Cut your Ad Budget - By: Neil Holley Williams

I bet you had no idea that you could get FREE publicity in the National and Local Media Did you

I can hear you. "Oh yeah great. Media editorial. Great. Thanks for that Batman...and just how do I accomplish that ... I don't have any relatives or good friends that JUST happen to be reporters as well"

Well... I'm going to tell you. You see, reporters are always under pressure to get their stories out in the next edition, or the edition after that, or the supplement coming up at the end of the month. It's the same for TV and radio; these guys are desperate for stories to fill their quota. Now where do you think they all get their stories from ? They get them from Press Releases, from the community, organisations, businesses, ANYWHERE they can lay their hands on them.

You simply have to come up with an idea that fills space on the page or a spot on the radio - an idea that's more interesting than anything else the reporters already have.

That's not too difficult because usually reporters have precious few ideas.

Reporters and editors have to come up with a whole basket load of ideas day in, day out. That might be fine for the first week or the first month in a new job. At that point, they're going to be scratching around for new ideas, and that's why the media love to see press releases issued by people like you.

For the media, these press releases are like a breath of fresh air. They're new ideas that come from people outside the usual circle of reporters, producers and editors. They're different from the stream of business reports and announcements issued by big corporations to impress shareholders, and they provide a new source of information that media outlets can use to entertain their readers.

You might think that the media would have no interest whatsoever in a press release sent from an accountant or a hairdresser, but you would be wrong. The media people are desperate for new sources of stories and new information.

Every story that they get from the public is one story less that they have to think up - and one more way to prevent their publication from getting stale, and in return for that help, they'll be more than willing to help you.

Effective PR can get you thousands of pounds worth of free advertising and promotion ... FOR FREE

I can't promise that every press release you send will result in a story. But the more press releases you write, the more successes you'll have and the more you'll understand what reporters want.

A full page ad in your local paper probably costs several hundred if not thousands. So a story in your local newspaper can be worth at least £500.The fact is, publicity pays, and it pays even if you get just one simple little story.

Further on, I'll tell you how to put a Press Release together.

But first you need a story ideas. Not a Story, just the idea.

Come up with an angle. Is there a story in you or your organization ? Maybe 5 of your employees just completed a Marathon for Charity ? Did your small building company just complete a New Youth Club or Arts Centre ? You sponsored the Hi-Vis vests for a school walking bus. Your bakery baked a cake for a well known citizen's 100th Birthday. Your company cut it's CO2 emissions by 50%. Are you a pub that's holding a charity concert ? Does your restaurant only source ingredients from a 25mile radius ? Your Car Body shop knows the number one reason for accidents in your area. All these are stories that reporters would be interested in

Piggy Back a Topical News Story Keep your eyes on the news for items you can tie your business in with. E.g. The latest Rise in Mortgage Lending is perfect for a Mortgage Broker to show people how to find the mortgage that is right for them. The winning of a top award for restoration of a famous building is perfect timing for a builder to show people how to maintain their own properties. Big spending cuts at a local employer threatening jobs is a good time for a Recruitment Agency to show how people can transition easily into other jobs.

When you spot a good story write a ONE PAGE Press Release with a powerful HEADLINE that ties YOUR business in with the original story (I'll show you how later, because the Press Release is the KEY). This is NOT the headline for the story, but it is to grab the attention of the reporter.

BUT..... you must make sure that the reporter sees you as the EXPERT in this field. BECOME THE EXPERT IN YOUR INDUSTRY. It's not about deceit, it's about self promotion. You have to DECIDE to become the expert. You will say this in your Press Release. If you wait to be lauded as 'An Expert' , you'll be waiting a long time - no one will appoint you. You have to do it yourself, so establish your pre-eminence in your subject by SAYING IT. Look at people like..... Paul McKenna... he's the Greatest Hypnotist in the World. But who says so ? It's all a bit subjective isn't it? Well, in actual fact HE does. Is Jamie Oliver the best chef in Britain? Subjective. Probably not. But he established his pre-eminence with publicity. You HAVE to DECIDE to do the same. Be BOLD. It's easier than you think.

Bonus Tip: Incorporate your new position in ALL of your marketing (e.g. say 'As featured on BBC South'; as 'Featured in the Reading Gazette')

The Press Release Here's yer Meat and two veg.

Now you have your story idea , you need to tell the relevant publications about it. So how do you go about writing a Press Release ?

The Press Release needs to be just ONE A4 PAGE long explaining why they need your story or need you on their show. You have to concentrate on what you can do for THEIR AUDIENCE or READERSHIP in a short snappy format.

The HEADLINE is the most important part. To take our Piggy Back story ideas from earlier

I can help anyone find the right mortgage I can improve the value of your reader's property in less than a week I can help redundant workers back to work

There are two kinds of mistakes that are most common.

1. Offering Sales Pitches Not Stories

The biggest mistake you can make when trying to generate publicity is to focus on making sales. People complain that they're sending out press releases and getting nothing back. When I see their press release, it looks exactly like a flyer for their business.

The media will make your sales. But you have to give the media a story.

When you come to write your press release, don't think about what the media can do for you. Think about what you can do for the media.

Your press release has to contain a story that the media want to print. When they print your story, you'll get your sales. Give them a sales story and they'll give you nothing.

2. Press Releases That Don't Look The Part

In publicity, appearances matter.

In fact, in some ways, how your press release looks on the page is more important than the story the press release contains. That's because if your press release doesn't look right, the reporter won't give it a proper look. Below I've laid out exactly how a Press Release should look. There's no alternative to that format. Try to change it and the reporter will assume that you don't know what you're doing. He won't even read the Press Release. If a reporter sees a Press release laid out exactly as below, he knows he's dealing with someone who knows the media industry. That puts his mind at ease because he knows you're not looking for a free ad, you're trying to help him write a good story.

A Press release is your way of DELIVERING a story.

About the Author

Neil Holley-Williams is widely regarded as one of the leading authorities on Small Business Marketing. Neil has launched 3 new businesses in the last 6 months. To find out more about creating successful Press Releases, visit http://www.hwmarketing.co.uk/CutAdCostsReport.html

Article Directory Source: http://www.articlerich.com/profile/Neil-Holley-Williams/54081

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