How To Write A Press Release That Gets Results (A FREE HypnoThoughts Marketing Teleseminar)

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Craig Eubanks on December 7, 2011 at 6:26pm

 

For those of you who like to THINK BIG...  Below is the link to a form on the NPR website where you can submit your press release.

 

http://help.npr.org/npr/includes/customer/npr/custforms/contactus.aspx

and here is a short video showing you how to submit a release using their form.

 
How To Submit A Press Release On NPR

 

 

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Kathleen Hanover on December 7, 2011 at 8:58pm

Hi Dave,

I'm going to keep pretending I'm a journalist and not refer back to your release (a real journalist probably would have just deleted it). I gave myself sixty minutes to look through about 3 dozen releases, pick one, and rewrite it. So I spent about 4 seconds scanning each one. If I wasn't grabbed in the first 4 seconds, I moved on.

I don't remember the headline, but I remember there was a teleseminar. I remember being confused because I didn't understand who was talking to me. I don't remember what the teleseminar was about, who it was targeted to, or what the takeaway was supposed to be. I couldn't answer the questions, "so what?" or "why should I care?"

Pretending to be a journalist, I couldn't answer the question, on my readers' behalf, "what's in it for me."  I also asked myself, will my readers benefit from this? Will they be interested?" If an editor or journalist can't answer those questions clearly or at all, the release doesn't get in the paper.

It's not the journalist's job to promote your websites, so if you write a release from that viewpoint, it will sound like an ad and it will go in the trash. The journalist's job is to create interesting, unusual, or valuable content that will help sell newspapers. Period. Help them do that, and they'll (accidentally) promote your business.

If the host has more name recognition, he should send the release. If you do, you should send it. If you're tied, the host should send it. Your contact information should be in the notes to editors at the bottom of the release. The host's contact information should be at the top if he distributes it.

I hope this helps!

Kathleen Hanover

Marketing and PR Opinionist

Dave Berman said:

Thanks for the webinar today. A couple of follow up questions:

Is it OK to issue a press release jointly and list more than one contact? The release I submitted for this is about an interview I'm giving as part of a webinar series conducted by a colleague. The release is intended to promote free registration for the webinar, but also to tout both of our websites and skills. If you recommend only one contact be listed, should it be him or me?

Also, I was confused by the critique offered of my submitted release. Kathleen highlighted some of what I'm going to be offering in the webinar and said it was too far down in the release and that the opening didn't grab her.  To me the opening  contains the who, what, where, when and how (free webinar at noon on 1/4 with Scott and Dave). Are you suggesting the content details of the webinar belong in the first graf and the rest should be lower down?

Thanks for your insights!

Namaste,

Dave

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Craig Eubanks on December 8, 2011 at 8:56am

 

Here are some ideas you can riff on for January Press Releases, from http://www.brownielocks.com/january.htm

January Monthly Observances

Apple and Apricots Month
Artichoke and Asparagus Month
Bath Safety Month
Be Kind to Food Servers Month
Birth Defects Month
Book Blitz Month
California Dried Plum Digestive Month
Carnival Season (1/6 to 2/21/)
Celebration of Life Month
Cervical Cancer Screening Month
Financial Wellness Month
Get Organized Month
International Change Your Stars Month
International Creativity Month
International New Years Resolutions Month for Businesses
International Quality of Life Month
International Wayfinding Month
International Wealth Mentality Month
National Be On-Purpose Month
National Child-Centered Divorce Awareness Month
National Clean Up Your Computer Month
National Get Organized Month
National Glaucoma Awareness Month
National Hot Tea Month
National Mail Order Gardening Month
National Mentoring Month
National Personal Self-Defense Awareness Month
National Polka Music Month
National Poverty in America Awareness Month
National Radon Action Month
National Skating Month
National Soup Month
National Volunteer Blood Donor Month
Oatmeal Month
Rising Star Month
Self-help Group Awareness Month
Self-Love Month
Shape Up US Month
Tubers and Dried Fruit Month
Thyroid Awareness Month

 

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Craig Eubanks on December 8, 2011 at 8:58am

 

Here are some weekly ideas you can riff on for January Press Releases, from http://www.brownielocks.com/january.htm

 

