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Casual Articles - Life After Press Release Distribution?
1) Think keywordsIf feasible, it's good to call your business something both memorable and 'keyword friendly'. Make sure that you consider less popular keyword phrases as well. Think about how you use a search engine. You'll often amend your search phrase until you find the information you're looking for. That means that less common keyword phrases could get a reasonable share or traffic.2) Brainstorm business name ideasIt's best to try and brainstorm with a mastermind group of friends or colleagues. Write down one hundred possible names, either on a whiteboard, or on a piece of paper. The important thing is not to constrain anyone or anything. If necessary, reward everyone for every name they come up with. No name is too crazy at this stage.3) Rate your business name ideasTake a break for half an hour. When
To kick off a new service that we're offering to our clients, we're sponsoring a contest called "Chicago's Most Disorganized Office," and the release that I sent to you has all of the details.
Oh, you didn't receive it? Shall I resend it and to which fax number? Oh, you'd like it by e-mail instead? Can I please verify your e-mail address? You can expect to receive the release in five minutes.
In case you're interested in covering the story, I thought I'd provide you with some additional numbers and sources, which might help to flush out your story. Would like me to fax that to you now also? Thanks for the consideration. Can I follow up with you again? If you have further questions, just give me a call at 877-815-0167 or e-mail me at carolyn@motiontemps.com.
Now, what happens if you get the reporter's voice mail? Actually you can use the voice mail to your advantage because it allows you another opportunity to leave your contact information, pitch
What is it that motivates the entrepreneur and true home based business opportunity seeker?Of all the hundreds of thousands of people who make the transition every year from employee to entrepreneur, some succeed and others fail.Could there be some common characteristics those who manage to succeed all have in common?Many of these successful home based business opportunity seeker seems to recall some sense of urgency when starting their business. This sense of urgency has been described as a transition which took them from merely the desire to start a business to a necessity.Ranking high on the true entrepreneur's list of reasons for striking out on their own also seems to be a fundamental need to control their own destiny. The true entrepreneur is never truly happy taking orders from a higher-up and ultimately, seeks to find some way
The answer to that question is a simple one: You follow up with the media. Following up with reporters by phone or e-mail -- where appropriate, can be more important than sending the release itself. Why? Because maybe the reporter didn't receive the fax sent, hasn't read his e-mail yet, or the headline for the release sent via wire services just didn't engage him enough to want to read the release in the first place. Or maybe the release wasn't sent to any one reporter in particular, which is always a no-no.
Fear is the number one reason why most people avoid making contact with the media. In fact, most small-business owners worry that they won't know what to say to the reporter once they call, or that they will catch the reporter at an inopportune time and anger him or her. However if you've taken the time to target the right reporter, study their news beat and the types of stories they prefer, and adhere to their deadlines, you should have nothing to fear in picking up the phone and calling a reporter.
There are basically two approaches one can take to follow up. First if you are confident in telling your company's story, you can just call up the appropriate reporter and tell him or her about your news and ask permission to send over the release. If there is interest from the reporter then send the release over immediately. The second way is to send the release to the correct reporter and then follow up with a phone call or e-mail -- base your follow up method on what the reporter prefers.
One word of caution: Always remember that reporters are very busy people so try to give them two days before following up. It takes them a while to get through all of the messages that they receive. However, if you have a breaking story to report and you want to alert the reporter in advance, or you have an event taking place -- any particularly time-sensitive news, then give the reporter a call the next day after the release has been sent.
So you have the reporter on the phone - what exactly should you say to him or her? It's easiest to start with the one sentence you should never utter: "I'm following up to make sure you received my news release." Consider this the second commandment just right under "Thou shall not forget to ask a reporter if he or she is on deadline before pitching a story." It's also always a good idea to do a little preparation prior to making your phone call.
Here are some tips:
Do make sure that the press release sent is available in two forms - fax and e-mail. The reporter may not have received your release, and if he or she has an interest, they will want you to resend it. The faster you can resend it the better the chance of coverage, so have the fax version ready in the fax machine and the e-mail version ready to go once you hit the "send" button.
Do prepare two alternative story ideas in case the reporter rejects the one offered in your release.
Do purposely leave out a couple nuggets of information so that you can offer them up to the reporter during follow up.
Do take time to listen to what the reporter says during your conversation. Your follow up call should not be a monologue but rather a dialogue. If you listen closely, the reporter will indicate interest and what your next directives should be. For example, you'll discover whether or not you need to conduct a second follow up.
