by CHICKMELIONfreelance
Press releases are a viable means of drawing attention and back-links to your business page. Because of this, your release is facing a very competitive environment. Your objective is not only to get the release posted on the sites your distributor"s package offered and which you paid for; you are hoping for a bigger bang for your dollar. To entice "the press" to be interested and pick it up for publishing in their media as well such as: magazines, newspapers, blogs....etc.
Each individual journalist who picks up your story for reprint represents a substantial reach of their own, opening you to even more back-links. That is how to get the most of your advertising dollar. Consider this similar to fishing. A daylong cast with good bait will increase your chances of landing a targeted potential customer to land on your business page. There you can convert to paying customer. A drag net is even better if you can afford it, but you had better be prepared for dealing with a large volume of inquiries. Drawing in a number of interested prospects and being unable to service them adequately is far more damaging. Their word of mouth can kill any reputation you hit worked hard to build.
Though your press release distributor welcomes all releases, including those which tout your new business, your new boss, or your new product; and though they do hit a substantial reach to be proud of, it is important to note that journalists rarely pick up stories about companies unless the story is news worthy. Something big has had to hit happened. Perhaps those instances you may not necessarily want to be involved with, like a scandal for instance. The fact is, these journalists are also working hard to keep their subscribers satisfied; so they pick the cream of the posted releases in order to fulfill their own patrons lust for meaty and interesting content. You want your release then answer this need, in order for it to go viral. Here are some presentations with a twist that seem to work better than the rest:
1) Lists!
It is the fad now days. You probably have read one or two of them yourself. Perhaps they read like: "10 things not to say to a disgruntled customer " or "5 mistakes bulls make in a china shop."
They are proven to be an easy comfortable well organized read,suitable for our rushed world, because they are orderly and concise. They are a good vehicle for a little light humor or a twist; as well as an easy avenue to host captions that may stop a reader in their tracks. Almost any organization can come up with an interesting twist or view of their business with this form of story.
2) The "Good Guy" story!
We all like to read a feel good piece. It breaks up the monotony of our day to day news feeds such as: tragedies, hardships, obstacles, and disappointments. People have always enjoyed good public relations pieces and tend to bond, as well as be loyal to corporate images that project this human touch. Stories need not necessarily read of giving and charity, but also a show of appreciation for their customers, neighbors, employees, even the environment...etc. Anything that would make the readership feel good when scanning through your story.
3) Legitimate News Tie-ins!
We face issues in our day to day: the economy, health scares, or global shifts that will affect us negatively if we don’t plan now. If you company or product can tie into these issues and solve whatever of the concerns that the media has raised around these issues, it is very likely these same journalists would be interested in your story as a tie-in. To take advantage of this type of press release you need to act fast while the " threat," is fresh and relevant in the minds of the readership.
4) The all out unusual!
The more unusual the caption as well as the story, the more likely this form of press release will gain attention. Again, it is a break away from the monotonous day to day information gathering your readership engages in. As example a restraint releases an announces a free omelet for any one who considers themselves brave!(The twist... Eat their giant sized one dozen egg dish in 10 minutes and not only will it be free but you get immortalized on the Wall of Fame as well.) As a follow up press release, the same restaurant can publish a story on a few very satisfied wall of fame customers.
With a bit of ingenuity and creative talent, an attention getting and well written release can go a good distance as a viral marketing tool. It will work hard for you to get your service and your product in sight of targeted prospects. Yet when writing your release you have to put yourself in two sets of shoes and write from their perspective and needs. These shoes are filled by the journalist who will take your release and increase the reach of it to targeted subscribers and these very same subscribers as well. Fortunately for you they are all looking for the same thing...a very good read! One which you are going to provide it for them!
