| Sorry about my otaku with this issue (otaku = | | | | it.13. You may have also identified prior media |
| more than a hobby, a little less than an | | | | coverage, which indicates it's no longer a new |
| obsession).Many of you may know me, since I | | | | issue. Get rid of it. Let each news release stand |
| run Imediafax, the Internet to Media Fax Service. | | | | on it's own two feet.14. You tried to impress and |
| I send out over a million news releases a year for | | | | be clever or innovative but you come off |
| people via fax and email. You probably think that | | | | naïve, less than expert, biased, flippant, |
| I've got news releases failing on me day in and | | | | arrogant, or crazy. Tone it down. Get straight.15. |
| day out.Actually, I don't. The news releases I | | | | You made vague and unsubstantiated claims, or |
| write and send out for people do quite well. My | | | | wild and outrageous claims, or you included a |
| clients are quite happy with me because they are | | | | statement that simply rubs the media the wrong |
| successful with their outreach efforts.It's the draft | | | | way. Get rid of them.16. You are trying to be |
| news releases that people send to me that are | | | | different, just for the sake of it, but you come |
| my problem.Fixing the problems I see in the news | | | | off eccentric. Forget it. Don't create a false or |
| releases people send me takes forever. It is also | | | | inflated image. Be yourself.17. You wrote a rant |
| very painful.I've seen a lot of news release failure | | | | and rave, worthy of a letter to the editor, instead |
| over the years, and I now know what the key | | | | of a problem solving tips article, worthy of a |
| problems look like and how to fix them.My plight | | | | feature story. Decide what you want, put your |
| as a publicist is that I spend a lot of time | | | | best effort into it.18. You are simply not credible. |
| educating my clients trying to get them to | | | | It could be your ideas are simply not well thought |
| understand the psychology of dealing with the | | | | out, or that you've offered old well-worn material, |
| media.The rubber meets the road in the news | | | | or that you are too extreme or controversial, or |
| release because this single sheet of paper is the | | | | not qualified. You may not be expert enough, or |
| key nexus for all communications with the media. | | | | sufficiently qualified, to make the statements, |
| The importance of the copy on a news release | | | | compared to others in your field. You need to |
| cannot be overstated. It has to be free of | | | | present information that qualifies you properly and |
| negative issues or factors that will reduce or | | | | adequately.19. You provided poor contact |
| eliminate media interest and response. One fatal | | | | information. You need to identify the best single |
| error and it's all over.So identifying the problems | | | | point of contact and the correct phone number |
| and revising the news releases is crucial. I spend a | | | | so interested media can reach you and get the |
| tremendous amount of time and effort trying to | | | | best possible attention and response from you to |
| avoid sending out news releases with problems | | | | meet their needs. One key person, one phone, no |
| still in them.The issue is that when people send | | | | fax, one email address, and one URL (with no long |
| me news releases, it often takes a long, long time | | | | string addresses).20. You did not include a clear |
| to identify and communicate the problems, and | | | | media call for action. You didn't tell the media |
| then more time again to explain and negotiate all | | | | what you want them to do with your news |
| the word changes with the clients, and more time | | | | release. You need to tell them what you are |
| still to finalize the news release and have it ready | | | | asking for or suggesting or offering. Then you |
| and approved for transmittal.Honestly - it can be | | | | need to offer the media incentives value-added |
| very painful for all involved. I'm quite brutal on my | | | | reasons to do so, like free review copies, free |
| clients, since their success is all that matters. I | | | | test samples, interview questions and answers, |
| don't pull any punches. My comment process can | | | | media kits with story angles and stats and data, |
| bruise a lot of highly inflated egos of some | | | | relevant photographs, etc.21. You did not |
| otherwise very accomplished people, on the way | | | | incorporate and integrate a primary response |
| to a problem free news release that maximizes | | | | mechanism. You need to include a value-added |
| the chances of success when finally sent. Lots of | | | | reason, which motivates the editor to publish or |
| people think they can write a news release. Very | | | | mention your contact information, which will |
| few of them can do it very well.They simply | | | | generate calls, traffic, interviews, or requests for |
| haven't followed the media response to enough | | | | more information. This usually means something |
| news releases to learn the errors that are made | | | | unique and of special value to the audience, that |
| when they write news releases. They haven't yet | | | | the editor feels good about mentioning. Use an |
| learned what the mistakes are, so there is no | | | | offer for a free problem solving report.22. You |
| learning from continuous improvement.This is | | | | sent the release to the wrong media. Target the |
| where the blood, sweat and tears of the | | | | media that your clients read, watch and listen to |
| copywriting business is truly found. It gets even | | | | when they are in the right mood, that is, |
| tougher when another professional publicist wrote | | | | receptive to hearing about your news, and willing |
| the news release for the client. Now the client is | | | | to take action when they get your message. |
| getting opposing advice from two professionals. | | | | Work with your publicist to target the right |
| One says "Make it Hot" and the other says "Cool | | | | media.23. You rely on a single fax or an email to |
| it". What's a publicist to do?So my motivations for | | | | produce an avalanche of media calls. You conduct |
| doing this article are really quite selfish. I want to | | | | no follow up. Get real. Follow up properly and you |
