Many entrepreneurs and business owners believe that summer is the typical holiday season when most people avoid newspapers and business magazines. “Everyone is away so it’s not the time to send a media release out to editors and radio/television producers.”
They’re wrong. In fact, last week I sent out a media release for a client and within two minutes (seriously, it was 2 minutes), I had 3 emails/calls looking to do a story on my client!
This is the perfect time to take advantage of other people’s incorrect notions and get you and your business in the news!
Editors are always hungry for “good” stories – any time of the year. They need to fill space…and if they aren’t receiving the typical number of media releases during the summer months (or at other holiday times) this is your opportunity to stand out and grab their attention.
But you have to do a few things to grab their attention and hook their interest. Here are a few hints to help you land a story.
- Make it newsworthy. You need a great story hook that is of interest to editors and their audience. Why would anyone want to read the story? What’s different? How does your story affect the community?
- Keep to one theme or point. You may be offering many services, but what is the one you want in the news today. (Remember, you can write another media release later.)
- Send it out to appropriate media. There is no use sending out a media release about your wellness coaching practice to the editor of a home building magazine (unless you slant it about creating a home office when building a new house).
- Write a great media release. A media release is written differently than an article and there is a specific format to use. If you’re not sure how to do this, do your research so you don’t look like an amateur. (Check out www.WriteAMediaRelease.com – it’s a complete guide on how to find your hook, how write a compelling media release, and how and to whom to send it).
- Follow up. Things happen…emails get misdirected, faxes get lost. Make sure your media release was received and ask if they have any questions. Do not ask if they are going to do a story about you.
- When a story comes out in the media about you, buy many copies and send them to all your clients and prospects that are away on holidays.
