Making your own headlines

The internet and web sites are still news and many such stories that we read about in newspapers and magazines start off life as press releases.

As a means of driving traffic to your site, a column inch in print is worth its weight in gold. So if you are about to launch a new site, or unveil some new development, tipping off the media with a press release is time well spent.

The golden rule in obtaining the kind of coverage you couldn’t afford to buy is to do your homework first. Think carefully about what the ‘story’ is and pitch it to the right media at the right time and you’ll be well on your way to filling your cuttings book.

Absolutely crucial to the success of any press release is not provoking a ‘so what’ reaction from the media. Your new web site development will naturally be the most important and interesting thing on your horizon, but newsdesks are going to be slightly sceptical and take a bit of convincing.

Highlight anything that makes your web site story different. For example, maybe it’s the only site in the UK to sell beer widgets online. Take a step back, and consider what makes your web development stand out from the herd. The media needs some peg on which to hang the story.

Two real life examples of sites that picked up coverage on launch was a butcher in the Highlands that started selling black pudding online and a local history society whose site enabled visitors from all over the globe to access their archives for the first time.

Search out a news ‘angle’ that makes your site unusual or unique in some way, and highlight this in your opening paragraph to grab the media’s attention. If you can do this, the chances of success are greatly enhanced. Provoking a ‘so what’ reaction only serves to undermine your credibility the next time you issue a press release.

When you have a clear idea of the angle to take with your press release, research the type of media that would be interested. You’ll save a lot of time and effort in the long run by targeting the right publications, rather than going for a more scatter-gun approach.

Local media including tv and radio are a good start, especially if you are playing on the locality, e.g. ‘a small croft house in Sutherland is now the international nerve centre of a web site selling hand knitted tea cosies across the globe…’

Think big, but don’t make statements you can’t substantiate. They’ll be someone somewhere just itching to pull the rug out from under your feet.

Think vertically too. Craft magazines, home working and publications with consumer internet sections are always on the look out for feature article material. Be aware that some trade publications will try to make you advertise in return for them running your story. Unless you have a budget for this and are utterly convinced the publication is right for your market, walk away. The rule of thumb is that one column inch of free editorial copy is worth five times the equivalent inch of paid for advertising.

While drawing up your list of target publications take a note of deadlines, contact details and the days on which the relevant section appears. If the internet section, for instance, is every Thursday get your release out to them on the Friday prior to the issue you are aiming for.

Relevant details for pitching your story can normally be found in the contact section which usually appears on one of the inside pages near the front of most magazines. Check the web sites too as these will carry email contacts and often guidelines for submitting press releases as well.

Homework completed, the next task is writing the release itself. This can be quite daunting a task, sitting there staring at a blank screen or piece of paper. Inspiration can be had by perusing the many press release sites online like sourcewire.com and urlwire.com. Sites like these give you an idea of how best to present a release, and if there’s a search facility, it may be possible to find a release similar to the one you need to write.

Muse suitably fired up, hit the keyboard but keep your release to between 300 to 500 words. Take time over the opening paragraph, this is your opening shot to snare the interest of the newsdesk. Once you have a good punchy opening, the rest of the release should flow easily from there and read like news throughout. Be consistent and stay focussed. Don’t go off at tangents and remember it’s not advertising you are writing.

Your release should always address wherever practicable the five Ws: who, what, where, when and why. Keep your sentences brief, but not stilted, or laden with clichés, abbreviations or jargon.

Journos like direct quotes, so supply them. A quote from your good self is ideal. Agree in advance any quotes from other people and let them see the final draft before it is issued. A good quote is one that reads like direct speech and brings the release alive to the reader. It should add something to the overall story rather than merely repeat your main message.

To give your release a professional look include the following:

• A 12 pt bold headline
• The date of issue
• END at the end of the main text of the release
• Full contact details for media enquiries
• A footer on the last page stating who has issued the release

Don’t expend energy on the design; your release is going to be reformatted anyway. A bold headline and 10 pt verdana for the text will do fine.

Another trick of the trade is to refer to the release as a “media release” as press release bugs TV and radio people.

Remember also that your story will be a single snowflake in the information blizzard which typically swirls around the average newsdesk every day of the week. A quick phone call to your friendly local editor just before you hit the send button will alert him or her to look out for your release and improve your chances of gaining coverage. 

Lastly, a picture famously paints a thousand words. If you know someone who’s a good photographer – or have a budget to commission a professional – it’s really worth considering taking a snap. Again, you’ll need to be creative and avoid visual clichés just as much as verbal ones. However lovely your mum thinks you look sitting in front of your PC or Mac, no hard-bitten picture editor is likely to take such a charitable view. Think laterally, not literally – and remember that the picture’s job is to illustrate the story and not just provide a pretty decoration.