By Shelly Cone

Do you remember those days when you were just a kid coming home from school full of stories to tell and your mom would offer you a freshly-made cookie, sit down and ask about your day?

Yeah, I don’t know what I’m talking about, I didn’t have that mom either. But I do remember anxiously trying to wrestle her attention away from Phil Donahue’s talk show to tell her all about the nuances of my day. I’m talking EVERY SINGLE DETAIL. I would tell her what we had for lunch, I’d tell her about how Lisa stole my turn at the tetherball court just because I turned around to talk to that boy she likes. I’d talk about the joke Mr. Mitchell told and how it was so funny that Michael laughed until he turned blue and had to be taken to the nurse’s office, and geez that teacher is so great he really deserves a raise. I told my mom all the news I had to share. Now that I have kids, I realize I wasn’t the only chatty child.

Kids love to share their news with you. So it makes me think that naturally we all like to share our stories. That’s wonderful if you are an entrepreneur. However, the funny thing is, most entrepreneurs start a business and then clam up. They tell everybody about their plans to start a business, then when it’s off the ground it’s like it’s some big secret. So if it’s natural to share news and tell your stories why don’t businesses do it more often?

Because a lot of business owners assume they have no news. (That didn’t stop me when I was a kid. I thought EVERYTHING about my day was news.) Really what most businesses need is someone to help them discover what they need to share and how to do it. And believe me, you’ve got more news to share then you think.

Start with press release services

A simple press release will help you share your news. And a press release writer can help you discover what news you should be sharing. Sure you can probably write a press release yourself, but be honest, is that what you really do best? A press release writer knows what information will tickle a reporter’s fancy and what format online press release distribution sites require. Sure you’ve got skills but a press release writer has mad skills in the area of press release services.

Pitch your press release to reporters

If you are pitching reporters yourself make sure you distribute your press release to the right places. Start local. No, getting your press release published in your hometown newspaper isn’t the same as getting a feature in Entreprenuer magazine, but it’s still publicity and you’ve got to start somewhere. If nothing else it gives you a clip to add to your portfolio.

After including your local media work outward. Hit up the next largest media outlets in your metro area. Then go broader than that. Then hit up the major leagues. Don’t be afraid to pitch your press release to the major magazines in your niche.

Then tell EVERYONE else about your news

Seriously, tell everyone. At the barbershop or salon, at the grocery store check out line or at the sandwich shop waiting for your tuna on rye you have the opportunity to tell people about your business. You never know who may be interested in your business. I know of which I speak.

Once upon a time I left journalism and public relations to spend seven years in real estate. I kicked ass. One of the reasons was my website. The other reason however, was I took a common prospecting technique and gave it a little twist. Instead of door knocking and telling residents about my real estate services I decided to go to businesses where I had a build-in audience. Then I told them about my services whether they liked it or not. Everyday I came back with about five leads from either someone at the business, a friend of someone at the business or a patron of the business that overheard my pitch.

So it really does make sense to tell everyone about your business.  And if you still can’t bring yourself to tell everyone, consider enlisting the help of your children.

Shelly Cone is a journalist, public relations professional, and press release writer. She is also the owner of Beach Betty Public Relations, a California lifestyle design company offering press release services, media relations and collaborative marketing events to help you design your life by growing your business.

By Shelly Cone

I get lots of inquiries on a daily basis from potential clients looking for press release services. Of those I close a few deals but some decide to go elsewhere for various reasons. Sometimes it’s because of price, other times it’s because they aren’t sure what they want. But the reason that gets me the most is they want “another writitng style.”

I think this is funny because, though I have a very particular voice, my press releases generally follow the proper format and don’t have all the snark and snarl that my blog posts and other writing has. Then I finally figured out what they mean when they say they don’t like my writing style.

My press releases are pretty straightforward. However, some people want a whiz bang press release. Something that is splashy and sexy and jumps out at you and makes people want to read it. Those people are confused. I mean who are you trying to target? That’s the first question you’ve got to ask.

Let me back up a bit. There are two types of content and most people get them mixed up. There is the press release, which is targeted at reporters and announces something newsworthy. Reporters read the news you are giving them in this press release and they decide whether or not they are interested enough to do a story or investigate further into your news.

The other piece of writing is an article. Whether you write it, a publicist writes it, a blogger writes it or a reporter writes it, you are writing for readers or customers. An article should grab attention and should have a splashy and fun headline.

However, the two are not the same. Most of the time businesses hire me as a press release writer to write a press release announcing their news in the hopes that news reporters will get wind of the news and give them some publicity. However, when they see the press release they are disappointed that it isn’t splashy and shiny.

