Press releases allow you to boast about your expertise and will make you known on the topic. The first thing to remember about a press release is that you only have a headline to catch the attention of the journalist or editor. If that does not make them sit up and notice, your release is likely to end up in the waste basket. You will need to spend time coming up with unique headlines that get to the point and entice the reader to move down the page. The best way to grab headline attention is to read the headlines in the current paper. What is it that the newspaper prints? You may find that one thing is of importance to one paper and something entirely different is for another. What do you do in this case? You simply change the headline to match the requirements of each paper you send the release to. It will take a bit of work and research to find the right fit, but it can be done. Press releases require the answers to the basic questions such as: who, what, why, when, and where. It has also been said that using statistics to prove your point is also another attention grabber. If your headline contains anything to do with money, health or sex, then you have a better chance of being read. The point is that you need to work on your headline and pass it in front of others for their reaction before sending it out. You also need to make a media list and contact information for the journalist that reads the headline. And you will need to keep this media list current as people in this industry tend to move around frequently. Press releases can be used for more than just an announcement. You can tell people about a new product, a new employee, an award or anything that is thought to be newsworthy. What ever the event you choose to share with the world, do not overdo it and always follow up. |
