| Sorry about my otaku with this issue
| |
| | useless testimonials, jargon or
|
| (otaku = more than a hobby, a little less
| |
| | gobbledygook. Get rid of it.
|
| than an obsession).
| |
| | 13. You may have also identified prior
|
| Many of you may know me, since I run
| |
| | media coverage, which indicates it's no
|
| Imediafax, the Internet to Media Fax
| |
| | longer a new issue. Get rid of it. Let
|
| Service. I send out over a million news
| |
| | each news release stand on it's own two
|
| releases a year for people via fax and
| |
| | feet.
|
| email. You probably think that I've got
| |
| | 14. You tried to impress and be clever or
|
| news releases failing on me day in and
| |
| | innovative but you come off naïve, less
|
| day out.
| |
| | than expert, biased, flippant, arrogant,
|
| Actually, I don't. The news releases I
| |
| | or crazy. Tone it down. Get straight.
|
| write and send out for people do quite
| |
| | 15. You made vague and unsubstantiated
|
| well. My clients are quite happy with me
| |
| | claims, or wild and outrageous claims, or
|
| because they are successful with their
| |
| | you included a statement that simply rubs
|
| outreach efforts.
| |
| | the media the wrong way. Get rid of them.
|
| It's the draft news releases that people
| |
| | 16. You are trying to be different, just
|
| send to me that are my problem.
| |
| | for the sake of it, but you come off
|
| Fixing the problems I see in the news
| |
| | eccentric. Forget it. Don't create a
|
| releases people send me takes forever. It
| |
| | false or inflated image. Be yourself.
|
| is also very painful.
| |
| | 17. You wrote a rant and rave, worthy of
|
| I've seen a lot of news release failure
| |
| | a letter to the editor, instead of a
|
| over the years, and I now know what the
| |
| | problem solving tips article, worthy of a
|
| key problems look like and how to fix
| |
| | feature story. Decide what you want, put
|
| them.
| |
| | your best effort into it.
|
| My plight as a publicist is that I spend
| |
| | 18. You are simply not credible. It could
|
| a lot of time educating my clients trying
| |
| | be your ideas are simply not well thought
|
| to get them to understand the psychology
| |
| | out, or that you've offered old well-worn
|
| of dealing with the media.
| |
| | material, or that you are too extreme or
|
| The rubber meets the road in the news
| |
| | controversial, or not qualified. You may
|
| release because this single sheet of
| |
| | not be expert enough, or sufficiently
|
| paper is the key nexus for all
| |
| | qualified, to make the statements,
|
| communications with the media. The
| |
| | compared to others in your field. You
|
| importance of the copy on a news release
| |
| | need to present information that
|
| cannot be overstated. It has to be free
| |
| | qualifies you properly and adequately.
|
| of negative issues or factors that will
| |
| | 19. You provided poor contact
|
| reduce or eliminate media interest and
| |
| | information. You need to identify the
|
| response. One fatal error and it's all
| |
| | best single point of contact and the
|
| over.
| |
| | correct phone number so interested media
|
| So identifying the problems and revising
| |
| | can reach you and get the best possible
|
| the news releases is crucial. I spend a
| |
| | attention and response from you to meet
|
| tremendous amount of time and effort
| |
| | their needs. One key person, one phone,
|
| trying to avoid sending out news releases
| |
| | no fax, one email address, and one URL
|
| with problems still in them.
| |
| | (with no long string addresses).
|
| The issue is that when people send me
| |
| | 20. You did not include a clear media
|
| news releases, it often takes a long,
| |
| | call for action. You didn't tell the
|
| long time to identify and communicate the
| |
| | media what you want them to do with your
|
| problems, and then more time again to
| |
| | news release. You need to tell them what
|
| explain and negotiate all the word
| |
| | you are asking for or suggesting or
|
| changes with the clients, and more time
| |
| | offering. Then you need to offer the
|
| still to finalize the news release and
| |
| | media incentives value-added reasons to
|
| have it ready and approved for
| |
| | do so, like free review copies, free test
|
| transmittal.
