Basic information that should always be included in press releases should answer the “5 W’s,” who, what, when, where and why. This information should have a newsworthy angle for journalists, but it also shouldn’t overload the non-journalists, in other words, the average consumer. Your press release needs to include information that answers the one question readers tend to ask: “Why should I care?”

While promoting your topic, avoid any jargon or hype in your press release. You can’t answer the “Why should I care?” question with “because our company is amazing.” It’s too promotional and will more than likely turn journalists off from your release and quite possibly, your company.  Using jargon that applies to only your field will confuse the average reader. It’s tempting to use words that you’re used to, but remember, others outside of your world won’t know what you’re talking about. Keep the words simple and conversational.

Don’t include the entire company history in the press release, as it is irrelevant to what you’re trying to promote.  That information should be reserved for your “About Company X,” but even then, you should include the key points about your business like when it was founded, what you do and any recent achievements.

Overall your press release should be light, yet informational enough to keep readers wanting to know more about your topic.

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The press release distribution company you choose to use should send your release to relevant reporters and media outlets. For example, if you have a press release on a children’s book about sharing, it’s best not to have your press release sent to a Wall Street Journal business reporter. Sending your press release to anyone and everyone could be seen as spamming, which is what you don’t want for your press release.

Consider the outlets that you want your press release to be sent to. Go beyond what type of reporters to send your press release to and determine what type of publication should receive your press release. It may be best for your press release to be distributed to media outlets in your local area versus national media outlets. Sometimes the best coverage can come from local reporters because they tend to be more interested in things happening in their community. Your press release distribution company should assist in making these decisions with you.

Take into consideration that blogs and online-only publications are a good place to send press releases as they can create a wider online presence if they choose to cover your release.

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“Publishing directly on e-books helps authors bypass traditional publishing costs, increases their chances of publication and enables greater flexibility of content and structure,” writes Ellyne Phneah in zdnet.com. “However, marketing efforts will be important for these authors, who can turn to Internet marketing and social media.”

And there are plenty of places with their hands out ready to take your money.

So it’s buyer beware.

Though there are many companies treading in this space, not all of them are reputable. They charge a bundle and some of them are in it for the money, plain and simple.

They could care less if you get what you need. So choose wisely.

We’re partial to PR NewsChannel: Honest, affordable and very experienced working with authors and a variety of publishers. Just check the latest book releases page.

In general, book press releases are an affordable book marketing techique; a way to get your book to the media and to the masses.

“One press release can easily be sent to thousands of publications, who in turn have a collective audience of tens/dozens even hundreds of millions of people. If you’ve consumed any kind of news today whether online, on the television/radio or in a newspaper then you are one of the people making up these audiences,” writes Piece of Care PR on its blog.

When selecting a place to write and distribute the press release for your new book, you may want to check out: “Decoding book press release distribution myths.”

Your book won’t sell itself. A press release without distribution is like writing a letter without sending it. They go hand-in-hand.

And just like a letter, you have choices.

But make sure marketing your book with press releases you leave time and dedicate some money to marketing!

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Examples of a soft news story can range from trends to a personal profile while hard news story can range from a job promotion within a big company to a stock split. As you work with a public relations specialist, he or she will assist you in determining whether a campaign or release is the right route for you.

Opting to do a press release can prove to be more beneficial than a publicity campaign. Determining what to include and what not to include can make or break a press release on an important topic.

If you end up choosing to use a press release rather than a campaign, there is certain information to include that will be beneficial in getting your press release recognized.  Crucial information such as media contact is a must, but information that answers the 5 W’s -Who, What, When, Where, Why – is extremely helpful for readers interested in your story.

Avoid any information that blatantly slanders competition and any information that is sexually explicit or is harmful to others. While it is important to inform readers about your topic in your release, avoid advertising or selling yourself.

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One of the key elements to receiving publicity for your clients is pitching his or her story/topic/product to journalists.

