Press Release Review

Synopsis: A quick overview to review before sending your releases out.


The following is a quick overview to review before sending your releases out.

Remember to:

_ Define your message.
_ Keep your press release to one page. That is law.
_ Keep your release clean, crisp and easy-to-read.
_ Sell the story, not yourself.
_ Study the type of stories that the various media outlets need.
_ Pitch stories that meet the media's needs.
_ Modify your release to fit the needs of the various media outlets you are pitching.
_ Confirm the address and fax number of the media outlet before sending information.
_ Mail or fax your information to the appropriate media contact.
_ If you are announcing an event, be sure to include the place, time, and date.
_ Be creative, but keep your release simple, concise and to the point.
_ Have someone else proof your release for grammatical and spelling errors.
_ Be sure to cover all of the who, what, where, and when information.
_ Think in terms of headlines.
_ List your name and contact number at the bottom of the page.
_ Position yourself as a resource not a salesperson.
_ Allow plenty of time for your release to arrive.
_ Keep the release clean and mistake free.

& Never

_ Use a poor quality copy of a release.
_ Send out a sloppy release.
_ Send your release out until you are completely satisfied with it.
_ Cram it with hard-to-read small print
_ Try to be overly cute or fancy.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2008
For further information visit:
www.AnthonyMora.com

Style, Grammar, Spelling and All That Other Fun Stuff

Synopsis:
Remember, content is just one part of your release. The form, look, and style is every bit as important.

Before sending out a release, double-check the following: Is the form correct? Is the grammar and spelling correct? Is the release clean and mistake- free? If your release looks sloppy, if it's filled with spelling and grammatical errors, or if it's crammed with hard-to-read small print, no one is going to read it. You might have written a great release, but if you don't take the care to present it properly, it's useless. Make sure to avoid sending out poor quality copies. Also, don't try to be overly cute or fancy. Keep your typeface clean, simple, and easy to read. Include the most important information in the first paragraph. Send a personalized cover letter with the release. Make sure your release is relevant, timely, and, most of all, offers the media a story. This next one may seem obvious, but people forget to include it every day: always include your phone number along with your name, or the name of the person that the media should
contact.


Make sure your release is as easy-to-read as possible, and keep a lot of white space on the
page, use bullets, boxes, anything to breakup the page so that it's not just a block of words that no one is going to read. Most people will suggest that you double-space, but if you have to choose between double-spacing a release and writing a one-page release, keep it single- spaced. Just make sure to keep your typeface at least twelve point. Don't send out a release that's a thick block of words - go for light instead of dense.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2008
For further information visit:
www.AnthonyMora.com

Creating a Unique PR Approach

Synopsis: Although I am suggesting that you break some of the common press release rules, don't try to be novel or unconventional simply for the sake of being different.

Most experts will suggest that you stick with the traditional press release form and put your name, address, and contact information on the top. Don't. The first few lines of your release may be all that gets read. Don't sacrifice that all-important space to mundane information. Come up with an interesting headline that is centered on the page, and immediately start with your story. Keep the information on how to contact you at the bottom of the page. If your story interests them, believe me, they'll call, no matter where you put your number.

Although I am suggesting that you break some of the common press release rules, don't try to be novel or unconventional simply for the sake of being different. The changes I suggest are based on practical observations. Too often we stick to a form simply because that's the way it's been done before. If there is a practical, advantageous reason to do something differently, do it.

On the other hand, don't be different simply to be different. In other words, don't use
oversized paper, or use unconventional script, or write cryptic or convoluted sentences just to try to differentiate yourself from the rest of the pack. Chances are, it will only work against you. You want to catch the media's eye, but you don't want to shock or startle. Keep the release clean and easy-to-read, and remember, no amount of inventiveness will make up for the lack of a good hook or story.

At the bottom of the page, make sure to let the media know who you are and how they can get in contact with you; have your phone number and contact person clearly listed.

