Creating news releases: easy and free publicity for your business

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Summary: If you're not sending out news releases every month,
you're missing out on free publicity for your business.

Total words: 700

Category: Small Business

Creating news releases: easy and free publicity for your business

Copyright (c) 2002 by Angela Booth

What's news? You are! If you're not creating monthly news
releases for your business, you're missing out on giving your
business an instant boost.

As a tech journalist, I received dozens of news releases every
day. Most of them went into the recycling bin, or were used as
scrap paper.

However, the releases I did use received a fantastic boost of
free publicity and instant credibility for the businesses which
sent them.

Years ago, when I managed a dog training and boarding business,
we spent huge dollars every week buying display advertising in a
Sunday paper. It bit a massive chunk out of our cash flow, and I
knew there had to be a better way. At the time, I wrote romance
novels, and didn't think of myself as a copywriter. However, I
figured that if I could get some free publicity for us, maybe we
could save on advertising.

I sent dozens of news releases to newspapers, radio stations, and
TV shows, and we got a wonderful response.

Lots of interviews and television appearances. Great coverage. I
managed to position our business as experts in dog behavioral
problems, so whenever anything dog-related made news, journalists
would call us as the experts on dog behavior. One of our trainers
would then give newspaper and TV interviews, dispensing advice
while promoting our business. Once the publicity ball got
rolling, the only paid advertising we needed to do was in the
Yellow Pages.

That taught me that if you're willing to put thought, creativity,
and time into promoting your business, not only can you save on
advertising, but you can also build an image for your business.

=> The major element of your release

Here's a list of the elements of a news story. The story you're
presenting must contain at least one of these elements:
TIMELINESS, PUBLIC INTEREST, CONFLICT, TRAGEDY, HUMOR, SEX,
MONEY, HUMAN INTEREST, THE FUTURE, or ANIMALS.

=> Rules for news releases

IDENTIFICATION: Display the words "News Release" prominently.
DATE THE RELEASE. LETTERHEAD: Use your own business letterhead.
(Create it in your word processor.) TIMING OF THE RELEASE:
Underneath the letterhead, type in caps, underlined: FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE. USE DOUBLE SPACING. LEAVE WIDE MARGINS, for
journalists and producers to make notes. FINISH OFF THE COPY:
type **ENDS** or ### at the end of the copy. CONTACT
INFORMATION: vital. You can end the release with it, or begin the
release with it, your preference. You need to include the name of
the contact person: you, or your client, or both of you, and the
phone numbers you can reliably be reached at.

=> The structure of a news release: the inverted pyramid

After you've done a lot of news releases, you'll get in the habit
of writing in inverted-pyramid style automatically. "Inverted
pyramid" writing is used in newspapers.

You can remember what IV style is if you imagine it. Imagine a
pyramid. Stand it on its apex. You now have the broad base
uppermost. This signifies that the base of the story, or the root
of the story, comes first.

Therefore, news releases have this structure: a headline, and the
first paragraph giving the most important information. The first
graph tells the entire story.

Then each succeeding paragraph gives more information in order
of descending importance. You can chop off any of the later
paragraphs and still have the story make sense.

I like using a headline in a news release, but it's optional.
Unlike the headline in an ad, your headline shouldn't be cute or
gimmicky, it should summarize the story in five or six words. For
example: 'Nursery Gives Away Free Trees'; 'New Store Opens';
'Delaney Sponsors Local Swimmers'.

The first paragraph is your story in a nutshell: who, what, how,
when, where and why. It's easy to write. Just state your case.
Tell who you are, what you're doing, how you're doing it, where
you're doing it, and why.

For news release examples, visit http://www.prweb.com .
(PRWeb.com lets you send out free news releases.)

When you get into the swing of whizzing out monthly news
releases, they take less than an hour write. After all, they're
just a page of straightforward information. However, that hour
can have a powerful impact on your business.

Make some news today!

***Resource box: if using, please include***

Author and copywriter Angela Booth crafts words for your
business. Words to sell, educate or persuade. Contact her today
for a free quote:

http://www.digital-e.biz/

Free ezine: Creative Small Biz --- subscribe at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Creative_Small_Biz/

###

About the Author

Author, journalist and copywriter Angela Booth writes for businesses large and small.