How To Get FREE Media Publicity With Your Short Announcement
Every day radio, TV, ...
and ezines give away millions ... in FREE ...
There is nothing like waking up inthe morning to the sound of your favorite radio ... Every day radio, TV, newspapers, and ezines give away millions ofdollars in FREE publicity.
There is nothing like waking up inthe morning to the sound of your favorite radio announcerenthusiastically recommending your product, service, or idea.Your good reputation can spread far and fast, virtually overnight.Usually businesses send out press releases to get their news toeditors. But there is something many editors like even more: amedia announcement.Media announcements are short.
They usually have a headline, aparagraph or two with more details, and contact information.That's it.Here is an example:*****STARS OF "KIDS ALONE" CHOOSE ROTWORTH COOKIES AT LOCAL EVENT.Marty and Melda, the stars of the hit movie "Kids Alone" willappear at Rotworth Cookies, 1010 State in Centerville, to explainwhy they insisted on Rotworth Cookies for the movie. The treatsare prominently featured in a key scene and are essential to thefilm's plot.Date: Saturday March 3.Time: 10 AMContact: Roger Smith, Rotworth
[email protected]://rotworthcookies.com****Try your hand writing your own media announcement.
You can use mymedia announcement creator athttp://InternetWriters.com/release.htm Simply enter your contactinfo and a few sentences about your business and--presto--yourannouncement is created and emailed to you.Editors like the short, simple, easy-to-grasp format. When you'vegot 100 press releases crossing your desk, a QUICK message isalways welcome.Use your headline and paragraph to focus on the "juicy" part, asI like to call it.
In the example, stars from a hit movieappearing locally was the juicy part. It's the hook that aneditor knows will interest many people in their audience.That last point is the key to getting press.
It's not what YOUfeel is important, it's what the EDITOR thinks her audienceis interested in that counts.Most media people instinctively believe they can interest theaudience in only a few stories at a time. They know their bestbet is to connect new stories to topics that already have thepublic's attention.Look for ways to connect your story with topics the media coversfrequently.
Media love celebrities, scandals, communityimprovement, and politics. They love science and technologystories when they pertain to our health or scare people (I know,it's a cynical point, but a key factor, especially in TV newsprogramming).Media especially like local angles on a national or internationalstory.
If Congress is about to pass a controversial lawaffecting cookie production, Rotworth Cookies can get localcoverage by explaining how the law will impact its manyemployees, all who are local citizens known by many in theaudience.All media like controversy, but talk radio likes it most. Onesmart radio programmer once told me "if talk radio doesn't havecontroversy, it's dead." TV likes events that are visual.That's why you see the mayor opening a new store with a GIANT keyor the CEO of a business giving a GIANT check to a charity.Newspapers deal more with ideas and what people said.
Make sureyou have some interesting, colorful, or pithy comments ready forthe reporter that calls.How do you distribute your media announcement? Call and tellyour news to the person in the newsroom who answers the phone.Then email, fax, or regular mail your announcement. It doesn'thurt to do all three (some editors might get annoyed, but mostaren't that organized and appreciate you making sure they getmultiple opportunities to use the material).Above all, make sure you are ready and available to provide moredetails.
The entire point of a media announcement is to get theeditor interested and on the phone with you. Many like to email.Provide several phone numbers where you can be reached and anemail address you check often.
Many times a reporter will callyou hours or minutes before deadline. Fail to get back with themquickly, and your story will be skipped.Some editors may say "send me more information..fast!" Have apress packet ready.
This could include an expanded version ofyour media release. Add more information to it to get a fullpage press release.
Photos also work well if you regular mailthem or put them on a web page. A link to the page can go in yourpress release.A cover letter isn't necessary, but it's a good idea to include abio sheet.
Tell what your business or organization does, how yougot started, your history, and your plans for the future. Besure to include quotes that could be used in an article or on theair.Broadcast media--radio and TV--like a list of questions they canask you.
You can also provide the answers to the questions.This can work well for print media as well.What editors really want is for you to help them do their job.When I was in media, I gave away thousands in free publicity. Inever looked at it as giving away publicity, just as looking forinteresting stories my audience would appreciate.
If a businesshelped me do that, then I was more than happy to give them a"plug," mentioning their name and product.Be persistent. Send just one media announcement out and youprobably won't get much response.
Success comes when youconsistently look for ideas or events to tell the media about.The biggest PR successes haven't come from great stories as muchas from small business folks who just won't give up. Take out acalendar and jot down events you could stage over the next fewmonths.
It might be an event at your store, one you put on with alocal charity, a new section of your web site, or you as activistin a local controversy or cause. Article Tags: Rotworth Cookies, Media Announcement Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com .