January Weekly Observances

Celebration of Life Week: 1-7
*Diet Resolution Week: 1-7
*Silent Record Week: 1-7
National Lose Weight/Feel Great Week: 1-8
*Someday We'll Laugh About This Week: 2-8
New Year's Resolutions Week: 2-8
Women's Self Empowerment Week: 5-9
*Universal Letter Writing Week: 8-14
Home Office Safety and Security Week: 8-14
National Vocation Awareness Week: 9-15 (?)
International Consumers Electronics Show: 10-13
*Cuckoo Dancing Week: 11-17
National No-Tillage Week Conference: 11-14
National Soccer Coaches of America Week: 11-15
International Snowmobile Safety and Awareness Week: 15-21
Healthy Weight Week: 15-21
International Printing Week: 16-22 (?)
*National Fresh Squeezed Juice Week: 17-23
*Week of Christian Unity: 18-25
Sundance Film Festival: 20-30
Bald Eagle Appreciation Days: 21-22
World Leprosy Week: 21-27
National Activity Professionals Week: 22-28
KidFilm Festival: 22-25
National Nurse Anesthetists Week: 22-28
Clean Out Your Inbox Week: 23-27
*National Handwriting Analysis Week: 23-29
National Medical Group Practice Week: 23-27
National Nuclear Science Week: 23-27
No Name Calling Week: 23-27
National Take Back Your Time Week: 25-29
Catholic Schools Week: 29-2/5
Meat Week: 29-2/5
Intimate Apparel Week: 29-2/2
National Cowboy Poetry Gathering Week: 30-2/4
International Hoof Care Week: 31-2/3

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Craig Eubanks on December 8, 2011 at 9:03am

And here is a list of daily celebrations you can riff on for January Press Releases, from http://www.brownielocks.com/january.htm

 

January Daily Observances

NOTE:  An * in front of the day means that the observance is on the same date every year regardless of the day it falls on.

*Copyright Law Day: 1
*Ellis Island Day: 1
*Euro Day: 1
*First Foot Day: 1
*Mummer's Parade: 1
*New Years Day: 1
*New Year's Dishonor List Day: 1
*Polar Bear Plunge or Swim Day: 1
*Saint Basil's Day: 1
*Z Day: 1
Rose Bowl Game: 2
"Thank God It's Monday" Day: 2
*Tournament of Roses Parade Day: 2
*Happy Mew Year for Cats Day: 2
National Motivation and Inspiration Day: 2
*National Personal Trainer Awareness Day: 2
*55-MPH Speed Limit Day: 2
*Drinking Straw Day: 3
*J.R.R. Tolkien Day: 3
*Memento Mori "Remember You Die" Day: 3
*National Chocolate Covered Cherry Day: 3
*Dimpled Chad Day: 4
Earth at Perihelion: 4
*Pop Music Chart Day: 4
*Tom Thumb Day: 4
*Trivia Day: 4
*World Braille Day: 4
*World Hypnotism Day: 4  <------- Yes!
Asara B'Tevet: 5
*Bean Day:  5
*Bird Day: 5
Elvis' Birthday Celebration Day: 5
*Epiphany or Twelfth Night: 6
*Three Kings Day: 6
*Harlem Globetrotter's Day: 7
*I'm Not Going To Take It Anymore Day: 7
*International Programmers' Day: 7
Orthodox Christmas: 7
Argyle Day: 8
*Bubble Bath Day: 8
*Earth's Rotation Day: 8
*National English Toffee Day: 8
*Midwife's Day or Women's Day: 8
*National Joy Germ Day: 8
*Show and Tell Day at Work: 8
*War on Poverty Day: 8
*Balloon Ascension Day: 9
National Clean Off Your Desk Day: 9 (2nd Monday)
*Panama's Martyr Day: 9
*National Cut Your Energy Costs Day: 10
*United Nations Day: 10
*Cigarettes Are Hazardous To Your Health Day: 11
Blame Someone Else Day: 13 (Always on the first Friday the 13th of the year.)
Friday the 13th: 13
*Public Radio Broadcasting Day: 13
*Rubber Duckie Day: 13
*Caesarean Section Day: 14
*Dress Up Your Pet Day: 14
*Organize Your Home Day: 14
*Ratification Day: 14
Miss America Pageant: 14
*Humanitarian Day: 15
Religious Freedom Day: 15
*Appreciate A Dragon Day: 16
Martin Luther King Day: 16 (Observed)
*Nothing Day: 16
Robert E. Lee Day: 16  (3rd Monday)
World Religion Day: 16
*Cable Car Day: 17
*Hot Heads Chili Days: 17-18
*Judgment Day: 17
*Kid Inventors' Day:  17
Rid The World of Fad Diets and Gimmicks Day: 17
Do Dah Parade Day: 18
*Pooh (Winnie The) Day: 18
*Thesaurus Day: 18
*National Sanctity of Human Life Day (or Pro-Life Day): 18
*Popcorn Day: 19   (Alternate date: Super Bowl Sunday)
*Tin Can Day: 19
Get to Know Your Customers Day: 19 (also April 19, July 19 and October 18)
Women in Blue Jeans Day: 19-20
Women's Healthy Weight Day: 19
*Camcorder Day: 20
*Inauguration Day: 20
*National Disc Jockey Day: 20
International Fetish Day: 20
*National Hugging Day: 21
AFRMA Fancy Rat & Mouse Day: 21
*Answer Your Cat's Questions Day: 22
*Celebration of Life Day: 22
*Roe vs. Wade Day: 22
Chinese New Year: 23
*National Handwriting Day: 23
*National Pie Day: 23
*Snowplow Mailbox Hockey Day: 23
*Belly Laugh Day: 24
*Beer Can Day: 24
*National Compliment Day: 24
Rabi'I: 24
*Talk Like A Grizzled Prospector Day: 24
*A Room of One's Own Day: 25
*Macintosh Computer Day: 25
World Leprosy Day: 25
*Lotus 1-2-3 Day: 26
*National Peanut Brittle Day: 26
*Toad Hollow Day of Encouragement: 26
*Auschwitz Liberation Day: 27
*Holocaust Memorial Day: 27
*International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust: 27
National Preschool Fitness Day: 27
*Thomas Crapper Day: 27
*Viet Nam Peace Day: 27
Fun at Work Day: 27 (Last Friday)
*Data Privacy Day: 28
*National Kazoo Day: 28
National Seed Swap Day: 28 (Last Saturday)
*Thank A Plugin Developer Day: 28
*Curmudgeons Day: 29
*Freethinkers Day: 29
*National Puzzle Day: 29
*Seeing Eye Dog Day: 29
*Thomas Paine Day: 29
*Inane Answering Message Day: 30
Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day: 30 (Always Last Monday)
*Appreciate Your Social Security Check Day: 31
*Inspire Your Heart with Art Day: 31

