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Free Publicity Tactics: Building Trust with Your Customers with Case Studies

November 13, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Press Release
Strategy Expert
Dan Janal

Nearly every public relations campaign can be improved by using a case study.
A case study is a publicity tactic that shows how one or more of your clients have used your product or service and benefited from it.

Prospects love to be convinced by reading case studies because people love to read stories. A case study is simply a business story.

Like all stories, this free publicity strategy has a format you can easily follow.
1.     Client has a problem. Describe it as visually and emotionally as you can.

2.     Client tried various solutions but none worked. Describe in a little bit of detail. After all you can’t learn from something that didn’t work, so don’t dwell on it.

3.     Client heard about your product or service. Explain how, briefly, i.e. a friend told him about the product, or she read about it in a magazine.

4.     Client tried your service and got great results. Describe in lots of detail and with as many numbers as you can how the client benefited, i.e. web traffic increased by 20 percent, or sales increased by 10 percent.

5.     Show them what to do next. How can they contact you? Put in your phone number, website, email address and other contact points, including social media.

That’s it!

It couldn’t be any easier.

If you’d like to see samples, search Google for “case studies” in your industry. You are bound to find many examples to model.

Be sure to use current examples. Nothing looks worse than seeing old material. People will wonder if you’ve done anything noteworthy in a long time!
You can also send case studies to the media in your press releases. You can learn to do that at http://www.PressReleaseSender.com.

 

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Filed Under: press release writing, publicity thought leader

Why You Should Convert Your Articles into Press Releases

September 24, 2012 By 1 Comment

Many people who want to get free publicity with press releases don’t do so because they think they don’t have anything to say. However, if you’ve been cranking out articles, you probably don’t realize you are sitting on a gold mine of content. That’s because you can rewrite your articles into press releases.

If this sounds like you, read on to discover one of the most underutilized publicity tactics for small businesses.

Hear are five reasons you should turn articles into press releases.
1.     People want to read what’s interesting. Your articles have tips, information and opinions that people would consider well-worth reading.
2.     Those press releases help build your brand and trust with existing customers.
3.     Those press releases help attract new prospects to your brand and website.
4.     Reporters could jump on the idea and interview you for a new article.
5.     Search engines could index that article so you are found by more prospects who search for that information.

Some people might be asking, “I thought press releases were all about what is new.” That is true – to a degree. Press releases are written to promote what is new at a company – such as new products, new promotions and new contracts.

But feature press releases and “soft stories” have been a hallmark of press release writing from nearly the beginning of public relations as an art, science, business and craft.

If you aren’t rewriting your articles into press releases, you are missing a valuable way to gain attention from the media, prospects and search engines.

If you’d like to have us help you convert your articles into press releases so you can get free publicity, email us at dan@prleads.com or call 952-380-1554.

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Filed Under: press release, press release writing, publicity thought leader

Free Publicity Tip: Leverage Breaking News in Your Press Release

September 11, 2012 By Leave a Comment

They call them “newspapers” for a reason: they contain news.

But what can you do to get publicity if you or your company don’t create news?

You can piggyback on breaking news to get free publicity for yourself or your company.

Here are five proven publicity tactics to help you see your name in the news:

1.     Anticipate news. Housing reports. Unemployment statistics. Inflation numbers. These reports are issued every month, like clockwork. Reporters need to find local commentators who can bring perspective to this news. Why shouldn’t that person be you?

2.     Anticipate trends. If you see a TV story on tattoos, college kids taking on debt, college kids moving in with their parents, then you can expect your local newspaper to do the same kind of story one day. Act fast so the reporter calls you and not someone else.

3.     Monitor editorial calendars. Every magazine follows an editorial calendar. They tell you what stories they will be writing and when. Contact reporters to get into the mix.

4.     Breaking news. Monitor breaking news by setting up a Google alert. When news happens, you’ll get an email or a text message letting you know about the event. Then call your editorial contacts with your insights.
5.     Second day stories. If the story is big enough, reporters will write a follow-up story the next day. Let them know you have new info or new insights to add to that story.

If you are prepared, you can get free publicity in TV, radio, newspapers and the web.

For additional press release ideas, read these articles:

 

 

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Filed Under: press release distribution, press release mistakes, press release writing, Uncategorized

Why Reporters Like Getting Story Ideas from Press Releases

August 27, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Press releases are a great way for small businesses to get free publicity. Reporters scan press release distribution sites to find new ideas they can write about.

Here are five reasons reporters like to read press releases.

