If you're looking for a new business opportunity to promote this one is hot. It's a
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Articles:
Where to send your press releases
Using and Abusing the Media
How the media get their stories
How to grab the media by the balls to promote
your self published book ( and many other products )
You'll find articles and sample press releases at Ron Ruiz's
Free Publicity & Promotion Resource Center
http://www.free-publicity.com/
And more press release help at
http://bblmedia.com/press_release_help.html
press
release templates and samples at
http://www.morebusiness.com/templates_worksheets/press/
article
giving a general overview on obtaining free publicity
http://www.terrylarimore.com/PublicityArticle.html
14 Tips for Sending
Effective Press Releases
http://www.prweb.com/coach/970722a.htm
Make News By Treating Reporters As Customers. Some swear
by business lunches with reporters. Others say packages with all
kinds of goodies for reporters is the ticket. And while these
strategies will open the door at times, all the lunches and goodies
in the world will not do the job consistently over time. There are
much more effective ways to persuade reporters to write about
your business. See
article at
http://www.prweb.com/coach/980624a.htm
Excellent
book excerpt on ways to find new media contacts at
http://marketing.tenagra.com/pubnet/article-0898.html
It's a handy guide to media contacts on the Internet: who they are,
why they're important, and how to get a hold of them.
WHERE TO SEND YOUR PRESS RELEASES
by Phil Wiley
If you want to get a lot of publicity for your product you've got to send out press
releases. It's no good sitting back and waiting for the media to contact you. They'll only
do that if you've done something wrong, or you're romantically linked to a movie star.
The right press release can generate you so much free
publicity that you're swamped with sales. But remember that if your product stinks even a
great press release won't help you.
You need the kind of product that people want to buy and you need the kind of product that
editors will feel happy telling their readers about. Plus, you'll probably do better if
you can target 'niche' markets. Markets where the publications are starved for new
products and the editors will fall over themselves to give you space.
Okay, so you've got the right product. You've written the press release. But should you
send it by email, fax or snail mail? Speaking as a daily newspaper computer columnist I
much prefer to get my press releases by email. I'm far more likely to use emailed material
for the simple reason that it saves me having to scan or retype the material.
So how do you get hold of the email addresses of journalists and editors? Fortunately
there are plenty of web sites listing media information.
Here are some of the best sites on the net with information on how,
and where, to contact the media.
USING AND ABUSING THE
MEDIA.
by Phil Wiley
Online success doesn't just happen. You know that, I know that. We have to make it happen.
Getting your name out, becoming known, is essential to the survival of your business.
It doesn't matter whether you run a store, a restaurant, a mowing business, or operate
purely online. If no-one knows about you you can't sell them anything
Most likely you'll probably get some walk in trade, even online (as long as you've
registered with the main search engines), but relying on people dropping in is no way to
do business.
So you've got three choices:
offer a great product or service, and wait for word of mouth to attract people.
advertise heavily
or use the media to get free publicity.
A combination of all three would be nice, but unless you've got an advertising budget
bigger than Bill Clinton's libido you should be looking at giving your business a
kick-start with free media publicity.
So how to you get the media to cover your business?
Earlier this week I put this question to two daily newspaper editors:
____________________
Phil: what do you look for in a press release?
John: how it impacts on people, our readers. Will the event or product being pushed have
any interest to our readers?
Steve: is it something our readers would like to know about?
John: is it new or different? Tell people why it's better, why they need it. If it's a new
outboard motor for a speedboat, say what's different about it. If it's 25% cheaper to run
then say that in the release.
Steve: is it just more PR crap, or is there a story there?
___________________
I think the last quote sums it up. Is there a "real story" there? The media
(well most of them) are looking for "real stories".
So your job, with a press release aimed at promoting your service or product, is to
convince the media that you have a "real story" to offer them. That it's
something interesting and not more PR waffle.
___________________
Phil: does including a freebie (a gift) with the press release help at all?
Steve: no
John: it depends what she looks like.
Steve: we get sent a lot of rubbish. We just laugh about most of it, about the waste of
time and money some people put into zany packaging or gifts just to try and attract
attention. Whatever they send it doesn't help make a non event into a story.
John: books, video's, and CD's might get reviewed, but nothing else.
