THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO. Want to produce killer media coverage for your brand? press releases for your local business.

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1 THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO PRESS RELEASES FOR LOCAL BUSINESSES Want to produce killer media coverage for your brand? Read this ultimate guide for writing killer press releases for your local business. VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction...3 What.. is Public Relations...4 How to Write a Press Release a Journalist Will Read...9 How to Correctly Pitch a Press Release a Journalist Will Read...14 How to Send a Press Release to a Journalist...18 Contact Us...22

3 INTRODUCTION If you re planning an event, launching a product, or introducing anything new to your consumers, you need to spread the word. Social media and other forms of online advertising will do just that. One of the best ways to make that happen is to write a formal and detailed press release, and send it out to relevant media outlets. You need an angle, or something that gives your story importance. Research related industry news or trends to enhance the timeliness of the press release. Fact check all the information you've collected. Sending out a press release with inaccurate information is sure way to get low response and diminish the overall appeal of your event or cause. Gathering all the important details is the first step to any news writing. Focus on the five Ws: What, Why, When, Where, and Who. Every business has a brand identity they want to maintain. In 10 words or less, how would you describe your brand identity? Look at the list you ve just created. Do you think your customer s would agree that the list accurately describes your brand? That is where public relations (PR) comes into play. The goal of PR is to align your desired brand identity with how it s perceived from the outside. People are going to talk about your business no matter what. You can either be a part of the conversation or sit back and let it take its own direction. Clearly, it s better to lead the conversation, so that you can mold your brand s reputation. This guide will take you through the entire process of preparing, writing and distributing a press release that will get the right people reading. Although useful to small businesses located anywhere across the country, this guide will focus on building exposure for your business in the Tampa Bay area. 3

4 WHAT IS PUBLIC RELATIONS? The dictionary definition for PR is the practice of managing the spread of information between an individual or an organization and the public. This can be through traditional media channels, like television, the radio, print advertising and speaking engagements, or digital media, which includes social media, your company website and online advertising. WHAT ARE THE COMPONENTS OF PR? When people hear PR, they usually think of press releases. But press releases are only a small aspect of PR. To effectively communicate to your customers, you need to think beyond press releases to speech writing, crisis control, networking, content creation and social media management. PRESS RELEASES A press release is a formal announcement that promotes company news to media groups. The goal is to persuade media groups in the area to cover your story. Media coverage doesn t come easy, so you need to make your press release is as attention-grabbing and newsworthy as possible. Now that social media has taken off, many PR managers rely heavily on popular social media platforms as means of communicating company news, but there is still value and power in free coverage from third party media outlets. When a news station has decided to give you air time, or a local publication runs a feature, it lends credibility to your brand because they are essentially vouching for you. Hearing positive information about your business or organization from a third party has much more weight on public opinion than reading it on your company s social media channels. 4

5 SPEECH WRITING When your giving a speech as a brand executive, you re not speaking for yourself. You re speaking on behalf of your business, your investors and the people who work for you. Most executives who give speeches regularly have a PR team responsible for writing speeches that best represent the brand image they want to maintain. Even more important to consider is your audience. Your speech needs to be tailored to their wants and needs to effectively get your message across. One slip up and you may need to resort to crisis control. They also creating action plans to prevent similar mistakes from happening in the future. Customers appreciate a brand that is proactive and honest. If you make a mistake, own up to it. But go a step further, and explain how you intend to alleviate the issue. NETWORKING CRISIS CONTROL PR is especially important when something goes wrong. If your company makes a mistake, the best practice is to address it head on. Hiding from the truth won t fix the problem. Instead, it will only make it bigger because you ll allow others to speak for you. Within recent years, we ve seen big brands like Starbucks and H&M under public scrutiny because of mistakes the companies have made. Although it s debatable how effective they were at addressing their crises, both companies issued public statements. Building relationships with customers through communication is important, but so is building relationships with other businesses and organizations. No matter what industry your business falls under, networking is an important part of maintaining your image. Speaking to people directly is the best way to not only know what people are saying about you, but to mold their perception of your brand. The other obvious upside to networking is building relationships with people who you may potentially want to do business with. If you build strong connections, it will be easy to spark a collaboration in the future. 5

