Hey Friend,
There’s good ways and bad
ways to do just about anything. And this includes exposing (aka getting media attention). yourself! Obviously
you want to do it the right way, don’t you?
But why in the world would
you want to expose yourself? That could get ugly, no?
Of course I’m talking about
getting free publicity and lots of it . . . with a little help from your new media
friends!
Consider for just a second
the power of the press! I’m talking about getting tons of leads, write ups and
contacts like these folks have gotten:
Sharon
Holmlund receive over 400 inquires when here business was mentioned in Home Office Computing magazine.
Janice
Guthrie got a plug in Reader’s Digest
and instantly got 740 calls!
Friend
and marketing mentor Joe Vitale was promoting the autograph party for his book The AMA Complete Guide to Small Business
Advertising, the Houston Post
newspaper ran his press release on the front page of the business section.
It’s not as difficult as you
may think. In fact if you follow along here you see just how easy it can be to
get thousands of dollars worth of free press exposure. And in these tough times
this kind of exposure may be just the cure you need for your company.
For starters understand this
is a goldmine waiting to be tapped. Here’s why. The media is starving for
stories. There are waaay too many stories, too many businesses, too many people
and too few reporters. The media can’t possibly go and get all the stories.
This is where you can help out by telling them your story.
Now I want you put on your
“think outside the box” hat for a moment. Cuz even though the media is starving
for stories you gotta know how to present your story so editors will be
interested and able to use it.
With this in mind,
understand editors and reporters work under very tight deadlines and are under
pressure to get the stories out—on strict schedule. There’s no exception. So more
you understand this little known fact, the better your chances are in getting
the editor to accept your press release.
Writing Your Press Release
First let me explain what a
press release is. Very simply it’s a single sheet of paper that tips an idea
for a story to the media source. You don’t have to be a great writer to write a
press release. In fact you are not writing a complete article or story—just
enticing a reporter to publish it.
Again writing your press
release doesn’t have to be difficult. I like to think of it as more of a
telegraph. You are telegraphing your story idea in a compelling way as to
benefit the reader and get the editor’s attention.
At the top of your page is
your letterhead which is your name or your company name. Then you have the
words “News Release” so that it’s clear that you’re sending a news bulletin.
Next your put the date so the editor knows that it’s current and timely. And of
course you’ll want to put in your contact information that will include your
name, phone number and email address.
Next just like any other
marketing piece your press release should have a headline. The headline should
telegraph what it’s all about.
A great headline writing
technique is to use a question as your headline. For example: “Do You Eat Under
Stress?” “Botox For Breasts?” “Barbecuing? The burger mix-in that Prevents
Cancer!”
Notice how these headlines
pull you into the first paragraph of the story to find the answer. That’s
exactly what you want when writing your headline.
Let the first paragraph
answer the basic questions the reporter or editor wants to know. And that is
who, what, when, where, how and why.
Give them that basic information. Tell them who you are, what you are
doing, when you are doing it, where you’re doing it, how you’re doing, and why you’re
doing it.
Basically you’re saying,
“Hey here’s what I’m doing, here’s how it’s done. Here’s more information on it
and if you want more information you can reach me at blah, blah, blah (insert
email and phone info).
Pretty simple, wouldn’t you
agree?. Again you don’t need to be a great writer to put a press release
together. Just grab the report’s attention and give ‘em the facts on one page.
That’s it.
Remember it’s a focused
effort. You want to get your message across in a matter of seconds otherwise
you’re landfill fodder!
Now even though I’m
suggesting your news release be tight I still like to expand the topic a bit
and include a quote. This quote can be from you or someone else, perhaps one of
your fans. You never know if the editor will read your entire release or not.
So you lost anything by including this element in your release.
Using a quote will help draw
readers in to your release. It’s dialogue and that means someone is saying
something. And saying it now. Folks are used to seeing dialogue in novels.
That’s basically it regarding
putting your press release together. Now let’s talk about where to send these
babies.
Getting The Word Out
I like using the targeted
approach best. Think about who will most likely benefit from what your
offering. To help pin point media outlets turn to Google and search for “news
release bureaus” or “news release services.”
In the past I’ve used PRWEB
with decent success.
Below is the actual press
release I wrote several years ago to publicize a new ebook I wrote about real
estate investing:
Dahill Press Announces Free Real Estate Investing Mini-Course
Contact: Emette Massey
Ph. 828-757-2984
For Immediate Release
Lenoir, NC
Most people are aware of real estate investing but have trouble getting started due cash or credit problems. A free mini-course based on the newly published ebook entitled Real Estate Riches" helps to solve this problem by showing proven strategies to getting over the cash and credit hurdle.
According to the author Emette Massey, when I started in the investing business by in 1987, I had little credit or cash. This made me think real estate investing was reserved only for the 'high rollers. But I realize this was not true after discovering a few simple techniques that didnt require cash or credit."
This mini-course is published for anyone looking for viable ways to earn extra cash, moonlight, or get into a new profitable career without a huge investment bankroll.
Many people are in dead-end jobs, living from paycheck to paycheck and are looking for simple, low cost ways to get ahead. They are familiar with real estate investing but have trouble getting started due to cash or credit problems. The free mini-course is taken right from the new ebook Real Estate Wealth" and shows people how to profit without cash or credit", says Massey.
A few of the techniques you will learn by taking the free real estate investing mini-course are:
· Learn at least 10 ways to buy profitable property
· How to negotiate your best deal
· Unusual low cost ways to self promote ideas
· How to get started without cash or credit
· How to earn huge profits even before you buy
By reading applying the strategies outlined in this new mini-course, anyone can quickly add an extra $2000 or more per month to their present income, depending on how well they follow this advice," says Massey.
To receive the free mini-course, visit http://www.emettemassey.bravehost.com or if you prefer, a hardcopy is available by sending $2 to: Dahill Press, Attention Emette Massey, 317 Eastover Circle, NE, Lenoir, NC 28645
Several media outlets picked up this release and it proved to be fairly
successful.
You’ll notice this release contained several of the elements I discussed
earlier. You could model this example and use it to write your own press
release.
Other PR outlets can be found by going to www.sendtopress.com or www.IMediafax.com
If you are after local publicity then check out your local Chamber of
Commerce. Just ask for their media directory and you can get one for about 50
bones. Soon you’ll possess a directory that lists every media contact,
newspaper, radio station and television station in your neck of the woods.
This will give you something to chew on for a while. Follow these basic
guidelines and get your news release in the hands of as many editors as
possible and see magical things happen!
In the meantime if you have any questions regarding this topic, I’d be
happy to answer them. Just send me an email to eemassey@yahoo.com with PR Question in the
subject line.
Peace,
Emette E. Massey
P.S. Want more leads, prospects, sales? Give me a call. I’ll be happy to
share some profitable strategies—the first 30 minutes is on me—at no charge or
obligation whatsoever! The number is 828-313-0694.
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