Phil: does it make a difference if it's posted to you, faxed, or sent by email?
John: 80 percent come in the mail, the rest come by fax. Just a few emails, but we're
getting more.
Steve: I'd say we get 90 percent by fax.
John: the emails are harder to read. We have a girl check the Internet a couple of times a
day, and she has to print them out, then give them to the Chief of Staff, who then decides
which journalist to give them to. So emails might not get read until after the others,
which means they're less likely to get followed up because everyone's busy by then.
Steve: emails don't look as nice, do they? Just small type. Whereas, if they're on fax you
can use big headlines and make them look better.
Phil: look, forget about press releases. You've both had too many beers to make any sense
anyway. Tell me what makes a good story? what grabs you?
John: I wish that blond over there would.
Phil: like I said, too many beers. What makes a good story?
Steve: it's got to be about people. Get the human angle on it.
Phil: So do you read every press release sent to you?
Steve: well, someone reads them, but maybe only the first paragraph. If it's obviously a
non event we bin it. We get a huge number of press releases every day and we just don't
have the man hours to waste time reading everything.
Phil: so the headline and the first paragraph are the most important?
John: as that's often the only part that gets read of course it is. You need to attract
our attention with your headline, then follow it up in the first couple of lines. MAKE us
read on. Tell us the story you'd like to see in the paper.
___________________
The media is always desperately looking for news. Just think about it. On daily
publications they're building a new product from scratch every day. They have anything up
to 100 empty pages to fill each day.
So they WANT your news.
But you can't just send out self-serving announcements and expect media coverage. You have
to hunt for the news angle, and tailor your press release around this news you come up
with. You MUST give them a news story... not an ad, not just hype, but news.
Remember, in the media, content is king. Media people are constantly on the look out for
new information and ideas of interest and importance to their readers.
Give the media what they want, and maybe they'll give you what you need.
Free publicity.
HOW THE MEDIA GET THEIR STORIES
by Phil Wiley
Here's a rough breakdown of how newspapers come up
with stories:
* Journalists pick them up in a bar while chatting with people.
* Journalists hear about them when talking to friends and
family.
* Readers letters to the editor often spark stories.
* Journalists rounds, or beats, are only of the major news
sources. Newspaper journalists have a list of people they
phone each day to ask "what's happening? Any news for us? - example, they phone the
majors office to ask what's happening at City Hall. They phone police, and fire
departments.
* The weather. Too hot, too cold, tornadoes, floods. Come up with a new angle on a weather
story and you've got a winner.
* press releases.
* people phoning up.
* Follow up's to stories in other publications. Regional newspaper editors will say
"get me a local angle".
So how do you benefit from all this? Most stories come from people contacting journalists,
either face to face, on paper, or by phone. Come up with a local angle on national news,
or a new angle on a weather story or any other of the regular story types, and tell a
journalist about it.
HOW TO GRAB THE MEDIA BY THE BALLS TO PROMOTE YOUR SELF PUBLISHED BOOK
(and many other products)
by Phil Wiley
USE THE MEDIA. Unless you attract some
media attention your book (or other product /service) is likely to drift into a silent
death.
This is a generalisation. Some books have sold extremely well without achieving any
publicity except word of mouth - but I can't, for the life of me, remember any of their
titles.
Why do you need media attention?
Because, unless you spend a fortune in advertising, very few people will know your book
exists. For "attention" read "publicity". Whenever you're mentioned in
the media it's free publicity.
Here's how to attract all the media coverage you could ever want:
YOU GIVE THEM WHAT THEY WANT.
And that's a good story. I've worked on monthly magazines, weekly newspapers, and daily
newspapers. I know journalists. I am one.
Journalists hate writing free "advertorials" and won't do it just because the
advertising department would like them to.
So unless the newspaper is one of those free weeklies which write about every business
which buys an advert, you won't get editorial coverage unless you come up with a news
angle.
Ask yourself why your book is newsworthy.
What's different about my book to the hundreds of others published this week?
"It's the only book ever published on...." you might say.
That's not likely is it? There's probably dozens of books on the very same subject.
"It's about making money online..."
Okay, that's newsworthy at the moment, but it's not good enough.
What's different about it? "I'm making lots of money online myself and I show people
exactly how to do it themselves..."
