The Secrets Of Free Publicity For Your Business

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Product publicity is the "secret pathway" to business success
everyone wants. In simple terms, product publicity is a kind of
advertising that costs you nothing, yet brings in the orders for
you.

Regardless of what kind of business you are operating, you should
want, and strive for, as much publicity for your business and your
products or services, as possible. After all, it's "free
advertising" that is essential to the growth of your business.
However, your publicity efforts should be well thought out, and
pre-planned for maximum results.

The first, and basic form of obtaining publicity is through what
is known as the press or news release. This is generally a one
page story about your business, your product/service or an
event/happening related to your business that is about to, or has
recently occurred. These publicity stories are generally
"shot-gunned" to all the various media: local newspapers, radio
and TV, and trade publications.

Problem number one is getting the people to whom you've sent these
publicity stories, to use them - publish or broadcast them. And
this leads us back to the "right way" of writing them and sending
them in.

In every case, send a short cover letter addressed to the person
you want your material to be considered by ... this means that you
send your story to the city editor of the newspapers; the news
directors of the radio and TV stations; and the managing editors
of the various trade publications. It will do you no good
whatsoever, to send your managerial to the advertising,
circulation, or business managers - describing how you're a long
term advertising, subscriber or listener. The most important
thing is that you will make contact with the person who has the
final say as to what is to be published or broadcast, and at the
bottom line - this person's use of your material will somehow make
him a "hero" to his or her readers, viewers or listeners.

The cover letter should be a short note. Go to a paper supplier -
tell them you want a hundred or so sheets of good bond paper - A4
size, preferably in a pastel colour such as blue or ivory - and
that you want this paper cut into quarters, giving you a grand
total of 400 sheets of notepaper.

On this note sheet, begin with the date across the top - skip a
couple of spaces and then quickly tell the recipient of the note,
the attached material is new, and should be of real interest to
his readers. If you were promoting business opportunities, yours
would read something like this:

"Here's something that's new, and for a change, truly helpful, to
people trying to cope with inflation - the soaring costs of living
- and those engaged in building extra income businesses of their
own. Should be of real value - interest - to your readers.
Please take a look - any questions, or if you need more info, call
me on 12345". Then of course you skip about four spaces, type
your name, your business name, and your address - sign your name
above where you've typed it, and staple this note in the upper
right hand corner of your news release. This note should be typed
and double spaced.

So now, you've got a cover letter, and you know where to send it
to. We type up one such note, and take it to a near-by quick
print shop. They copy the note 4 times, paste these 4 copies onto
one sheet of paper, print 50 to 100 copies, and cut the paper into
individual notes.

Now you need the actual written publicity release, which also must
be "properly" written if you expect it to be used by the media.
Above all else, there's a proper form or style to use, plus the
fact that it must be typed double-spaced, and short - about half a
page in total length.

About an inch from the top of the paper, with an inch and a half
margin on each side of the paper, from the left hand margin, type
in all capital letters PRESS RELEASE: Then, underline these
words. Immediately following the colon, but not in all capital
letters, put in the date. Always set the date forward by at least
one day after the day you intend to mail the release.

On the same line, but on the right hand side of the page, and in
all capital letters, write the words, FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:
Underline this, and immediately below, but not in all capital
letters, type your name - your phone number - and your address.

Skip a couple of spaces, then in all capital letters - centred
between the margins - type a story headline, and underline it.
Skip a couple of spaces, and from the left hand margin, all in
capital letters, type the words, FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: from
there on, it's the news or publicity story itself.

You can write the headline before the story, and then a story to
fit the headline - or the story before the headline, and then a
headline to fit the story - either way, it's basically the same as
writing a space ad or a sales letter ... You attract attention
and interest with the headline, and fill in the details with your
story.

