Like it or not, you need to use a Sense of Urgency if you have any hope of overcoming universal human trait of procrastination. Start looking more closely at marketing vehicles you receive every day, and you'll begin to see that effective marketing always gives you a reason to act now.

3. BODY COPY: TELL THEM THE DETAILS OF WHAT THEY WILL GET

You got your targets' attention with your headline, by telling them that you have what they want. Now it's time to tell them exactly what they will get if they respond to your marketing offer.

Tell them exactly what is included. Tell them specific features of your offer and how they will benefit from them. Tell them how others have been benefited. Provide them with specific numbers if appropriate.

Use bold sub-heads and bullets to make it easy for them to skim to information that is important to them.

4. CALL TO ACTION: TELL THEM WHAT THEY MUST DO TO GET IT

Don't assume that your prospects and customers will figure out how to get what you are offering. They won't do your work for you.

If they have to call to get it, then tell them to call. If they have to write or drop a post card in mail, or fax something to you, then tell them clearly.

The point is to make it as easy as possible for your target to do what you want them to do. People don't like to do anything that is going to take work on their part. Make it as easy for them to respond as possible, or they won't.

5. POSTSCRIPT: TELL THEM AGAIN WHAT THEY CAN GET, HOW QUICKLY THEY MUST ACT, AND WHAT THEY MUST DO TO GET IT

If there is room in marketing vehicle, such as a sales letter, it is always a good idea to re-cap your offer in a P.S.

Very often people will skip down to P.S. right after reading headline. By repeating all of specifics of your offer there, you stand a much better chance of ensuring that your prospects will understand your offer.

Tell them what they will get if they respond by deadline, and exactly what they must do.

Here's an example:

P.S. Drop enclosed post card in mail by Friday, March 30th, to receive your Free Information Packet!

See how easy it is to recap everything in just one short sentence?

Copyright (c) 2001, Joe Gracia

TODD: Sure, be glad to. A solid Public Relations/Publicity campaign should consist of following elements.

1. Articulate media release/feature pitch composition that gets attention of editors, reporters and producers nationwide. If you can’t get their attention, you’ve lost battle before you’ve even started.

2. Meticulous media market research capabilities to find those media outlets and contacts applicable to your campaign. Just sending your release to anyone and everyone makes no sense. Some press release distribution services charge hundreds of dollars to send out your release. But WHO is it going to? It does little good to send a release about new business finance developments to editor of Southern Living. Their audience isn’t looking for that information. Be sure you take great care to find media outlets and individual contacts that are interested in what you have to say.

3. Extensive, ongoing campaign management including: media follow-ups; media relations contacts, media request fulfillment and more. Why? Because without follow-ups, you have to start all over again then next time you send a release. And without media relations, you decrease your chance of getting seen by a horrifying percentage.

4. Media tracking capabilities to get you copies of articles and features in which your product or business is mentioned. This information is vital for critiquing existing campaigns and launching future ones. By determining who ran what stories, and which types of media picked up on your release, you can strategically alter direction of your publicity efforts for a greater response.

KARON: Now, you mentioned distribution services a minute ago. What I hear most from small business owners is that they "need" a press release distribution service. I have found, however, that it is often more effective to develop your own, targeted list of outlets to send releases to. What do you find works most often?

TODD: When it comes to press release distribution -- beware. Many distribution services are what I call "pitch and ditch" services in that they pitch your release to supposedly thousands of media outlets, but provide no additional media relations, follow-ups, media request fulfillment or tracking. Many services indiscriminately spew your release to hundreds of untargeted media outlets with little or no results. I'm not saying release distribution services aren't legitimate -- I just question their effectiveness for companies that aren't publicly traded. A smaller company needs to provide consistent and effective follow-ups before a campaign begins to bear fruit. And be sure to research to find out preferred method of receipt of your media targets - don't just assume an email will suffice. Whether it's by snail mail, email, fax or phone calls, media can't run your story if they don't hear about it.

KARON: Thanks so much, Todd. You’ve provided a lot of direction here that I know Business Essentials’ readers will take advantage of.

Todd Brabender of Spread The News Public Relations can be found online at http://www.spreadthenewspr.com.