Everyone keeps their radio tuned to station WIIFM - What's In It For Me. This fact and its implications hold a valuable secret for multiplying publicity opportunities.Let's put ourselves first in position of editor of a magazine for floral shops. His assistant has collected day's press releases for her, and he gives each headline a scan before either reading more carefully or tossing it. His foremost concern during his five-second screen: Is this relevant to florists, my readers?
Naturally anything with word "florists" or "flowers" in headline commands a thorough read. And since his readers all own or operate a small business, anything with "small business" in headline catches his attention as well. Without these key words or phrases in headline, editor is forced to translate, to think whether a general message about a trend, a law, a new service or an event holds significance for her market.
Likewise, when editor of a portal site for financial service professionals peruses day's business releases, anything with "finance" or better yet, "financial professionals" compels her to click through. In browsing mode, her brain might not think quickly enough to see "E- Learning Grew 40% in 2001, Expected to Double in 2002" and understand that this relates to her readers' ability to obtain continuing education more cheaply and efficiently. However, if she saw "Financial Services Professionals Keep Skills Tuned Through Rising E-Learning Trend," she wouldn't ever ignore it.
Now let's explore what this means for smart publicity seeker. If you want to maximize your media coverage, begin by making a list of professions, industries or consumer segments that would benefit from what you're promoting. Then craft a general press release and change headline and at least part of contents for each niche so that relevance to that group jumps out unmistakably.