Make Your News Newsworthy
One of the things Internet marketers do to promote their websites is publish press releases on a regular basis. It’s a time-tested strategy that works for any sized business because it keeps a company’s name in the media and in the coveted consumer’s mind.
The only problem with that strategy is when marketers don’t quite understand what a press release is really for, but publish one anyway.
A press release is used to inform the public of significant news – that is, news that has a real effect on society. Too often, we see people publish news about a new web design or a set of funky cool email addresses (i.e., events that are hardly news worthy), and then wonder why they don’t get the attention they hoped for.
It doesn’t take a brain surgeon to figure out why people don’t pull out their wallets after reading about a company’s ‘Brand New Buy-It-Now Button.’ And why some marketers continue to promote themselves this way is beyond me. Perhaps they figure a bad reaction is better than no reaction at all, as in the case of Facebook’s profile design “news.”
I have to admit, the response to that non-news was fairly substantial to say the least. But it was substantial for all the wrong reasons. The insignificance of the news story became the news itself, rather than Facebook’s new profile design.
Press releases that focus on trivial matters can backfire and attract negative attention and non-action. If your news doesn’t prompt people to consume more, inquire about your service, or even give you a second look, don’t publish it, else you’ll become the victim of the most vile Internet spew known to man. (Well, there’s that and the fact that my ruthless teens and I will make fun of you.)
The following is a small sample of items that (1) are newsworthy, and (2) justify publishing a press release.
• company acquisitions
• contracts renewed
• environmental programs you’re participating in
• fund raisers
• innovations and breakthroughs
• international activities
• inventions
• joint ventures
• major bids accepted
• milestones reached
• new patents
• scholarship programs that you’re sponsoring
• social responsibility programs that you’re funding
• support for the arts
• technology awards you’ve received
Help improve the quality of press releases this season by building your news stories around one of the above events. In doing so, you’ll spare yourself undue negativity, you’ll increase real interest in whatever it is you’re doing over there, and you’ll gain respect for your efforts. (Well, there’s that and the fact that my teens and I may defend your business like any other product die-hard out there.) Heck, you might even make a sale or two!
Good luck!