* Gives them ideas. As smart and imaginative as reporters are, every reporter will have writers block at some point in their lives. Press releases give them ideas that can help them write their stories.
* Gives them the basic info. Reporters won’t print your story word for word. They will use the press release as a starting point that gives them the basic information, such as the name of the company or book, the address or ISBN number, the product model number (which could be a confusing series of letters, dashes, spaces and capital letters, like the Honda CR-V, or the TomTom Go 2535 TM).
* Gives them contact names. People’s names can’t be spelled phonetically. Reporters will always ask people how to spell names. Sometimes reporters don’t need to call you because they can get what they need from the press release. Be sure to print your name, title, phone number, email address, website address and physical address so reporters have the basic info they need to tell your story accurately.
* Gives them quotes. Quotes make a story come alive. It’s like dialogue in a novel. Take your most interesting material and put quotes around it. Reporters will love you for it.
* Gives them the price of the product. You might have a hundred reasons not to print the price of your product, but reporters generally will want to print the price. If you make their jobs easy, you have a better chance of getting written up. If you leave out critical information, reporters will have a more difficult time writing their story.

If you follow these simple publicity tactics, you’ll have a better chance of getting free publicity from your press release.

Find out how you can send press releases to thousands of reporters at major newspapers for one low fee –with guaranteed results. Go to www.PressReleaseSender.com

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Filed Under: expert recognition, press release mistakes, press release writing

Author Gets Speaking Engagements Thanks to Press Releases from PR LEADS’ PressReleaseSender.com

July 5, 2012 By Leave a Comment

How can an author get speaking engagements? Read this amazing story from David Koop!

David Koop

David Koop

Some things to share with you. Coping Magazine is excerpting my bestselling Book; Cancer It’s a Good Thing I Got It! It is running in their July/Aug issue. We got this because of our press release with PR LEADS’ PressReleaseSender.com!
As you know Dan a large portion of my income is generated with my speaking fees. My current rate is now $10,000 per keynote.

When asking each booker how or where they had heard of me, I was surprised by their response.

The last three had searched Google for an inspirational and/or motivational speaker; each stated that what they found in the search results was the deciding factor for finding and then choosing me.

The reason I was surprised is because we spend a lot of time and money marketing and sending out speaker packs but that is not where the bulk of the business is coming from.

So if anyone wonders if press releases matter, I can tell you my belief grows stronger and stronger as I continue to benefit from Google posting more and more information about me. Articles, event notices, presentations and press releases all add up to credibility for those people looking for you.

What are the people who might be in a position to hire you seeing when they do a Google search?

The more information about you the better chance you have, so post what you are doing online, and it all starts with press releases. Dan I remember the first time I was trying to decide if I should use your service at all.

After deciding yes, that I would use your service to issue my release the next question came up, “Do I have you draft it?”

Hey most of us out there have long ago decided that no one can sell us or our business better than we can… right.

Koop bookWell what I found is that you listen during that interview process and then you give me the chance to tweak your thoughts. But what I get from you is several fold.

First because it is from you, it gets opened by people who matter (who sends it makes a difference).

Second you can see the forest for the trees as they say. You know what an outsider, like a potential new customer needs to know about me and my service.

Lastly you have years and years of experience learning what SEO terms to use for the best overall results.

It might get old for you Dan, but I am so happy to be able to write to and share with you the direct and indirect results that I continue to receive as a direct result of our press releases with you.

Then you crafting that Press Release maximizing and multiplying those results down the road.

Thank you so very much Dan.

David A. Koop

Bestselling Author: Cancer – It’s a Good Thing I got It!  -  The Life Story of a Very Lucky Man
Motivational Speaker and Certified World Class Speaking Coach
www.somedaygroup.com

 

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Filed Under: expert recognition, press release, press release distribution, press release writing, results, search engine optimization

Why You Should Convert Your Articles into Press Releases

June 11, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Many people who want to get free publicity with press releases don’t do so because they think they don’t have anything to say. However, if you’ve been cranking out articles, you are sitting on a gold mine of content. You can rewrite your articles into press releases.

If this sounds like you, read on to discover one of the most underutilized publicity tactics for small businesses.

Hear are five reasons you should turn articles into press releases.
1.     People want to read what’s interesting. Your articles have tips, information and opinions that people would consider well-worth reading.
2.     Those press releases help build your brand and trust with existing customers.
3.     Those press releases help attract new prospects to your brand and website.
4.     Reporters could jump on the idea and interview you for a new article.
5.     Search engines could index that article so you are found by more prospects who search for that information.

Some people might be asking, “I thought press releases were all about what is new?” That is true – to a degree. Press releases are written to promote what is new at a company – such as new products, new promotions and new contracts.

But feature press releases and “soft stories” have been a hallmark of press release writing from nearly the beginning of public relations as an art, science, business and craft.

