Press Release Tips 101: Don't waste your time with bad press releases!
A press release can be used to enhance your outbound and inbound media strategy. It's not my favorite activity for most entrepreneur startups when recommending PR strategy. I'd rather you focus on building relationships with influential journalists and serving their audiences. That said… many startups want to try the ‘spray & pray' method of getting the word out about their products and services. If you must insist… Let me share some press release tips that can save you time and money.
Creating a ***well written*** release allows you a way to connect with reporters and your future (paying!) customers. When you’re ready to announce something big and newsworthy to the masses, a press release can help. It will quickly provides facts about your business, products and relatable information.
You want a press release? Here's your crappy press release!
In my UpMyInfluence membership, I'll cover some valuable tips and advice to help you grow your business. In regards to utilizing a press release, follow these tips:
- Press release tips 1: Don’t make one of the most common mistakes I see: When sending information directly to your best media contacts, email a *personal note* with a link to your press release posted on your website – or include the text in the email below with links to additional resources. It’s never a good idea to include the entire release as a pdf or word attachment to the email. They won’t open it or read it!
- Press release tips 2: Utilize Search Engine Optimization with keywords and phrases – but above all, write for people. If you need further guidance on how to do this, please do not hesitate to contact me. My public relations managers and I are *ahem* very good at press release writing – and can take a crappy press release draft and make it into one that will get journalists hitting that reply button. That said, I believe you can do a fine job yourself – when you apply the right principles
- Press release tips 3: Speaking of crappy press releases, don’t waste your money on a $5 press release. Seriously? Anyone who thinks they can build a six-figure company blasting out impersonal, poorly-written press releases is kidding themselves. Worse, you’ll develop a bad reputation real quick and your email will be filtered or black-listed.
- Press release tips 4: Don’t ever send out a press release to just talk about your business as “a business that exists.” Tough love time: Nobody cares! Come up with a newsworthy or creative angle and have a compelling story to tell. Make it readable, relatable and relevant.
If you are having trouble coming up with the right angle for the press release, consider checking out an UpMyInfluence membership. I'll cover some tricks of the trade that will help successfully promote your business.
A good place to start with generating a newsworthy release is to think about how your story relates to what is going on in the world today. I share lots of critical information about news-jacking and hitching on to hot, trending topics with my VIP members. It really can mean the difference between spinning your wheels for months or years – and getting that cherry TV spot that leads you to a segment on CNN or Fox Business.
Business owner to business owner, I doubt you like spinning your wheels.
In the words of Sweet Brown… Ain’t nobody got time for that!
Publicity is yours – if you know how to ask for it. Taking a little bit of time and learning press release tips among other publicity & PR hacks can pay itself back to you for life.
The next step for you is to learn more and put what I teach into practice. Download my free resource guide of the tools that I use – and how I use them to generate lots of sales.
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