Do make note as to whether your release has been forwarded to another reporter. If this turns out to be the case, then prepare to contact the new reporter with your story idea, but follow these steps again.
Do accept "No" gracefully. When a reporter says "no" to your story, accept the fact that he or she has a good reason -- at least at that particular point in time. Therefore, you should never try to push a reporter into running your story because you will run the risk of alienating that reporter forever. He or she will remember you and each time you try to pitch a new story, you will be punished. Simply say "thanks," tweak your release and try again later. The timing or story angle may be wrong. Again, if you are listening closely, sometimes the reporter will tell you why the story will not be covered. Perhaps he or she wrote a story on a similar topic recently.
Last, it never hurts to prepare a little script to help you concentrate on the specific points you'd like to make to the reporter. Practice what you are going to say so that it feels natural during delivery. Below is an example of what you can say once you have the reporter on the line:
Hi, John. I'm Carolyn Moncel from MotionTemps, LLC. Are you currently on deadline and is this a good time to talk? Great! I know that you like covering stories about running offices more efficiently and my company specializes in helping other businesses get their offices organized.
To kick off a new service that we're offering to our clients, we're sponsoring a contest called "Chicago's Most Disorganized Office," and the release that I sent to you has all of the details.
Oh, you didn't receive it? Shall I resend it and to which fax number? Oh, you'd like it by e-mail instead? Can I please verify your e-mail address? You can expect to receive the release in five minutes.
In case you're interested in covering the story, I thought I'd provide you with some additional numbers and sources, which might help to flush out your story. Would like me to fax that to you now also? Thanks for the consideration. Can I follow up with you again? If you have further questions, just give me a call at 877-815-0167 or e-mail me at carolyn@motiontemps.com.
Now, what happens if you get the reporter's voice mail? Actually you can use the voice mail to your advantage because it allows you another opportunity to leave your contact information, pitch
When it comes to building your brand, you want to take advantage of every possible shortcut to help your target market know you…and remember you. Taglines provide that path through the woods. A tagline consists of a few short words that communicate to your target market what your company does and how you're different from competitors. A good tagline should position your brand in your audience's mind and sum up its essence or benefit in a way that your audience can relate to. A great tagline uses memorable phrasing and creates a personality. Taglines are typically simple phrases that telegraph a message. They normally accompany company logos and are written to stand the test of time. Most taglines have a fairly long shelf life. Taglines can also help change the perception of a company.Should you develop a tagline?The simple answer is yes. All com
There are basically two approaches one can take to follow up. First if you are confident in telling your company's story, you can just call up the appropriate reporter and tell him or her about your news and ask permission to send over the release. If there is interest from the reporter then send the release over immediately. The second way is to send the release to the correct reporter and then follow up with a phone call or e-mail -- base your follow up method on what the reporter prefers.
One word of caution: Always remember that reporters are very busy people so try to give them two days before following up. It takes them a while to get through all of the messages that they receive. However, if you have a breaking story to report and you want to alert the reporter in advance, or you have an event taking place -- any particularly time-sensitive news, then give the reporter a call the next day after the release has been sent.
So you have the reporter on the phone - what exactly should you say to him or her? It's easiest to start with the one sentence you should never utter: "I'm following up to make sure you received my news release." Consider this the second commandment just right under "Thou shall not forget to ask a reporter if he or she is on deadline before pitching a story." It's also always a good idea to do a little preparation prior to making your phone call.
Here are some tips:
Do make sure that the press release sent is available in two forms - fax and e-mail. The reporter may not have received your release, and if he or she has an interest, they will want you to resend it. The faster you can resend it the better the chance of coverage, so have the fax version ready in the fax machine and the e-mail version ready to go once you hit the "send" button.
Do prepare two alternative story ideas in case the reporter rejects the one offered in your release.
Do purposely leave out a couple nuggets of information so that you can offer them up to the reporter during follow up.
Do take time to listen to what the reporter says during your conversation. Your follow up call should not be a monologue but rather a dialogue. If you listen closely, the reporter will indicate interest and what your next directives should be. For example, you'll discover whether or not you need to conduct a second follow up.
Do make note as to whether your release has been forwarded to another reporter. If this turns out to be the case, then prepare to contact the new reporter with your story idea, but follow these steps again.
Do accept "No" gracefully. When a reporter says "no" to your story, accept the fact that he or she has a good reason -- at least at that particular point in time. Therefore, you should never try to push a reporter into running your story because you will run the risk of alienating that reporter forever. He or she will remember you and each time you try to pitch a new story, you will be punished. Simply say "thanks," tweak your release and try again later. The timing or story angle may be wrong. Again, if you are listening closely, sometimes the reporter will tell you why the story will not be covered. Perhaps he or she wrote a story on a similar topic recently.