If you aren’t rewriting your articles into press releases, you are missing a valuable way to gain attention from the media, prospects and search engines.

If you’d like to have us help you convert your articles into press releases so you can get free publicity, email us at dan@prleads.com or call 952-380-1554.

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Filed Under: press release, press release writing, publicity thought leader

Can You Expect a Press Release to Get Free Publicity?

May 30, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Press Release Strategy Expert Dan Janal

You can get free publicity when you send a press release to a reporter – if you do the right things. But many people get bad results because they do the wrong things – or if they have unimaginably high expectations.

Here are 10 things to expect from a press release – from bad to good:

1.     Reporters will throw it out – unopened and unseen. That’s because reporters get hundreds of press releases a day – by mail and by email. They don’t have time to read them all. It’s an unfortunate fact of life. You must make your press release stand out.
2.     Reporters will open your press release and realize it does not concern them in the least and throw it out. That’s because you didn’t do your job and send the press release to only reporters in your field.

3.     Reporters will open your press release, read the headline, read the first paragraph and throw it out. That’s because you didn’t say anything interesting or your information was presented badly. Think of your message and find a way to get the point across clearly and quickly. Who, what, when, where and why are usually good guideposts.
4.     Reporters will read it but can’t find how to contact you – so they throw it out. Don’t put in switchboard numbers that do more to thwart callers than help them. Call yourself and see if you can reach you. If you have a voice jail system, I’ll bet you can’t. Put in your desk number or your mobile number.
5.     Reporters will want to find more info, but can’t because you didn’t put in a website address or you sent people to the wrong page. Reporters might want to see your homepage, or your product page. Think this through and send them to the right page. If you have big company website, reporters might not find what they need. If you are promoting a book or a product, send them to that specific page with the relevant information.
6.     Reporters like what they see and write the story based on info in the press release! Congratulations! You can get a story written about you without talking to a reporter, in case you didn’t know.
7.     Reporters like what they see and get more info from you in a phone call or email. Congratulations! Now you have the chance to build a lasting relationship.
8.     Reporters write the story and it appears on their websites or in their publications. Congratulations! You will probably get more website visitors, traffic to your store or calls to your company. Remember, those are visits. It is up to you to convince those people to buy. Don’t overlook this important step. Publicity can lead a horse to water, but it can’t make him drink.
9.      Reporters post the story online. Congratulations. Many media sites allow for reader feedback. Read this section to see what people are saying and thinking – and then respond when appropriate. This can be a great way to build relationships with readers.
10.  Your site’s rankings in search engines should improve. Congratulations! Google loves to see links from high credibility sites, like the media, to your site. If you can get more media exposure, you’ll probably rate higher in Google’s eyes so more prospects will see your website.

As you can see, there are many good things that can happen when you write press releases, target the right reporters, present the right message and follow up with prospects. Good things can happen with press releases – if you follow the right path.

Good luck!

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Filed Under: press release mistakes, press release writing, publicity thought leader

Writing Press Examples: 5 Topics You Probably Didn’t Realize Can Be in a Press Release

May 10, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Press Release Expert Dan Janal

Many people mistakenly think a press release can only contain news, such as announcing a new product, hiring a new CEO, announcing earnings results or winning an award. True, those are the bread and butter of press releases, but press releases can contain so many more interesting topics that can help you get free publicity.

Here are five topics for press releases that you should consider writing.

1.     Press releases don’t have to be based on news. They just need to be interesting. That’s why you see successful companies use feature articles and information articles as press releases. That’s because newspapers and magazines write feature articles and how-to articles. These press releases help reporters who write those kinds of stories.

2.     Press releases can be based on opinion. If you want to take issue with a government policy, a research report or a new book’s thesis, you can do so in a press release. These press releases help position you as a thought leader who is unafraid to buck conventional thinking.

3.     Press releases can be short. If you can tell the story in 100 words, then do so. A simple job promotion or an event can be told by answering the who, what, when, why, where and how that should be the cornerstone of any press release.

4.     Press releases can be long. In the old days, newspapers had a limited size. On the Internet, space is not an issue. You can tell your story in as much detail as you like. Of course, people have limited attention spans, so you might want to take that into account. On the other hand, people who have a vested interest in your issue will want to read as much info as they can get their hands on.

5.     You can put footnotes into a press release! This is great for the scientific press releases that need to conform to their industry’s need to document each source. Just put a superscript in the text and the corresponding footnote at the end of the press release. Reporters and readers will know what to do with it. If possible, add a link to the original source material if it is online.

