How Not To Promote Your Business
Want to make certain your press releases and pitches are ignored by reporters and editors? It's easy. Here are 15 tips:
• Avoid the reverse-pyramid method — in which the most important news lies in the opening paragraph. It's so yesterday! Why not build a little suspense and bury the news in the third paragraph?
• Repeat keywords frequently. Your press release will be boring and redundant, but search engines will be more likely to find it.
• Make the first paragraph of each release at least 100 words long. After all, media people love to read long-winded stuff, right?
• Send out at least one press release a week, whether or not your company is doing anything newsworthy.
• When writing a quote, always begin with, “We're excited ..." As in,“We're excited to be selling our business, because now we can all look for new jobs.”
• Claim that your product or company is “unique,” but don't explain why and don't provide proof that it's unique. Your word is good enough, isn't it?
• Have your intern make follow-up calls to all media on your extensive media list.
• If you're writing about software, be certain to claim that it's “robust.” Have you ever read a press release for a software product that didn't say the software is robust? For extra points, or to inspire a drinking game, claim that your software is “best of breed.” We're not sure how anyone can breed software, but it's apparently done all the time.
• Don't send your press release to a specific person. Send it to “news@,” “info@,” “newsroom,” or some other generic address. If you call a media outlet, especially a television station, you'll be told to send your press release or pitch to the generic address, because “we all read it when it goes there.” Most don't.
• Send the press release as an attachment. It may never make it past the spam filter, but it will look better than if you embed it in an e-mail. Better yet, have a professional designer create an attractive press release in html.
• Send it to media who have absolutely nothing to do with the topic covered by the press release.
• Create a media list based solely on the your online service. You've paid thousands of dollars to use the service, so the names must be accurate, right?
• Send the release just before the company president or other media spokesperson is going on vacation. This is so no one will be available to answer follow-up questions.
• Don't follow the AP Stylebook.
• Take a “me-too” approach. Your competitor gets good media coverage, so you should, too, since you're announcing the same thing.
These tips are guaranteed to work, but maybe you'd rather promote your business. If so, don't follow this advice.
______________
David P. Kowal is president of Kowal Communications Inc. in Northborough. He can be reached at kowal@kowal.com.
WBJ Web Partners
Most Recent
Most Recent
0 Comments