s wise to have a plan and schedule consistent press releases geared toward the time of year, product launches, or specific events throughout the year you will be participating in.

Develop a press release for volunteer events or activities you participate in (as long as it is okay with that organization for you to share your relationship with them).

Did you help Habitat for Humanity this year?

Did you donate money in your business name to a worthy cause?

Are you an active volunteer in your local chamber of commerce?

This type of press release would illustrate your commitment to community. If you are launching a product in January, schedule a press release marketing that product launch once a month until product launch. You can always change the copy within the releases each time providing updated or new information. That will help build interest in your product and maybe even motivate you to complete work on the development of that product sooner!

When in doubt, get help – If you are at a standstill with how to develop a quality press release, what to write about and which industries or publications to target; get help. Ask a colleague or person in your networking group if they or someone they know can brainstorm with you. Or hire a VA that specializes in writing and press release development to help you throughout the process.

It takes a small effort to develop a good, one page press release to submit online and to your local print publications. And if you know someone affiliated with or working for one of the local publications, try to build a relationship with them. Journalists are inundated with press releases and submissions on a daily basis. Building and maintaining relationships with key journalists would benefit you in your marketing efforts and show your commitment to your business. Finally, who hasn’t heard the saying, “you have to spend money to make money”? To build your business, increase your exposure and get noticed, you will have to make an investment of time and money.

January 1, 2010 | Filed Under Professional Virtual Assistant, Public Relations, Public Relations Tips, entrepreneurship | Leave a Comment

K.I.S.S. Tip – Do I need to be a writer to write a Press Release?

You absolutely, positively do not need to be a writer to write a press release. Press release writing is much simpler than the average entrepreneur or solopreneur makes it out to be.

However, you do need to have a clear understanding of what makes you and your products or services buzz worthy. You can’t send out a boring, ho-hum press release to editors and media contacts and expect it to get noticed among the hundreds of others they see each week.

Put simply you need to be able to clearly communicate in the headline and first two lines of your press release why the person receiving it should keep reading. And don’t go for shock value by stretching the truth or making false statements. Be honest, and write your press releases in line with the way in which you run your business; hopefully ethically.

K.I.S.S. (Keep It Super Simple) Keys To Writing Your Next Press Release:

Include the who, what, when, where and why
Be creative, but honest
Don’t stretch the truth of provide false statements
Keep it to one page
Always include your contact information at the top or bottom
Stick to the point; if you find you’re switching to a different angle, use it for another press release

Here is a good press release sample.

June 23, 2009 | Filed Under Professional Virtual Assistant, Public Relations, Public Relations Tips | Leave a Comment

K.I.S.S. Tip – What Information is Best For a Press Release

One of my readers recently asked what information is best to include in a press release?

There are key components to press releases that should never be skipped when writing a press release:

Your name.
Your company name.
Your contact information.
Your product or service name if you’re announcing it for the first time.
A link to your website (or better yet, an interior page of your website specific to this press release).
A captivating or at least informational headline that tells people who and what the press release is about.
A quote from you or a client explaining the problem you’re solving, why you received the recognition you’re telling us about, what your role in the community event you’re writing about was…something that helps the reader understand better your message and business.
A closing line directing readers to the appropriate site for more information on you and your business.

If you are stumped for topic ideas for your next press release, take a look at our free topic ideas for generating buzz. Up next…case studies — great press release examples.

simplified, consistent public relations | copywriting | copyediting

June 12, 2009 | Filed Under Copywriting / Editing Tips, Professional Virtual Assistant, Public Relations | Leave a Comment

K.I.S.S. Tip – Organizing your PR Efforts

I was recently asked this question…a question many entre/solo/fit/mom preneurs may have.

“How do you keep your PR (public relations) efforts organized?”

My rule of thumb is to Keep It Super Simple (K.I.S.S.).

Anything can be over thought or over complicated but as an entrepreneur what is the point in complicating your public relations efforts by coming up with an elaborate plan?

Here’s where you should start when developing your PR efforts for your small biz:

Think about your niche / ideal client / target market…whatever you call who it is you DREAM of working with.
- Where do they “hang out”?
- What do they read?
- What are their habits?
Determine your objective…more than likely it’s to gain BUZZ for your business, product or service.
Research your on and off line options.
Come up with a targeted list of publications and media outlets you know are in line with your business, your target market, and those that feature stories related to what it is you offer.
Get editorial calendars if available.
Write up your annual plan…Keep It Super Simple…1 page (the same length as a standard press release)!
Plan and write ahead.
Incorporate social media.
Follow your plan!

Hope that helps shed some light on how to keep PR efforts for your small business organized and simple. If you have more suggestions or other public relations questions for an entrepreneurial business, please share them here or sign up for our FREE K.I.S.S. PR & Editorial Tips.

May 16, 2009 | Filed Under InnoVAtions, Mompreneur Tips, Professional Virtual Assistant, Public Relations | Leave a Comment

4 Essential K.I.S.S. (Keep It SUPER Simple) Tips Before Submitting Your Next Press Release

These are essential tips any entrepreneur should consider before hitting the send button for your next press release.

Know the publication. What does the content typically cover?; are the articles lengthy or quick one page articles?; is the pub hyper local or covering a wider area?
Know the Editor/Writer. Whether you’re sending to an Editor or Writer for a publication, you should have at least done a quick search for them online and skimmed some of their most recent work.
Know your story inside and out. Be prepared for a phone interview or further questions about your press release topic. Know how to convey your story in an interesting manner.
Know that there are no guarantees your story will get printed. Many things in life are a guessing game, and PR is too. Sure if you write a compelling headline and have an amazing, one of a kind story you might get some bites. But with many small businesses it takes a lot of brainstorming and thought to develop a truly newsworthy press release. And it’s not devaluing you or your business…it’s just that Editors and Writers for publications are inundated with pitches and releases daily. They can’t possibly read and print each one.

