New Product? Give It Nine Lives

Written by Marcia Yudkin


The closeness betweenrepparttar words "new" and "news" provides a telling clue to how easy it can be to get media coverage for something that's new. By definition,repparttar 118855 media are inrepparttar 118856 business of covering what's fresh, what's unprecedented and what has just happened. Follow a few simple steps and publicity can make your product launch a significant success.

First, carefully and honestly define specific markets for your product. Media that target those markets are those you should concentrate on. Forget aboutrepparttar 118857 mass media unless even a skeptic would have to agree that your product would matter to practically everyone.

Second, identifyrepparttar 118858 primary benefit your product will bring to each target market. String that together withrepparttar 118859 identity ofrepparttar 118860 corresponding population in a press release headline, usingrepparttar 118861 formula "New [generic product description] brings [benefit] to [target market]." For instance:

New Bridal Shower Game Ends Gift-Opening Tedium, Makes Shower a Memorable Event for Hostess, Bride and Guests

Third, reword your headline for each target market. An editor's paramount question when screening release headlines, whether in a stack of faxes, in an email in-box or onrepparttar 118862 Web, is "Is it relevant to my readers?" Namingrepparttar 118863 readers inrepparttar 118864 headline answers that question without forcingrepparttar 118865 editor to think. For example, whilerepparttar 118866 headline above would go to brides' magazines,repparttar 118867 one below fits publications for wedding planners:

New Bridal Shower Game a Sure-Fire Add-on for Party Planners

Fourth, completerepparttar 118868 releases and distribute them torepparttar 118869 relevant media. The narrower a niche,repparttar 118870 more you may want to supplement established industry distribution circuits with additional research and one-by-one mailing, emailing or faxing.

Are They Watching You Online?

Written by Jim Edwards


When surfingrepparttar Internet you probably take your anonymity for granted, most of us do.

Tapping phones, listening to confidential conversations, reading others' e-mail messages seems like something that only happens in spy movies to "other" people.

However, you probably don't realize just how much information about yourself hasrepparttar 118854 potential to get transmitted acrossrepparttar 118855 Internet every time you go online.

Every computer connected torepparttar 118856 Internet has "ports" that allow it to connect. A "port" doesn't mean you have a physical hole or opening in your computer's case or hardware, but it does mean you have openings through which information passes back and forth between your computer andrepparttar 118857 Internet.

Depending onrepparttar 118858 type of connection (dial up, LAN, cable, DSL), you may have several openings for potential mischief by hackers, malicious code or viruses.

Computers with dedicated connections raterepparttar 118859 most at risk. If someone or something gets into one of these ports and into your computer, they can potentially watch everything you do and see allrepparttar 118860 data you enter, including social security numbers and credit card information.

The easiest way to defeat this problem involves using a firewall. Firewalls, simple and inexpensive software available at virtually any office supply or computer store, blockrepparttar 118861 most common ports hackers use to enter your computer.

Firewalls also help you detect and block unauthorized transmission of information from your computer torepparttar 118862 Internet. This adds a significant measure of protection if you get infected with a Trojan Horse virus that tries to "phone home" torepparttar 118863 hacker with your sensitive information.

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