Thunderbolt Designs

Common mistakes you don't want to make

Forgetting to list all of the Five W's - What is the event, Where is it being held, What Day, What Time, Who is putting it on.
Burying the five W's in non-essential copy.
No contact name and phone number on the press release.
Waiting until the last minute to send out your press release - thus missing the deadline.
Assuming that because the news people have talked to you about your event, that they have done your work and passed the information on to the person handling the community calendar (or vice versa).
Failure to send out a press release in the first place!

Your first sentence should include the Five "W"s: Who, What, Where, When, Why.

1) First things first

Your first sentence should always include all of the Five W's: What is the event, Where is it being held, When is it happening: DAY and TIME, Who is putting it on, and Who is the contact person. Let me repeat - ALWAYS include all of the Five W's in your first sentence! Do you get the feeling that this is important?

Think of your press release as being the "Cliff Notes" of your PR campaign. It should be a quick summary of what's happening, not a long, drawn out, flowery ode to your event.

The person handling your press release is most likely under a deadline. That deadline might be only minutes away. Your press release will be prioritized in a quick scan of the first line to determine if it fits the criteria of the publication, and whether the day of the event mandates the event's inclusion in the day's news.

The reality is that most press releases will be boiled down to one or two sentences before they are used. You should write your press release so that if only one sentence is used, that sentence would be your opening sentence. Your second sentence (if it's lucky enough to be included) should have the contact information if a person has questions or wants more information.

Here are some examples:

The Gorge Flower Club is hosting a luncheon Saturday, March 31 at 11:00AM at the Hood River Senior Center, 111 W. Center St., Hood River, Oregon. Contact 541-980-4832 for reservations.

The public is invited to view a film, "Mars: The Red Planet" on June 15 at 7:00PM at the Goldendale Observatory, 1602 Observatory Drive, Goldendale,Washington. Contact 509-773-3141 for tickets.

The Mid Columbia Veterans are sponsoring a Veterans Day Parade on Nov. 11, starting at 10:00 a.m. at The Dalles Armory, 6th and Webber St., followed by a potluck, with a Dance and Silent auction at 7PM.

See how much information you can pack into a single sentence? Anyone can determine in a quick scan what the event is, when and where it's being held, and whether they find it of interest.

2) Don't bury information

As someone who has worked with Press Releases, I can assure you that I don't have time to dig for the information, nor will I attempt to presume things that are not clearly stated. If you can't tell me clearly what is happening, then I can't tell the public about it.

Clear, concise press releases get read - and they get used. If you think that using flowery descriptions will help stimulate the editor's interest in your event, you are sadly mistaken. In fact, just the opposite is true. This isn't a gold mining expedition, and I am usually under deadline. Don't waste my time. Get to the point. If I have to read through a lot of confusing garbage to pick out the important information, I may just end up chucking the whole thing in the trash, unused.

3) Identify the contact person

If I have any questions on this event, I need to be able to contact the organizers. You would be amazed at the number of times the person writing the press release forgets something important, like what day or time the event is, or where it's being held. If you make it quick and easy for me, I'll give you a call to find out. If not, it goes in the trash.

4) Missing the deadline

Most publications set up the community calendar in advance. While some can accommodate last minute announcements, others may require a month or more due to production and printing schedules. It's annoying to constantly deal with last-minute procrastinators, and most of the time events are publicized on a "first come, first served" basis. Send your press release in a week or two ahead of time (or more), or you risk the chance that your event won't be announced.

5) Don't make false assumptions

This is also a common mistake. People assume that because the news department is handling coverage of an event, that the information automatically will be picked up into the community calendar. Consider this: different people do different jobs. The news reporters at your local paper are not automatically the same people who are typing up the community calendar. The news reporter at your local radio station is not the same person who handles the community news sheet of events. They have different desks, different deadlines, and keep different files. If you expect two departments to publicize your news, send out two press releases: one addressed to the news editor, one to the community events calendar editor.

6) A 'No-Brainer': Send out a press release!

I am always amazed at the number of worthy events that go unpublicized because some person on the organizing committee falsely assumes that "everyone knows" about the event. This one should be a no-brainer! If you are bothering with the expense and effort of putting ON a public event, then for pete's sake, send out a PRESS RELEASE about the event!! Why turn away free publicity??

Even if you think "everyone" knows about your event, they may not know exactly when it starts, or how much it costs for admission. And never assume that everyone reading the paper or listening to the radio knows where to go. Even small towns get visitors, tourists, and new people who have just moved there.

If your event happens regularly once a month, send out a monthly press release! A good journalist never presumes that because your event has happened every month for the past five years, that it will happen again next month. Events get canceled, groups disband. If you want regular coverage, then you need to send out regular notices.

And don't just send a press release to your local newspaper or radio station. If there are papers and radio stations in adjacent areas, let them know about the event with the press release! Maybe everyone in Bingen knows when the Huckleberry Festival is happening, but don't forget the people in Dufur or Maupin who might want to come, as well!

Other sage advice:

Target your press release

Read the publication or listen to the radio station! Get to know their format, and what type of articles and press releases the publication prints. Then you can match the format with your news! Most newspapers and radio stations receive anywhere from 50-100 press releases a week with approximately 10 - 25 percent of those having nothing to do with the publication to which they are sent.

Call ahead

Call first to make sure you have the correct name of the person who will be handling your press release. Ask if they are available, and if so, tell that particular person you’re sending them a release and ask them what format they prefer to receive it in (email, fax, mail). If they ask for it in email format, always alert them if you plan to include an attachment. This reduces the likelihood that the editor (or a network firewall) will delete the information out as SPAM or as a potential virus laden email.