Stand back and look at your release with an objective eye. If you knew nothing about your business or product, and you saw your release, would it make you want to learn more about the topic? Would it pique your interest? If not, you're headed in the wrong direction. Bounce it off other people, get feedback. Don't send it out until it says exactly what you want it to say, in the way you want to say it. And never, ever, ever let it be longer than one page.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2008
For further information visit:
www.AnthonyMora.com

Headlines, Headlines, Headlines

Synopsis: What makes for a good headline? Anything that will make them read on. You only have about seven or eight words to work with, so it can take some time to come up with the right one.

Make sure to keep your press release tight and concise - no rambling - and remember, think in terms of headlines. There is a reason that USA Today, People magazine and MTV are successful. They give us quick, easy-to-digest stories and programs. Ours is a society that likes the fast-food approach to information. Package it nicely, make it interesting, make it short, don't take a lot of our time and we'll read it, watch it, or listen to it. Be smart, and use that same approach when pitching story ideas to the media.

Don't fool yourself into thinking that because you're only writing a one-page release, you can knock it out in half an hour. A good press release can take quite a bit of time to write. As with all writing, the hardest and most important part is the editing. Your first attempt may be three or four pages long. Don't worry about it. Write your first draft without any concern for space, punctuation, or style. Concentrate on the facts and information. Once you have the basic story down, start editing it, cutting it down. Can you say something in a sentence instead of a paragraph? Do you really need to give all that information? It's not easy. Write in headlines - you are not giving them the story - you are giving them the idea. Don't try to rush it. Take your time. Put it aside for a couple of days, then reevaluate it. Can it be improved? I've spent days on certain one-page releases. Remember, think in terms of headlines. You're looking to grab the reader's attention.

And, speaking of headlines, always make sure to start your release with a headline that is centered. I always bold my headline and make it a larger point size than the rest of the copy. What makes for a good headline? Anything that will make them read on. You only have about seven or eight words to work with, so it can take some time to come up with the right one. Sometimes it's fun to be clever or use alliteration, but be careful, you don't want to be too cute. Be imaginative, not precious. Make it interesting.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2008
For further information visit:
www.AnthonyMora.com

You Think Editors Have Time To Read?

By Anthony Mora

Synopsis: Even though you may be sending your release to a magazine editor, the ironic truth is that editor has no time to read. If you send a four-or-five-page release, no matter how impeccable it looks or how perfect the grammar or form is - no one's going to want, or have the time, to read it.

Even though you may be sending your release to a magazine editor, the ironic truth is that that editor has no time to read. He or she is busy trying to get work done. If you send a four-or -five-page release, no matter how impeccable it looks or how perfect the grammar or form is - no one's going to want, or have the time, to read it.

It all comes down to your pitch, your hook: is it interesting, exciting? Will it meet the media's needs? If not, don't mail it, fax it, e-mail it or let it leave your office. Start again.
Do your homework. Put yourself in the media's place and come up with a hook or story idea that will grab their attention.

Remember, you're not trying to reinvent the wheel or come up with a completely unique idea or pitch. There are no completely unique ideas. You are trying to come up with usable, interesting story ideas. Some of them may be different or unique, others will be ordinary and prosaic. But an ordinary story can be a good one if presented the right way.

For example, let's say you own a hair salon, and it's getting near the end of the year. Write a “New Look For The New Year” release in which you outline how you can give clients a new, personalized look to start the New Year with a fresh start. You might even want to invite the media to follow a client through the before, during, and after process. The media always needs holiday stories. This way the media comes away with a visually interesting holiday story, and you come away with an effective piece which establishes you as an innovator in your field.

If you are announcing a new product, make sure that the information coincides with the
product's availability. Include a sample along with the press information that you send to the media, as well as information on how to order the product.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2008
For further information visit:
www.AnthonyMora.com

Public Relation's Bad PR

Synopsis: Public relations has bad PR. It is known for its fluff and hype, for the sleight-of-hand work, and, whereas, all of that exists, the glitter and flash isn't what makes for an effective campaign. What makes media placement effective is that it tells a story, it educates, it gives the public information on a particular topic or field that they otherwise wouldn't have access to.

