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Yesterday, we talked about media stories and spin control. But what about when you want to make the news? Effective press releases are the most efficient way to break into the news cycle and get what is effectively free advertising for your company. The key word here is “effective.” All too often, businesses send out press releases that never gain traction.
What separates the best from the rest? In one word: perspective. Companies that get media coverage from press releases understand what the media is hungry for, and feeds the beast. When you understand the perspective of the media and give them what they need, you’ll come out on top every time.
So, before you write your next press release, ask yourself these two questions:
1. Is the topic of my press release newsworthy? You may be excited that you’ve expanded the color selection of your widgets to include blue and yellow, but will the media even care? Unless you’re Apple in the late 1990s and are announcing that your new iMacs will come in a variety of candy colors, your press release will elicit annoyance, rather than interest. Think about your recipient’s audience and make sure your press release covers a topic of interest to them.
2. Can you piggyback on an existing hot news story? For example, we all know that the price of gas has shot through the roof, and we’ve all seen too much B-roll on TV showing price signs at gas stations and people pumping gas into their vehicles. Journalists are scrambling to find new angles on a story that feels old. If they receive a press release that makes a new connection to gas prices, they’ll jump on it. The bottom line: Thinking of an angle that relates to a hot news topic will pique the media’s interest.
Having a compelling topic is only one part of the equation. Tomorrow, we’ll discuss another factor that can increase your chances of getting media coverage.
This post was written by
I have been doing SEO for 15yrs now!
Chris Robertson