When the editor receives your press release, he or she will probably remember your call, and will take note of your press release. After it’s sent, it is OK to call or email again and confirm that they have received your notice. After all, faxes sometimes don't transmit, and sometimes the mail runs late. But make the call brief: just confirm: "Did you get my press release? You did? Good, I was just checking to make sure the fax/email went through! Thanks for your time! Good bye!"

Follow the form

Whenever you write a press release, always do the following:
1) Summarize the data at the top, with a quick dot-point list of: Who, What, When, Where, Why, and then How. Don’t use descriptive adjectives here. KISS it - Keep It Simple, Sweetie.
2) Include the name of person to contact for more information and their phone number.
3) Date it.
3) The first two sentences should contain the most important information. These first two sentences answer the Who, What, When, Where, and Why. Additionally, it should briefly answer the news editor’s question of “how does this benefit and impact the audience of my publication/radio station? ”
4) The remainder of the release should include other important, but brief, information that support the opening two sentences.
5) The release should not be any longer than one or two paragraphs. Be to the point. Write your press and/or product release with this in mind. Think of pyramid, with the most important information being presented first.
7) Include a photo if it relates to the event or person named in the press release, but do not expect newspapers to return them. Mark your contact information on the back of the photo so that if gets separated from the press release, the news editor will be able to figure out where it belongs. If you want the photo returned, include a self-addressed stamped envelope for that purpose.

If the news editor agrees to receive an attachment, email a photo. Don't make any adjustments yourself, that is, don't try to resize it or make any sort of color adjustment. Make sure the photo size or resolution is as high as possible.

Don’t try to bribe the news editor

Never say: “If you put this press release in your paper and I get a good response, I’ll consider advertising.” Reputable newspapers and radio stations consider it an ethical, moral, and potentially legal violation to sell "news coverage" in return for advertising space. Generally those two departments have very little to do with each other, specifically to keep ethical boundaries in place. Offering your business as a “bribe,” offends the news editor and makes it less likely your business will get the editorial coverage it deserves. If you want guaranteed coverage, you will have to buy advertising space. It's that simple.

Make sure it’s news

In fact, if your Press Release is a shallow attempt to get free advertising, it will end up in the trash. Editors have heard it all before. Hundreds of times. Make sure your press release is really news. A new business opening or relocation, a workshop or seminar, a charity event or milestone anniversary, a change of ownership or the hiring of a new CEO would qualify as news. A thinly disguised ad trying to sell a product is not considered news, and if you think you are going to fool a trained journalist into thinking it is, you should think again!

Sample of a Press Release

Always keep in mind the golden KISS rule - Keep It Simple, Sweetie! Use your official letterhead. Make sure the business or agency contact information is all clearly legible -- this is especially important if you fax your press release. (My comments are in red.)

PO Box 294, The Dalles OR 97058
541-296-3202
Email: thunderbolt@A2ZGorge.Info
Website: www.A2ZGorge.info

Use your official letterhead. Make sure the business or agency contact information is all clearly legible (this is especially important if you fax your press release).

PRESS RELEASE

Mark the press release clearly with the headline "Press Release" spelled out in large, bold type.

Attention:

Attention: Joe Blow, Community Calendar Editor, Gorge News

(Use the individual's name to make sure the Press Release doesn't get routed to the wrong department. How do you find out? Call ahead and ask for the person's name! If this is a yearly event, verify your list is current. If more than one person handles different facets of your announcement, send an announcement to each one.)

Today's Date:

Today's Date: September 1, 2008

(Send out the press release at least two weeks ahead of time. Some publications require over a month advance notice. Call ahead and find out what the deadlines are for each publication.)


Event:	Event: "Smart Marketing: Advertise Big on a Small Budget: A workshop for small to medium-sized businesses." (Summarize what the event IS.)
Event Date:	Event Date: September 30, 2008, 7:00PM. (Clearly mark the date and time of the event.)
Contact:	Susan Buce, 541-296-3202.

"Smart Marketing: Advertise Big on a Small Budget," a workshop for small and mid-sized businesses, will be held Tuesday, September 30, 2008, at 7PM, at the Civic Auditorium, 323 E. 4th, The Dalles Oregon. Presented by Susan Buce, of Thunderbolt Designs, tickets for this two-hour workshop are $25 for local area Chamber of Commerce members, and $45 for non-members. (Notice how everything the reader needs to know to actually show up at the event is contained in that first sentence. Additional information follows in decreasing importance.)
You don’t need a large advertising budget to do Smart Marketing. Facilitator Susan Buce will share a wealth of information and ideas from her 25 years of advertising and marketing experience. Discover the advantage small businesses have over large corporations. You will learn about valuable local marketing resources, receive tips on how to save money at the printer, how to select your service providers, identify what customers really want, and how to determine the best value for your marketing dollars. Learn what the difference is between marketing, advertising, and sales, and why a marketing plan is so critical to your business’s success. (A concise, but informative second paragraph is proper at this point and will assist editors who can dedicate more space to your event.)
This event is open to the public. For more information, contact Susan Buce, 541-296-3202, or visit her website: http://www.thunderboltpublishing.com. (Don't forget to include the contact information. If someone has questions, you want to make it easy for them to find out more information.)

Photos

If there is a possibility of the publication using a photo, be sure to include it, or mention the availability of photos in your copy. Ask if you can send a digital photo. Photos that are to be printed on a printing press need to be 300 dpi, which is considered high resolution, or if the image is from a digital camera it may show as 72 dpi, but if the overall file size is 800k to 5 MB, you are probably safe. You should be concerned ifthe file size is anything less than 800k.

Writing an Effective Press Release