|
|
| Bad News First |
|
When it comes to media attention, there's only one guarantee; If you don't have an appealing pitch,
you WILL be ignored. Regardless of how meaningful, exciting or exotic you think it is, if
THEY don't see it as pertinent, you'll will not get their attention.
|
|
| |
|
How to Prepare for a Media
Event
|
|
|
| But ... |
|
The GOOD news is, even if your media release isn't the hottest
late breaking story of the week, you CAN get noticed by following a few simple rules. In addition
to what you send, timing comes into play too, and who you send it to is important. Tops on the rules list is, WHY
you're sending the release. If the answer is because YOU want to tell your story, unless you're Paris Hilton or
Brittney what's-her-name, it likely won't work.
|
|
|
| When looking for a press release writer, the
quality of writing itself is important but what should be more interesting to you are the results achieved through
media releases or media kits written, designed and sent to media outlets. |
| Here are some examples of Alison's results
with media ... |
| |
|
FRONT
PAGE COVERAGE
|
|
 |
The
Rotary Club of Stouffville organized a fundraising event with a very special guest speaker, renowned journalist
Kathleen Kenna. To publicize the event, a biography, a media package, release and email announcement were created.
As a result, the event was given a large front page presence in the Stouffville Free Press. (Stouffville Ontario)
Click the image to see the story. (opens in PDF)
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
|
LIVE REMOTE TV BROADCAST ON CTV
An
interesting retail store in Calgary, located on trendy 17th Avenue (aka "The Red Mile") was looking to
create a buzz about the store so I took an approach that would appeal to a very wide audience. I wrote and compiled
a complete publicity package and the release got a little more attention than we bargained for! The Calgary CTV
channel opted to do a "live remote" broadcast from Jane Doe Marketplace & Cafe on their "News
at Noon" program right in the middle of Christmas shopping season. See the release left that got these results.
(opens in PDF)
|
| |
|
|
| So you've got an interview booked or have invited the media to
an event you're having. That's NOT all there is to it. You need to prepare to make the most of it. |
|
|
|
KNOW YOUR STUFF
|
|
Be prepared to share correct facts and interesting
incidents, without stumbling.
|
|
|
DRESS THE PART
|
| If everything in your closet is black, or navy, go shopping.
I'm not talking fire-engine red necessarily, but fading into the background isn't good either. Select your wardrobe
carefully. |
|
|
MEMORIZE KEY MESSAGES
|
| The more confident you are that the answers will be on the tip
of your tongue, the more likely it is that you'll be relaxed and natural. Phone numbers, dates, names of important
people ... commit them to memory. |
|
|
AVOID THE TEMPATION TO ACT
|
| Although you might be on television or in front of a news photographer's
lense, they want to see YOU, not somebody pretending to be SOMEONE ELSE. It's not a casting call for talent. Be
yourself. |
|
| If you're relatively unknown by the media outlets you want to
reach, a simple media release might not be enough to convince the editor that it's worth a second look. |
|
Ask about an eye catching
media kit created uniquely for you.
|
| |
|
|
A million things <phrase>
Sometimes used as a metaphor for a very large number as in, "I've got a million things to do."
|
|