6 BLOG WRITING Everyone is talking about content marketing right now. The goal of content marketing is to provide your customers with value. This is where PR and other forms of marketing communication overlap. Replying to your customers comments is the most effective way to build connections on a personal level. This is especially true if you are a large business with multiple locations and thousands of customers. You ve probably heard the saying cash is king. Well that has recently been changed to content is king. Blogging is a huge component to content marketing. Through your blog, you can share important company news, information on products and promotions, and ultimately educate your customers. Consistently posting valuable content will help you build credibility and expert status in your field. SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGEMENT In the 21st century, there is no excuse for a business not to be on social media. Social media platforms allow you to engage with your customers in real time. You can use this opportunity to talk about topics that are important to you and your customers LIKES It s not about the platforms you want to be on. Rather, it s about the platforms your customers want to communicate on. Your messages should be timely and well crafted. Try to be as transparent as possible. The more open and honest you are about your brand, the better your connection will be with your customers. Promotions are typically handled by a marketing team, but there is a PR aspect as well. For example, we re all familiar with the popular shoe company Toms, mainly because of their pubic relations genius. 6

7 For every pair of shoes they sell, they give a pair of shoes away to someone in need. This act of kindness has a strong impact on their brand equity. So much so that some people support the brand for this fact alone. Many brands employ this strategy. For example, in the Tampa Bay area, there are businesses who have collected supplies for families impacted by hurricanes, businesses who have done food drives around the holiday season and businesses who have fund-raised for other important causes. They do this because it matters to them, but more importantly, it matters to their customers. If a customer knows that a meal will be donated to a hungry child in the Tampa Bay area for every purchase made, they are more likely to spend money on such a purchase. PR is about communicating such promotions effectively, so that, when customers leave your store, they are so happy that they tell others about the good you are doing. 7

8 WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PR AND PROMOTION? Although many businesses see the value in investing in their marketing strategy, many fail to consider the added value of PR. Another problem is that many fail to see the difference between promotion and PR. While promotion focuses on the products and services to be sold for a profit, PR promotes the goodwill and communication between a company and its customers. There is quite a bit of overlap between the two, but at the end of the day, promotion is about increasing sales and PR is about building connections. One of the many pros to developing a PR strategy is that it s cost-effective. What separates PR from promotion is that PR isn t paid for, whereas promotion is. You may need to pay for someone to create your press release or messaging, but you aren t paying the media outlet to publish your story. Instead, you are relying on your relationships and a newsworthy story to gain attention. Publicity that is organic is much more sought after than paid publicity because it's authentic and credible. How Do I Get Started? As small business owners, we try to do our best managing everything within our business. Reading this, you may be wondering whether it s more effective to run your PR in-house or to outsource your PR to professionals. The answer to this question will depend on a variety of factors, such as your company s marketing budget, what your goals are and how complex your message is. Although you may be capable of managing your PR, hiring professionals who specialize in PR may be more effective. You will most likely see greater results 8

9 HOW TO WRITE A PRESS RELEASE A JOURNALIST WILL READ If you re planning an event, launching a product, or introducing anything new to your consumers, you need to spread the word. A killer press release is one of the best ways to do that, as long as it's relevant and newsworthy! A well written press release can do wonders for your next event or a cause you're passionate about. Although many people struggle with press releases, they can be quite easy to write, if you have the correct formula. The most difficult aspect of a press release is getting people to read it, but don t worry. We can teach you how to write a press release that will attract attention. Before moving beyond this point, determine whether your story warrants a press release. Is the story newsworthy? Would someone outside your business be interested in your story? If the answer is no, odds are a journalist wouldn t be interested either. If the story is new, impactful, and piques human interest, you can begin writing your press release. There are six major components to creating a successful press release. 1. RESEARCH Gathering all the important details is the first step of any news writing. If you aren t in charge of the event or launch, speak to the people who are because they will have the most valuable information. It doesn t hurt to research related industry trends or happenings to enhance the timeliness of the press release. By including statistics, case studies, or related events, you can convey why your press release is of value. 9

10 Fact check with all your sources to make sure that facts, times, dates, and locations do not change before sharing the press release. Deceiving customers is the best way to lose their trust, and printing the wrong dates and times is a sure way to have low engagement come the event, or launch date. 2. ATTENTION CATCHING HEADLINE AND LEAD The goal is to hook readers with the headline. Begin with something intriguing, impactful, or shocking. Also, incorporate strong action verbs, such as launch, reveal, achieve, advance, or boost, to intrigue readers further. A good headline must be easy to find online. Use keywords in your headline that are related to your industry. Keywords are words and phrases that people use to find information in search engines. If your headline only pertains to your company, event, or product name, you won t appear on more general searches. The lead, or first few sentences of the piece, should include the most important information: the what, where, why, when, and how. Press Release Journalist News Story Be as specific as possible. A lead summarizes the most important parts of a press release and summaries can get boring. Therefore, the what, where, why, when, and how should be as precise and short as possible. A strong lead is two to three sentences maximum. One way to create an intriguing lead is by including conflict. People enjoy stories, and stories have good conflict. If there is no conflict to include, you can focus on the benefits, the impacts, or the novelty of the matter at hand. 10