By Anthony Mora

When placing stories in the media, you want to highlight you product or service, but you also have an equally important second objective. You want to educate. I don't think that I can emphasize this point strongly enough. Public Relations has bad PR. It is known for its fluff and hype, for the sleight-of-hand work, and, whereas, all of that exists, the glitter and flash isn't what makes for an effective campaign. What makes media placement effective is that it tells a story, it educates, it gives the public information on a particular topic or field that they otherwise wouldn't have access to. Let's look at a couple of examples.

We represented a physician who was working on a new cancer drug and was in the midst of clinical tests. The first series had been quite promising. He was looking for patients with a certain type of cancer who were interested in participating in the study. He received hundreds of calls after a local TV interview ran, from people wanting to find out more information. These people would have never been aware of the study, and their opportunity to participate in it, if it had not been for the interview they saw. How about a couple of examples that are not quite so serious?

A skin care expert who has created her own make-up line, appeared on a TV segment teaching consumers how to buy cosmetics for less. The piece explained how to read and understand labels and how to shop for quality, yet inexpensive products. She was presented as an expert, her products were highlighted, and the public learned new information.

The President and CEO of an Internet company who specialized in B to B solutions, was interviewed in a national publication on the changing face of the Internet. He was able to discuss his company and the solutions it offered, establish himself as an expert in his field, and educate the public.

All of these pieces highlighted and focused on the client's company, but they also educated. By watching the programs or reading the articles, the public learned new information. The pieces were informative and (hopefully) added to the quality of the viewers' or readers' lives. Done correctly, it educates, instructs, entertains, and whets the public's appetite to know more. On the marketing end, it also stimulates your target audience to make an appointment, purchase a product, or to visit a store. But the bottom line comes down to presenting yourself as an expert, an educator, as someone whom both the media and the public turn to for information and advice, you are communicating with and educating the public.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2008
For further information visit:
www.AnthonyMora.com

Thinking Long-Term for PR Campaign

Don't start a PR campaign if you're not willing to make a commitment. An effective campaign takes planning, time, and work. You need to mine your stories and use the media you garner to land more media. A truly effective PR campaign cannot be launched or realistically measured in two four or even six months.

Once you do decide to move forward, begin with some clear specific objectives. Stating that you want media to bring in more clients, customers, or patients isn't good enough. Study your business plan. How can media placement help you meet your objectives? Do you want to increase your business by a third in one year? Do you want to open another store or branch? Do you want to take a product national? What are your long term goals? Without such goals, you have no way to measure the success of the campaign.

Keep your eye on the future. Remember, media placement is a long-term, cumulative process. If you are only looking five weeks or even six months down the line, broaden your scope. Write down your short-term and long-term objectives. Where does media placement fit in? How can an effective media relations campaign help you achieve your objectives? Seek advice from others. But don't let someone else answer these questions for you. These are question only you can answer.

Finally, don't come up with a plan that has you appearing on Oprah, The Tonight Show, or in Time Magazine and The Wall Street Journal within the first two months of your campaign. That's not a plan, that's fantasy.

One particular client we've worked with for several years has been featured in Time Newsweek, the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, NPR and countless other media outlets, but these interviews did not come about overnight. They were part of a long term commitment to achieving her PR objectives. I can't emphasize enough the importance of committing yourself to a campaign. If the client I referred to had stopped her campaign in two or three month's time, she would never have been in Time or the Wall Street Journal and would never had known that her campaign was on the road to success. That indeed would have been a waste of time and money.

Launching an effective PR campaign for your company is not a luxury, but a necessary powerful, key marketing tool. Think of it as being an integral part of your company's long term marketing strategy.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2006

For further information visit:
www.AnthonyMora.com