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TIPS TO GET EDITORS TO READ YOUR PRESS RELEASES
by Danielle Hollister
(to have this article emailed to you - send blank email to: hollisterarticle04@sendfree.com)
* Please send me a copy of the ezine edition or the web page URL in/on which this article appears.
* You may use this article if you include the ENTIRE resource box that follows the article.
If you're seeking to promote yourself or your new business on a limited budget, you probably cannot afford the benefit of hiring a public relations agency to work on your behalf - at least not in the beginning.
You've probably spent considerable money to get to the point of your grand opening or new product release, which could easily fail if nobody cares that you exist. The cost of hiring a marketing professional is usually worth your money as what you're ultimately purchasing is results. In theory if they don't deliver, you don't pay.
However, there are no guarantees. It is probably easier, less time consuming and less stressful, to pay a professional to perform this work for you. But if you don't have a lot of cash as you start out in business, you can still get people and publications to notice you without spending a fortune to hire a public relations agency.
If you've been down the solo road of self-promotion in the past and were not satisified with the final results of your "PR" efforts, you are not alone.
Does the following scenario sound familiar to you?
You developed an innovative service or produced an incredible product. You did your homework on how to write an effective press release. (And it sounded so easy...)
You followed the standard directions to compile your targeted media list and distribute your announcement according to their preferred guidelines. (And it seemed simple enough...)
You invested in some stamps, paid to use a public fax machine or formatted your release for email submission. You finally got to the point of sending it off to dozens of online and offline publications.
You relaxed for a few days, figuring you'd better store up some energy, to field your anticipated flood of calls from editors anxious to interview you to get more details about the exciting offer outlined in your press release.
A week, maybe two weeks, passed and you were still staring at your phone waiting for it to ring...
You could wait another month or two for the sweet sound of some unknown editors voice to surprise you on the other end of the phone.
Chances are you'll continue to hear your mother or ex-husband talking when you pick up the phone and won't that just do wonders for your hope and self-esteem?
If there is a positive aspect of this experience, it may be the knowledge that you are not alone.
Regardless of how remarkable your new offer is or how perfect your press release is, the results of your efforts to promote it to publications may not please you to say to the least.
Why didn't your press release produce the outcome you expected?
There's a few possible reasons and facts about publications, editors and press releases.
Most editors get hundreds of press releases every week. Seldom do they have the time to read every single announcement.
Some press releases don't stand a chance of being read depending on the editor. If they do not immediately recognize the contact name or the headline does not scream success at them or if they're just having a bad day, your hard work hits the trash without a second thought.
Sometimes your press release never even makes it to the correct editor. It may get stuck in the fax machine or the mail room may accidentally deliver it to the circulation department. It may be at the bottom of a stack of unrelated faxes or letters and not see the editors desk for weeks, if at all.
What can you do to prevent this disappointing scenario from dampening your spirits and detracting from your potential success?
1 - Follow up every press release submission with a phone call. Do not settle for speaking to the receptionist or leaving a message on voice mail. Do not talk to the sports reporter, who happens to answer the phone, if your press release was intended for the features department. Keep calling until you reach the right person.
2 - Contrary to popular belief, the editor may not be the best person for you to promote your press release to. If you do not receive satisfaction by speaking to the editor, consider other contact options, like reporters, interns, or an assistant editor.
3 - If you're sending your press release to publications that you read frequently, you should be able to identify a few reporters, who write articles about the service or product you're promoting. Ask to speak to one of those writers by name. Request to be connected directly to a reporter's personal voice mail instead of the editors' general mailbox.
4 - If you don't know the names of any reporters, ask to speak to the "business" writer or the "features" copy-editor, based upon the type of product, service or event you're promoting.
5 - Think of any contacts or friends of friends whose name you could repeat to an editor or reporter as a familiar reference that may help to establish your credibility. It can make a difference in some cases.
6 - Try to remember any previous events you attended where a reporter was present. Even if you had a very brief encounter with him or her, it's worth mentioning. Generally speaking, reporters see so many faces and meet so many people every week that they probably will not be able to recall whether they were ever introduced to you or not.
7 - Compliment the reporter on his outstanding coverage of the latest celebration or in-depth series of articles about the best businesses of the year. Or schmooze the editor with similar praise of his writers, front page design or choice of featured content.
The bottom line is simple. If you write a killer press release, slip it in the mail to a slew of publications and wait for your phone to ring, you may wait forever.
Resource Box -
© Danielle Hollister (2000)
Danielle Hollister is the Writing Host at BellaOnline http://www.bellaonline.com/career/writing.html
and Publisher of BellaOnline’s Writing Zine http://www.egroups.com/group/bellaonlinewriting
to subscribe send email to: bellaonlinewriting-subscribe@egroups.com
Click to subscribe to bellaonlinewriting
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TEN THINGS YOUR DOG WANTS YOU TO KNOW
By Danielle Hollister
(to have this article emailed to you - send blank email to: hollisterarticle03@sendfree.com)
* Please send me a copy of the ezine edition or the web page URL in/on which this article appears.
* You may use this article if you include the ENTIRE resource box that follows the article.
If your dog could talk, these are some of most important things she would like to tell you...
1 - My life will probably only last 7 to 14 years. It will hurt me more than you know if I have to be away from you for longer than a day or two.
2 - If you have patience with me and give me time to learn what you would like from me, I can promise you, you will never be disappointed.