The reason you can’t do that with press releases is because of the intended audience. In the case of a press release the intended audience is reporters. They want easy access to the facts. They don’t want fluff. If they have to wade through fluff and splash trust me, they won’t. They will toss it aside or pass it on to the advertising department. That’s not to say your press release shouldn’t be intriguing or interesting, because it should be but it just shouldn’t be too over the top.

The other reason that a press release should be written in a toned down style is because many online press release submission sites will reject press releases that appear too promotional.

Whether you are writing your own press release or hiring a press release writer don’t worry too much about exciting writing. The main thing you should look for is that the press release writer has gotten the appropriate news in the press release, it’s an interesting read and it’s in the proper format. Keep it simple and you’ll do fine when it comes to grabbing a reporter’s attention.

Shelly Cone is a journalist, public relations professional, and press release writer. She is also the owner of Beach Betty Public Relations, a California lifestyle design company offering press release services, media relations and collaborative marketing events to help you design your life by growing your business.

Image: Damian Brandon / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Have you ever tried submitting your press release to an online press release submission site only to have it rejected for some unknown reason? Or maybe you’ve sent out press releases to the media only to hear nothing back. It could be that your press release was actually an advertisement.

There are a variety of reasons that media won’t immediately pick up your news. It could be they already have a full schedule of stories or your news doesn’t apply to their readership or maybe it just went to the wrong reporter. On the other hand online press release submissions sites really have one main reason they will reject a press release and that is that it is really an advertisement.

Of course there are other reasons, like maybe it wasn’t formatted correctly or you capitalized every word in the headline, but more likely than not what you submitted was an advertisement. Sometimes there’s a fine line between what’s considered news and advertising.

News is anything new to you that you want to announce to the world. For instance, you just added an eco friendly line of products to your offerings, or you hired a new employee, or you just hit the $1 million mark in revenues or whatever. It’s announcing something that is about to happen or just happened, without trying to do any selling.

Advertising is telling about your product and trying to sell it. Anything that talks about how great your product is, is advertising. For example, “Beach Betty Public Relations offers great press release services” is a headline that is advertising services. It’s not news.

Then again, sometimes your press release will be newsworthy yet it still gets rejected from the online press release submission services. Here’s the secret: You need to use words like “just launched” “announces” “forms partnership” “Gets a new” and similar phrases that relates that something just happened or is about to happen. That makes it news.

Remember, as a journalist myself, I’m not advocating puffing advertising into something that slightly resembles news just to get your message out there, but if you have a truly newsworthy press release these are just a few tips to make sure you get the word out.

No matter where you submit your press release, no one is going to publish what you say unless it is newsworthy. Before I explain what it means to be newsworthy or how you can become newsworthy, let me explain what is not newsworthy.

If your press release talks about a sale, that is not newsworthy. It is advertising. If your press release talks about how great your products or services are, that is not newsworthy. That is advertising. If your press release talks about the fact that you, your products or your services exist, that is not newsworthy either.

So what is newsworthy? The short answer is: Anything new to you or your business. The long answer is it depends on whose perspective you are considering. News editors and features editors will have a different view of what is newsworthy than a business editor will.

So how do you find the right angle to pitch in your press release? Well first consider your audience. If you are trying to get across how successful your company is by releasing your quarterly earnings report, then you are trying to reach maybe investors. You will likely submit your press release to business editors and so therefore, a press release announcing all the money you made in the last quarter is the right angle.

Your company isn’t limited to that angle however. Often times your company has more than one newsworthy angle. Now say that your company has made all of this money in the last quarter largely because of the popularity of a new product line that has moms everywhere clamouring to get their hands on one. Well now you’ve got a feature story about a hot new product trend.

So often the question becomes not really what is the right angle, but where to pitch that angle. Most businesses have several reasons why they are newsworthy. Write a press release for each angle you can think of and submit it to various outlets. Test your results.

In these days of online press release services, free press release submission services and online news aggregate sites the power of the press release is losing a bit of its oomph in the eyes of business owners. So increasingly I’m getting asked to supply press release services but these potential clients want me to guarantee they’ll get press. Hold on, can anyone do that?

I’m sure there is some public relations professional out there right now who is leaning back in their chair and snickering to themselves and thinking “Yeah, I can.” And maybe that’s so, but that’s not the norm, people. Let me take a minute and put on my reporter’s cap. I’ll say a thing or two about what gets press; subjects that are newsworthy. The bottom line is if your press release isn’t newsworthy it isn’t going to get press, no matter what connections your press release professional has. And again I say that knowing there is always that exception.

I’m talking generalities here. As a reporter, if a good friend came to me pitching their story, or their client’s story for that matter, I’d definitely give it a listen and try to find an angle but if I couldn’t justify a story, I wouldn’t run it.