11 3. THE INVERTED PYRAMID The inverted pyramid is a writing tool that identifies how information should be prioritized in news pieces. It explains that the most important information should be given at the beginning, followed by the least important information in ascending order. Most readers do not make it past the first two paragraphs, so by placing the most important information at the top, you ensure that your audience reads the key points before moving on to the next post. As we ve covered, the lead should summarize all the key elements of the press release in the most conveying way possible. The body of the press release gives you the chance to elaborate. It should include the story, supporting facts, quotes, the argument, and background information. The end of the piece should include general information, related topics, and any other extras. Be sure to include contact information, name, address, , and phone number, at the end of the press release in case someone has questions or concerns. Most Important Important Least Important It only takes one error to discredit a good press release, so proofread your press release from start to finish so that your audience takes you seriously. Always be sure to take your audience into consideration when writing. If it is meant for the general public, you may need to define technical terms, or any other industry related jargon. If the press release is simple and easy to understand, everyone can enjoy it. 11

12 4. CLEAR AND CONCISE WRITING Not only are you writing the press release for the general public, you are writing it for journalists. Language should be professional and resemble the writing style of the journalists you are targeting. Include all important details, but be brief. Readers have short attention spans, so make sure that what you are writing is short and to the point. While a one page press release is ideal, a two page press release is the maximum. Also, press releases should be written in the third person and should refrain from addressing the audience directly as you. The purpose of a press release is to promote, but it shouldn t be too promotional. Instead, it should be written like a news piece with facts, quotes, and links to more information. The more links to and from your press release, the better it is for your search engine optimization, which will draw more traffic to your website. 5. QUOTES Expert opinion will give a press release the credibility it needs to be a trusted news source. Reliable sources include those who are closely working on, or being impacted the most by the topic at hand. Speak to the company owner, customers, and industry experts to get quotes with impact. Only quote someone if it adds character to the piece. For example, facts and figures should always be paraphrased, while interesting tidbits should appear as quotes. Only quote someone if it adds character to the piece. 12

13 To determine if something is quote worthy, consider whether the person used interesting diction, said something shocking, or used bias language. The writer of a press release should not say, It is going to be the best event in St. Pete s history. Such statement is more appropriate if it comes from someone outside the company. Only use positive quotes in a press release. Anything negative will attract the wrong kind of attention. Always fact check, especially when it comes to quotes, to make sure that all details are true. Misquoting someone could cause unwanted conflict and put off readers. 6. SHARE Post to your own personal blog and social media. Tag prominent media outlets in your area: The Tampa Bay Times, Creative Loafing, Tampa Bay Business Journal, Florida Trend, Kapok Marketing, Centro Tampa. These are the outlets that will get the event or launch the most media exposure. Media outlets are always looking to cover new events in their areas that will increase their readership. Send them the press release in an well in advance, so that they can provide their own coverage. News is time sensitive. At the top, make sure it is clear that your story is for immediate release. KAPOK TIP... When pitching your press release in an , be personable, make the subject line short and simple, be brief, and keep them wanting more information. Make sure to send the pitch to a reporter in the appropriate field, and address the reporter by name. 13

14 HOW TO CORRECTLY PITCH A PRESS RELEASE A JOURNALIST WILL READ After constructing a well written press release comes the hard part pitching it to journalists who may be interested in covering your story. The goal of sending a press release is to get media coverage for your company s event or launch. Even the best press releases can get glossed over if they aren t pitched properly, so it is important that you follow these simple steps: CATCH THEIR ATTENTION IN THE SUBJECT LINE The best way to pitch a press release is by . The subject of the should cover the topic of your press release in an attention catching way. You may even want to include the name of the journalist you are pitching. This shows that you did your research and aren t sending your story to a mass list of journalists. It is also helpful to include the event date and product or event type. For example, don t write Biker Cloth launch, instead write, Biker Cloth launches T-shirt line for motorcyclists in December. The date tells a journalist whether they need to prioritize the press release, while the company name and product type tells them whether it is a topic they are interested in covering. CATCH THEIR ATTENTION IN THE SUBJECT LINE The very first lines of the are the most important. You will either grab their attention or you won t. If you think the story is the most compelling aspect of the , begin with that. Attention! Include an appropriate greeting that directly addresses the journalist by name. Introduce your story in the most compelling way possible. Follow with an explanation for why the story is important to the local community, then explain why you thought they personally would be interested in the story. Attach your press release in the , but know that your pitch will determine whether they click to open it. Your press release should be one page maximum. 14

