May 21 2012

How Do I Know Which Story May Be Right for My Business?

I’m tempted to call this the most important idea in this content. It might as well be, considering that what I’m trying to explain in this content is something people easily write books on, and as a money-valuable copywriting service it is second only to direct marketing.

So, where to start from? Let’s look at the primary purpose of a press release.

Content Matters

A press release, or a news release (if that helps you understand it better), is meant to be read by journalists, editors, newspaper staff – people in the media.

I want to make sure you understand this.

You are writing for the reporters – people who will look at hundreds of news releases coming their way every single day. You have to fight past their cynicism, and make their reading your press release worth their time.

In other words, the reporter, the journalist, is not your friend. They are not gullible visitors to whom you can present a hyped-up sales letter and expect them to catch on to it. They see tons of those everyday, and throw them away without a second thought.

If you don’t want your press release to be thrown into a trash can, avoid writing it like a sales letter. So what are the reporters looking for?

They want something that will make ‘news’.

Product descriptions are out. How your product can help make the world a better place is still a no-no.

You need to give your press release a catch, a news hook, an angle. Something the reporter will jump on, something he (or she) will know instantly to be a good story.

If I was to tell you just one thing in this content, it would be this:

A press release is a lead to a story. Ideally, it should be tied-in with current events and / or industry news so that the resulting story is that much more interesting for the readers. I’ll say it again. A journalist is looking for a story that he knows the readers will want to read.

The Story

Once again, repeat after me:

What is the media looking for?

A really good story.

And if you can give a really good story to them in your press release, they will be much more likely to give you the publicity that you are looking for.

Where does this story come from? Obviously it must be something that sounds good from the journalist’s perspective (which is likely to be quite different from yours). You have to learn to be detached, objective about your business. By moving back and considering your business in terms of its newsworthiness, you’ll be in a much better place to start writing your news angle.

You need to put on your reporter hat and build your story from their perspective. For the purpose of this discussion, let’s say you are the owner of a medical technology firm that is conducting research in innovative techniques towards complete physical recovery for victims of paralysis.

Now, from your point of view, the most important thing about your business is that you are a pioneer in medical technology research – maybe you have successfully tested a new technique for helping patients recover partial mobility. Now how do you convert that into a ‘good story’?

Work on the human aspect.

For other industries, the ”hook” may be like the following:

A company’s involvement in social / community service.

A ”popular” topic such as the environment.

Remember, the reporter / journalist is not interested in your company, what you offer and the amount of time you’ve spent in preparing your service. He’s looking for a story that will be interesting for the readers. With that in mind, jot down the main points of your story, including the angle, the facts that you will present about the industry, your product / service / event and how your company contributes to the ”hook”.

And that is all you should be seriously worried about. That your press release has a story that people will ‘want’ to read. That’s what journalists are looking for. That’s how you should be writing your press release as well.

Do you have any tips on how to write a great press release?

About the Author

Bill is the Owner of SEOArticleWriteService.com, a Blog that provides Guaranteed SEO Services to entreprenures and affiliate marketers. Visit today for more info on how to write a press release that will drive targeted traffic to your website.