Posts in category Cool Biz

Media Training 201 — Formatting Your Press Release

Oct11
2011 1 Comment Written by Keith Nickel

Once you know the basics involved in writing a Press Release, you’ll find it’s a pretty
simple process to put one together. In fact, if you conform to “industry standards” and
include the information that reporters and editors are expecting to find, your press
release stands a very good chance of actually being used.

Here are the formatting rules you need to follow:

Use mixed case. NEVER SUBMIT A PRESS RELEASE IN ALL UPPER CASE LETTERS.
As you can see, it’s much more difficult to read that way.

Always follow the rules of grammar and style. Errors in grammar and style affect your
credibility. Excessive errors will cause your press release to be rejected.

Don’t use HTML. When sending your press release to online Media, do not embed HTML or
other markup languages in it. Including such formatting will negatively impact the
readability of your press release.

Use more than one paragraph. If you can say everything in only a few sentences, then
chances are you do not have a newsworthy story. (*Note: You may hear that your press
release should “never” be more than one page long. I have found that a press release
should be as long as it takes to tell your story. If that means one and a-half or two
pages, then that’s how long it should be. Do your best to keep it short and sweet, but
don’t take out important information just to make it fit on one page.)

Include a summary paragraph for online submissions. Some online news services request that
you include a one-page summary of your press release. This is because some distribution
points only receive your headline, summary and a link to your press release. If you are
submitting to online services, not including the summary paragraph may reduce the
effectiveness of your press release. This is not usually necessary with print, television
or radio media.

Write your press release on a word processor instead of composing it online. When you’ve
finished writing it, print it out, and proofread it. Rewrite, edit, and proofread again,
until you’ve got it exactly how you want it, and there are no mistakes. Because most
people have a harder time proofreading their own writing, ask someone you trust to
proofread it for you.

Do not include your e-mail address in the body of your release — especially when
submitting your press release online, or publishing your press release on your Website or
in your blog. You can include your email address in the contact information if you wish,
but if it goes online, be prepared to be spammed, since it’s going into public domain.
Most online media services will have a place for your email address in the submission
process, for your protection, and most of your local media will prefer a telephone number
to contact you with.

Here is a basic template you can use when writing your Press Release:

Starting at the top of the page, on your company letterhead, write the words “PRESS
RELEASE” in all capital letters, centered and bolded.

Hit the enter-bar twice, so you go down two lines. On the left hand side of the page,
write the date you want the information to be released, or if it’s “FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE”
write that, again in all CAPS and bolded. On the same line, but to the far right, write
the words “CONTACT INFORMATION” again, bolded and in capital letters. Go down to the next
line, and list the contact person and their phone number.

It’s always a good idea to have two contact people whenever possible and two phone numbers
for each of them — for example, the office number and cell phone numbers. You can also
put your email address here.

Hit the enter-bar twice again, and type in your headline next. (It needs to be centered
and bolded, but not necessarily in all CAPS). Your headline needs to be short, snappy and
relevant. You want it to grab the reader’s attention.

Go down two spaces again. The body of your press release should be double spaced, and
typed in an easy to read 12 in font, such as Times New Roman or Arial. Leave lots of
white space in your press release — use at least one to two inch margins around your
page.

The first paragraph of your press release needs to provide the reader with enough basic
information to make them keep reading. It should answer the “W” questions — who, what,
when, and where and why. Because you’ve only got a few sentences, make every word count.

The second paragraph of your press release will answer the “so what” question. It needs to
explain who is going to be interested in this information, and why they should care about
it. The second paragraph is an ideal place to include a quote, or a touchie-feely “Kodak”
moment, to add human interest to your story.

The third (and often final) paragraph of your press release should answer any other
questions the reporter or journalist might still have about your story. Here is where you
can include information about your company, or any technical stuff.

Make your press release long enough to say what you need to say. If it goes beyond one
page, then centered under the last line on the first page, write the word “MORE” in all
caps and bold it.

Then on the second page, on the top right hand side of the page, write “Page 2″ and on the
line under that, write the title of your press release again.

Continue where you left off. When your press release is finished, put these symbols
centered under the last line “###” (without the quotation marks.) This lets the reader
know that you’re done.

That’s all there is to it. Although the information you provide will be different each
time you write a press release, the basic format will always stay the same. Now you’ve
got enough information to be able to write your first press release. So, “write” on and
good luck!