Last, it never hurts to prepare a little script to help you concentrate on the specific points you'd like to make to the reporter. Practice what you are going to say so that it feels natural during delivery. Below is an example of what you can say once you have the reporter on the line:
Hi, John. I'm Carolyn Moncel from MotionTemps, LLC. Are you currently on deadline and is this a good time to talk? Great! I know that you like covering stories about running offices more efficiently and my company specializes in helping other businesses get their offices organized.
To kick off a new service that we're offering to our clients, we're sponsoring a contest called "Chicago's Most Disorganized Office," and the release that I sent to you has all of the details.
Oh, you didn't receive it? Shall I resend it and to which fax number? Oh, you'd like it by e-mail instead? Can I please verify your e-mail address? You can expect to receive the release in five minutes.
In case you're interested in covering the story, I thought I'd provide you with some additional numbers and sources, which might help to flush out your story. Would like me to fax that to you now also? Thanks for the consideration. Can I follow up with you again? If you have further questions, just give me a call at 877-815-0167 or e-mail me at carolyn@motiontemps.com.
Now, what happens if you get the reporter's voice mail? Actually you can use the voice mail to your advantage because it allows you another opportunity to leave your contact information, pitch
If you own an aircraft washing service then you have invested in expensive equipment to clean planes. Parking that equipment on non-scheduled aircraft cleaning days seems like a waste of a quality asset and potential income. For instance a pressure washer or steam cleaning rig can be used to clean airport grounds in the evenings or even fleets of airfreight trucks after hours right?Well sure and this brings us to the topic of Aircraft Cleaning Company Co-Brand Marketing and discovering other things to wash. My first aircraft washing business was started at age 12 and grew into a very large mobile washing service. At the time we were selling aircraft washing franchises in the US we did allow our teams to wash other things besides Aircraft on airport and adjacent properties. Parking Structure detailing, airport shuttle buses, scissor truck loaders, airfreigh
Here are some tips:
Do make sure that the press release sent is available in two forms - fax and e-mail. The reporter may not have received your release, and if he or she has an interest, they will want you to resend it. The faster you can resend it the better the chance of coverage, so have the fax version ready in the fax machine and the e-mail version ready to go once you hit the "send" button.
Do prepare two alternative story ideas in case the reporter rejects the one offered in your release.
Do purposely leave out a couple nuggets of information so that you can offer them up to the reporter during follow up.
Do take time to listen to what the reporter says during your conversation. Your follow up call should not be a monologue but rather a dialogue. If you listen closely, the reporter will indicate interest and what your next directives should be. For example, you'll discover whether or not you need to conduct a second follow up.
Do make note as to whether your release has been forwarded to another reporter. If this turns out to be the case, then prepare to contact the new reporter with your story idea, but follow these steps again.
Do accept "No" gracefully. When a reporter says "no" to your story, accept the fact that he or she has a good reason -- at least at that particular point in time. Therefore, you should never try to push a reporter into running your story because you will run the risk of alienating that reporter forever. He or she will remember you and each time you try to pitch a new story, you will be punished. Simply say "thanks," tweak your release and try again later. The timing or story angle may be wrong. Again, if you are listening closely, sometimes the reporter will tell you why the story will not be covered. Perhaps he or she wrote a story on a similar topic recently.
Last, it never hurts to prepare a little script to help you concentrate on the specific points you'd like to make to the reporter. Practice what you are going to say so that it feels natural during delivery. Below is an example of what you can say once you have the reporter on the line:
Hi, John. I'm Carolyn Moncel from MotionTemps, LLC. Are you currently on deadline and is this a good time to talk? Great! I know that you like covering stories about running offices more efficiently and my company specializes in helping other businesses get their offices organized.
To kick off a new service that we're offering to our clients, we're sponsoring a contest called "Chicago's Most Disorganized Office," and the release that I sent to you has all of the details.
Oh, you didn't receive it? Shall I resend it and to which fax number? Oh, you'd like it by e-mail instead? Can I please verify your e-mail address? You can expect to receive the release in five minutes.
In case you're interested in covering the story, I thought I'd provide you with some additional numbers and sources, which might help to flush out your story. Would like me to fax that to you now also? Thanks for the consideration. Can I follow up with you again? If you have further questions, just give me a call at 877-815-0167 or e-mail me at carolyn@motiontemps.com.