| spend less time doing this. My life will be | | | | can triple or quadruple your media response rate. |
| significantly improved if my clients send me news | | | | Better still, you can ask the editors "what can I |
| releases that take less time and energy to fix. | | | | give you to support a feature story and meet |
| Very simply, for each and every news release | | | | your needs".Finally, the biggest reason for news |
| that comes in and doesn't have these problems, | | | | release failure is one of attitude. How do you |
| I'll free myself to spend more time doing things | | | | define success or failure? It's called unrealistic |
| that are more profitable for my clients and | | | | expectations.Get real. You won't get rich off one |
| me.The issues listed here have all been identified | | | | news release. You're chances of getting famous |
| as reasons for the failure of a news release. This | | | | are just about as slim.You might be able to break |
| is based on over 20 years of experience in | | | | even.Look at your investment and compare it to |
| dealing with the aftermath - the actual number | | | | what you need to break even on your |
| and quality of responses generated from the | | | | investment. If you need to sell 100 books to |
| transmittal of a news release.So here are the | | | | cover the costs of a $500 outreach effort, you |
| most common reasons why news releases fail:1. | | | | need ten articles because each article only |
| You wrote an advertisement. It's not a news | | | | produces ten sales. So that's your breakeven goal. |
| release at all. It sells product. It fails to offer solid | | | | More books per article, means less articles will |
| news of real tangible interest, value-added | | | | satisfy your needs.You may simply have to be |
| information, education or entertainment.2. You | | | | realistic and understand that while you are wildly |
| wrote for a minority, not for a majority of people | | | | interested in the topic, it may not have the broad |
| in the audience. You simply won't compete with | | | | general public interest that you have for the |
| other news releases that clearly are written for a | | | | subject. If you wrote an article that has local |
| larger demographic of the media audience.3. You | | | | interest and you expect national media to pay |
| are the center of attention, not the media | | | | attention, think again.If you want to be on the |
| audience. You focus on your business and your | | | | Oprah Winfrey Show, then you'd better pray |
| marketing, instead of things the editor and his or | | | | because chances of doing it off one news release |
| her audience will be interested in.4. You forgot to | | | | are very slim, near zero in fact. Get real. If she |
| put the five W's up front. (WHO, WHAT, WHERE, | | | | calls, then congratulations are in order. But don't |
| WHEN and WHY THE AUDIENCE WILL BE | | | | count on it.If you wrote an advertisement and |
| INTERESTED). You didn't clearly and succinctly tell | | | | wanted a feature story and interviews, don't be |
| the media why the audience would be interested | | | | surprised if the only media to call is the advertising |
| in this.5. You are too wordy and text dense. You | | | | manager offering you a package deal. You get |
| focused on details and minutia, instead of the | | | | what you ask for. What you offer is often times |
| most important ideas, issues, factors, facts, and | | | | what you will get.Even if you do get publicity, it |
| news angles. You fail to address the real | | | | may not come out exactly the way you want it. |
| significant impacts your story has on people.6. You | | | | More often than not, the bigger the media, the |
| place too much information on one page - the | | | | less likely they are to run contact |
| one page news release has a font size so small | | | | information.Often times, the quality may be there |
| an editor needs a magnifying glass to read it.7. | | | | while the numbers are not.One or two quality |
| You included corporate logos and other | | | | media responses may be what you want or need. |
| non-persuasive low value added graphics that | | | | If you get that, it's a success.One article in USA |
| distract the editor from your key message. You | | | | Today may out perform ten articles in small |
| may have also used an unusual fancy font or a | | | | dailies and weeklies in the mid-west.On the other |
| file format that turns to gobbledygook when it | | | | hand, it may not. The small high quality articles |
| goes through a fax machine.8. You wrote a | | | | may outperform the small mention in the big |
| personally biased article for the media to publish, | | | | media.Similarly, one quality 30-minute interview on |
| instead of pitching the idea to the media and the | | | | a well-liked talk show on a radio station in the |
| objective reasons why the media audience will be | | | | middle of nowhere out in the mid-west, will likely |
| interested.9. You wrote about features and facts, | | | | outsell a five-minute interview on an Arbitron |
| and forgot to explain what it means to real | | | | rated radio station in the middle of the morning |
| people. Tell a story about real people. Add in real | | | | talk show in a major metropolitan area. You can't |
| life human interest.10. You wrote about how your | | | | tell the listening quality of the audience.So when |
| news ties in to someone else's fame and glory. | | | | you write a news release please review it against |
| Forget it. Never stand in the shadow of someone | | | | these criteria to see if you've made any of these |
| else. Make your own light. Tell your own story.11. | | | | errors. Then fix each and every one of them |
| Your news release responds to something that | | | | yourself, and when you are done, feel free to |
| just happened. You're too late. You're behind the | | | | send me your final draft. I'll be happy to take a |
| eight ball. Forget it. Get out in front of the | | | | look at it.So listen to your publicist. Heed these |
| news.12. You included too much hype, | | | | warnings and reduce the risks of failure. Fail to |
| self-laudatory praise, pithy quotes, useless | | | | pay attention to these issues, proceed at your |
| testimonials, jargon or gobbledygook. Get rid of | | | | own risk. |