Publicity Won't Thrive on Press Releases AloneWritten by Ned Steele
Press releases are a useful tool for announcing news and for keeping your name in mind of news media.But you can't build a successful publicity campaign on press releases alone, for simple reason that very few press releases ever make it into paper. You may think that your press release contains terrific, useful news, but you share that belief with other three hundred people that sent their press release to newspaper that day. If newspapers used every press release they got, paperboys would lose their jobs—the morning paper would have to be delivered by forklift. Reporters are inundated by press releases. Some get 60 press releases a day—and on a good day they have time to write only two stories.
| | Writing a Press Release: The Design BasicsWritten by Ned Steele
Big corporations like General Motors and Coca-Cola spend thousands of dollars on press kits with specially-designed folders, full-color stationery, digital photos and lots of other goodies. Does this make a reporter more likely to do their story? In my experience, answer is no.Regardless of appearance of information, there are two basic things in a press release that lead to free publicity. Useful information, and several different contact methods. A reporter almost expects a big company to have flashy press information. But they certainly don't expect or even want it from you. Cut unnecessary costs by skipping fancy, flashy press kits with glitter and ribbons. It rarely helps.
|