Now, what happens if you get the reporter's voice mail? Actually you can use the voice mail to your advantage because it allows you another opportunity to leave your contact information, pitch
Los Angeles is the largest city in the state of California. This is also the 2nd most populated state in the U.S… this is the Mecca for popular entertainment, be it television or motion pictures. There is always a large market for the city, making wise decisions in your marketing strategy can be made of full usage. You need to think for various ways to attract customers as there are many competitions.Within this huge city, they offer the best things in the world; this applies to the printing technology. You can get the results you need when you choose a Los Angeles brochure printing based site. You can get the best forms or quality materials for your advertising campaign.Brochures are one the first arsenal in an advertising campaign, this form of marketing involved direct attention to your possible clients, the design and material used on brochures
Do make note as to whether your release has been forwarded to another reporter. If this turns out to be the case, then prepare to contact the new reporter with your story idea, but follow these steps again.
Do accept "No" gracefully. When a reporter says "no" to your story, accept the fact that he or she has a good reason -- at least at that particular point in time. Therefore, you should never try to push a reporter into running your story because you will run the risk of alienating that reporter forever. He or she will remember you and each time you try to pitch a new story, you will be punished. Simply say "thanks," tweak your release and try again later. The timing or story angle may be wrong. Again, if you are listening closely, sometimes the reporter will tell you why the story will not be covered. Perhaps he or she wrote a story on a similar topic recently.
Last, it never hurts to prepare a little script to help you concentrate on the specific points you'd like to make to the reporter. Practice what you are going to say so that it feels natural during delivery. Below is an example of what you can say once you have the reporter on the line:
Hi, John. I'm Carolyn Moncel from MotionTemps, LLC. Are you currently on deadline and is this a good time to talk? Great! I know that you like covering stories about running offices more efficiently and my company specializes in helping other businesses get their offices organized.
To kick off a new service that we're offering to our clients, we're sponsoring a contest called "Chicago's Most Disorganized Office," and the release that I sent to you has all of the details.
Oh, you didn't receive it? Shall I resend it and to which fax number? Oh, you'd like it by e-mail instead? Can I please verify your e-mail address? You can expect to receive the release in five minutes.
In case you're interested in covering the story, I thought I'd provide you with some additional numbers and sources, which might help to flush out your story. Would like me to fax that to you now also? Thanks for the consideration. Can I follow up with you again? If you have further questions, just give me a call at 877-815-0167 or e-mail me at carolyn@motiontemps.com.
Now, what happens if you get the reporter's voice mail? Actually you can use the voice mail to your advantage because it allows you another opportunity to leave your contact information, pitch
In this second of a series of articles on payroll, we're going to cover one of the largest payroll processing companies, as well as one of the oldest, in our history.ADP pretty much invented payroll processing. Today there are many competitors but ADP still ranks at the top of the list. We're going to look at some of the services they offer and how they work.First of all it needs to be pointed out that ADP is an outsourcing company. In other words, instead of having your payroll processed in house it is sent to ADP off site and they process it for you. So, just how does this work?Actually, ADP offers two distinct solutions.The first one is outsourcing your payroll. The company supplies ADP with all their employee records and from those records ADP processes your payroll. Either ADP sends the checks to you, or they make them avail
To kick off a new service that we're offering to our clients, we're sponsoring a contest called "Chicago's Most Disorganized Office," and the release that I sent to you has all of the details.
Oh, you didn't receive it? Shall I resend it and to which fax number? Oh, you'd like it by e-mail instead? Can I please verify your e-mail address? You can expect to receive the release in five minutes.
In case you're interested in covering the story, I thought I'd provide you with some additional numbers and sources, which might help to flush out your story. Would like me to fax that to you now also? Thanks for the consideration. Can I follow up with you again? If you have further questions, just give me a call at 877-815-0167 or e-mail me at carolyn@motiontemps.com.
Now, what happens if you get the reporter's voice mail? Actually you can use the voice mail to your advantage because it allows you another opportunity to leave your contact information, pitch your idea and offer up alternative ideas without interruption. You can use the same script as above with a few modifications.
The bottom line here is this: the media will never know about your company unless you tell them. You can't wait for the reporter to call you because it will almost never happen. That type of response is reserved for hard news stories and extremely rare circumstances -- miraculous rescues, scandals, extraordinary acts of kindness -- and most business stories just don't fall into any of those categories. As the business owner the onus is on you to tell your company's story to the reporter, and you do it by following up.
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