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Steve B
12-15-2009, 04:08 AM
I just commented on a previous post that I couldn't take advantage of some free press when I started my first business because I was keeping it low key while I still had a regular job. Well, that isn't true anymore as I've not had a real job in over 3 years. So, now that I'm starting my 4th business I decided to send out a press release.

It has gotten picked up by three different places. We got a little mention in a small newspaper, got a small bit on the local news, and in January we're going to have a piece in the big newspaper in town.

It probably took me a couple hours to write it.

Now that I've done it once, I've got a nice e-mail distribution list built and I'll be able to keep in touch with the media with any major changes to my businesses in case they need a quick story in the future.

Just thought I'd share this in case anyone else might be overlooking this possiblity for free publicity.

KristineS
12-15-2009, 08:28 AM
Press releases are a great way to get publicity. Just make sure they're newsworthy and they're concise. It also is a good idea, as Steve points out, to keep in touch with the media, even if you don't have anything to send them. The media are more likely to help spread the word about your business if they feel a connection to you.

Glad this worked for you Steve.

Patrysha
12-15-2009, 08:57 AM
Love, love, love press releases.

Sometimes they fall flat, but most of the time they generate some coverage for the business I've written for.

Don't forget to pop it onto the free newswires. They'll seldom do you a lick of good for coverage, but they are backlinks to your site and there's on odd chance that potential customers will read them.

vangogh
12-15-2009, 11:16 AM
Can't say I've gotten into press releases like I should. I guess it's because I wonder what exactly I've done that's newsworthy. For example in a couple or three months I'm planning on launching a new site for myself in addition to my current one. It's kind of a new, but related business.

Is that newsworthy? If so why and what would you about it? It's news to me and people who know me, but why would the media really care?

Maybe they would more than I realize.

Patrysha
12-15-2009, 12:36 PM
It is really a matter of creativity and often just a bit of reframing to make a story newsworthy :-)

And the fact of the matter is that newsworthiness is often tied to timeliness and not really to the things you might typically think of as newsworthy.

For example, a few years ago I wrote a press release for a candle company...the hook was that they were safe for ppl with allergies...now all candles made with that particular substance have the same properties, but the seller was able to frame it the right way to make it newsworthy enough for the lifestyle section just as holiday entertaining was a topic du jour.

In a few days, I have a release going out for a gym/personal trainer client to take advantage of the lull between Xmas and New Years (it's one of the easiest times of year to get coverage for fluff/soft news stories) - the topic resolutions and how to stick with those fitness goals. Why? Cuz you know those types of stories are going to run anyway, in the case of the paper they can either pull them from the wire and have a generic story or utilize a local angle. It's not newsworthy in that there is nothing new in the information, but it is timely...

You have quite a few things you can take advantage of by re-framing industry news. For example, when a study comes out showing that local search is increasing...you can use that as the lead and talk about what that news means on a local level.

To compete on a national level takes a bit more effort, but really is a matter of establishing yourself as an expert and someone who presents well in the media.

I recommend anyone looking for wider coverage through public relations and is handling the job themselves to sign up for HARO at HARO - Help a Reporter Out (TM) (http://www.helpareporterout.com) - it's three emails a day full of journalists looking for sources. It can take a while before you find one that is right for you depending on what business you're in and what kind of coverage you are looking for, and you have to act fast to be considered on some of the topics...but it's free and it is worth it to get your name into some major traditional publication or onto a well trafficked website in your niche.

vangogh
12-15-2009, 02:44 PM
Thanks Patrysha. Everything you say makes sense. I guess it's less about thinking I'm newsworthy as it is paying to attention to what others consider newsworthy and thinking about how I can tell a story that fits.

I can think of many ways I could do something newsworthy that frames me in a positive light. For example offering a free class to high school kids teaching them how to develop a website. That could easily get local press. Of course I'd actually have to go out and do the teaching.

Seems like I need to really think more about me and my business and realize where what I do overlaps with stories people want to know about.

Thanks for the link.

Patrysha
12-15-2009, 04:52 PM
I guess it's less about thinking I'm newsworthy as it is paying to attention to what others consider newsworthy and thinking about how I can tell a story that fits.

Exactly! It's just like in traditional marketing where the reader/listener/viewer doesn't care about you, but about what it means to them.


I can think of many ways I could do something newsworthy that frames me in a positive light. For example offering a free class to high school kids teaching them how to develop a website. That could easily get local press. Of course I'd actually have to go out and do the teaching.

Yeah, you might have a better experience if you arrange that through Junior Achievement than through just a random high school class though. Just that the kids are more likely to be interested and engaged :-) If they just bring you in for a guest presentation it can be like trying to get cats to pull a sled.

But realistically, it doesn't even have to be that much of a commitment...for example this week would have been a good one to contact the media about the impact of the facebook privacy changes :-) (Local media loves a local twist on a national story)

vangogh
12-15-2009, 05:09 PM
Yeah I wasn't really planning on teaching the class. It was more of an example. The Facebook thing makes sense. Usually when something like that happens I see it more as a blog post I can write, but there's no reason I couldn't also write a press release as well and maybe even tie both together.

Paul Elliott
12-25-2009, 02:34 PM
It is really a matter of creativity and often just a bit of reframing to make a story newsworthy :-)

And the fact of the matter is that newsworthiness is often tied to timeliness and not really to the things you might typically think of as newsworthy.

Patrysha, you have made some excellent points! It is often more about timing than anything else.

I got good coverage for a cookbook on collard greens back when the spinach/e. coli scare was hot basically pointing out that collards had never been responsible as a vector of food-borne illness and was better nutritionally than spinach.

For those wanting a "How To" on article writing can find a very good one at prweb.com (http://www.prweb.com). PRWeb no longer has a free service, but you can establish an account for nothing and read their help files.

Paul

Patrysha
01-15-2010, 02:20 AM
I haven't visited the site, but in general I do not agree with the advice to send PR's directly via email.

Posting to a few freebie sites won't hurt, but it's mostly for backlinks and not necessarily to get newspaper coverage.

Sending them to relevant blogs is another action you can take with press releases...but only after you've researched them carefully either manually or with PR database software like Vocus.

Of course you want to post them in a media section on your own site too.

As for social media sites...it depends on what context you're sending them out in...and on the network...some are more PR friendly than others so you have to be careful. It doesn't do you any good to promote on social media that you are not actively engaged in.

In general, it's really important with public relations that you don't do anything to upset the expectations of the public...you don't want bad perceptions to hide the message you are trying to get out there.

It should be noted that print coverage in newspapers is getting increasingly easier to secure through PR. Budget cuts and competition make a well written release appreciated by journalists and editors. As always the key is newsworthiness, but the trend has been reported...