Unsolicited Advice

[Kathy Ann]

In my 21 years in radio, I sometimes wrote ads and sometimes was a news director. I saw a lot of press releases and I have written many, for civic organizations I belong to. Here is what I have learned along the way:

Much has been made recently about TV stations using pre-packaged video sent to them by the Feds. This is nothing new. If your story is interesting and complete, it will often be used verbatim.

A press release is a news story. Are you willing to see your work and your life as newsworthy?

Once you have crossed that line, what is the news? There may be more than one newsworthy aspect, but you want to pick just one as the lead to your story, then let the rest follow. Write it so that an editor can cut it off at the end of any sentence and still have it make sense.

So what's the news? Is it that you have found a way to do what you love, where you love to do it? People will want to read about that because it's what everyone wants, even though most people will never make the leap. It's still fun to read. You don't have to teach them how you did it. Just help them pretend it's them.

Is it that you have created something that people MUST have? Then put yourself into their head and try to imagine what would have to be in that article to make you stop and read it. Don't be afraid to use the outline of another story that has already been published, just to help you learn a popular format.

Sometimes the news is "Hey! You've got an interesting neighbor who's adding vitality to your town!"

We have a lady in town who invented a new kind of hockey equipment bag. Sounds like a really boring premise, but the story was about her sweaty kids and their smelly stuff all over the house, and the trial-and-error process of making prototypes. That news release got her the financing she needed to submit her patent application and begin the manufacturing process.

Now forget all that for the time being and just write what's in your head. Don't worry about spelling, punctuation, grammar or brevity. Once your head is clear, you can go back and apply these guidelines to what you have already written. The first time will take weeks, but soon you'll be able to bang one out in an hour!

[greenoak]

i just never thought of press releases as part of my marketing arsenal.... it seems kind of wierd and boastful or something ...like they would laugh and say right and throw it in the waste basket...

but still i see places covered and i modestly think hey we are way more interesting than them....


do you think most places do try press releases.? im just local and hopeful for regional..not trying to go national.....i dont want to look silly....sillier....
ann

[Kathy Ann]

Just my opinion, but I think the press release is even more important for local sales than for national sales. Your local daily paper, the weekly pennysaver - whoever needs articles to fill their pages. Once you start writing in the 3rd person, you may get to feel like you're giving helpful information as opposed to bragging.

I wonder too, if the local mom & pop stores would do a flyer exchange with you. They could put up your flyer in their doorway in exchange for bulletin board space in your shop, or something like that.

You are more interesting than the others out there, I can tell you that even from here.

[greenoak]

im really trying to rethink this kathy...thanks....

we do flyer exchanges with antique malls.... and its good...we have 3 buildings full on our flyer and if people ask where the other building is it tells me they saw it....super local isnt too tempting for me our town is so poor...i need a littlel higher income people who are wanting a day trip...
but heres our biggest problem kathy!!!! we have 20 yrs as antique only and now our best customers are not strictly antique people..they are like here, cottage, arty , rehabb , neat modern women looking for things for their house.they like antiques but not purists like the old days..... and they wouldnt necessarily respond to antique.....so targeting them is a constant thought...

i cant say how bad the antique scene has become iln the last few years.....



ann

[Kathy Ann]

I am thinking you have the right idea, that people from the affluent areas are hungry for day-trip ideas. Blending the old and the new not only gives them a choice of items, but shows them decorating ideas as well. Who says everything in your house has to be 100 years old to be cottage-y?

I'll bet it's newsworthy that a dealer is offering antique-inspired one-of-a-kind items for young families who like nice things that celebrate the past or have the aura of a simpler time, but have to have sturdy items that won't be ruined by family wear and tear. They might like to own pieces that will acquire their own family history over time.

Or the empty-nesters, who'd rather have a real wood item from Indiana than an "alabastrite" one from Malaysia that has to be replaced every year.