Sunday, February 26, 2012

Why You Should Be Using Free Advertising and How To Get It


Hey Marketing Friend,

There’s money in them thar pubs (a.k.a. publications, TV, Radio all sorts of media). . . and lots of it. Alls you got to do is get yer pick axe and go digging . . . publications that it.

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'll 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 that 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 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 tightly written, 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 won't lose 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 releases free real estate investing mini-course based on new ebook "Real Estate Wealth" 

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 and 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 hard copy 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 are on me—at no charge or obligation whatsoever! The number is 828-313-0694.





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