When you have news you wish to shout from the rooftops, it can sometimes be hard to get heard. Not any more. Follow these tips on how, and when, to approach your local newspaper to ensure full coverage.
Never underestimate the power of the local press. The free newspaper that drops through your door every week is read by almost every member of the family. If you are a small business, or a new venture, it can be hard to justify the cost of advertising yet with a little bit of effort you can reach upward of 500,000 potential customers completely free of charge. Here's how:
- Select the best story - whether one of your staff have raised money for charity, your store has reopened after a tragedy or you are sponsoring your grandson's Sunday League football team, human interest stories are always more successful at getting a mention than blatant adverts.
- Get straight to the point - “Once upon a Time” is not the correct way to start. “Joanne Atherton, a writer from Liverpool, is helping to reduce her carbon footprint by running online creative writing schemes through her website leavingthepastbehind“ gives all the pertinent facts, plus a handy plug for her business, in one simple sentence.
- Use Quotes -be truthful but judicious. “Everyone loves us” is clearly wrong, as everyone doesn't know you. “Family, and personal, histories are a passion of mine,” said Joanne, “and I hope that I can help people make a record of their lives that will be enjoyed for generations to come.” Sounds plausible, honest and interesting.
- Time your approach wisely - Do not assume the publication day is the day it is delivered to your home. The front page of the paper will tell you the publication day, and from that information your can gauge which is the best day to approach a journalist. If, for example, it comes out every Wednesday, it will have been "put to bed" by the Editor on Tuesday evening, and printed overnight. In other words, all non urgent press releases arriving on Monday and Tuesday will be glanced at and discarded. An approach the day of publication will have the greatest chance of being read and marked for inclusion into the following week's paper.
- Give the journalist a break - In addition to writing, journalist love to read. Instead of ringing them up "on spec" to tell them about the sublime goal your little Jonny scored at the weekend, write it down and send it to them. The contact details will be printed throughout the paper, and unless the email address is personal to each reporter, sending it by snail mail is usually the best approach. If Jonny is championship material, get in the habit of sending a weekly report from the game, including the score. It may not be included every week but whenever the journalist is short of a small piece, your dedication will be greatly appreciated.
- Become a friend to the reporter - This doesn't mean stalk him or take him for a pint, but be professional in your dealings with him or her and show respect. Give as much notice as possible of forthcoming events, and be sure to keep them abreast of any changes you make in the meantime. If your piece is not included in the paper give it a chance to be included the following week. It is very possible the editor discarded your story due to lack of space. If your story is about an event don't forget to follow up the first press release with the result eg “Sam came back from the under-12's triathlon competition with a bronze medal.”
- If possible, include a photo - Remember though, in a busy newsroom, photographs do sometimes get mislaid. If the photograph is your only copy of a picture from years ago it would be wise to either take a photograph of yourself holding the photo, make digital copies or ask the journalist to contact you to arrange to have the photograph scanned. Press releases with good quality interesting photographs are more likely to be inserted in the paper, because they catch the reader's eye.
- Final points - Check your spelling and grammar. Wherever possible address it to the correct contact name e.g. sports stories should be directed to the sports reporter, whose name and contact details will be on the back page. If handwritten, make your writing legible. Try to use your business name at least three times in the piece. Ensure your contact details are clearly visible, especially a phone number. If you are advertising an event make sure the dates, times and prices are correct and highlighted. Keep the story positive.
Hopefully these tips will help you write the type of press release that indicates just how professional you and your company really are.
