When “Get the Hook” is a Positive
The day you’ve been waiting for is almost here.
After years of planning, you’re about to open the doors of your own business: Toys Galore – a specialty shop that sells handcrafted toys to wide-eyed children.
Everything is in order for the opening ceremony. There will be an inflatable gym in the parking lot, face painting in the lobby and cotton candy for everyone. Even grumpy old Mr. Ferguson and his 13 cousins have agreed to show up for the event and do their “break dancing clowns” act.
Now you just have to find a way to get the word out. How about using a press release?
A press release is a brief written announcement that lets the media and the general public know all about your event. It gives them all the information they need and provides a contact name and number if they have any questions. Although professional help usually gets a better response, if you want to do it yourself, all you have to do is follow these simple steps…
 ONE: REMEMBER THE ESSENTIALS
Rudyard Kipling once said, “I keep six honest serving-men. They taught me all I knew. Their names are What and Why and When and How and Where and Who.” Those are the six ‘W’s of journalism. They’re also the most important part of your press release. You can strip everything else away, but as long as your reader has those six pieces of information, they’ll understand everything they need to know about your event.
What is the event? A grand opening? A sale? A closing? Where will it take place? What’s the address? What time is it going to happen? All of these are important. It’s surprising, but you’d be amazed at how many press releases are ignored simply because the writer forgot to include the date or time.
 TWO: FIND A HOOK
If you’re hoping for media coverage, you should keep one thing in mind. Reporters could care less about making sure a lot of people attend your grand opening. They’re not there to help you make money. They’re there to find a good story and report it.
For some media – such as local business magazines and the like – the grand opening of a toy store is important enough to warrant some coverage. Other media may need something more – something they often call a “hook”.
Help them out. Look for the hook. What makes the opening of a new toy store newsworthy? If a major toy manufacturer has just issued a big recall, you have your answer. “Local toy store opens doors: Owner says handcrafted specialty toys can be a safe alternative to recalled toys”.
The truth is, the television stations will likely be covering the toy recall every day for as long as it lasts. They’ll be looking for new angles so they won’t be saying the same thing over and over. Your event can provide them with a new angle…and you should let them know in the headline of your news release.
 THREE: WRITE FROM THE THIRD PERSON
When a journalist receives a press release, they know they’re usually getting an advertisement. They recognize that someone is trying to get their attention so they can induce them to cover their event for marketing purposes.
But journalists value their unbiased presentation of the news. The more you can make them forget that they’re providing PR, the better. So when you write your press release, stay away from writing in the first person. Replace words like “I” and “we” with “she” and “they”. Praise sounds much more convincing when it comes from someone else, rather than being heaped upon one’s self, and third person narrative accomplishes that.
FOUR: PROVIDE AS MUCH CONTACT INFORMATION AS POSSIBLE
There’s nothing more exasperating for a journalist than to receive a press release about an exciting event that doesn’t have any contact information on it. Always, always include a phone number on your press releases – preferably a cell phone number – where you can be reached if they have any questions.
And more importantly, have someone available at that number, even if it’s minutes before or even during the event. Television stations plan things by the minute and often call moments before the event starts. If they know you’re constantly reachable, they’ll feel much more comfortable about covering your events now and in the future.
These are just a few tips to help you. But to REALLY get help writing press releases that get attention, a professional team with experience is the best answer.
corecubed uses strategic integrated marketing communications, and knows when to use the media, and how to get that media attention. Visit us online at our special PR Web site www.corecubed-pr.com to see some of the fantastic hits our clients have received. There are several case studies on our main site at www.corecubed.com. You can contact us at 1-800-370-6580, x5 or email us at info@corecubed.com. We can help make you an expert and have you become an invaluable source to the media, plus bring your company the recognition that will help increase your business.
Five examples of using Media Relations for greater exposure are linked below:
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