If you want press in a magazine, television or newspaper, you’re best bet is a local mention in your local media’s business pages. It  is almost always a given that you’ll get publicity that way. Now here’s where the cream rises to the top. If you have a product or service that is really special or tied to a benevolent cause you’ll probably have good luck getting a mention in a niche publication or blog. Asking me to guarantee to get you a story in Time magazine, the New York Times or Vogue magazine–well, I’ll probably pass on that request. Not necessarily because I think I can’t do it, but because it tells me you likely have unrealistic expectations. That’s not a bad thing, because business owners need to have just that kind of passion and belief in their product or service, but I know from experience that that’s not something I can guarantee.

So what can you expect from most press release services?

Well if you aren’t hiring full public relations services–just press release services–you should expect a professional well written press release of about 300 to 800 words. You should expect the press release service to work with you to develop a truly newsworthy angle so that you aren’t submitting information that is a thinly disguised sales pitch. You should expect at least one draft, one round of corrections and a final version. You should expect online submission as well as submission to local media if that is applicable for your product or service. If the press release service submits your press release to niche bloggers and niche media then you should expect some submission there as well as a good effort to convince those outlets to provide coverage. Overall you should be satisfied with the experience.

And if you do find someone who can guarantee coverage in the New York Times and delivers, let me know their name. Maybe I’ll acquire their representation myself. 

Image: Salvatore Vuono / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Whether you are updating a business blog or sending out a press release, you probably have a sentence at the top of the page called a headline. You thought only newspapers had those I bet. Nah, just about any piece of writing that contains information has a headline. It’s the thing that calls out to potential readers telling them why they want to read what you’ve written.

What’s your headline style?

Do you simply write one informative sentence explaining what the reader will learn? For example:

“How to Write a Headline”

Do you get a little snarky?

“Your Headline Sucks, Read How It’s Done”

Or do you draw on their curiosity?

“The 10 Best Headlines You’ve Never Seen”

A headline should do a little of all those things. However, keep in mind your main purpose for a headline. If you are trying to gain more readers go with something a little more snappy or draw on their curiosity. But if you want to get the attention of search engines you are better off going for a straight forward title.

What’s the best headline you’ve seen lately?

Image: Salvatore Vuono / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

For the most part people think of marketing during the good times. You send out press releases when sales are good and quarter earnings are up, when your business expands or when you support a good cause. But what about when things are (gasp!) bad? When money is tight? Or even, when crisis strikes? What happens to your marketing campaign then?

When money is tight obviously you should seek affordable public relations strategies to keep your marketing efforts going. As for crisis, that’s actually the time to go full steam ahead with your public relations efforts. By crisis I am talking about those things that happen to a company resulting in the shaking of consumer confidence, like when a product gets recalled or when a CEO gets in trouble. That’s when you should go all out, hire the best crisis public relations professional and try to get through it with your reputation intact.

The first thing that should happen is you should send out a press release. It should be brief, to the point, and it should avoid going into too much detail about the original incident. Instead, concentrate more on what you are doing to fix or change things and what you will be doing to once again become the company that your consumers relied on.

After you get the press release out, your next steps would be to start a public relations campaign that will once again shine the halo over your corporate head. Co-brand with a cause. Start a movement to help offset your carbon footprint. Buy a big-eyed puppy and make it your mascot. Start making headlines in a positive way.

The best thing to do when negative publicity threatens your business is to face it head on and take charge. Start by issuing a press release.

Is the press release dead? You know what I’m going to say. However, there was actually a declaration made by Simon Dumenco at AdvertisingAge yesterday that the press release is officially dead.

And why? Because celebrity reporters have turned to Twitter to get real time news. Also JetBlue skipped an official press release about its flight attendant melt-down situation and instead posted to Twitter. The article also points out how BP issued a formal press release apology but didn’t go to Twitter therefore leaving themselves wide open.

I’m thinking this guy has never been a real reporter. Reporters–even the millennial type–rely on press releases. Twitter is fine and I’m all over social media for my Beach Betty PR clients. But for my job as a reporter I still rely on press releases. Twitter and other forms of social media are wonderful for quick consumable soundbites and celebrity real-time news that quickly reports on the fact that Lindsey Lohan picked her nose, then moves to what she’s eating at lunch.

Social media is also great for networking with reporters and pitching them a story. However, unless you are feeding them a groundbreaking, juicy tidbit, most reporters are going to want the long version. I get inundated all day long with emails pitching a story. Usually they are one or two lines asking “Would you be interested in a story about …” To which I reply, “Send me a press release.” Why? Because no matter how poorly they are written, I don’t want to waste my time tracking down every possible story idea that more times than not is going to be about someone’s enchilada bake sale. I want the details. I want to know why it’s important that I stop working on the story I’m writing and talk to someone about their story idea.

