The Secrets Of Free Publicity For Your Business 2

Suffice to say that your headline, and the story you present to
the editor, must sell him on the benefits of your product or
service to his readers. Unless it specifically does this, he’ll
not use it. You must sell the first person receiving your
materials. Keep this fact uppermost in your mind as you write it.




The person you send your press or publicity release to, must
quickly see and understand how your product or service will
benefit his readers - thereby making him a hero to them - and he
must be assured it will do what you promise in your headline.
Come right to the point and say your product is lower in price,
more convenient to use or in what way your product or service is
useful to the people in general. It’s also a good idea to include
a complimentary sample of your product or an opportunity for him
to sample your services.

Remember, the editors receiving your information are fully aware
of your purposes - Free Advertising! They are not in the least
interested in you or your credentials - if you’ve sold them on the benefits of your business to their readers, and they want
background details, they’ll call you. That’s why you list your
telephone number and address.

These people are busy people. They have not got the time nor the
interest in reading about your trials and tribulations or plans
for the future. They want only a “flag” that alerts them to
something new, and of probable real interest to their readers.
Sell the editor first. Convince him that you’ve found the better
mousetrap. Show him that your product or service - that your
business - fills a need and/or will interest a large segment of
his readers, his viewers or listeners.

When an editor uses your publicity release, always follow up with
a short thank you note. Never, but never send a publicity release
to an editor and then call or write demanding to know why he
didn’t use it, use it as you wrote it, or only gave it a quick
mention. Do this once, and that particular media will “round
file” any further material received from you, unopened! If your
first effort is not used, then you should review the story itself: perhaps write it from a different angle; make sure you’re sending it to the proper person - and try again!

As stated earlier, these people are busy, with hundreds of
publicity releases passing across their desks every day - they
only have so much space or time - therefore, your material has to
stand out and in some way, fit in with the information they - the
editors - want to pass along to their readers, viewers, or
listeners. Regardless of your business product, or service, you
must build your press release - write it - around that particular
angle or feature that makes it beneficial or interesting to the
readers, viewers or listeners of the media you want to run your
press release. Without this special ingredient, you’re lost
before you begin!

The timing of your press release is always important. Try to
associate your press release with current events in the news. A
story on job lay-offs and increased unemployment carried in the
newspapers, on tv and radio would prompt us to get a publicity

release out to all the media on the help and opportunity offered
by our product. Say there’s a deluge of chain letters and pyramid
schemes making the rounds - the media picks up on it and attempts
to warn the people to beware … within 5 days, we would get a
publicity release out, explaining the availability of our report
on chain letters, and pyramid schemes - a report that explains
everything from A to Z - who’re the winners and who’re the real
losers.

There’s another kind of timing also to keep in mind …

publication deadlines. For best results, always try to time it so
that your material reaches the editor in time for the Sunday
paper. This is because that’s when the papers have their greatest
circulation; the most space is available; and the people have the
most chance to read the paper.

For articles you’d like to appear in the Sunday paper, you’ll
generally have to get your releases in at least nine days prior to the date of publication. If you’re in doubt, call and ask about the deadline date.

IN SUMMARY

Choose the media most likely to carry your press release. Select
those that carry similar write-ups on a regular basis.

Always use a cover letter of some kind. It pays to call ahead to
find out the name of the person you should be sending your press
release to.

Use the proper press release form, complete with a headline that
will interest the man deciding whether or not to use your item.
Be sure your press release is letter perfect - no spelling
mistakes - and don’t photocopy it. Always have each letter
individually typed or printed.

When your item is used, send a thank you note or call the editor
on the phone and thank him for using your press release.

Never, but never call or write an editor demanding to know why he
didn’t use your press release why he had it re-written, or cut it
short - just try, and try again!

Copyright Avril Harper, UK

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