Posted in Marketing, Offline Promotion and Advertising, Publishing, Web Traffic Generation - Tagged , , , ,

Media Training 101 — the Secrets of Writing a Good Press Release

Oct10
2011 Leave a Comment Written by Keith Nickel

Does the thought of trying to get publicity for your business seem like
something that you can’t do yourself, and would have to hire a professional for?
Do you think that writing a press release is totally outside your ability to
do? Does the thought of talking to the media about your business make your
mouth go dry and your stomach clench? If so, take heart, because you’re about to
learn how you can take care of your own publicity, simply and easily.

Getting publicity for your business can seem like an impossible task –
something that only happens for “big” companies that can afford to hire
publicists.

The reality is, getting free publicity for your business isn’t that difficult.
Welcome to “Media Training 101 — The Secrets of Writing a Good Press Release”.
By the time you finish reading this article, you’ll not only understand the
basics, you’ll know what goes into the process, and what you have to do to get
started writing your own press release.

First of all, let’s go over some basic terminology you need to be familiar with.

Press Release: A statement with useful and relevant information that is written
for distribution to the media.

Hook: The information or larger story that you can use to attach your press
release to. Using the right “hook” in the right way can help you to get more
publicity for your business.

Spin: Telling your story your way.

The good news about learning to write a Press Release is that there is an
established format that you need to follow. And once you’ve learned the basics,
writing a press release is a kind of “cookie cutter” process. Here are some
basic ideas to keep in mind:

Make your news “newsworthy”. A press release is not a sales advertisement. A
good press release answers all of the “W” questions (who, what, where, when and
why), and
sometimes “how.” Your purpose in writing it is twofold: to provide the media
with useful and relevant information about your organization, product, service
or event and to get your name out to your target market.

Begin with a strong headline. Your headline and first paragraph need to grab the
reader’s attention. Without being flowery or overly dramatic, you have only the
first few seconds to grab your reader’s attention and get them to read your
story, and decide if it’s worth running. So don’t blow it by being vague or
weak. The rest of your press release can give them the nitty-gritty details.

Tailor your story to your Primary audience – the media. Your secondary audience
is your target market, but if the media doesn’t decide that your story is
newsworthy and runs it, your potential customers will never know about it!

Pay attention to your writing. Sometimes, especially in rural areas and online,
the media will run your press release in their publications with little or no
modification, so make sure you’ve used your spelling and grammar check before
sending it, and keep to the facts. Most of the time, journalists will use your
press release as a stepping off place for a larger feature story, especially if
you can show larger relevance to other current events. Always develop your
story as you want to have it told – put YOUR spin on it. Even if your story is
not reprinted verbatim, always remember what YOUR purpose is in writing it – to
provide exposure for you, and to help brand you as an expert in your field.

Not everything is news. Just because you are excited that you made your first
big sale, or started a new product line, or wrote your first article, doesn’t
necessarily mean that the press are going to think you have a newsworthy story.
From the time you start your first draft, keep your audience in mind. Who will
find your story interesting? Why are they going to find it interesting? How is
it relevant to something else that’s going on right now?

Identify a problem, and show how you’re solving it. Use real life examples about
how your company or organization solved or is solving a problem. Give examples
of how your service or product fulfills needs or satisfies desires. What
benefits can be expected? Use real life examples to powerfully communicate the
benefits of using your product or service.

Stick to the facts. Always. Tell. The. Truth. Avoid fluff, embellishments and
exaggerations. It is part of a journalist’s job to be skeptical. If you want
to use publicity effectively, then you’re not looking for a one night stand.
You want to gain the trust of the media, establish your credibility, and build
an on-going relationship with your local media, so that you become a resource
for them within your industry.

Find your “hook”. Try to make your press release timely. Keep informed about
what’s going on in your community, in your state, region, the country or the
world. Is there a local, regional or national news story that somehow ties in
to your industry or your business? If you can hook your press release to
current events or social issues, you increase your chances of having it picked
up. If not, then make sure your story is relevant to the needs, wants or
problems of your community or target audience.

Use an active, not passive, voice. Use strong verbs that will bring your press
release to life. If there is controversy, describe it. There is an old adage
in the news business: “If it cries it flies, and if it bleeds, it leads.” (Not
very nice, but it’s often true.) So, while you may not be crying or bleeding,
make what you’re writing about stand out. Use active verbs. Write “partnered”
rather than “entered into a partnership” or “engaged” rather than “interested”,
etc. Writing in this manner will help guarantee that your press release will be
read.