Again, this goes for most story pitches and announcements. Not all of them. The really groundbreaking news never comes in the form of a press release. Then again, the really groundbreaking news doesn’t happen with great frequency.

Here are few reasons why the press release is still relevant:

1. It gives reporters easy access to the facts, the who, what, where, when and why
2. Reporters are too busy to track down every vague lead. A press release gives us something more to go on.
3. It lets us decide how newsworthy the story idea or pitch is. Sometimes stories are turned away because the person pitching the story emphasized something that the reporter didn’t think was important while neglecting to mention the item the reporter thinks is the true story. Having all the facts lets us decide.
4. Having contact information available lets us know that it’s probably credible, especially after we verify it. A social media post is too easily manipulated by anonymous sources.
5. A press release is a means for the little announcements to get noticed. You may not be a high-profile celebrity, let’s face it you probably aren’t, but you still want some attention for your newsworthy item. Do you think some big-time reporter is going to jump on it because you tweeted about it? No. Because he is watching Lindsey pick her nose. A press release across his desk is a tangible, physical thing, that in a world of social media stands out because it’s different. Different but definitely not dead.

Image: Salvatore Vuono / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

There are so many ways to promote yourself on the web through ads or link exchanges or commenting on other people’s blogs and hoping to catch their attention. However, often businesses forget about the little one-page tool called a press release. Combined with other services your press release can accomplish so much beyond simply contacting offline media.

It helps zero in on your message

If you engage in do-it-yourself public relations you know how powerful a press release can be in getting your message out. A press release takes your message and puts it in a succinct package ready for consumption by media professionals, bloggers or the general public. It tells everyone why you are newsworthy. It’s like: “Yeah, I’m newsworthy. What, you didn’t know that? Oh, wait here’s a press release that tells you why you should care.”

It’s a good way to build links

I know that there are some that will argue that this isn’t a good purpose for an online press release, but there is little dispute that a properly optimized press release will turn up in search results and usually pretty high up in the ranks. This is, of course, assuming you have something newsworthy to put out there. So why not capitalize on the bit of link juice and the attention it brings?

It’s an excuse to put your contact info out there

OK as a journalist this makes me bristle because it is self-promotion and starts to veer away from newsworthiness as far as the intent. But the fact is, if you write a press release you need to put your contact info on it. Everyone wants and expects this–including journalists who need it if they want to contact you about doing a story based on the press release. So this is different than say, what you should do to market yourself in social media. If you tried to put your contact info in all your Twitter or Facebook posts or blog comments you’d lose friends fast, but with a press release it’s supposed to be there.

So how do you use press release services to your advantage?

1. Choose some highly reputable press release services
2. Hire a press release writer to draft a professional press release for you and define what you should be announcing
3. If you are writing your own press release make sure to have someone else look it over and give their opinion
4. Find some popular press release submission sites and submit your press release or invest in press release services to submit your press release

Press releases are an efficient way to get your message out while saving you money in your marketing efforts. Have you found press releases helpful to your public relations strategy?

You are just itching to release the news of your company’s merger with that other big name company. So when the time comes you enlist the press release services of your assistant, draft up a press release and send it out in an email blast to every reporter you can think of. Then you get a call from that other company asking you to hold off on an announcement for another few weeks. You can’t unsend an email. But you are not sunk.

Depending on the reason why you need to pull the press release, it might not be too big of a deal. It can actually work to be a benefit.

The first thing to do without wasting a minute is to contact everyone who got the press release in the first place. If you invested in press release services go back to the company and ask if they would try to retract the press releases they submitted. There will likely be a charge, but it will be much easier than trying to do it yourself.

Consider having a press release written that retracts the first press release. This would be a professional press release that in fact announces something else that is similar. You may say that you are “in talks” with the other company or you may want to announce that you are “expecting” a merger to be complete soon. So in essence now what you are submitting to the media is a “corrected” version, not a “premature” version of a press release. Reporters are sensitive to printing correct information, because no matter whose fault it is if incorrect information gets printed, there usually needs to be a retraction published also. So we’d rather avoid it, therefore a corrected press release, if timely, isn’t looked at in a bad light.

If possible, also follow up with a phone call to everyone who received it. Even if all you are able to do is leave a voicemail, it will alert the reporter to look for the corrected version of the press release. Be sure to briefly highlight the correction to avoid any confusion with the two press releases.

When you got the reporter on the phone, thank them, then quickly ask if they are the right contact for future press releases on the topic. If they seem willing to chat, ask what their preferred method of recieving press releases is and any tips for getting stories published. Crisis  averted and you’ve got a new contact now for future press releases.