A well-written and targeted press release can be one of the most powerful marketing tools you have. If you follow the steps described in this article, your press release will have a much better chance of being accepted than others. In fact, this method should provide you with about 99% of all other press releases submitted – provided they arrive on time and correspond to the place where you sent them.
The main goals of your press release
Have the editor read your press release. You have about 10 seconds to get the editor’s attention with your press release before you throw it away – not to mention if it’s an email press release. If your headline doesn’t reach the publisher, it’s over. To get the publisher’s attention, you need to know which post you’re sending to and how short you’re shortcuts.
Print your press release. To print your press release, it must pass an editorial review. This means that it must provide useful information to readers of the publication. Editors know that the purpose of the press release is to help the business in question, and they know that the press release advertises the business for free. However, they insist that the press release gives their readers something of value. Does the press release facilitate current-related discussion? Does this provide a quick fix? Is this a new product created by your company that will interest its readers, etc. In other words, your press release should be seen as a benefit to your readers of the publication, even if they don’t do business with you.
Allow readers to act after reading your press release as you planned. Part of writing a press release is creating a well-written call to action. Even if you don’t write a commercial letter, the reader should come to the conclusion that his life would be better if he visited your website, picked up the phone to call you, order your product, hire you for service, your event or any other action. If someone reads your press release and doesn’t click it, they won’t take any action.
A step-by-step guide to writing a press release
Identify the posts you want to contact. When you complete this step, you should have a list of all publications that may be interested in your activities. It can be newspapers, magazines, industry magazines, newsletters, electronic magazines, etc. While getting a press release on USA Today can be great, you have a much better chance of success each week in widgets (where widgets are your industry goal).
Get a preview of each of the above posts for your files. (Note: It’s a good idea to keep these message samples because you’ll probably refer to them frequently.)
Enter each press release in the above-mentioned examples of messages. To separate press releases from articles in certain journals, you may need some guesswork, as some (mostly professional publications) look nothing more than a series of press releases about products, services, etc.
Go back to each post and write a press release for this particular post. In the previous step, you can determine the style preferred by a particular post. The closer your release is to this style, the more it will be perceived. Style includes the length of the word, the length of the title, the presence of photos, etc. Your goal is to minimize the work of the editors. If it evaluates two press releases, and the first can be launched as is, and the second requires significant tweaks to work, the first will always win. It’s a little more work than the “write once and cover the world” approach, it will bring much greater impact.
Once written you should carefully subtract it to make sure it reads exactly the way you want, fits the style of the message and contains no spelling or grammatical errors.
Print a press release on high-quality paper on a good printer – preferably on a laser or inkjet printer in high-quality printing mode, attach photos and a short cover letter and send them to the publisher of the publication. (If you faxed a press release, you probably don’t include the photos, and instead tell the editor that they’re available.)
Do it once for each message and soon you will start to advertise your business.
Other tips
When you publish, always send a press release to a specific publisher.
Always spell the publisher’s name correctly. If you are unsure of the correct spelling, call the publication for a check.
A cover letter is usually a good idea, but not a necessity. The cover letter may contain only a few suggestions explaining to the editor why the press release deserves attention. If you include a cover letter, make sure you can save it for 10 seconds.
If possible and appropriate, include a photo of your product in a press release, even if it’s a book.
There are several ways to send a press release. They are described below, along with reasons you may want to use a method.
Email. Personally, I would never use email. Editor’s mailboxes always seem full, and the chances of your press release being noticed are slim.
Fax. A fax addressed to a particular publisher is a good way to immediately circulate a press release. This is effective and gives the editor a physical piece of paper that can be manipulated. The only downside to faxing is that you can’t easily add a photo.
Premium mail is good for a press release that doesn’t need to be sent immediately, as delivery will take some time. If you’re using mail, be sure to use the 9×12 envelope to keep the pages from stacking up. Email allows you to send a photo and requires additional editor intervention, opening the envelope for better viewing than a fax that can be buried on the table.
Signed delivery – this includes FedEx, UPS and USPS Express Mail. If you really want to get the editor’s attention, you can invest and send your Next Day Air press release through one of these services. This is sure to attract the attention of the editor, because the express envelope is not delivered every day, so it is a kind of “event”. This method is not a guarantee of publication, but the publisher is even more involved, and if it is associated with the current news report, it offers a powerful blow that must be delivered in this way.
Act now!
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