Use only enough words to tell your story. Avoid using unnecessary adjectives,
flowery language, or redundant expressions such as “added bonus” or “first time
ever”. Paint a strong, vivid picture in the minds of your audience by making
each word count.

Use jargon sparingly. There are times that some jargon is required if your goal
is to optimize your news release for online search engines, but whenever
possible, speak plainly, using everyday language. Avoid words like “capacity
planning techniques” and “extrapolate”.

Avoid hype. The exclamation point (!) is your enemy. You will destroy your
credibility by using hype. If you must use an exclamation point, use one.
Never do this!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Get Permission. Most people and companies are very protective about their
reputations. Be sure that you have written permission before including
information or quotes from employees or affiliates of other companies or
organizations. If there is a hint of a dispute in this area, chances are your
press release will be tossed aside, and never used. And you will lose your
credibility.

If you follow those simple rules, you’ll be able to put together a newsworthy
story that will help you achieve your goals of getting the word out about your
business.

Posted in Marketing, Offline Promotion and Advertising

The Life Purpose of Your Headlines

Jun17
2011 Leave a Comment Written by Keith Nickel

Entrepreneurs and business owners know by intuition, or find out by necessity, that their marketing materials are essential for attracting prospects and converting them into buyers.

This much is clear. What they often don’t realize is that simple changes in a promotion can have a profound impact on results.

And one of the quickest and easiest elements to adjust and test is the headline of the sales letter or brochure or web page. By simply trying different headlines one can elevate their response rates by double, triple or much much more.

Of course, every part of the marketing message is critical – the lead, the body, the theme, the features, the benefits, the emotional appeal, the proof elements, the close. But other than the offer itself, they often stand in line behind the headline in terms of conversion.

The reason is elementary. The headline comes before everything else. Right there, splashed across the top of the first page. It is the initial attention-getter, the first element read. It is the bridge to everything else in your copy. The headline is the appealing copy element that persuades the prospect to read the rest of the marketing material.

It achieves this lofty status because it is what grabs your prospect attention, their eyeballs, so they’ll eventually grab their pen to sign or open their wallets to buy. It’s a sales letter for the sales letter.

It can take the form of a subtle allure, a back slapping howdy do, a shouting alarm, a topical news story, or anything in between. The sole requirement is that it works to grab attention and converts that instantaneous moment in time into further readership.

Devising new or multiple headlines is essentially a research and brainstorming task. To keep on the right track, here are some questions one can ask as ideas are being developed.

Does the headline offer a reward? Is there a benefit described or alluded to? Like, “Cut your pay per click costs in half and still stay in the top five results?” or “How to repair your credit score and save yourself from knee-capping interest costs”

Does it have specifics that add credibility and address skepticism? “Nutrition expert, who trains world-class athletes, can help you lose 20 pounds fast” or “customers say green thumb’s expert lawn care lets them have a greener weed free lawn all year round”

Is there an advocate speaking to their needs and coming to their defense? Do they come across as an ally and not just a salesman? “We warned our readers of the market collapse and helped them keep their gains with our well-timed action alerts”.

Does it garner a emotive response or deep concern that your already has permeating their mind? Are they already agitated to the point that they’re not going to take it anymore and seek a solution? For instance, “Who’s really making the money here, me, or my broker?” Or “If I get one more pimple, I’m gonna tear my face off!”

Does it offer a proposition or transaction that gets your prospect nodding in agreement or excited about the thought of going further? “See results in 30 days or it’s free” or “Once you have that fuller head of hair and a renewed confidence,  watch out ladies”.

Does it have an element of intrigue or curiosity that simply compels the prospect to find out more? Like “how to burn disease out of your body by simply using the palm of your hand” or “can you write a letter like this one?”

This is merely a hand full of many possible techniques and examples one can use when creating different types of headlines.

Brainstorming ideas and trying different approaches is vital when creating truly big winners that can grow your business by 756% overnight, help you lose 57 and one-half pounds without breaking a sweat, and attract spell-bound buyers like a desk-drawer magnet gathers up stray paper clips. (Uhhh….more brainstorming needed.)

