Media releases (also known as press releases) can be powerful tools in your marketing mix because they act as a third party endorsement of your product, service or business. While they come from you, they are written as if an independent person is reporting on what you do.
A well-written media release will be snapped up by some publications, bloggers or media outlets to help them provide interesting content for their readers. As a result, they provide real opportunities for your business to be delivered directly into the hands of your target market at a very reasonable cost.
But media releases aren’t a free ride. Here are my top 5 tips to improve your chances of getting your media release published.
Tip 1 – Make it newsworthy
No publication or media outlet will publish anything that reads like a brochure. To be published, your media release must be newsworthy, informative and/or educational.
Tip 2 – Understand the publication and their audience
Editors control content. That means you’ll need to understand what appeals to them and their readers as well as your own target market. If you don’t satisfy the editors’ requirements in terms of tone and article length, you’ll never be published.
Tip 3 – Grab attention
Your media release MUST have an attention grabbing headline and first paragraph to entice readership. Without them, your media release will never be printed.
Tip 4 – Be subtle
It’s OK to mention your business name and your product or service. Just make sure it’s a subtle mention either sprinkled throughout the media release or towards the end. Subtlety also includes your messaging. Remember Tip 1? If your media release reads like a sales promotion, it won’t be published.
Tip 5 – Invest in help
If you are targeting mainstream media, you need to invest in the services of a reputable PR agency. They have the contacts and knowledge to help increase your chances of being published. For specialist industry publications, you can often achieve success by submitting a well-written media release and that’s where we can help.
Could media releases generate sales for your business?
For lead generating media releases that editors love, talk to the team at Consider It Done Australia. Our clients enjoy high publication rates that increase enquiries and sales. Call Karen on 1300 780 642 or email us here for more information.
