PR Requires More Than
Writing a Press Release

Several days ago, I ran across a posting on another site that made me think about the best approach to writing a press release. A company was advertising to hire a press release writer. Their only requirement was someone who could write a "killer release" to get major media coverage. As someone who has written plenty of press releases and obtained considerable media coverage, I thought about this company's requirement. I can't think of any time when my writing skills alone gained major media coverage. The real hook of successful releases has been the content of the release. If your small business intends to send a news release to local media, consider these tips:

• Is the content of the release newsworthy? Are you providing the media with news about a first in the market or something that readers will really want to know about? Even the most highly skilled writer can't develop a "killer release" from less-than-newsworthy information. They can try, but their efforts will look like a lot of hype. Editors, reporters and producers see right through that.
• If you're pitching to TV or newspaper, think in terms of what is visual. You can take news that might otherwise be mediocre, and with some creativity, make it a visual event. TV stations and newspaper photographers don't want another shot of someone standing behind a podium. They want something different that will catch the attention of readers and viewers. Your release would invite the media to this event -- providing a hint of what will take place.
• Be honest. If you're news really isn't something people would care about, brainstorm a little. Can you make some changes to your product, service or approach to make it more newsworthy? If not, it probably isn’t worth sending a release.

My first job out of college was as a PR Assistant for a large, bank holding company. Fortunately, I worked for a woman who was a master of PR. She had worked on the "other side" as a reporter, so I think that gave her some special insight. I learned so much from her. Within my first months there, the bank was announcing a sizeable donation to build an African exhibit at a local zoo. It was somewhat newsworthy. We could have sent a simple news release announcing the amount donated. But we didn't. We sent a release inviting the media to the zoo for a major announcement. We took a ton of employees, all bankers in suits, out to the zoo. At the spot where the exhibit was to be built, we didn’t just make an announcement. Our bank President and CEO didn't just break ground. They held an African ground clearing, pulling some of the logs away, with the help of a baby elephant at the zoo. Imagine this little elephant, pulling a log, with the help of banking executives in suits. That was one of my first PR experiences, and I've carried the lessons I learned from it through my marketing career. Every local TV station and newspaper covered this event.

After the bank, I worked as the PR Director for a charity for a while. From there, I learned it was much easier for businesses to spark media interest when they tied their product launch or announcement to our charity. Did we as a charity feel used? NO! We saw it as a win-win situation. We wanted to help the business get press coverage, because they were helping us. I often worked with the business to plan media announcements, using that "visual appeal" when possible. The charity I worked for served children. One news conference concerned donations by a restaurant and amusement park to build a therapeutic garden for the kids. (The restaurant didn't just donate a lump sum. They were donating so much per purchase of a new product they wanted to promote.) The owner of the restaurant and Santa Claus from the theme park came to break ground on the garden. Of course, 40 or 50 of the kids who would benefit were there with their small shovels. Again, the result was major local media coverage.

You can read more about working with the media and press releases on my web site. Just keep in mind, that PR isn't as simple as writing a "killer release." It takes some time and planning, but the rewards can be enormous.