If you enjoyed this article and want to learn more about how to effectively market your business, be sure to visit out home page and find out what FOMA can do for you.

Posted in Affiliate Marketing, Direct Mail, Marketing, Offline Promotion and Advertising - Tagged , , ,

Introducing Jing! (a 2 minute tutorial on Video Presentation)

May24
2011 Leave a Comment Written by Keith Nickel

The FREE desktop sharing capture software from the geniuses at TechSmith.

If you don’t know about and use this great tool to make presentation videos for your clients and prospects you are missing out on the advances of technology my friend. Let me show you real quick how easy you can do this too!

Watch This Quick Video Right Now (No Opt-in or other BS)

With just a little creativity you could come up with all sorts of ways to benefit from this tool. I’m sure you’ve seen tons of people showing others how to do stuff with the computer this way. The marketing and coaching applications alone are undeniable. Here’s a few of things you can do with Jing right away…

  • Take a picture or make a short video of what you see on your computer monitor.
  • Share it instantly via web, email, IM, Twitter, Youtube or your blog.
  • Simple and free, Jing is the perfect way to enhance your fast-paced online conversations with images and videos

Picture/Video Picture/Video Picture/Video

How you might use Jing

  • Collaborate Collaborate on a design project
  • Collaborate Share a snapshot of a document
  • Narrate Narrate your vacation photos
  • Bugs Capture that pesky bug in action
  • Show How Show Dad how to use iTunes
  • Comments Comment on students’ homework
  • Post Tidbits Post tidbits on Twitter or Facebook

So just have fun making use of this great free tool and leave me a comment what you think once you’ve had a chance to try it. Also I would love to hear about how you use and apply it for your projects.

Posted in Marketing, Publishing, Recommendations - Tagged , , , ,

55 Hot Tips For Boosting Your Direct Marketing-Part II

May23
2011 Leave a Comment Written by Keith Nickel

As discussed in Part I, direct mail has to be the most exciting area of marketing. With all the new programs, Co-Registration companies, PPC advertising and Social Marketing sites to help you create a mailing list, your chances of creating a winning mailing are in your favor. In fact the odds of you creating a successful business online today are greater than they were two or even five years ago.

Of course the best approach to starting a new business or a winning mailing is to prepare yourself. The key is to study and learn new techniques that apply to your situation and put them to work. Part II of this article will pick up where the first left off explaining 55 excellent techniques for making sure your mailings pull a stronger response.

26. When using figures, make them as specific as possible.

“30% of all adults do not get enough iron” sounds more believable than “most adults aren’t getting enough iron.” Believability and credibility are factors that help your prospects accept and buy your products.

27. Use a negative fact to make your claims more believable.

Although it’s important to demonstrate the key benefits of your product, a negative element can help establish credibility. Here’s how this technique works. Let’s say you’re selling quality cashmere sweaters at bargain prices. Many customers might doubt your ability to deliver. But if you emphasize that these sweaters are limited to only three colors which have a lot of appeal, you’ve used a negative fact to give reasonable proof of why you can offer such a fine deal.

28. Provide your customers with testimonials from other customers just like them.

Overcome customer reluctance by demonstrating how well your product has worked for other customers with similar problems. When using text, audio or video testimonials, a complete name and company name along with the city is most convincing.

29. ALWAYS offer a guarantee.

By this I mean a STRONG guarantee. Something that shows your prospects you have complete faith in your product. A good guarantee period is at least 90 days and a one-year guarantee is a true winner.

30. ALWAYS issue a call to action.

Tell your readers clearly and precisely what you want them to do. Do Not be timid. Tell them more than once. If you don’t, you run the risk of them not doing anything.

31. Give your prospects an incentive to take action NOW.

Offer discounts, free merchandise, time limits, or iron-clad guarantees to help ease your prospects over whatever makes them feel reluctant.

32. ALWAYS end your letter with a P.S.

The P.S. is one of the most frequently read portions of a letter even when other sections are skipped. Take advantage of this by driving home an impressive benefit, sweetening your offer, or otherwise motivating your prospects to act now.

33. Check the flow of your letter.

Your letter should flow smoothly from section to section. Lose your course and you might lose your reader. Also, if you use a teaser copy on your envelope or in your email subject line, make sure your headline or first sentence picks up where the teaser left off.