15 Don t use any fancy fonts or formatting. Also, don t send an that looks copied and pasted. The should flow and it should also be personal. If you know the journalist, adding a personal touch will be easy. If you don t, you can build a relationship with the journalist by commenting on a previous piece they wrote that relates to your story. CREATE AN ANGLE Yes, the press release matters to you and your company, but why should the local community care about it? What is in it for them? If there is no human interest aspect to your piece, it won t get picked up. That is why you must create an angle that clearly demonstrates why the press release is of importance. Your angle can capitalize on a conflict, the impact of the piece, or the novelty of the product or event. Only pitch to media groups that would be interested in your story. If you are a small local business, it may be a bit far reaching to send your press release to a multinational media outlet that has never heard of your business. As a small local business, your focus should be locally owned media groups like the Tampa Bay Times, Creative Loafing Tampa, I Love the Burg, and the Tampa Bay Business Journal. 15

16 If you have a media outlet in mind, visit their website and create a list of journalists that cover topics similar to that of your press release. If you place the press release in the hands of the correct journalist, your chances of media coverage are much greater. They can create an angle the media group will go for and pitch the story in the next meeting. PITCH TO THE RIGHT PEOPLE Only pitch to media groups that would be interested in your story. If you are a small local business, it may be a bit far reaching to send your press release to a multinational media outlet that has never heard of your business. They can create an angle the media group will go for and pitch the story in the next meeting. Don't over promise things you can't deliver. It's unprofessional and a huge waste of time for the journalists. Never CC multiple journalists in an ed press release. Instead, send the press releases individually. Journalists want exclusive stories. They may not run with a story they know multiple media groups are potentially covering as well. Finally, don t send the same press release to multiple journalists who work for the same company. GIVE A GOOD LEAD TIME As a small local business, your focus should be locally owned media groups like The Tampa Bay Times, Creative Loafing Tampa, I Love the Burg, and the Tampa Bay Business Journal. If you have a media outlet in mind, visit their website and create a list of journalists that cover topics similar to that of your press release. If you place the press release in the hands of the correct journalist, your chances of media coverage are much greater. Send your press release to journalists in advance of the launch or event. Although you ve provided them with the most important information, they still need the time to conduct their own research and verify that the information you ve provided is correct. They may also need to clear their schedules in order to attend the event themselves. Don t pitch too early or your story may get shelved and forgotten. 16

17 FOLLOW UP OVER THE PHONE Journalists are busy people and may not respond right away. Not to mention their inboxes are filled with story ideas and press releases from people with the same intentions as you. To make sure that your press release doesn t get ignored like the rest, give the journalist a call. You are much more likely to get a response over the phone than through . This gives you the opportunity to pitch your story and fill in any of the blanks they may have. Make sure to pitch all the key details. Your phone pitch should be just as convincing as your written one. GIVE A GOOD LEAD TIME Send your press release to journalists in advance of the launch or event. Although you ve provided them with the most important information, they still need the time to conduct their own research and verify that the information you ve provided is correct. They may also need to clear their schedules in order to attend the event themselves. Don t pitch too early or your story may get shelved and forgotten. FOLLOW UP OVER THE PHONE Journalists are busy people and may not respond right away. Not to mention their inboxes are filled with story ideas and press releases from people with the same intentions as you. To make sure that your press release doesn t get ignored like the rest, give the journalist a call. You are much more likely to get a response over the phone than through . Journalists are busy people and may not respond right away. Not to mention their inboxes are filled with story ideas and press releases from people with the same intentions as you. To make sure that your press release doesn t get ignored like the rest, give the journalist a call. You are much more likely to get a response over the phone than through . 17

