Know When To
Send In Your Press Release
by
Abe Cherian, Multiple Stream Media
Abe Cherian
Press
releases should target either general interest or
special interest media. Your targets should include
print, broadcast, and internet media. General
interest media includes your local newspaper, Time
magazine, and some of your local radio and
television stations.
Special Interest media
includes trade publications and broadcast media
that focuses on some niche area of interest.
The important thing to remember
as you pursue this avenue, is that your press release
must be newsworthy, ie..., news,
if it is going to be published and generate the traffic
to your website that you are seeking. You should also
recognize that what's news to one organization isn't
necessarily news to another.
Your local newspaper, the Little Ville Beacon, may think
your having a website on the internet is big news. After
all, nobody at the paper has browsed the internet themselves
yet and they don't know anyone else who has a website. So
by all means send a press release to the home town newspaper.
Time magazine, on the other hand may not be so impressed.
They may not have actually browsed the web, but someone
met somebody sometime at a cocktail party in Manhattan who
did. So its not news. Yet if you have the right kind of
site you might get into Time. How? Well, if it's a special
interest site it might correspond to a special interest
section of the publication or be involved in a special
event of the time.
For example, the
periodical has a section that covers
politics and your website is the be all of all times
on politics. Or you might get lucky and send them your
PR Release on your model railroading website just as
they are putting together a special report on how model
railroading is taking the nation by storm. Of course,
you will not know that, but if you send enough PR
releases out you just might get lucky.
You could get on the radio. Does one of your local stations have a talk show that covers computers?
Perhaps there's a local talk show that's about crafts and hobbies. Your website on clothing and handbags might be an appropriate subject to talk about when you call into the show. Hey, you're doing a public service here. Don't be shy.
Special interest media would include Model Railroading Magazine, Net Guide, Computer World, and a variety of programs on public television and radio. The closer the fit of what your website covers and what this particular media covers the more likely you will get coverage.
If a particular media is a super fit for your site, like if there were a publication called clothing and handbags on the Web, you should probably make a special effort and maybe tailor your release to meet their specific needs. You might even call the editor for the department you are targeting to reinforce your message.
Writing the press release should not be too difficult. Keep it brief. About two pages double spaced is about right. Always include some direct quotations as if you were being interviewed.
For example, "Mr. Page stated that his Google Internet Search Engine is the greatest thing since sliced bread." With some good direct quotes, the reporter can write the story as if he actually bothered to interview you.
Since reporters are very busy people, this extra touch will be very appreciated and your website is more likely to get some press coverage. A well written press release can be used verbatim by some trade publications. The trade publications that have no paid subscribers and a lot of advertisers often don't have a lot of reporters hanging around looking for something to do. The editor just might pop your entire release, unedited (He's busy too.), right into the Industry News Column.
About
The Author
Abe Cherian is the founder of Multiple Stream Media, a
company that helps online businesses find new prospects
and clients, who are anxious to grow their business
fast, and without spending a fortune in marketing
and advertising. www.multiplestreammktg.com