Plenty of great stuff to tie a press release too.  And there are lists like this for every month of the year.  Use them in your brainstorming for publicity that Kathleen said was Step #1.

Cheers,

Craig

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Juan Acosta on December 8, 2011 at 7:25pm

Craig and Kathleen, 

I know it probably varies greatly, but is there a "usual" time that it takes to hear back about a story being featured? - I understand that they won't call to say "no thanks", but how how long does one hold hope that they may use the story?

Also, how often is it appropriate to send stories to a station/paper before becoming a pest to them?
 

Thanks!

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Donald Pelles on December 10, 2011 at 11:50am

A quick question for Craig and Kathleen: How far in advance of an event should I send out a local press release? For WHD (January 4), for instance: now? 2 weeks before? The week before? Should I follow up with phone calls?  I am thinking of papers such as the Washington Post, the City Paper (DC), the [Montgomery County] Gazette, etc.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Graham Old on December 12, 2011 at 2:26pm

Craig, you mentioned at one point that you might make the slides available to download.

Did that ever happen?

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Dave Berman on December 13, 2011 at 1:12pm

Thanks for the extra help Kathleen! 

Kathleen Hanover said:

If the host has more name recognition, he should send the release. If you do, you should send it. If you're tied, the host should send it. Your contact information should be in the notes to editors at the bottom of the release. The host's contact information should be at the top if he distributes it.

I hope this helps!

Kathleen Hanover

Marketing and PR Opinionist

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Dave Berman on January 3, 2012 at 10:54am

My local paper ran our news release today almost unedited from how we submitted it:

http://www.times-standard.com/ci_19663986

Thanks again for the teleseminar Craig and Kathleen!

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Craig Eubanks on January 3, 2012 at 11:32am

Dave Berman said:

My local paper ran our news release today almost unedited from how we submitted it:

 

http://www.times-standard.com/ci_19663986

 

Thanks again for the teleseminar Craig and Kathleen!

That's awesome Dave!  Congratulations!

And it's kinda cool seeing your name and business in the news media isn't it?  Kinda makes you want to do it more doesn't it?  :-)

I also see that your article is in the Most Viewed rankings too.  How cool is that?  I hope you get a lot of new business from this.

Great way to start the New Year!

Cheers,

Craig

• ▶ Reply

▶ Reply to Discussion

• ‹ Previous
• 1
• 2
• Next ›
• Page