| |
| | samples, interview questions and answers,
|
| Honestly - it can be very painful for all
| |
| | media kits with story angles and stats
|
| involved. I'm quite brutal on my clients,
| |
| | and data, relevant photographs, etc.
|
| since their success is all that matters.
| |
| | 21. You did not incorporate and integrate
|
| I don't pull any punches. My comment
| |
| | a primary response mechanism. You need to
|
| process can bruise a lot of highly
| |
| | include a value-added reason, which
|
| inflated egos of some otherwise very
| |
| | motivates the editor to publish or
|
| accomplished people, on the way to a
| |
| | mention your contact information, which
|
| problem free news release that maximizes
| |
| | will generate calls, traffic, interviews,
|
| the chances of success when finally sent.
| |
| | or requests for more information. This
|
| Lots of people think they can write a
| |
| | usually means something unique and of
|
| news release. Very few of them can do it
| |
| | special value to the audience, that the
|
| very well.
| |
| | editor feels good about mentioning. Use
|
| They simply haven't followed the media
| |
| | an offer for a free problem solving
|
| response to enough news releases to learn
| |
| | report.
|
| the errors that are made when they write
| |
| | 22. You sent the release to the wrong
|
| news releases. They haven't yet learned
| |
| | media. Target the media that your clients
|
| what the mistakes are, so there is no
| |
| | read, watch and listen to when they are
|
| learning from continuous improvement.
| |
| | in the right mood, that is, receptive to
|
| This is where the blood, sweat and tears
| |
| | hearing about your news, and willing to
|
| of the copywriting business is truly
| |
| | take action when they get your message.
|
| found. It gets even tougher when another
| |
| | Work with your publicist to target the
|
| professional publicist wrote the news
| |
| | right media.
|
| release for the client. Now the client is
| |
| | 23. You rely on a single fax or an email
|
| getting opposing advice from two
| |
| | to produce an avalanche of media calls.
|
| professionals. One says "Make it Hot" and
| |
| | You conduct no follow up. Get real.
|
| the other says "Cool it". What's a
| |
| | Follow up properly and you can triple or
|
| publicist to do?
| |
| | quadruple your media response rate.
|
| So my motivations for doing this article
| |
| | Better still, you can ask the editors
|
| are really quite selfish. I want to spend
| |
| | "what can I give you to support a feature
|
| less time doing this. My life will be
| |
| | story and meet your needs".
|
| significantly improved if my clients send
| |
| | Finally, the biggest reason for news
|
| me news releases that take less time and
| |
| | release failure is one of attitude. How
|
| energy to fix. Very simply, for each and
| |
| | do you define success or failure? It's
|
| every news release that comes in and
| |
| | called unrealistic expectations.
|
| doesn't have these problems, I'll free
| |
| | Get real. You won't get rich off one news
|
| myself to spend more time doing things
| |
| | release. You're chances of getting famous
|
| that are more profitable for my clients
| |
| | are just about as slim.
|
| and me.
| |
| | You might be able to break even.
|
| The issues listed here have all been
| |
| | Look at your investment and compare it to
|
| identified as reasons for the failure of
| |
| | what you need to break even on your
|
| a news release. This is based on over 20
| |
| | investment. If you need to sell 100 books
|
| years of experience in dealing with the
| |
| | to cover the costs of a $500 outreach
|
| aftermath - the actual number and quality
| |
| | effort, you need ten articles because
|
| of responses generated from the
| |
| | each article only produces ten sales. So
|
| transmittal of a news release.
| |
| | that's your breakeven goal. More books
|
| So here are the most common reasons why
| |
| | per article, means less articles will
|
| news releases fail:
| |
| | satisfy your needs.
|
| 1. You wrote an advertisement. It's not a
| |
| | You may simply have to be realistic and
|
| news release at all. It sells product. It
| |
| | understand that while you are wildly
|
| fails to offer solid news of real
| |
| | interested in the topic, it may not have
|
| tangible interest, value-added
| |
| | the broad general public interest that
|
| information, education or entertainment.
