Craft Strong Press Releases To Create More Earned Media
The traditional method for gaining earned media lies in the utilization of media outlets. Creating news stories that reporters and producers want to share through their outlets allows you to gain access to a wider range of potential customers and clients. Becoming a part of the news helps to grow your brand recognition and your expertise in an industry.
Understanding the benefits of earned media is only the beginning. Every other company and business will also be seeking out the free opportunities for exposure that media outlets provide. To gain that earned media, you must create a press release that will rise above the crowd.
Top Secrets for Crafting Strong Press Releases
Secret One: They will judge the book by its cover. In other words, your press release needs to conform to industry standards. The press release needs to be clear, clean, and precise. Check and double check for spelling and grammar. Read the press release out loud to check for form and flow (and to give it another check for spelling and grammar). Confirm that the formatting of the press release follows under the current guidelines for that publication (you can find the format details on some publication websites). Invest in the way that your press release looks because it will matter.
Secret Two: The title says it all. Sometimes the only thing that the media outlets will read is the headline of the press release. It needs to be unique. It needs to be captivating. It needs to be strong enough to stand alone. Write up the press release and then create an attention grabby headline that encompasses the foundation of that press release.
Secret Three: It really does matter who you know. The right relationship can move your press release to the top of the pile. Combine the relationships with a solid story idea and a powerful headline and your press release will come out as the winner almost every time. Invest in building relationships with the media outlets by making time to attend events where the reporters will be speaking or gathering. Be sure to engage the reporters when given the opportunity. Send thank you notes (handwritten print notes whenever possible) thanking reporters for their involvement in stories, events, or activities where you may have connected. The more you grow relationships, the stronger your chance for developing earned media opportunities.
Secret Four: The squeaking wheel gets the grease – but avoid being too squeaky. The balance between getting noticed and being annoying can be a fine line. Send out the query or press release on day one. Follow up with a short note or query on day seven to ten. Follow up with an additional note closer to the deadline for the event or news story. Keep the follow ups short and to the point. Keep in mind that stories can fall through the cracks and you want to be certain yours is not one of them.
Learning the fundamentals of strong press releases begins with knowing the industry formatting. It expands into the creativity of the words in the press release. And it is almost always founded in the relationships that have been created. Strong press releases can be the best way to earned media for your business.
