Issue #1031 June 21, 2016
Publisher: Joan Stewart
“Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity”
In This Issue
- Write Strong Press Release Leads
- How Speakers Annoy Audiences
- How Long Does it Take to Call You?
- Hound Photos of the Week
This Week in the Hound House:
I’m from Cleveland, and when the Cavaliers clinched the NBA title on Sunday night, I had to keep from screaming so my voice heals. I’m feeling better thanks to the dozens of tips that poured in last week about how to recover from this cough and cold. Publicity Hound Sophie Wajsman of Australia recommend this brew before bedtime: the juice and grated rind of one lemon, 1 tablespoon honey, 2 cloves crushed garlic, 1/4 tsp. powdered ginger and a pinch of cayenne pepper in hot water. I drank it all, wrapped myself in blankets and sweated it out last night.
1. Write Strong Press Release Leads
Are you still using the archaic “who, what, when, where and why” formula in the opening paragraph of your press releases?
Or using the words “announced,” “announces” or “announcing”?
If so, you’re boring readers. There’s a better way.
Ann Wylie calls it the “X, Y, Z, A formula” that focuses on the benefits of your product or service. It looks like this:
X (users) who have struggled with Y (problem) will now be able to Z (benefit), thanks to A (product or service).
It reads like this:
Commuters who now spend an hour each day driving from Sunrise Beach to Osage Beach will soon be able to make the trip in 15 minutes, thanks to a new bridge that the ABC Company will build this summer.
For two more ways to write compelling leads, read her article “Write Better Press Release Openers.”
To do: For more quick tips, see my “Special Report #12: 52 Tips for Kick-Butt News Releases (and Bonehead Mistakes to Avoid)”. Only $7. See the entire list of my special reports here.
2. 7 National Publicity Secrets
Wouldn’t it be helpful if you knew someone who worked at a show like “Good Morning America” or at the News York Times so they could coach you on how to pitch your story? Here’s the next best thing.
You’re invited to a free live webcast at 7 p.m. Eastern Time on Thursday, June 23, with Steve Harrison along with veteran journalists and producers who decide which authors/experts to interview for media outlets like The New York Times and CNBC.
Steve will be interviewing several of his media friends who know what it’s like to make decisions every day about which guests or experts to interview for their story or segment. The question he’ll pose to all of them is a simple one: “If you had a brother or sister who wanted to get a lot of publicity and they asked you for your advice, what would you say?”
You’ll learn what to do before you contact a national TV producer, a simple strategy for using YouTube to get producers to book you, and the very first thing you should say on the phone or in your email to make a producer or editor stop what they’re doing and say, “Tell me more.” Tips include how to become a “go-to guest” who gets invited back.
To do: Register for the free training on “Insider Publicity Secrets National TV Producers/Journalists Would Give Their Own Brother or Sister.”
3. What PRNewswire Sale Means to You
PRNewswire, one of the largest and most popular press release distribution services, has been has been bought by Cision which owns the competing PRWeb.
What does it mean, and why should you care?
Cision says PRWeb will still remain a Cision service that will drive online traffic to your news. They say it’s meant to complement, not compete with, PRNewswire, the wire service that offers a global distribution network for press releases. Cision says you should “Stay tuned for enhancements to both products.”
One of the other big questions is what Cision will do with HARO, its popular free service that provides media leads from working journalists to people like you who want publicity.
HARO competes with ProfNet, the media leads service that PRNewswire owned. It differed from HARO two ways: ProfNet is a subscriptions service. It sends you only leads in your area of expertise or interest so you don’t have to spend hours wading through hundreds of queries that don’t interest you.
Cision says: “There will be no changes to the ProfNet service at this time. Going forward, ProfNet will be integrating its services with HARO to widen our journalist network and provide more value for you, the sources, globally.”
Bottom line: We’ll see.
To do: Read Cision’s press release and its its Frequently Asked Questions about the sale.
4. Hound Photos of the Week
Chantal Adair, a freelance writer and photographer at The Huffington Post, offers this hysterical photo album of dogs all dressed up in their fashionable best at TheDogStyler.com. Click “Next” in the lower left corner. Thanks to Publicity Hound BL Ochman of Pawfun.com for this one.
[Tweet “RT @PublicityHound — Write Strong Press Release Leads #PressReleaseLeads”]
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