So before you send your next press release, consider these tips and if you run into writer’s block consider getting input from peers or a professional public relations expert.

simplified, consistent public relations | copy editing

April 28, 2009 | Filed Under Professional Virtual Assistant, Public Relations | Leave a Comment

How to follow up with a reporter to make them want to do a story about you.

You sent out your press release in the hopes of getting some free publicity. Now what?

Should you call and ask if the journalist got it? Should you send the media professional a reminder email? Should you leave it to the news release gods?

According to the more than 800 reporters I surveyed, the answer to ALL of these questions is a big NO! More than 79% of media professionals felt a call or email to check if they got the press release is not only inappropriate, but annoying.

A majority (nearly 86%) complained that many people call, and leave terrible messages about their releases on voicemail.

So what ARE you supposed to do?

First, be patient. Wait a few days before making your call. Then when you are ready, follow these guidelines for great phone follow up.

The amount of time you wait after sending the release depends on the publication’s schedule and how time sensitive your release is.
Use common sense when deciding the best time to follow up.
Once you have the editor or reporter on the phone, get to the point without being rude. First, always check if he or she has time to talk to you. If not, ask when is a good time to call back.
If your journalist has a few minutes (which in the news business means please keep it brief), introduce yourself.
Summarize the news hook. (If it’s longer than a sentence, your summary is too long.)
Ask if he or she thinks it sounds like something of interest.
If you get a positive response, say that you sent a press release a couple of days before, but you’d be happy to resend it.
If you get a negative response, and you sense that the journalist has a few more moments, ask either how this could be a story he or she would be more interested in or what kind of stories would he or she like to see from you in the future.

Shannon Cherry, APR, MA, is the Power Publicist. She helps entrepreneurs, coaches, consultants and other professionals attract more clients and customers by harnessing the power of public relations and marketing. Get your FREE publicity power pack by visiting http://www.beheardsolutions.com.

April 14, 2009 | Filed Under InnoVAtions, Professional Virtual Assistant, Public Relations | Leave a Comment

When FREE Press Is Good.

bigstockphoto_dictionary_series_-_marketing__small2 In life and business you get what you pay for…generally. We spend more on the things that matter most…personally speaking homes, cars, vacations, clothing, education…and the list goes on. Of course what’s most important to one could mean nothing to the next person. And think about it, when you really wanted or “needed” something, didn’t you find a way to get that thing?

In public relations and marketing, especially, free doesn’t always work to the mompreneur or fitpreneur’s advantage. BUT we’ve all heard of free press and if you’ve done some research know that there are numerous sites out there touting how free press is more than attainable for your business. There are a ton of free press release distribution sites out there that promise you great exposure and that your press release will get picked up by numerous news sites and bloggers. But how do you know this is fact? Do those free press release submission providers effectively track your press release? Do they guide you in writing your press release so that it will target your niche or ideal customer?

Free press is good. No doubt; if obtained strategically and effectively. I’ve learned a great deal from Publicity Hound, Joan Stewart. She is a PR genius in my book and her website has a wealth of information for someone learning to do PR for their solo biz on the cheap. The tactics are right-on and it’s well worth your time to check it out.

Free press is also great, and often easy to achieve if you are targeting a local market. A fitpreneur offering new boot camp classes, or opening a new, innovative personal training studio would be well served submitting their press releases to their local media contacts and localized blog sites. A mompreneur offering professional organizing services to other moms with multiple children would also benefit from submitting press releases to local media contact. Our local and regional publications are, for the most part, still alive and well. And often they are looking for unique, interesting stories to fill their pages with.

bigstockphoto_baby_reading_the_newspaper_414812

Bottom line

Free press is good, especially when targeting local and regional publications. Go out there and get your buzz!

March 24, 2009 | Filed Under Professional Virtual Assistant, Public Relations | Leave a Comment

You Get What You Pay For…Good PR Costs Money

Okay, so you are a mom with a fab new, innovative product you want to promote to moms like you, or a fitpreneur looking to boost buzz about your biz and promote that awesome new certification you recently obtained. But your budget is slim to none…where do you go to get the buzz your hard work so deserves?

You could go to one of the free press release submission sites like those listed below which will potentially get you some interest, but it’s a crap shoot.

24-7pressrelease.com

Free-Press-Release

PR9.net

PRBuzz.com

They are free, so of course, their services are limited and you won’t be able to easily track the success of your submissions. If you’re seriously strapped and cannot even invest a small amount of money in your PR campaign, then these will have to do. But in reality, you want your press release to get out to the right people the first time, right? You want it to reach your target market/ideal client...fast. If that is the case, then you’ll have to consider seriously investing some money and partnering with a professional who has expertise in this area, access to various media contacts and can customize a campaign for you. Or look into press release submission services that will allow you to submit a press release you’ve written on your own. But if you’ve never written a press release on your own, do you know what to include or exclude? Do you know how to craft buzz-worthy headlines and the meat of the release that will leave the reader wanting to know more?

Bottom line

nothing is really, truly free; you have to spend money to make money; it’s cost-effective to reach your target market the first time rather than reaching out blindly and hoping you’ll hit them with your news.