I don’t care how technical or complicated your topic is. If you’re writing a press release about it, that’s no excuse to be boring. NASA’s press release about moon dust, written by Dave Dooling, serves as a great example. I found eight things I love in this release: 1. A terrific, simple headline. 2. A lead that really… Read More
Press Releases
Free ebook of publicity tips (consider regifting)
Put your 2007 publicity campaign on steroids with my special holiday gift to you—“The Best of The Publicity Hound’s Tips of the Week of 2006” ebook. I reviewed all 52 of my newsletters from last year, hand-picked the top two dozen items that generated the biggest response from readers and included them in this ebook. It will… Read More
Write press releases for readers, not clients
If you write press releases, one of the worst mistakes you can make is writing to please the boss or the PR client. Here’s what bosses and clients like to see: What I call “the B.S. quote.” It sounds like this: “The ABC Widget Company is honored to be a part of this long-standing tradition blah-blah-blah…” On first… Read More
Writing tip: Make statistics come alive
One of the best ways to help journalists and consumers understand statistics in your press releases, articles and marketing copy is to turn a statistic into a picture they can see in their minds. I just saw a great example of this today. Greg Stromberg, CEO of Toobee International, sells a toy called “The Amazing… Read More
Press Releases: Put ’em on steroids
Anyone who self-promotes needs to know about the new press release: the one that’s written and distributed online and can be found by consumers, not only by journalists. You can hear The Publicity Hound and four other experts talk about how to put your press releases on steroids during Bulldog Reporter’s audio conference called “Revitalizing Press Releases in the Digital… Read More
Free press release writing course needs promo ideas
I’m starting a big promotion campaign for my free email course called “89 Ways to Write Powerful Press Releases” and I’m looking for ideas from my Hounds so I don’t miss anything. I’m looking for: —Contact information for bloggers and ezine editors who would be interested in this course. I’ve already contacted many of them, but I want… Read More
Embedded cartoon animates press releases
If you want a good example of how to embed video into your press release, take a look at this release from Marketwire, one of the Big Three press release distribution services. It features a two-minute cartoon that ties into the company’s “Retire Your Old Newswire” campaign. I like the fact that it piggybacks onto the 100th anniversary of the press… Read More
Big magazines want your briefs
Aching to get into a major magazine like Time, Cosmopolitan or AARP? The easiest way is to start writing short items, or briefs, on timely, controversial or fun topics, then submit them to magazines on your media list. When editors are creating a particular issue of the magazine and place a story onto a page,… Read More
How to write a social media press release
Blogger and PR pro Brian Solis has an interesting commentary about social media press releases and how they differ from the traditional press releases that litter the landscape. Social media press release are written specifically for blogs, digital stories, RSS feeds, wikis and other social networks that generate conversation online. Solis offers a tidy summary of the SMPRs and… Read More
PRWeb ends free service
PRWeb has discontinued its free press release distribution service which is probably just as well, because these freebie sites are usually worthless because your release isn’t distributed anywhere. It’s simply parked at a website. That means you have to pay at least $80 to have your release distributed by PRWeb—a service that pushes your releases into… Read More