It is no secret that businesses who can master the art of building high-profile, credible personal profiles via the media can attract clients and enhance their businesses. Those who know how to stand out and become recognised as experts, or mini gurus, in their field harness significant flow-on rewards.
Before you start building yourself a media profile, ask yourself if you are willing to put yourself in the public eye and risk being noticed and even criticised. If you are, then it is worth taking the necessary steps to put yourself, your reputation and your business in a position to be noticed.
Building your profile is not going to cost you a lot of money, but it can be costly in terms of time—especially at the beginning. You need to factor this into your schedule—and ensure that your strategy in this regard meets your overall business goals.
Build a campaign
You may be lucky with a one-off media release, but it’s quite likely your media release will be binned unless it is very topical or newsworthy as the media don’t know you.
Don’t give up. Continue to send media releases regularly, say, on a monthly basis. Vary your pitch each time so journalists think of your company as a well-rounded source for stories. For example, a mortgage broker staying in touch with local real estate agents could write about a trend local media were unaware of. Such news could easily end up as front page news, or in the real estate section of the local paper—exactly where prospective home loan clients look each week as they hunt for homes.
Make the most of your press release
Follow up your releases with tact and caution. Journalists are busy people, so don’t hound them. If you ring, offer some extra information rather than just asking if they received your media release.
You can get extra mileage out of it by putting it on your website, mentioning it in your e-newsletter and sending it to existing or prospective clients.
Layout of a media release
A media release should be no longer than a page.
At the top
- Type your release on letterhead, or under a Media Release logo which features your brand and company details. This adds credibility and makes your business instantly recognisable for future publicity and follow-up stories.
- Title the page ‘MEDIA RELEASE’ and include the date.
- Use a brief, catchy headline of about six words.
First paragraph
- Grab the journalist's attention with a short, sharp first paragraph that gives them a clear ‘angle’ in 25 words or less.
- Use plain, easy-to-read English. Answer as many of the who, what, when, where, why and how questions as possible.
Second and third paragraphs
- Orient the reader with the timing, location or significance of the news or event.
- Include a punchy, relevant quote that adds to the story and gives journalists the chance to take a direct quote from the release.
Next paragraphs
- The next few paragraphs support what you've already said.
- Consider ending the release with a final quote.
- Close the release with ‘ENDS’.
Photographs
If you have a digital photo, consider putting it on your website and providing a link. If you send images on disk, CD, or via email, ensure they are a minimum 300 dots per inch resolution (DPI) and larger file sizes (at least 500 kilobytes) to allow for quality print reproduction.
Clearly caption photographs and include the full names and titles of anyone in them from left to right. Double check to ensure that all names and titles are correct.
If you can, offer the media a selection of suitable photos they can run with different stories over time. The last thing you, (or the readers), want to see is the same stale photo of yourself appearing year-in year-out. You make have Rock Hudson looks but add some variety to the way you present yourself to maximise your media impact.
Background information and contact details
Provide the media with brief background information about yourself and your company.
Give the contact details for a spokesperson who can be called for more information—even after hours. Busy journalists may only make one phone call before running with an edited version of your release—and you may miss out on a more in-depth interview and the opportunity to build a larger story with more impact.
Where and how send your release
Make sure that you send your releases to all of your target news organisations simultaneously — local and metropolitan press, TV and radio — so everyone gets an equal chance to cover the story.
Unless you are using a service like Associated Press to send your media release, find out the name of the editor and how they like receiving media releases. These days, most prefer emails but occasionally some like faxes. Include a brief note to the editor explaining why their readers would be interested in your news.
Many don’t like attachments so it is best to put your media release in the body of the email. The layout looks better in a Word document, so you could cover your bases, by having it in the email and as an attachment.
Top tips for winning media releases
- Think of a newsworthy story or find something topical in the news to comment on.
- Choose an angle. It is possible to write a story in different ways, for example, as a straight news or human interest story.
- Get the main message across at the beginning.
- Write simply and clearly and avoid industry jargon. Don’t use long words when short ones will do.
- Use a spokesperson, e.g. someone from your company or a client.
- Keep your press releases short. Many are only 300-600 words long.
- Use one sentence paragraphs.
- Use the active voice—‘The Mayor attended the event’, not ‘The event was attended by the Mayor’.
- Write a short headline that sums up your story. Avoid wit unless it’s truly funny and everyone will understand it instantly.
This article first appeared in Mortgage Professional Australia.
www.mortgagemagazine.com.au
If you enjoyed reading this article, you may also wish to read: How to write a press release
You are welcome to use all or parts of it but please acknowledge Mary Morel and provide a link to http://www.themfactor.com.au |
I am often asked whether or not you should add an extra 's' after an apostrophe for names ending in 's', for example, Frances's book or Frances' book.
There are numerous different rules around this; one based on sound, another on the number of syllables and most amusing on the importance of the person — biblical and classical people don't need an extra 's' (Jesus', Achilles'), but mere mortals such as Frances does (Frances's).
The Australian government style manual comes down in favour of adding an extra 's' for all names — Jesus's words, Achilles' words and Frances's words.
I use the extra 's', but when I ask people in training courses if they do, I think the majority of people drop it off. I am not sure that it matters as long as you are consistent. What do you think? Email mary@themfactor.com.au
Further reading
You will find a lot more grammar tips at www.onlinegrammar.com.au, my grammar website.
Subscribe to Mary's monthly e-newsletter for free grammar and writing tips.
For more information, contact Mary on 61 2 9365 7711 or mary@themfactor.com.au
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