For more ideas on writing great press releases, go to PressReleaseSender.com

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Filed Under: press release writing, publicity thought leader

New Tactics for Press Releases – Get Found on Search Engines

April 5, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Press releases perform a valuable and useful role in getting found on search engines.

Based on my work with more than 500 press releases over the past year or so, I’d suggest you can improve your chances of being found by:
1. Adding relevant keywords to the press release, especially in the headline and first paragraph.
2. Using anchor text to lead readers to different pages on your website. It is a great SEO tactic that many people overlook.
3. Having at least one call to action for readers, like “click here to read the first two chapters of my book (or white paper, or take an assessment).
4. Using Google’s free keyword tool to find the most popular keywords, as well as the least competitive ones – and use a mix of them.
5. Searching Google on those terms to see what shows up. You might be inspired to use other keywords you hadn’t thought of.
6. Telling your followers when you get printed or quoted, via your blog, email and social media. Toot your horn!
7. Printing screen shots showing your best results.

 

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Filed Under: press release mistakes, press release writing, publicity thought leader, search engine optimization, seo

Publicity Strategy: Now’s the Time to Write Year-in-Review Press Releases

December 1, 2011 By Leave a Comment

As the end of the year approaches, some people think of holidays, gifts and shopping. I think of year-in-review press releases and articles or opinion pieces.

The year-in-review press release is a great way to get increased exposure and position yourself as an expert. This article will show you how to write a year-in-review press release and will also show you many ways you can benefit from it.

As the name implies, these are press releases that review and recap influential trends and news. You start with a paragraph introducing the topic. You end with a paragraph summarizing the trends or offering a perspective from your vantage point. The press release can include anywhere from 3 to 12 events.  If you use 12 events, you can cite one event each month, which is a popular technique. Each event is described in 2-3 sentences. The entire press release is about 500 words long – about the size of a high-school essay.

These press releases help you in many ways:

1.     This type of press release positions you as a thought leader who is lending an insightful perspective on the industry. Simply chronicling the events makes you a valued content creator. If you add perspective on why this event was important then you’ll be seen as adding valuable information that is the hallmark of a thought leader.
2.     The press release is a promotion without being salesy. You’ll be seen as an educator who is providing perspective, instead of as a vendor who is selling a product, which is what happens in the average self-promotional press release. Every press release lets you promote yourself or your business with links to your site and the “About Us” section, of course, so there are many ways to lead people to your website where they can build a relationship with you.
3.     They are easy to write. You simply review the headlines of the past year and decide which are most important.
4.     They don’t require a lot of creativity or originality. For people who think they need to think of the “next big thing” to get readers, this is the rare opportunity to put your creativity on hold and go into researcher mode.
5.     People like to read these types of press releases. You gain more visibility and credibility. People will say “I see her everywhere.”
6.     Websites like to print these press releases because readers like to read them. The more media websites and bloggers who print your press releases, the more fame you get.
7.     Media websites and trade publications like to print these press releases in December because staffers take vacations and these sites need content. Because the information is non-commercial, there is a great chance the media will print the press release.
8.     These types of press releases are part of the editorial calendar process at many media sites. You are proposing a press release that they actually expect to print.
9.     You can get good placement in search engines if you use the proper keywords. If you rank higher in search engines, you’ll attract more visitors to your web site.
10.  Because the press release is printed on media web sites, search engines will give a greater value the links pointing to your website so your website could show up higher in the search engines and you could get more visitors.
11.  You can post the press releases on your blog and in your ezine to create interesting content for your followers. Your site also will be seen as having educational content, which is highly valued by your readers. (update: Read the new Panda rules from Google. Use the robot.txt file specifying that the search engines should not crawl the page.)
12.  You can post a link to the press release on Twitter or you could tweet a trend a day to attract more followers. Same with Facebook or LinkedIn.
13.  You can create a video and post to YouTube to attract more visibility and higher search engine rankings. Google loves to index videos. This is a very easy tactic. Simply turn on your camera and read the press release.
14.  You can turn the press release into an article and submit to relevant industry sites and guest blog sites. This could created even more links to your website and will expose your name to more potential prospects.
15.  You benefit by taking time to review events of the previous year and to learn from it. Your increased knowledge makes you more valuable to your consulting clients and it also helps you plan for the coming year.
If you’d like to write a year-in-review press release, we can help you send it to the media via the oldest and most respected newswire in the business. Unlike any other service, we’ll guarantee your press release will be printed on more than 40 media website within 24 hours of distribution or you get your money back. For info, go to http://www.PressReleaseSender.com and select the “Bronze” service plan for only $297, which is much less than any other service offering comparable distribution.

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Filed Under: press release, press release writing, publicity thought leader, search engine optimization, seo
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