2 Quick Tips to Great Press Releases
July 1, 2008
If you are struggling to get the media interested in your press release, you are not alone. Many people believe that you write a release, send it over to the producer at a radio station and wait for the avalanche of phone calls. Then, when you get no response, you call up the station who promptly tells you that they never read it! If you want your radio press releases to grab the attention of producers…here are two quick tips to crafting an effective press release! 1. Topic Overview Once... Read more »
3 Important Parts of an Attention Grabbing Press Release
June 30, 2008
Most people seem to believe they can write a press release, mail or email it to a radio or television station, and sit back and wait for the avalanche of phone calls. But as time passes and no producers are beating down the door, they make a few phone calls only to discover that no one even read the release. The following are components of radio and TV press releases that will make your show idea come to life for producers and hosts, and also position you ahead of the pack. 1. Headline! Headline?... Read more »
How You Can Make Media Relations Effective
June 30, 2008
With media relations, remember that journalists have to be accountable to their editors and to their readers. For journalists, the most important thing they’re trying to accomplish is to put out a newsworthy story. Does that mean you can get a fair chance at getting your own story across? Many are misinformed about the press. In fact, many people believe that the media is in fact out to get them and that you have to be careful of what you say. This can also be true in the reverse. In those... Read more »
In Praise of Press Releases - A Frank Discussion on Form And Function
June 26, 2008
There is no disputing the power of a well-written, newsworthy press release. In fact, it is one of the single best things you can do for your business. Newspapers, magazines, radio and television news programs are filled with stories about businesses and organizations every day. What you may not realize is that those stories are often the result of a press release. There is a bit of skill involved in crafting a truly newsworthy release; the rewards can help stretch your promotional dollar significantly.... Read more »
News is a Four-Letter Word
June 21, 2008
This week I received a press release to inform me that the company sending the release had changed email service providers. Are you kidding me? Is this really news? Did you hear that? It was the sound of that release hitting my circular file. No doubt it will suffer a similar fate at many, if not all of its other intended destinations. It is frustrating to think that there are actually companies shelling out their hard-earned money to pay for such drivel. Press release writing can be a bit daunting... Read more »
Horton Hears An Opportunity - Listening For Pop Culture And Media Cues In A Busy Jungle
June 21, 2008
Microscopic dust or multi-million dollar niche? Do you promote with a squeak or a roar? Learning to make the right decisions can do a whole lot more than help you survive - make the right choices, and you may just find yourself being crowned King of the Jungle. It truly is a jungle out there - and it can be difficult to raise your voice above all the noise around you. If you don’t have size on your side, you need to rely to your other assets. What to do? Why not borrow a page from Dr. Seuss’... Read more »
Online Reputation Control - Branding, Insurance, or Blind-Luck?
June 7, 2008
In today’s world it is far too easy to be ignorant of your online reputation. It is even easier for it to instantly vaporize and let someone tear it into a barely recognizable brand that you will fess up to being involved with. Every blog, community site, customer review, or competitor has hundreds of different options to voice viewpoints and concerns against a company. If you haven’t done it already, start understanding how to use tools to monitor social media and take proactive steps... Read more »
5 Tips to Get the Most Publicity Out of Your Author Tour!
June 6, 2008
In the ‘old days,’ there was a specific formula to book promotion. A no-holds barred author tour was the answer where the author would go for a winning mixture of television, radio, print and book signings. It was a hold-nothing-back author tour where the writer would ‘appear’ in a given city and get some combination of heavyweight radio, TV, book-signing and newspaper coverage. What would happen after this? The people in each city would remember not only THEIR name, but... Read more »
Why Overlooking Interviews on Smaller Radio Stations Can be a Big Public Relations Mistake
June 6, 2008
Talk radio interviews have drastically changed! In the ‘golden days,’ the hosts of major-market talk radio shows used to bring guests into the studio for long chats. A talk radio guest could just knock off a couple of those interviews and sales would instantly hit ‘turbo.’ Sadly, those days are gone. Unless an author is a truly big name nowadays, the chances of hitting pay-dirt with just a couple of big radio interviews are history. The reasons are two-fold. First, there... Read more »
Looking to Get Some Public Relations for Your Business?
June 6, 2008
In the corporate world, marketing’s function is to generate sales leads and build awareness of the company’s product or service. Many of these professionals are unaware of the power that PR can bring to their marketing efforts. Instead, it is quite common for businesses to go down the costly road of advertising to get their company, product or services the desired exposure. But there is a much more cost effective answer: being interviewed as a guest on talk radio. This is an excellent... Read more »