| |
| | you have for the subject. If you wrote an
|
| 2. You wrote for a minority, not for a
| |
| | article that has local interest and you
|
| majority of people in the audience. You
| |
| | expect national media to pay attention,
|
| simply won't compete with other news
| |
| | think again.
|
| releases that clearly are written for a
| |
| | If you want to be on the Oprah Winfrey
|
| larger demographic of the media audience.
| |
| | Show, then you'd better pray because
|
| 3. You are the center of attention, not
| |
| | chances of doing it off one news release
|
| the media audience. You focus on your
| |
| | are very slim, near zero in fact. Get
|
| business and your marketing, instead of
| |
| | real. If she calls, then congratulations
|
| things the editor and his or her audience
| |
| | are in order. But don't count on it.
|
| will be interested in.
| |
| | If you wrote an advertisement and wanted
|
| 4. You forgot to put the five W's up
| |
| | a feature story and interviews, don't be
|
| front. (WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN and WHY
| |
| | surprised if the only media to call is
|
| THE AUDIENCE WILL BE INTERESTED). You
| |
| | the advertising manager offering you a
|
| didn't clearly and succinctly tell the
| |
| | package deal. You get what you ask for.
|
| media why the audience would be
| |
| | What you offer is often times what you
|
| interested in this.
| |
| | will get.
|
| 5. You are too wordy and text dense. You
| |
| | Even if you do get publicity, it may not
|
| focused on details and minutia, instead
| |
| | come out exactly the way you want it.
|
| of the most important ideas, issues,
| |
| | More often than not, the bigger the
|
| factors, facts, and news angles. You fail
| |
| | media, the less likely they are to run
|
| to address the real significant impacts
| |
| | contact information.
|
| your story has on people.
| |
| | Often times, the quality may be there
|
| 6. You place too much information on one
| |
| | while the numbers are not.
|
| page - the one page news release has a
| |
| | One or two quality media responses may be
|
| font size so small an editor needs a
| |
| | what you want or need. If you get that,
|
| magnifying glass to read it.
| |
| | it's a success.
|
| 7. You included corporate logos and other
| |
| | One article in USA Today may out perform
|
| non-persuasive low value added graphics
| |
| | ten articles in small dailies and
|
| that distract the editor from your key
| |
| | weeklies in the mid-west.
|
| message. You may have also used an
| |
| | On the other hand, it may not. The small
|
| unusual fancy font or a file format that
| |
| | high quality articles may outperform the
|
| turns to gobbledygook when it goes
| |
| | small mention in the big media.
|
| through a fax machine.
| |
| | Similarly, one quality 30-minute
|
| 8. You wrote a personally biased article
| |
| | interview on a well-liked talk show on a
|
| for the media to publish, instead of
| |
| | radio station in the middle of nowhere
|
| pitching the idea to the media and the
| |
| | out in the mid-west, will likely outsell
|
| objective reasons why the media audience
| |
| | a five-minute interview on an Arbitron
|
| will be interested.
| |
| | rated radio station in the middle of the
|
| 9. You wrote about features and facts,
| |
| | morning talk show in a major metropolitan
|
| and forgot to explain what it means to
| |
| | area. You can't tell the listening
|
| real people. Tell a story about real
| |
| | quality of the audience.
|
| people. Add in real life human interest.
| |
| | So when you write a news release please
|
| 10. You wrote about how your news ties in
| |
| | review it against these criteria to see
|
| to someone else's fame and glory. Forget
| |
| | if you've made any of these errors. Then
|
| it. Never stand in the shadow of someone
| |
| | fix each and every one of them yourself,
|
| else. Make your own light. Tell your own
| |
| | and when you are done, feel free to send
|
| story.
| |
| | me your final draft. I'll be happy to
|
| 11. Your news release responds to
| |
| | take a look at it.
|
| something that just happened. You're too
| |
| | So listen to your publicist. Heed these
|
| late. You're behind the eight ball.
| |
| | warnings and reduce the risks of failure.
|
| Forget it. Get out in front of the news.
| |
| | Fail to pay attention to these issues,
|
| 12. You included too much hype,
| |
| | proceed at your own risk.
|
| self-laudatory praise, pithy quotes,
| |
| |
|
