How To Format Your Press Releases
While hiring a publicist is preferable, you need to know the basic format and important characteristics of a press release. In order to be considered for inclusion in the news, the following characteristics must be present.
- Newsworthy: Evaluate the news medium where the release will be sent. Make sure that the subject matches the typical content of this particular news outlet.
- Journalistic writing style: Your press release needs to be written in the style of a journalist so that it is ready to be published.
- Meet the deadline: If a news outlet has a deadline for receiving content, meet it. Late press releases will not be considered.
- Concise: Use short sentences. Paragraphs should contain only three to four sentences. Use subheads, bulleted lists, make keywords bold to create an easy-to-read document.
A good press release will use keywords in the title and then repeat them in the opener, the body and the bio. The body of the text is often written in an inverted pyramid style, so the most important information is at the top. The goal is to answer the Who, What, When, Where, Why and How.
Your press release should include:
- Contact Information: Usually found on the top left-hand corner of the page. Include your complete contact information (name, address, phone, e-mail and fax) to enable the reporter to contact you at any time. The reporter may have questions. So, make it easy for her to reach you.
- Date: Typically on the right-hand side of the page, one line lower than the end of the contact information.
- Release Date: Directly underneath the date, explain when the information should be released. (Example: “For Immediate Release”)
- Headline: Just like a newspaper article, include a headline. This is typically in all capital letters and underlined.
- Dateline: Include the location of the story. Some publicists choose to include the date here rather than at the top of the page.
- Body: The main paragraphs of the text.
- Call To Action: Include briefly at the end of the text an action that you want the readers to take. It can be as simple as directions to visit a website for further information.
- Bio: A short paragraph describing your company. Prepare a short paragraph that generically explains who you are. A bio is NOT about boasting. You could also direct the reader to resources with a link to your company’s website. Write a custom bio for each press release, tailored to that particular subject.
- Slug: This item is located at the bottom of the page to indicate the end of the story. If the story continues to a new page, use “-more-” to convey this message. When the story reaches an end, denote it with “-###-” or “-30-“.
Always, double check for spelling errors, grammar mistakes and factual errors. Finally, make sure you send the press release to the appropriate person.
What Is An Autoresponder?
An autoresponder is a computer software that automatically sends out email replies. For instance, you can set up a basic autoreply message in your Hotmail or Gmail account and whenever your friends email you, your email system will automatically send out your pre-written message. For most people, an autoresponder is commonly used when they go on vacation.
However, there are now autoresponder software and services that are developed specifically for marketing purposes. They are extremely sophisticated tools that can immediately provide information to your prospective customers, track your customer’s actions and even follow up with customers at preset time intervals.
They can also personalize all your email follow ups so that they give the impression that you wrote the email personally.
Here are three main reasons why you should use autoresponders in your marketing campaigns:
- More revenue. Repetitive contact has been proven to increase sales. The more offers you send out to your list, the more orders you’ll get.
- Less work. You can contact thousands, even millions, of people immediately, on-time and without any extra effort.
- Build a reputation. The best way to brand your product or service is to keep yourself in front of your customers and develop a relationship with them. Sending out automated sequential emails is the perfect way to let prospects know what you and your company stand for and what you’re all about.
In short, autoresponders will help increase your sales as it allows you to follow up indefinitely and automatically with your customers. You’ll build rapport, customer loyalty and confidence.
For marketing purposes, there are two types of autoresponders:
- Outsourced ASP model: The autoresponder software is hosted on the service provider’s server and you access it via a web-based control panel for a monthly usage fee.
- Server-side model: With this model, you install the autoresponder software on your own server. The downside to this model is that it requires considerable technical skills.
If you’re looking for an outsourced autoresponder service, we highly recommend Aweber as its email delivery rates are superior to many other service providers in the market. We are using Aweber for our own email marketing campaigns too.
The Secret To Maximizing Your Time
One of the key qualities of a successful entrepreneur is the ability to be more productive than anyone else in the company. And to do that, you’ll have to learn how to maximize your time.
I’m sure you’ve heard people say, “I wish I had more time.” They jump from task to task and event to event at light speed, trying to find ways to accomplish more.
Some people seem to accomplish far more than others in their day, week, and lifetime. For instance, Benjamin Franklin was a successful author, politician, scientist, philosopher, printer, inventor, activist, and diplomat. His accomplishments are astounding. Benjamin Franklin is also credited for the statement; ‘Time is money.’
So, how did he find the time to accomplish so many things? The answer is effective time management. Read more