How designer-makers should use PR, part 2
So, hopefully you read "Designer/ makers - how to use PR effectively part 1" and have had a fair stab at conceiving an editorial-worthy idea for a press release. If not, go back and fix your story. There's no point continuing without something worth writing about!
If you did come up with a great PR angle/ idea, then now you need to know how to present it. Writing press releases is well covered on the web. Google it or visit How to Write a Great Press Release by Bill Stoller's Publicity Insider for a great guide with clear cut examples. By the way, you'll notice that he keeps banging on about that 'angle' issue too!
Once you've written, rewritten and finely polished your press release, you'll need to distribute it - send it out, that is. It's not going to garner much attention sitting on your PC's hard-drive! You'll need target publications, contact details and the like. You can get those from one of the authoritative media guides, try Media Directory 2007: The Essential Handbook (Mediaguardian).
What guides like the Mediaguardian one don't cover is many of the thousands of blogs and niche content websites on the web. But, actually, these could be as important and influential. They may be more targeted, trusted by their readership and have the benefit of immediacy; a reader's intention to visit your website can be converted in a click! Find these by searching on google, both using regular search (just throw blog into your keywords of interest) and google's blog search (see the more link at the top of the page after "... Shopping Mail..."). Also try www.blogcatalog.com - one of the largest blog directories on the internet.
Don't throw your press release to the whims of an online mass distribution/ newswire service. Well, certainly don't rely on that alone and do not do it straight off. There are numerous of these, all claiming to put your press release under the noses of thousands of editors. And, perhaps they do. But, they are never going to beat a personal approach. Newswire services are a blunderbuss, when in reality you need a rapier. In a PR distribution service your release will be amongst thousands, some of which are fairly blatant advertisements. You can stick out from that lot just by bothering to contact the publication or editor in question.
Mass press release distribution does have its place though. I have used PRWeb in the past. Here's an example: Survey Shows Women Prefer Romance to Sex or Extravagance from my day job at pressies4princesses. The trick is not to do it first. It could harm your credibility during the personal approach. Do it afterwards as a kind of mop up, but before your 'news' gets tired.
In my experience, you'll find distribution services are great at getting some 'lower rent' coverage. By that I mean personal blogs, independent publications, smaller magazines and niche content websites and the like. It'll generally be online (which is no bad thing) and may include some useful links back to your website. Basically, this kind of coverage stems from websites' voracious appetite for content - and the cost of producing it!
So, you're going seize the nettle; go for the direct approach first. You've got your media guide and a great press release, here's how to launch your press release:
When looking for target publications for your press release, consider all the reasons why your information/ story is interesting. Look beyond the obvious. For example, our story "Survey Shows Women Prefer Romance to Sex or Extravagance". That could be of interest to media covering: women's interest, dating, travel (romantic breaks won), men's interest, the Gift Industry, retail and retailing (because it's about purchasing intent), Internet (because the survey was conducted online), weddings, sex and sexual health, style and culture and probably a few more.
Segmenting media on their main interest is simply saying, "these media will be interested because romantic breaks won and this lot because it says men understand women, whereas these folks will want us to focus on what it means for selling high value gifts..."
Rewriting the press release for each segment is essential. When an editor, writer or journalist picks up your release, they will decide in a sentence whether it's RELEVANT TO THEM. After two, they'll want to know it's interesting. So, you have to switch focus and rearrange your words to state the relevance and interest to them quickly and clearly.
Phone and send, then wait, because nobody likes being chased. It's not a pleasurable experience, well not in the work sense. It's like polite bullying. And, it's just as likely to turn someone off your release as on to it. Calling before sending is a good idea to check names and warm them up. Calling afterwards is just hassling. Let your release do it's job.
Writing about PR makes it seem formulaic and easy. I do this and that and then I get media coverage. Well, no actually. No part of any of your first (or first few) press releases may ever get published. That does not mean it was a wasted effort. PR is a drip feed, not a magic bullet. It may take several press releases before you breakthrough. But, after each you'll be more familiar, less stranger. So long as you're building the right impression and creating newsworthy releases, you will get 'FREE' coverage, eventually. But, it won't come FREE of effort and persistence.
If you did come up with a great PR angle/ idea, then now you need to know how to present it. Writing press releases is well covered on the web. Google it or visit How to Write a Great Press Release by Bill Stoller's Publicity Insider for a great guide with clear cut examples. By the way, you'll notice that he keeps banging on about that 'angle' issue too!