3 - Trust me with your life and have faith in our future together. If I don't feel that you honestly believe in me, I will suffer great emotional stress. My sense of self-worth is totally dependent upon your confidence in me.
4 - Don’t stay mad at me for long or confine me to a cage to punish me. You have your friends, your job, and your recreation. I HAVE ONLY YOU!
5 - Talk to me about anything you want as frequently as possible. Even if I can’t comprehend your precise words, I can understand the meaning of what you’re telling me by the tone of your voice.
6 - Remember no matter how you treat me, I will NEVER forget it.
7 - When you consider raising your hand to hit me, remember I have teeth that could break the bones in your hand, but I choose not to bite you.
8 - Before you scream at me for failing to respond to your commands as I usually do, take time to think about what might be wrong with me that would cause me to treat you differently. Maybe I haven’t been eating right or drinking enough water. Or maybe my age is catching up with me and I just can’t do what I used to do.
9 - Take good care of me when I get old. Someday you will be as old as me and you will see how it feels.
10 - Be there for me through good times and bad. Never say you can’t handle taking me to the vets for stitches or surgery. Nothing could make me feel worse. Everything in my life is easier for me to deal with when I have you standing by my side. Remember my love for you is unconditional and it will last for your entire life.
Resource Box -
© Danielle Hollister (2000)
Danielle Hollister is the Writing Host at BellaOnline http://www.bellaonline.com/career/writing.html
and Publisher of BellaOnline’s Writing Zine http://www.egroups.com/group/bellaonlinewriting
to subscribe send email to: bellaonlinewriting-subscribe@egroups.com
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SURVIVING AS A SINGLE PARENT:
SEVEN SUGGESTIONS TO MAKE YOUR LIFE EASIER
By Danielle Hollister
(to have this article emailed to you - send blank email to: hollisterarticle05@sendfree.com)
* Please send me a copy of the ezine edition or the web page URL in/on which this article appears.
* You may use this article if you include the ENTIRE resource box that follows the article.
1 - Forgive even if you will never be able to Forget -
Let go of grudges you may hold against your child’s other parent, who is absent from BOTH of your lives. Holding onto feelings of anger will not change your situation and will probably consume a great deal of your energy - energy you need to devote to creating a positive environment for your child. If you dwell on your disappointment with and/or dislike of the father or mother of your child - chances are your child will sense your feelings and suffer in some way from your negative attitude.
2 - Make the most of everything you have -
Even if you do not have a lot of money, you do have your child and your love and your time to give to him or her. Try to remember that monetary wealth and material possessions are not the most important items in your child’s life. Your love, support and time together mean much more to them. You can have fun for free. Activities like - going for a walk or a bike ride, playing at the park, coloring, painting, singing, or dancing - will thrill your child just as much as spending money to go to an amusement park, an arcade or a toy store.
3 - Be the best parent you can possibly be -
Give as much as you can without setting goals that are unrealistic for one parent to achieve. Don’t beat yourself up for what cannot be. Do recognize what you can do to create a good life for your child to the best of your abilities.
4 - Develop a network of reliable resources -
Families are not biological. Surround yourself and your child with friends you know and trust - people who care about both of you. “Aunts” and “Uncles” and even “Grandparents,” who are not blood-related can be just as beneficial to your child as actual biological family members. The “family” you create for your child can provide him or her with the same kind of love and support as a traditional family. They can also help you with your responsibilities as a single parent. Let them play an active role in your child’s life. Learn to turn to your “family” when you need a break. Nobody should have to go it alone and you will probably be able to be a better parent by relying on your “family” of close friends to support you and your child.
5 - Take responsibility for your life today -
Remember whatever lead you to where you are today, you are responsible for another life - the innocent life of a child, who didn’t ask to be born. Your child is not responsible for the experiences or events that made you become a single parent. Your child is completely dependent upon you through no choice of their own. Don’t let them down or hold them accountable for your actions (or the actions of their absent parent). They are powerless and vulnerable to the possibly less-than-ideal consequences they face as the child of a single parent. Your role and influence in their life is paramount to their chances of becoming a happy, productive, successful adult. They need you more than their words will ever tell.
6 - Set up daily rituals and regular routines -
Your child needs stability and security. One way to provide this is by developing a daily routine. Simple things like - going to the park every Sunday afternoon, eating dinner together each night, sharing a treat before nap time or reading a book together before bed every night, will become activities that your child looks forward to and can count on to occur with regularity.
7 - Be consistent and dependable -
Create realistic rules and a standard of discipline that you stick to all the time. If you’re consistent with your child, he or she will learn what is acceptable behavior and what is not. They will also learn what you expect from them and what they can expect from you. If you’re dependable, they will know that they can always count on you to help them with their homework, be there for dinner or tuck them in bed at night. They have to be able to depend on you. You’re the most important person in their life. Try to remember that no matter how tired you are at the end of the day or how frustrated you may become when they’re fussy - They need you to be there for them. You should cherish every moment with your child - they are the best blessings on earth.
Resource Box -
© Danielle Hollister (2000)
Danielle Hollister is the Writing Host at BellaOnline http://www.bellaonline.com/career/writing.html
and Publisher of BellaOnline’s Writing Zine http://www.egroups.com/group/bellaonlinewriting
to subscribe send email to: bellaonlinewriting-subscribe@egroups.com
My Professional Freelance Writing/Editing/Research Services
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