Yes, that's it. You're making money yourself online. That still passes for news, though
the day will come soon when it's commonplace.
"It's about growing vegetables..."
So what's interesting and newsworthy about that?
"It's about growing giant vegetables which will win any gardening
competition..."
Better.
"It's about growing giant vegetables, which will win any gardening competition, and I
know because I'm the 1997 World Champion Carrot King"
Now your book is news.
Ok, suppose your book is nothing special. All is not lost.
If your book isn't special what about you? Is there something newsworthy about you? When
you're written about, talked about, filmed for television, it also promotes your book.
Did you learn to write in jail?
Have you spent 30 years in a mental hospital?
Do you have a famous ancestor?
Had an affair with a famous rock star or politician?
Was your uncle a notorious axe murderer?
There's got to be something different about you. We've all got something tucked away if we
think about it. Come up with an angle and pitch it to the journalists:
"Hey, my uncle was a serial killer and now I've written a book about breakfast
cereals."
"I've only got one leg and I've written a book about running."
"I used to s-s-s-stutter and now I've written a book of one line gags for
after-dinner speeches."
Think for a while. What's different about you or your book. Make a list, as wild as you
like. Write down whatever comes into your head. (that's what I'm doing). Ok you've come up
with a news angle. Now what?
PRESS RELEASES
- how to write them, and when to send them.
Keep it short and to the point. don't ramble. Use short sentences and paragraphs.
Concentrate on the news angle you've come up with.
Come up with a good headline. The purpose of the press release is not to tell your story.
It's sole purpose is to attract the attention of whichever journalist is assigned the task
of going through that days pile of releases. You've got to make that journalist stop and
read your release. Most of them don't get read. The headline and first paragraph are
boring. They don't immediately click as newsworthy. They get thrown in the bin without
another glance.
If your press release grabs a journo's attention he'll most likely pass it on to another
journalist and tell her/him to phone you.
So you'd better be by your phone waiting for that call. They're busy people. More news
comes up all the time. If you're not in they might not phone again.
So should you send a copy of your book with the press release. Most people do, but
personally I wouldn't. I'd buck the trend.
When a book comes in, and dozens do every week, it's probably given to the book writer and
sits in his big pile of unread books. If you're lucky it will be given a short review.
But that's it. No story. No news coverage. No photo. And a photo is important. Photo's
attract attention to the stories.
Here's what I'd do: send a great press release telling them why they'd be crazy not to
interview you. Telling them where and when you'll be available for a photo and story.
Not something like: "I'll expect you at 44 My Street, at 11am on Tuesday...please
bring a photographer."
More along the lines of: " My world champion carrot will be carted off in a
wheelbarrow to feed the children at the hospital if you don't get around here soon. Please
phone me urgently to arrange a time and place for an interview..."
To feed the children at the hospital....? It's a newsworthy gimmick? It's visual? And so
is carting the carrot in a wheelbarrow. It makes the journo think " PICTURE story. This is worth covering. I'd better phone now."
You get the idea?
OK, THAT'S THE MEDIA OUT OF THE WAY. HERE ARE A FEW BONUS PARAGRAPHS
ON WHAT ELSE CAN YOU DO.
One of the most dynamic forms of self-promotion is direct contact with an actual or
potential audience. Everyone you come in contact with is a potential reader.
Try and be entertaining. Become a performer. Everywhere, anytime, be ready to talk about
your book.
* talk about your book at local schools.
* contact organisers of festivals regarding speaking or reading.
* set up display stands at festivals, fetes, fairs, markets.
* organise readings and signing's in bookshops and public libraries.
* organise readings, signing, displays, etc, in stores which sell things your book is
about. Eg, gardening stores for your vegetable book.
Do up fliers and posters. Post them everywhere you can. The library, local bookstores,
coffee shops.
What else can you do? Direct mail of course. (But that will have to be another story). And
market it on the Internet. (Again another story, but you know it anyway. Here it is in a
short paragraph....
SET up a web site with promotional material and
book excerpts, promote the web site with search engines, email, newsgroups, and by
advertising in online newsletters like this one, have an order form on one of your web
pages, and make sure you can take credit cards.
Whole books have been written on gaining publicity for your self published book, so I
can't cover it all here. But I hope these tips have helped.
