by Chris Malta & Robin Cowie
http://www.worldwidebrands.com/EMRinfo
© 2006
Any business can benefit from regular promotion—the
more exposure, the better. One of the best ways to get your name
out there, and one that small business owners too often overlook,
is writing press releases. Whether you’re selling an extremely
rare item on eBay, or your website is offering a unique service,
communicating that to the right audience is an excellent way to
bring in new business.
Writing Press Releases Right
There are certain things you can do to increase
your chances of getting published, according to Rieva Lesonsky,
editorial director of Entrepreneur Magazine:
- Familiarize yourself with a publication, whether it’s
online or printed, BEFORE submitting anything to them. Know
what they do, their format, and their target audience. Tailor
your tone and writing style to match theirs’.
- Be concise. Cautions Lesonsky, “No matter how much you
love your product, no one wants to read three pages about it.”
- Lead with what’s interesting. Tell them up front why
they should care. Think about what would be appealing to readers,
and use that to grab their attention.
- Know their schedule. Some magazines are weekly, others bi-weekly
or monthly. If you’re pushing a special eBay listing, you
aren’t going to talk to a quarterly magazine—you can’t
wait that long. You need to get your release to a newswire that
will send it out overnight to radio stations, newspapers, and
interested magazine editors.
- Target your releases to specific market. In other words, send
your releases to magazines directed at people who are end users
of your products. If you sell unique Christmas items, find out
the deadline for magazines like Women’s Day and Family
Circle, and try to get into a holiday issue. Even if they don’t
publish your release, they may contact you for a story that’s
related to yours, so the word gets spread a different way.
- “Don’t be discouraged if you don’t hear back
immediately,”
advises Lesonsky. Magazines have planning cycles that can go
out five months or more. If you send in a piece today, they
may decide it would be great for their May issue, which means
they wouldn’t actually contact you until January, when
they start planning for May.
Having the Right Backing
Besides free advertising aimed directly at your
target market, press releases give you the added advantage of
credibility by association. The magazine is essentially talking
about you, so it’s an implied endorsement. Readers trust
the publication, and because you’re connected to them, they’re
more likely to have confidence in you as well. Take advantage
of this opportunity to grow your business and reach potential
customers.
Credit:
About The Author:
Chris Malta and Robin Cowie of WorldwideBrands.com are the Writers
and Hosts of The Entrepreneur Magazine EBiz and Product Sourcing
Radio Shows.
http://www.worldwidebrands.com/EMRinfo
for more FREE eBiz info from Entrepreneur Magazine Radio!
Related
Information:
NBA
Benefit Provider - PostcardMania
NBA
Resource Article - 3
Strategies to Market Your Business Even When Where's No Money
NBA
Resource Article - Starting
Small Business Promotional Campaigns
Reprint
of this article does not constitute an endorsement by the National
Business Association; the article is for informational purposes
for our members and viewers of our Web site.
|
| |