Here's an example of the headlines we use on publicity blurbs for
one of our products:

HELP IN MAKING ENDS MEET

NEW PUBLICATION FOR EXTRA INCOME SEEKERS
Notice how we continue to sell or involve the editor - his readers
are always looking for better ways to make ends meet, and he's
specifically interested as to what our promise involves. He wants
his readers to "think well" of him for enlightening them with this
source of help, so he reads into the story to find out who, what
and how.

Suffice to say that your headline, and the story you present to
the editor, must sell him on the benefits of your product or
service to his readers. Unless it specifically does this, he'll
not use it. You must sell the first person receiving your
materials. Keep this fact uppermost in your mind as you write it.
The person you send your press or publicity release to, must
quickly see and understand how your product or service will
benefit his readers - thereby making him a hero to them - and he
must be assured it will do what you promise in your headline.

Come right to the point and say your product is lower in price,
more convenient to use or in what way your product or service is
useful to the people in general. It's also a good idea to include
a complimentary sample of your product or an opportunity for him
to sample your services.

Remember, the editors receiving your information are fully aware
of your purposes - Free Advertising! They are not in the least
interested in you or your credentials - if you've sold them on the
benefits of your business to their readers, and they want
background details, they'll call you. That's why you list your
telephone number and address.

These people are busy people. They have not got the time nor the
interest in reading about your trials and tribulations or plans
for the future. They want only a "flag" that alerts them to
something new, and of probable real interest to their readers.

Sell the editor first. Convince him that you've found the better
mousetrap. Show him that your product or service - that your
business - fills a need and/or will interest a large segment of
his readers, his viewers or listeners.

When an editor uses your publicity release, always follow up with
a short thank you note. Never, but never send a publicity release
to an editor and then call or write demanding to know why he
didn't use it, use it as you wrote it, or only gave it a quick
mention. Do this once, and that particular media will "round
file" any further material received from you, unopened! If your
first effort is not used, then you should review the story itself:
perhaps write it from a different angle; make sure you're sending
it to the proper person - and try again!

As stated earlier, these people are busy, with hundreds of
publicity releases passing across their desks every day - they
only have so much space or time - therefore, your material has to
stand out and in some way, fit in with the information they - the
editors - want to pass along to their readers, viewers, or
listeners. Regardless of your business product, or service, you
must build your press release - write it - around that particular
angle or feature that makes it beneficial or interesting to the
readers, viewers or listeners of the media you want to run your
press release. Without this special ingredient, you're lost
before you begin!

The timing of your press release is always important. Try to
associate your press release with current events in the news. A
story on job lay-offs and increased unemployment carried in the
newspapers, on tv and radio would prompt us to get a publicity
release out to all the media on the help and opportunity offered
by our product. Say there's a deluge of chain letters and pyramid
schemes making the rounds - the media picks up on it and attempts
to warn the people to beware ... within 5 days, we would get a
publicity release out, explaining the availability of our report
on chain letters, and pyramid schemes - a report that explains
everything from A to Z - who're the winners and who're the real
losers.

There's another kind of timing also to keep in mind ...
publication deadlines. For best results, always try to time it so
that your material reaches the editor in time for the Sunday
paper. This is because that's when the papers have their greatest
circulation; the most space is available; and the people have the
most chance to read the paper.

For articles you'd like to appear in the Sunday paper, you'll
generally have to get your releases in at least nine days prior to
the date of publication. If you're in doubt, call and ask about
the deadline date.

IN SUMMARY

Choose the media most likely to carry your press release. Select
those that carry similar write-ups on a regular basis.

Always use a cover letter of some kind. It pays to call ahead to
find out the name of the person you should be sending your press
release to.

Use the proper press release form, complete with a headline that
will interest the man deciding whether or not to use your item.

Be sure your press release is letter perfect - no spelling
mistakes - and don't photocopy it. Always have each letter
individually typed or printed.

When your item is used, send a thank you note or call the editor
on the phone and thank him for using your press release.

Never, but never call or write an editor demanding to know why he
didn't use your press release why he had it re-written, or cut it
short - just try, and try again!