Do you like free advertising or are you like that cute kid in the credit card commercials with Jimmy Fallon who is always turning up her nose at getting an extra gift of money? Let’s assume you’d prefer to receive a ton of publicity for your product or service without shelling out a lot to an advertising agent.
We follow these simple rules when summoning the media in your direction. By taking these easy steps, your “news” is not going to end-up in the shredder. Here’s only one way we get your business in the search engines, newspapers, on radio, tv and other websites. Sure better than a static billboard. Our principles’ work something like this. Think of it as rules to get attention.
• Our lead into your Press Release is no more than 3-sentences.
• We draw the recipient into the rest of the copy.
• Local Surge Media teases the media to “read on.”
• A good practice is to have some contact information and find someone in your business who can act as a spokesperson for written quotes or live interviews.
• Think of the Press Release as “talking points.”
• Be knowledgeable of the facts you are presenting. There’s no “winging it” when a reporter calls you to get some background. They will ring you up first as the quoted individual in the Press Release.
• You might think about making follow-up calls to any journalist who showed interest in covering your Press Release. Not just to shoot the bull, but to help them better understand the facts. Believe it or not, you’re like a lobbyist and have created a live social contact.
• The journalist is not your friend.
• Facts matter. Any honest, documented and readily available resources for the information you are presenting should be provided to interested parties.
• Spinning is necessary. Just make sure it’s coy and subtle.
• We make sure we are not advertising anything. We are sharing your news.
• Local Surge Media abstains from using the “Sara Lee” tactic: “Nobody doesn’t like Sara Lee.” Your release is a ray of light and not something to cause the journalist to “read between the lines.” To rephrase: “Everybody likes Sara Lee. And here’s why.”
• Negative events are rephrased as to make the business appear to be proactive.
• If a problem arises that needs to be addressed, you must meet with all interested parties on the inside for a discussion on the predicament. Take notes and pick a charismatic spokespeople to back-up what you write in the event of a disaster.
• Stay by the phone. Give out your cell number to those on a regular beat covering business news. News people are busy and have deadlines.
• J-school grads have had this hammered into their heads: How, who, what, when, where and occasionally why is what Local Surge Media weaves into the Press Release.
• The Press Release should be one page. We use the “For more information” ploy. Advantage: Everyone gets to see who’s covering the story once you get “the call.”
• All Press Releases require a couple of things:
• An artful, but not corny title.
• A brief summary at the top.
• Quotes, quotes, quotes.
With Local Surge Media, your Press Release gets sent to every major search engine, news sites, 250,000 subscribers and 30,000 journalists and bloggers. Imagine that little girl in the credit card ad saying no to that.