34. Use an 800 number.

The use of 800 numbers increases response from 10%-50%. If you can’t afford your own 800 number, many companies now offer 800 number services for a fee. To find out about them, look through the ads in any direct marketing magazine such as Direct Marketing or perform an online search.

35. Key every ad or mailing you use-without fail.

The beauty of direct marketing is that everything is measurable. You can easily tell precisely how many inquiries and orders are generated by each of your offerings. All you need to do is build a unique key into the order form for each of your offerings.

36. Repeat your offer and your guarantee on your order form.

Focus on your offer or strongest benefit and restate your guarantee. An official looking border around the guarantee has been shown to help response also.

37. Make sure your coupon is easy to use.

If your coupon is too crowded or difficult to use, you’ll lose business. Have a friend or employee fill out your coupon. They can tell you how easy it is to use.

38. ALWAYS use a reply card, envelope or email address.

Postage-paid Business Cards or Business Reply Envelopes will boost your response. But they also boost your cost. The use of email marketing keeps your cost down and offers possible easy contact with your audience. With small orders, use a reply card or envelope that requires your customer to use a stamp. If you do not give your customer a specific way to respond, many of them won’t!

39. Use a teaser on your envelope.

To be effective, a good teaser must offer a strong incentive to open the envelope.

40. Use a plain white envelope.

Another method of getting a high percentage of prospects to open your letter is to use a plain white envelope. Either no return address or just an address without a company name pull the best results.

41. Lift letters boost response.

A small note featuring a key benefit, special offer, or president’s message is a cost-effective way of “lifting” your response.

42. Think follow-up.

You should constantly be thinking about related items to work into your product line for follow-up sales to your customers. Whenever you receive a new order, always send a follow-up offer 10 to 15 days later.

43. Offer multiple versions of the same product.

Deluxe versions, full-featured models, basic features only models, and personalized versions are just four ways of getting extra mileage from the same basic product.

44. Use response mailing lists.

List of people who have responded to a mail order offer or email offer are more profitable than compiled lists. Always find out what the customer responded to.

45. Use HOTLINE lists.

If you can get a list of people who have responded to offers in the last 3 to 6 months, it’s definitely worth the additional cost. Satisfied recent buyers are strong candidates to buy by mail or email again.

46. Cultivate duplicate names from different mailing lists.

Most marketers run a merge/purge when buying multiple mailing lists to eliminate duplicate names. What a waste of an exceptional marketing opportunity! Buyers who show up on multiple lists have a proven buying history. Treat them like gold!

47. How to find the best mailing lists.

Contact 3 or 4 mailing list brokers. Ask them to recommend 10 lists for your product or service. Then compare the results. The list to test first are those recommended by more than one broker.

48. Use high quality paper when printing your brochures and sales letters.

Initial impressions are crucial. Make sure your documents and emails present the image you need to succeed.

49. Use colored stock for paper order forms.

Colored stock with black ink distinguishes your order form from the rest of your package. It draws attention and increases sales.

50. Use 2 colors of ink on paper and email order forms.

Two colors of ink on white stock or white email backgrounds give you the opportunity to create an extremely professional looking order form.

51. Use a separate order form.

A separate order form will outpull a coupon contained within your brochure or email. Smart marketers always use all three. If a separate order form is used, another pass-along order can be made from the coupon in your brochure.

52. Use heavy stock for your paper order forms.

A substantial stock, such as card stock, always outpulls flimsier paper.

53. How to get the most mileage out of premiums.

A bulky premium that your customers can feel will get your envelope opened. If you’re premium isn’t bulky, a teaser along the lines of “Your FREE item is inside” is effective.

54. Cultivate “swipe” files.

Set up files and collect examples of great headlines, sales letters, emails, brochures, coupons, teaser copy, and so on. Study the examples that really make you feel like taking action.

55. Ask yourself this CRUCIAL question.

Based only on your direct mail package or email, would you buy your product or service? Be uncompromisingly honest. If your answer is “no”, keep making the necessary changes until you can unequivocally answer “YES”.

These two articles of the 55 marketing tips should give you enough techniques to help you have many successful marketing campaigns. Remember to pick the techniques that apply to your situation and put them to work!

You can obtain all the knowledge possible but if you do not put that knowledge to work it will mean nothing to you and you will gain nothing.

Just Do It!

Posted in Marketing, Publishing, Recommendations - Tagged , , , , ,
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