Once you've written, rewritten and finely polished your press release, you'll need to distribute it - send it out, that is. It's not going to garner much attention sitting on your PC's hard-drive! You'll need target publications, contact details and the like. You can get those from one of the authoritative media guides, try Media Directory 2007: The Essential Handbook (Mediaguardian).
What guides like the Mediaguardian one don't cover is many of the thousands of blogs and niche content websites on the web. But, actually, these could be as important and influential. They may be more targeted, trusted by their readership and have the benefit of immediacy; a reader's intention to visit your website can be converted in a click! Find these by searching on google, both using regular search (just throw blog into your keywords of interest) and google's blog search (see the more link at the top of the page after "... Shopping Mail..."). Also try www.blogcatalog.com - one of the largest blog directories on the internet.
Don't throw your press release to the whims of an online mass distribution/ newswire service. Well, certainly don't rely on that alone and do not do it straight off. There are numerous of these, all claiming to put your press release under the noses of thousands of editors. And, perhaps they do. But, they are never going to beat a personal approach. Newswire services are a blunderbuss, when in reality you need a rapier. In a PR distribution service your release will be amongst thousands, some of which are fairly blatant advertisements. You can stick out from that lot just by bothering to contact the publication or editor in question.
Mass press release distribution does have its place though. I have used PRWeb in the past. Here's an example: Survey Shows Women Prefer Romance to Sex or Extravagance from my day job at pressies4princesses. The trick is not to do it first. It could harm your credibility during the personal approach. Do it afterwards as a kind of mop up, but before your 'news' gets tired.
In my experience, you'll find distribution services are great at getting some 'lower rent' coverage. By that I mean personal blogs, independent publications, smaller magazines and niche content websites and the like. It'll generally be online (which is no bad thing) and may include some useful links back to your website. Basically, this kind of coverage stems from websites' voracious appetite for content - and the cost of producing it!
So, you're going seize the nettle; go for the direct approach first. You've got your media guide and a great press release, here's how to launch your press release:
- Find target publications for your 'news'. Some will be obvious, some more tenuous.
- Segment them according to their main interest in your release.
- Rewrite your press release for each segment so that the really important stuff (to them) comes first and the relevance to their audience is immediately obvious.
- Phone. Send. Wait.
- Submit to mass distribution/ newswire service
When looking for target publications for your press release, consider all the reasons why your information/ story is interesting. Look beyond the obvious. For example, our story "Survey Shows Women Prefer Romance to Sex or Extravagance". That could be of interest to media covering: women's interest, dating, travel (romantic breaks won), men's interest, the Gift Industry, retail and retailing (because it's about purchasing intent), Internet (because the survey was conducted online), weddings, sex and sexual health, style and culture and probably a few more.
Segmenting media on their main interest is simply saying, "these media will be interested because romantic breaks won and this lot because it says men understand women, whereas these folks will want us to focus on what it means for selling high value gifts..."
Rewriting the press release for each segment is essential. When an editor, writer or journalist picks up your release, they will decide in a sentence whether it's RELEVANT TO THEM. After two, they'll want to know it's interesting. So, you have to switch focus and rearrange your words to state the relevance and interest to them quickly and clearly.
Phone and send, then wait, because nobody likes being chased. It's not a pleasurable experience, well not in the work sense. It's like polite bullying. And, it's just as likely to turn someone off your release as on to it. Calling before sending is a good idea to check names and warm them up. Calling afterwards is just hassling. Let your release do it's job.
Writing about PR makes it seem formulaic and easy. I do this and that and then I get media coverage. Well, no actually. No part of any of your first (or first few) press releases may ever get published. That does not mean it was a wasted effort. PR is a drip feed, not a magic bullet. It may take several press releases before you breakthrough. But, after each you'll be more familiar, less stranger. So long as you're building the right impression and creating newsworthy releases, you will get 'FREE' coverage, eventually. But, it won't come FREE of effort and persistence.
Labels: PR, public relations, selling handmade products
posted by Suggy at
17:56
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1 Comments:
Not so sure Steve, while I agree with almost everything you have said I would not discount wire services. PR wire services are a great way of getting some recognition and a bit of brand awareness, especially if you have a new product.
We have used wire services to great effect in the past, but it really is a 'hit or miss' meaning you have to work hard and spend a little to make it work. Lets not forget it is a also a way of getting some good backlinks especially if you write a press release that has some great content, then others will be more likely to publish it on their sites.
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