Free Media and Press Releases

Did you know there are thousands of MAJOR media outlets who will give you FREE publicity? Editors at radio stations, TV stations, newspapers, and e-zines are all craving good info. In order to stay in business, they must have a steady stream of information and stories to interest their readers. When you give an editor good information that will interest her readers, you get FREE media publicity.

It's hard to base your entire marketing strategy on free media. You will probably need some paid advertising, too. But it would be a BIG mistake not to augment your advertising with lots of free media publicity.

We've all seen it. Somebody gets a bright idea or develops a new product and the media jumps on it. PRESTO!---everyone wants that person's product or idea. Does this happen because the idea or product is a truly new and brilliant one? Hardly. More often than not, THE PERSON SUCCEEDED BECAUSE SHE OR HE KNEW HOW TO USE THE MEDIA.

We live in a mass society. Millions of people spending billions of dollars and talking about trillions of ideas 24 hours a day. You can reach a FEW of those people through old fashioned word of mouth. But to reach HUGE numbers of them--which is what you will have to do to get the big results--you must use Mass Media.

Do Press Releases Work? That's the question people always ask us. If we host a chat on America On-Line, as we often do, its guaranteed several people will want to know if sending out press releases will just be a big waste of time. Well..the answer is "yes." Yes, if you don't know what you're doing.

After reading this lesson, you WILL know how to get free media. Preparing a Press Release. The news release is the time honored method of putting information before the media. This is especially true for businesses and organizations. It takes the form of a page or two detailing your message, generally slanted a bit to favor your goals. In its most basic form, the news release has your name and contact number at the top, followed by some points the media outlet will be interested in.

Newspapers, radio, TV, and ezines require a very large and steady flow of new information coming in on a daily basis. Reporters keep all options open as sources of news. Estimates place up to 60% of all the news in the business section of your newspaper coming from press releases. If you can dump a good message in their laps, they will use it.

Reporters usually call their own shots. Following a few guidelines set up by his or her editor, the reporter has the freedom to decide which stories to pursue. Call the newspaper and ask which reporter handles stories like yours. If your message is fast breaking and can't wait for a news release to arrive in the mail or for the reporter to check her e-mail, phone the reporter and tell them about it. Make sure you have all your facts clear and correct. Reporters despise inaccuracy. Set them up with bad facts and they won't come back. Also, make sure your story is something the reporter will agree is important. Newspapers don't like it if you send in an ad for your business to be used as a news story. Their attitude is, "Hey, if you want to advertise, call the advertising department and buy an ad."

You have to cloak your message in a story that is newsworthy, a story that readers will find helpful, interesting, simulating, sad, or hopeful. Check out the articles or stories that a media outlet usually runs. You will soon see that most of their stories follow a few popular topics.

The bottom line is this: think like the media, shape your message to fit their likes. Do that and your message has a good chance of being used. Above all, don't let up. While one media manager may not have the slightest interest in your idea, another will welcome you with open arms.

The media needs piles of fresh stories everyday. Hang in there and make sure your product, service, organization or idea is one of those stories.

How to Write the Release.

Begin with a heading in the upper left corner. It must contain the name and address of your organization and the name and phone number of a person or two to contact for more information. Reporters often want to talk with you for answers to additional questions.

Follow the heading with the phrase: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE. Drop down a few spaces underneath the release date and type in all capitals a headline summarizing your message. For example: MAYOR WILL COMMEND BOY SCOUTS FOR PLANTING TREES ALONG THE JORDAN RIVER. Four spaces below that, type a second sentence supporting your headline. Example: Kearns den plants 200 saplings in destroyed fire area. Now follow with the information you have to offer in the body of the release.

Begin with the name of the city you are reporting from and the date the release was written. Your first sentence should re-tell the information in the headlines. For the example above: KEARNS, July 1, 2002. In a ceremony at Salt Lake City Hall, Mayor Kathleen Wilson will commend boy scouts from Kearns for planting over 200 sapling trees in the area of the Jordan River park that was destroyed by fire last winter.

Write it as you would a newspaper story, in inverted pyramid form. This means that the most important information must go at the beginning, with the less important details coming at the end.

Sending Your Press Release to Media. Most media outlets get bags of press releases in the mail every day. They also have press releases spilling out of the fax machine. One radio station I worked for had faxed releases routed into the computer and the receptionist decided each morning what releases got deleted. It's a good idea to e-mail a press release. E-mail is dirt cheap and 99% of editors and reporters have an email address. They can import your release right into their word processor to build the story.

Some good press release sending services are: http://www.xpresspress.com http://www.USANews.net http://www.newsbureau.com All have low prices and do good work. It is a good idea to send your release along with a short personal note to the publications that matter most to you. Get their addresses at http://www.gebbie.com/.

Things you can do NOW: Think of a few things about your business that would make a good press release. New product or service introductions, your tips on how to make an Internet biz successful, and ways people can get a good deal in your industry are all great topics for a press release. Over the next week or so, look in your local paper, trade magazine, e-zines, and radio for stories on businesses like yours. Pay particular attention to what aspects of these stories the media uses. Media editors have a few story lines they like a lot and will use just about anything that relates to one of these popular topics.

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