Writing a pitch to a journalist can either make or break the topic you’re pitching, if it doesn’t contain the right information or is poorly worded. From the subject line to the last period, a PR pitch to a journalist is one of the most important tasks in PR. 

Before writing your pitch

Target the right journalists. Don’t pitch a story on animal rights to a financial reporter. It doesn’t matter if the story has slight ties to a certain subject; focus primarily on journalists who specialize on the topic of your pitch or your client’s industry.

Once you’ve found journalists you want to send your pitch to, be sure to research the journalist you’re targeting. See what stories this specific reporters have done in the past.

Writing your pitch

Use a catchy subject line that will entice journalists open their email. Pitches should be as short as possible and have a great opener to keep them interested. Brevity is key as journalists have deadlines and are usually short on time, so they don’t have time to read through a pitch that is three or four paragraphs long.

A timely pitch that also has a news angle is essential for your topic to be covered. Journalists are the masters of working on multiple stories with the same idea, working on deadlines and searching for more story ideas. Sending them a pitch that is helpful and related to a current news story helps create a win-win relationship.

Your pitch should be cordial, friendly and engaging, all while answering an important question that journalists ask: Why should I care?

Before sending your pitch

Check for any spelling errors and PROOFREAD. Don’t rely on spell check. Make time to have one or two people read over your pitch before you send it. You can have a perfectly written and timely pitch, but the wrong use of “your” or “you’re” can ruin it.

After sending your pitch

It can be tricky decision whether or not to follow up and when. Depending on the timeliness of a pitch, it’s best to either call or email them a day or two after you’ve sent it. Otherwise, follow up with them a week or so afterwards. But if you don’t hear back, they most likely weren’t interested. Just try again next time!

Happy pitching!

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Depending on the topic of your press release, reporters may or may not be clamoring to interview you or even, to write an article about it.

A press release that contains all the right components to be effective and noticed online is great, but if it isn’t newsworthy, it serves no purpose to a client or the company.

Smaller businesses have a better chance of being covered if they can “piggyback” off of a recent news story relevant to their topic. Bigger companies such as Yahoo! or Google usually don’t have an issue with getting a press release covered because they’ve been around long enough to be news due to their name.

There are three ways to determine if a press release is newsworthy:

• timeliness
• relevance
• news readiness

If you are relating a press release to a news story, make sure that the topic is still in the news and not stale. For example, don’t write a press release in December about hurricane season when the season has clearly passed. Also, it’s important to make sure that your topic is relevant to the news story you’re relating it to. A press release on a 5K run wouldn’t relate to a story about a woman dealing with a flesh eating virus.

It’s important to note that journalists have deadlines, and if your press release is something that interests them, be sure that the release is written from a journalistic point of view. It needs to include the “5 W’s” of journalism – Who, What, Where, Why, and When – so he or she can write it quickly and without hassle.

Remember that just because you have an online press release, it doesn’t mean the topic is necessarily appropriate for email distributions to journalists.

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However, there are key things to remember to do before and during a meeting with a client. Your behavior during a meeting is crucial to how a potential client views the firm as a whole. Melissa Rogovin, project manager for The Publicity Agency shares her top five tips on how to successfully meet with a client.

1. Research – Research everything beforehand so you’re not walking into a meeting blind. If possible, do the research yourself; don’t have an associate do all the work. Make sure you fully understand the client and his or her background.
2. Questions – Know what questions to ask. Questions such as ‘What are your main goals?’ and ‘What is your budget?’ are important in order to get a full understanding of what they want.
3. Expectations – Be sure to set expectations for the meeting beforehand, such as goals from and for the client. Set a timeframe for the meeting and stick to it.
4. Dress Code – Dress appropriately for every meeting. Depending on where you are or how well you know them also plays into knowing what to wear to a meeting; however, a good rule of thumb is to keep it as professional as possible.
5. Energy – Match the client’s energy. If, for example, it is a crisis management situation, be empathetic but be careful about tell them what they need to hear, not what they want to hear. If they are an energetic client, match that in the meeting.

