Keep a picture of Tom Brokaw or some other stiff-necked news anchor taped to your computer monitor while you write. If you wouldn’t hear Tom using verbiage you’re typing into your release on nightly news, don’t include it in your copy.

Step Three - Send Your Press Release Out to Everybody on Face of Earth Whether It Is Applicable to Them or Not

Here’s yet another “tactic” that so many well-meaning people misunderstand. Again… just like advertising, you have to keep your target audience in mind.

If you manufacture automobile parts and sell them to repair shops, would you advertise in a golf magazine? Certainly not! Why? Because it’s very unlikely that you’ll get any response. Wholesale auto parts are not what most golfers are looking for.

The same holds true when distributing your press release.

Take time to develop, rent, buy or broker a list that will get your release in front of people who will actually care. Will it be free? No. Will it work? Unless you use one or all of these three ways to ruin your release, it should.

Are there more ways to ruin your press release? Oh sure! Lots of them. But these “Top 3 Killers” require most attention. Before you write your next press release, take time to stop and think. Are you using any of these three steps? If so, make changes now so your release will accomplish everything you’ve hoped for.

Let Karon write targeted copy, press releases and ezine articles for you. Visit her site at http://www.marketingwords.com, or learn to write your own copy at http://www.copywritingcourse.com.

Here are a few questions to get you started: * How does that particular feature bring value to customer? * Will they sleep better, eat better, make more money, or what better because they have it?

Next, contact some prospects or past customers (not current customers). Ask them to identify benefit they see in your product/service. Usually they can give you benefits you could not see. This is usually an eye-opening experience so don't skip over it.

Now, number each of benefits in significant order from prospect's perception. You can number them and then e- mail ten or so prospects, present and past customers, and ask them to number them. Then you can see how well you know your prospects. If you are way off to their perspective, then at least you know you need to get to see things from their viewpoint and you can work on that.

Finally, yet importantly, choose top, number one, ultimate benefit that stands out. THAT, my friend, is foundation of all of marketing and writing marketing copy. This isn't end, now you need to build your marketing strategy around this ONE, repeat ONE, benefit. Don't make mistake juvenile marketers make by expressing all benefits. This only confuses buyers. Moreover, if your prospects are responding, "I need to think about it" more frequently then you prefer -- let this be your clue.