HOW TO USE A PRESS RELEASE TO YOUR ADVANTAGE

by Christine Louise Hohlbaum

Light a candle. Put yourself into the lotus position. Go inward and breathe deeply. Then open your eyes and begin. Sound like a strange way to start writing a press release? It is the best method ever.

A press release is not a glorified ad. It is not a placard for your business, product or service. It is meant to convey relevant, current information to media outlets. Sometimes, they will listen. Sometimes, they won’t.

A media outlet is any resource that informs the public. Newspapers, newswires, radio stations, TV stations, and the like are all media outlets. They are filled with media professionals, or people who report on the “news”. Editors and producers determine what is news and what is not. In light of this fact, your job is to make your press release as newsworthy as possible.

The fact that you have written a book may be news at your next family reunion, but it is not news to most media professionals. You have to approach your story from a unique angle while keeping your target audience in mind. Here is how:

Cull your local newspapers for stories relevant to yours. If you have recently published a book on fly fishing, check out stories tangential to that topic. Write to the reporter and offer yourself as an expert for a follow-up story.

Approach the media from a “How can I help you?” attitude. Be a part of the solution to their problem (a chronic challenge is finding good stories to cover that people will read, thus increasing their circulation rates and securing their livelihood).

Be timely. That is, be on time and make certain your information is correct and up-to-date.

Think about your audience. If you are pitching your story to a travel magazine, think about ways you can fulfill their editorial needs. Does your book make readers yearn to travel abroad? If so, include those readers’ reviews in your press release. Tailor your release to the person reading it.

Answer the following questions: “Who?” “What?” “When?” “Where?” “Why?” “How?” and, most importantly, “So what?” Why is your news relevant and why should they care? If you can answer that question, you are well on your way.

Use accurate statistics. “According to the latest AMA study on breast cancer, X number of women will be struck in 2005 with this horrible disease. My latest book, ‘How to Survive Breast Cancer’ shows women how to fight back…” Back up your story with numbers. The media love them.

PRWeb.com is one low-cost news distribution service. If you have trouble seeing the forest for the trees, have a trusted colleague read your release and offer you feedback on how to improve your story. The key is to be concise (no more than 400 words) while dangling the carrot just enough to elicit a media response.

Christine Louise Hohlbaum, American expat author and PR Diva, offers PR/marketing tips for authors in her online courses and in private consultation sessions. For more information, visit http://PRDiva.bravehost.com.