If it’s your first time meeting with a client on your own, check with your supervisor on what is expected from you. Even if you are just invited to sit in on a meeting, remember to take notes and keep a list of questions on hand just in case you’re asked. Now that you have tips on how to prepare for a meeting, all that’s left is for you to apply them and represent your firm well!

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Search engine optimization (SEO) plays a crucial role in attracting online attention for a company, business or product. A great press release can be written and go unnoticed online because it doesn’t contain proper SEO terms or has no SEO at all.

To maximize search results that are most relevant on the web, it is essential to not only SEO your press release but to also know what key words or phrases will help ensure attention. The topic of your press release should contain generic yet specific words that will be noticed online.

For example, a press release written on dermatology may fall through the cracks as there are many blog posts, press releases and articles written on the subject. However, by specifically writing about Tampa dermatology or a Tampa dermatologist, the chances of that press release gaining more hits and attention increases.

The key to SEO properly is to be specific but not to the point where it limits the chances of getting noticed online. The importance of SEO in press releases is the difference between having a great press release with no attention versus your competitor having a mediocre press release with plenty of attention.

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Four years in the making and with two months of limited beta under its belt, UNTHINK.com is finally opened to the public in limited release. Thousands of invitation codes have been sent to beta users to share with their friends. Those who receive an invitation code will be able to invite an unlimited number of people to join them.

UNTHINK bills itself as not just another social media platform, but a revolution for social networks. It was built to better serve and empower people and brands, while making their lives easier. Its ultimate goal is to unleash the potential of each unique individual.

The UNTHINK view of social media is different than Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter or any of the current titans of the internet. The organization’s philosophy states that one size does not fit all, intrusive behavior shouldn’t have to be tolerated and anyone can be extraordinary. The founders of UNTHINK Corporation and a team of more than 100 techies actually designed the UNTHINK platform with the intention of disrupting the existing market and shifting social media in a direction everyone can embrace.

The UNTHINK philosophy also states that any brand can be extraordinary, too. Current social media providers control the layout, data, content and in some cases the relationships brands experience on their platforms. UNTHINK not only gives people and brands more ownership over their data and privacy, it hands over more control to how that content is displayed.

With all of this in mind, the UNTHINK platform has great potential for PR and social media marketing opportunities. It was built with the idea that it would be heavily utilized in public relations and advertising practices. The terms and conditions of using UNTHINK are also intended to be a stabilizing force for brands and businesses against the unpredictable changes other social media networks regularly force on users.

In many respects, UNTHINK is doing a really good job of positioning itself as the anti-Facebook, which is probably why the response to UNTHINK has been overly enthusiastic. There has been an overwhelming demand for invitation codes and people have been signing on in droves. So much so that at times users have reported the system as slow. However, despite these growing pains users are reporting their experiences have been positive.

People are starting to get tired of the privacy and ownership games other social media providers play. UNTHINK could give brands a new channel of communication with consumers that could prove to be quite fruitful. It is just a matter of time before we’ll know if UNTHINK can become king of the social media hill.

Authored by Stacey Acevero, Community Manager PRWeb - Stacey is the social media community manager of PRWeb.  She is all about creative social media marketing ideas as well as building the PRWeb brand.

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Procrastination is definitely something that I have always struggled with. I am okay with admitting this, because as they say admission of a problem is half the battle. So although I have not completely broken this habit; I feel like I am much closer to straying away from it.

As a PR professional, procrastination is not a characteristic that you will get you very far and not a trait that you would like to clients or employer to see you exhibit. As a PR professional you should be a self-starter and more importantly and active self starter.

Unsolicited advice from me to you day 13: As a PR intern we should take the initiative in being self-starters and non-procrastinators. Eventually, our passion will be our livelihood. If it doesn’t cut it now – it won’t cut it then. This is just a matter of fact.

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