The Secrets Of Free Publicity For Your Business 1

Product publicity is the “secret pathway” to business success
everyone wants. In simple terms, product publicity is a kind of
advertising that costs you nothing, yet brings in the orders for
you.




Regardless of what kind of business you are operating, you should
want, and strive for, as much publicity for your business and
your products or services, as possible. After all, it’s “free
advertising” that is essential to the growth of your business.
However, your publicity efforts should be well thought out, and
pre-planned for maximum results.

The first, and basic form of obtaining publicity is through what
is known as the press or news release. This is generally a one
page story about your business, your product/service or an
event/happening related to your business that is about to, or has
recently occurred. These publicity stories are generally
“shot-gunned” to all the various media: local newspapers, radio
and TV, and trade publications.

Problem number one is getting the people to whom you’ve sent
these publicity stories, to use them - publish or broadcast them.
And this leads us back to the “right way” of writing them and
sending them in.

In every case, send a short cover letter addressed to the person
you want your material to be considered by … this means that
you send your story to the city editor of the newspapers; the
news directors of the radio and TV stations; and the managing
editors of the various trade publications. It will do you no good
whatsoever, to send your managerial to the advertising,
circulation, or business managers - describing how you’re a long
term advertising, subscriber or listener. The most important
thing is that you will make contact with the person who has the
final say as to what is to be published or broadcast, and at the
bottom line - this person’s use of your material will somehow
make him a “hero” to his or her readers, viewers or listeners.
The cover letter should be a short note. Go to a paper supplier -
tell them you want a hundred or so sheets of good bond paper - A4
size, preferably in a pastel colour such as blue or ivory - and
that you want this paper cut into quarters, giving you a grand
total of 400 sheets of notepaper.

On this note sheet, begin with the date across the top - skip a
couple of spaces and then quickly tell the recipient of the note,
the attached material is new, and should be of real interest to
his readers. If you were promoting business opportunities, yours
would read something like this:

“Here’s something that’s new, and for a change, truly helpful, to
people trying to cope with inflation - the soaring costs of
living - and those engaged in building extra income businesses of
their own. Should be of real value - interest - to your readers.
Please take a look - any questions, or if you need more info,
call me on 12345″.

Then of course you skip about four spaces, type your name, your
business name, and your address - sign your name above where
you’ve typed it, and staple this note in the upper right hand
corner of your news release. This note should be typed and double
spaced.

So now, you’ve got a cover letter, and you know where to send it
to. We type up one such note, and take it to a near-by quick
print shop. They copy the note 4 times, paste these 4 copies onto
one sheet of paper, print 50 to 100 copies, and cut the paper
into individual notes.

Now you need the actual written publicity release, which also
must be “properly” written if you expect it to be used by the
media. Above all else, there’s a proper form or style to use,
plus the fact that it must be typed double-spaced, and short -
about half a page in total length.

About an inch from the top of the paper, with an inch and a half
margin on each side of the paper, from the left hand margin, type
in all capital letters PRESS RELEASE: Then, underline these
words. Immediately following the colon, but not in all capital
letters, put in the date. Always set the date forward by at least
one day after the day you intend to mail the release.

On the same line, but on the right hand side of the page, and in
all capital letters, write the words, FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:
Underline this, and immediately below, but not in all capital
letters, type your name - your phone number - and your address.
Skip a couple of spaces, then in all capital letters - centred
between the margins - type a story headline, and underline it.
Skip a couple of spaces, and from the left hand margin, all in
capital letters, type the words, FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: from
there on, it’s the news or publicity story itself.

You can write the headline before the story, and then a story to
fit the headline - or the story before the headline, and then a
headline to fit the story - either way, it’s basically the same
as writing a space ad or a sales letter … You attract attention
and interest with the headline, and fill in the details with your
story.

Copyright Avril Harper, UK.

Click Here To Read More Business Articles….