Press Releases for Every Occasion

Press Releases for Every Occasion



by Bill Stoller, Publisher Free Publicity, The Newsletter for PR-

Hungry Businesses http://www.PublicityInsider.com/freepub.asp



To many marketers, the press release is something of a "one size

fits all" proposition. You want to get media coverage, you knock

out a press release, send it to some journalists and sit back and

wait.



Of course, smart Publicity Insiders already know that's a

prescription for failure. You know that your press release has

to have a "hook", be well-written and sent to appropriate

journalists in an active, not passive, manner. But there's

another part of the puzzle that even savvy publicity-seekers

sometimes miss -- you can't just write "a press release", you

have to write the right kind of press release.



There's no such thing as a "one size fits all" release. Smart

publicists have variations of the press release model ready to be

go, depending on the occasion.



(Note: for a general introduction to press release writing and

formatting, see: http://www.publicityinsider.com/release.asp



Let's look at some releases suitable for "harder" and more timely

news...



The News Release



To some folks, "news release" and "press release" are

interchangeable. Not to me. I use the phrase "news release" to

refer to a release that, well, carries actual news. Let's face

it, most of what a business has to say to a journalist isn't

exactly "stop the presses" kind of stuff. But, on occasion,

something of real significance occurs. A merger, a stock split,

a major new contract, winning a national award...something that's

truly timely and important. For these sorts of events, don't

mess around. Craft a solid, hard-hitting News Release that's

written in pure journalistic style (lead includes "who, what,

when, why and how", language is in 3rd person and completely free

of hyperbole). Use journalism's "inverted pyramid" -- most

important information at the top, next most important info in the

second paragraph and so on down.



Tell the entire story in the headline and subhead. Again, don't

get cute -- get straight to the point. The headline "Acme

Corporation Selected by Pentagon to Supply Troops with Widgets"

is far better than something like "Guess Who's Making Widgets for

Uncle Sam?" or something "clever" like that. In the subhead,

fill in some details: "$18 Million Contract Largest in Company's

History". Talk about getting straight to the point! You've just

given the journalist the meat of the story before she's even read

your lead.



Add a "dateline" (Akron, OH) at the beginning of your lead

(first) paragraph. In the dateline, use your company's home town

(or the location where some news has broken. You can be a bit

creative here, if it helps maximize your impact. For the above

example, you can dateline it Washington, DC and say that "The

Pentagon today announced that it has selected an Akron

company...").



In distributing the release, use e-mail, fax, distribution

service such as PRWeb or PR Newswire, or even overnight courier.

The goal is to get it into journalists' hands on the same day you

distribute it.



Executive Appointment Release



Most businesses send out a brief release and headshot when

someone new is hired or a major promotion is made. That's fine,

and it will get them in the "People on the Move" column on page 8

in the business section. It's an ego stroke for the employee,

but that's about it. Savvy publicity seekers use the Executive

Appointment release to generate real publicity. Here's the key --

don't just announce that someone's been hired or promoted.

Rather, explain why the move is significant to the company -- and

perhaps the market -- as a whole.



For example, Jane Smith has been hired as your company's new

director of sales. Not so exciting. However, the reason you

hired her is because she came from a major online retailer and is

planning to overhaul your sales system to compare with the state-

of-the-art systems used by the big guys. Hmmmm...that's a lot

more interesting. So why not tell the media about it?



The key ingredient is context. Your headline may still look like

that of a typical Executive Appointment release (Acme Names Jane

Smith New Director of Sales), but starting with the subhead, you

begin your journey off page 8 of the business section and onto

page one (Hiring of Key Figure in Online Sales Explosion Marks

Important Shift in Acme's Sales Strategy). Ah, now you've entered

the realm of news, not business as usual. And a sharp business

editor will see that a local company is doing something far more

significant than just making a hire.



Dateline the release, fax (or even messenger), email or regular

mail it over to your local business editor and follow up with a

phone call. Offer Jane Smith for interview, too.



The Media Alert



The Media Alert is a deceptively simple creature. It's

essentially a memo from you to TV, radio and newspaper assignment

editors, city desk editors and others who decide whether a

particular news event is worth covering. They're used to alert

the press about news conferences, charity events, publicity

"stunts" and other events.



The point of the Media Alert is to, in just a few seconds, tell a

journalist about the event, how to cover it and why it's

important that the media outlet, in fact, covers it. Most

publicists are pretty good on the first two points -- almost all

media alerts do a decent job of telling what the event is, where

it will be held and what time it starts. It's the third aspect

-- the "why" -- that will make the real difference, though. And

it's the thing most publicists do a lousy of job of conveying.



First, a word about format. Use standard press release headings

(contact info, "For Immediate Release" and headline). The rest

of the document should be a few paragraphs, spaced at least three

lines apart from one another. The first paragraph, should begin

with What: and continue with a one or two line description of the

event (WidgetFest 2004, a celebration of young minds). Next

paragraph, When:, after that Where:



Now here's the key paragraph,



Why You Should Cover WidgetFest 2004: The brightest young minds

from around the region will gather to present their inventions,

as Acme Corp. celebrates the state's top high school science

students. The event will be a visual feast, with a host of awe-

inspiring inventions, many colorful, active and exotic, on

display. As part of the event, more than $10,000 in scholarships

will be distributed to budding Einsteins by John Smith, Ohio's

Science Teacher of the Year.



The key? This line: "The event will be a visual feast, with a

host of awe-inspiring inventions, many colorful, active and

exotic, on display." I just spoke an assignment editor's

language, telling him that this will provide lots of cool

visuals, making for great video or photos. The bit about the

scholarships and the Science Teacher of the Year assures him that

this won't just be a promotional stunt. So what are we offering?

A non-promotional, feel-good event with great visuals. Just what

an assignment editor is looking for.



# # #



About The Author:



Bill Stoller, the "Publicity Insider", has spent two decades as

one of America's top publicists. Now, through his website, eZine

and subscription newsletter, Free Publicity: The Newsletter for

PR-Hungry Businesses http://www.PublicityInsider.com/freepub.asp

he's sharing -- for the very first time -- his secrets of scoring

big publicity. For free articles, killer publicity tips and

much, much more, visit Bill's exclusive new site:

http://www.PublicityInsider.com