In addition to pitching to journalists, public relations practitioners have many other options to get their press releases noticed.  In today’s world of social media, there are multiple resources to use to get a press release out into the world.  We have came a long way since using only Microsoft Word, or a typewriter for that matter, to develop a press release.  Today we can use these basic resources and many more to make press releases more interactive and fun to read.  We can also add other documents and projects to our press releases to give them more backup information.  Public relations practitioners can include pitch letters, media alerts, fact sheets in media kits with a standard press release.

A pitch letter is basically a letter/email that tells a journalist why they should be interested in whatever your organization is selling through the press release.  A pitch letter should be brief.  It should be targeted for whomever is receiving the letter. You are writing directly to that one editor or journalist.  The letter should include a call to action – a way for them to contact you or meet with you for more information.

Media alerts are an invitation for the media to cover whatever it is your organization is selling through the press release. It is the quick and dirty info the media needs.  Think of it as an invitiation to your niece’s 6th birthday.  Where: Gymboree When: Saturday, Oct. 15 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. Why:  Ella’s 6th BiRtHdAy!  This is all the information you need to know to attend a party, likewise, this is the info the media needs to attend your event.

Fact sheets present fundamental facts about your organization and its product or event.  Fact sheets need to be easy to read. There is no standard way to write a fact sheet.  The only key is to cater it to your organization.

All of this, plus much more, is included in a media kit.  They can, and should be, very creative.  Again, it should be catered to your organization.  Media kits can be a hard copy, a CD or flash drive and they can be displayed on the web.  As you can see there are many ways to get press releases noticed.  Now its time to fire up that right-side brain and get creative!  The possibilities are endless.

 

PR and Steve Jobs

The visionary Apple co-founder died from cancer this week at the age of 56.  Steve Jobs was an entrepreneur and an innovator.  He was the picture of an American business man.  What do we think of when we hear his name?  Apple?  Pixar?  A black turtleneck?  Steve Jobs is all of these things, but how did he become a household name?  A lot of Steve Jobs’ popularity has to do with consistent public relations.

Consistency is key for effective public relations.  Organizations put an enormous amount of time and energy into hammering home a consistent key message.  This can take place through public statements, advertising, or simple branding.  Consistency gives comfort to people, and public relations practitioners are committed to providing that comforting view of an organization.

Apple had remarkable consistency through their campaigns and advertisements.  When it was time to release a new product, Apple’s public relations would shove Steve Jobs into the limelight to make a recognizable face for a very large organization. He was the brand. I can picture him holding wearing a black turtleneck while holding the brand new iPhone 4.  Maybe some folks know the name Steve Wozniak (the other co-founder of Apple), but primarily, Steve Jobs is the person we think of as the innovator for Apple.  He was the brand.

Consumers of Apple loved Steve Jobs, he was a king of technology.  Last night I went to the apple store and I was amazed by the palpable emotions I felt 30 yards away from the entrance.  It reminded me of Princess Diana’s death.  In front of the store, candles and flowers lined the entrance.  There were photos of Steve Jobs with personal, hand-written messages attached.

Because of such a heart-felt response from the American people, I’d say Apple did a darn good job with consistent public relations while using Steve Jobs as the character for Apple.

Optimizing Press Releases

Let’s face it, press releases can get lost in the shuffle of day-to-day work.  Newspaper editors receive hundreds of press releases every given day. Even though your press release has NO grammatical mistakes and is written in perfect AP style, your press release can fall to this category.  If public relations practitioners make their press releases easy to find online, editors can search for the press release, and find it right away. Just like we talked about using search engine optimization for web pages, you can also use these tactics for your press releases. 

First you must find a keyword (using Google AdWords)  that is highly searched, but with little competition.  Then you should use that keyword through your press release at a three to five percent density.  Start at the top and incorporate the keyword in the headline and the lead.  Then sprinkle the keyword throughout the body of your press release.  We know that the “spiders” that search for keywords love links, so throw a couple of links in your press release.  This is easier than it may seem.  In your organizations boilerplate, add a link to your organization’s website.  Add a link for your email in your contact information at the bottom of the press release. You can also add a link within your body copy that will go with the story.  It can be for the organization itself or how to get involved, where to buy tickets etc.  These techniques will ensure that you are optimizing your press release for a search engine.

Importance of Writing well in PR

Forbes magazine consideres writing the most important skill of a public relations practitioner.  The Advertising & Public Relations Department here at at the University of Alabama seems to agree.   To graduate with a public relations degree, a student has to not only take PR writing, but also two journalism classes and additional writing courses outside of the PR department.   Public relations students at UA learn AP style in their freshman level courses.  Public relations is very close to journalism, in that PR is the only other degree that offers extensive training in AP style.  This is what separates a PR major form a regular English or marketing major.

AP style is imperative for public relations practitioners because they write press releases to editors of newspapers.  Newspaper editors receive hundreds of press releases any given day.  If a press release has poor grammar, the editor is likely to throw that press release away.  A press release has to stand out in order to be published.

Press releases are not the only way a PR practitioner exhibits good writing techniques.  They also write for social media; this includes their organization’s website, blog, twitter and Facebook account.  Josh Ochs, a social media guru in Los Angeles, says that the more time you spend perfecting your messaging in social media, the more you will make friends and make money.  He suggests creating all messaging in a tone that is “light, bright and polite.”

So, a PR practitioner does not write about their organization, but what their organization can do for you.  Thanks Uncle Sam.