Smashing The Myth Of The Press Release

2006-06-12T07:59:00.000-07:00

Smashing the Myth of the Press Release
by Bill Stoller, Publisher
Free Publicity, The Newsletter for PR-Hungry Businesses
http://www.PublicityInsider.com/freepub.asp

A musician spends years honing his craft. He writes world-class
songs and performs them in a manner that moves his listeners to
tears. He records a demo tape and sends it to record labels. He
gets a contract and becomes rich, famous and adored.

The lesson: demo tapes are the secret of becoming a famous
musician.

Wait, you say, the demo tape was just a tool, just his way of
conveying his talent. It's his ability as a musician that got
him the contract and made him famous.

You're right, of course. He could have become just as famous if
a record executive saw him in person, or heard about him from a
friend, or as a result of a variety of other events.

Which brings us to the press release.

Somehow, the press release has taken on a magical reputation as
the alpha and omega of publicity. Wanna become rich? Send out a
press release. Wanna become famous? Press release. Wanna get
on the cover of Newsweek? Press release.

Publicity "gurus" are springing up all over the Internet touting
the press release as the answer to all marketing ills. Just
knock out a release, mass e-mail it to journalists, sit back and
wait for Oprah to call.

It's a cruel joke.

Here's the reality: the press release is no more important to
your potential of scoring free publicity than the demo tape was
to our musician friend. If he had no talent, if his songs
sounded like garbage, the best recorded demo tape in the world
wouldn't get him signed. Ditto for the publicity seeker. If you
don't have a story to tell, your press release is utterly
worthless.

I'm not knocking the press release -- it's an important tool. But
it's just that: a tool. It's not the first thing you need to
think about when it comes time to seek publicity. In fact, it's
one of the last. And it's not even absolutely necessary (I've
gotten plenty of publicity with just a pitch letter, a quick e-
mail or a phone call).

If you worship at the shrine of the press release, it's time to
rearrange your priorities. Here, then, are the things that are
MORE important than a press release in generating publicity:
1. A newsworthy story. This is the equivalent of our musician's
talent. It's the very basis for your publicity efforts. Without
it, your press release means nothing. To learn about how to
develop a newsworthy story, take a look at
http://publicityinsider.com/questions.asp and scroll down to "Is
my company/website/life really newsworthy?"

2. Learning to think like an editor. Oh, what an edge you'll
have in scoring publicity over all those press release
worshippers once you learn how to get inside the head of an
editor. Give an editor what he wants in the way he wants it and
you'll do great. I've got an entire article on the subject at
http://publicityinsider.com/freesecret.asp Go there now and
absorb it all. Trust me, it will make a world of difference.
3. Relevance. Tie in with a news event, make yourself part of a
trend, piggyback on a larger competitor's story, but, by all
means, make your story part of a picture that's bigger than just
your company. Stories that exist in a vacuum quickly run out of
oxygen.

4. Persistence. Sending out a press release and waiting for
results is lazy and ineffective. If you really believe in your
story, and you believe that it's right for a particular media
outlet, you need to fight to make it happen. Call or e-mail the
editor to pitch your story BEFORE sending the release. If one
editor says no, try somebody else. If they all say no, come back
at them with a different story angle.

Getting publicity involves so much more than just sending out a
press release. Treat it as seriously and with as much respect as
our newly minted rock star treats his craft and you'll be well on
your way to success.

# # #
About The Author:
Bill Stoller, the "Publicity Insider", has spent two decades as
one of America's top publicists. Now, through his website, eZine
and subscription newsletter, Free Publicity: The Newsletter for
PR-Hungry Businesses http://www.PublicityInsider.com/freepub.asp
he's sharing -- for the very first time -- his secrets of scoring
big publicity. For free articles, killer publicity tips and
much, much more, visit Bill's exclusive new site:
http://www.PublicityInsider.com

Press Release Writing Tips

2006-06-09T11:48:00.000-07:00

Press Release Writing Tips
Copyright © 2006 Diana Barnum
Moving Ahead Communications
http://movingaheadcommunications.com

A press release is an announcement of a newsworthy item that is
issued to journalists and other media representatives. And it is
a document that is generally formatted in a basic manner across
the publishing industry for quick, efficient handing across the
board of your news by media professionals.
With regards to the basics of press release writing, here are
seven basic elements that every press release should contain:
* FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: These words should appear in the upper
left-hand margin and you should capitalize every letter.
* Contact Information: Insert this after the release statement
above and list the contact information of the company
spokesperson.
* Headline: This should be written after the contact
information.
* Dateline: List the city of origin for your press release.
* Lead Paragraph: The first paragraph needs to grab the
reader's attention and should contain the relevant information
to your message such as the five W's (who, what, when, where,
why).
* Text: Next comes the main body of your press release where
your message should develop fully.
* Last Paragraph: Make sure to alert the reading audience where
to turn for more information; i.e. a postal address, phone number
and website link. Plus offer something free for them; a report,
newsletter or other gift.
To learn what's hot and what's not in your particular industry,
check out PRWeb(r) at PRWeb.com for current press releases. No
need to re-invent the wheel. See what's working there and treat
the information as a general guideline for your own news format
and presentation.

You can also head to Content Propulsion Lab. It's the place for
"Do It Yourself" companies who would love the benefits of a
high-end Public Relations firm but lack the budgets, online at
http://www.ContentLabInfo.com , a Division of Content Desk,
available at http://www.ContentDeskInfo.com .

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By Diana Barnum, president of Moving Ahead Communications.
Get tons of freebies, tips and help at http://OhioHelpGroup.com
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Press Release Secrets

Smashing The Myth Of The Press Release

Press Release Writing Tips