18 HOW TO SEND A PRESS RELEASE TO A JOURNALIST The best known tactic to get media coverage for your business latest achievement or event is to write a press release. A good press release requires research, an attention catching headline and clear, concise writing, but that s not all. It doesn t matter how well written a press release is if it ends up in the wrong hands. It is just as important to know how to send a press release as it is to know how to write a press release a journalist will read. There are a few steps you can take to ensure your press release gets in front of the right people. SELECT APPROPRIATE MEDIA OUTLETS The first step is to identify the right media outlets to send your press release to. For example, if you are a small business in the Tampa Bay area, it is not the best idea to reach for big international publications. Instead, it makes the most sense to send your press release to the following local media outlets: NBC 8 St. Pete Catalyst I Love the Burg That s So Tampa Creative Loafing Green Bench Monthly Florida Trend C B S 1 0 N e w s F o x 1 3 B a y N e w s 9 T a m p a B a y B u s i n e s s J o u r n a l T h e T a m p a B a y T i m e s A B C A c t i o n N e w s 18

19 From there, you will need to take it a step further and identify which media groups from this list would be the most interested in the type of story your press release tells. If your press release is serious and centered around numbers and statistics, then it is probably best to send it to the Tampa Bay Business Journal, the Tampa Bay Times and St. Pete Catalyst. On the other hand, if you are promoting an event or grand opening, I Love the Burg, Green Bench Monthly, That s So Tampa, Creative Loafing and the Tampa Bay Times are your best bet. If your press release has big impact that centers around the community, there is potential that a televised media outlet like Bay News 9 will pick it up. Once you ve narrowed down your list of media groups, you must also identify which section of each media outlet you want to target. The Tampa Bay Times has several different sections. There is News, Politics, Sports, and Things To Do, and within those sections, there are subsections. If your press release is about a company event, you don t want to send it to the editor in charge of food reviews or sports coverage. Instead, you should send it to the editor responsible for local events and happenings. Key players that most people don t think to send a press release to are bloggers and industry experts. Bloggers with large followings have a big influence on their followers actions. This has become especially true with the popularity of social media. But before sending your press release to a blogger, make sure that they cover content similar to your press release. It is even better if the blogger is considered an industry expert. This will give your press release the credibility it needs to move a large audience. 19

20 When you pitch your press release to a journalist, make sure that it is personable and customized to the writer. Journalists are always looking for the next best story, so the best pitch is always simple and to the point. Include an angle that makes your story stand out from all the other unopened pitches in their inbox. According to media experts from Bay News 9, you need to know a journalist s beat to get killer media coverage. A journalist s beat is the topic they cover. Making sure that your press release is sent to the right person is just as important, if not more important, as writing a conveying story. BUILD A LIST OF MEDIA CONTACTS You can find the appropriate journalists for your press release by visiting the websites of the media outlets you ve selected. Look at stories similar to your own and keep a record of journalists who write those stories. Once you ve compiled a list, the best way to manage your contacts is by creating an Excel spreadsheet or a Google sheet. At Kapok, we have an Excel sheet with a list of organizations and journalists who are the best fit for the press releases we write. Instead of searching for contact information each time we have an announcement, we can reference the list in Excel, which makes the process much faster USE A DISTRIBUTION SERVICE In addition to sending your press release to local outlets, you can also work with a distribution service. Most free distribution services offer limited exposure, but for a small fee, most can get your press release to the right media outlets. One distribution site we have experience with is ereleases. The process is very easy. Simply creating an account on their website and select the distribution option that is best for you. From there, upload your press release and media files, fill out your contact information and specify your target audience.. 20

21 This distribution service reaches outlets using PR Newswire, the industry s best press release distribution network. Depending on the distribution option, you can select up to three different industry targets of your choosing. Using ereleases guarantees that your news is distributed to a minimum of 75 media sites. Prices range from $299 $499 per release. The added bonus of using a distribution service is that you don t need to send multiple personalized pitches one by one. It also puts your press release in front of people you wouldn t have thought to contact. The downside is that you aren t able to create lasting relationships with the journalists that pick up your stories. Developing long-term relationships with the people who work at your local media groups is the best way to ensure future coverage. 21

22 Press Releases are a great marketing tool for your business. In order to publish an effective one, you need to follow the right plan. Connecting with the right media contacts and spending time creating the perfect pitch, will further your chances of getting press coverage. Contact Us We re happy to help! If you have questions about anything in this guide, please send us a message or give us a call! Kapok Marketing 447 3rd Ave N, Suite 300 Saint Petersburg, FL (800) info@kapokmarketing.com