TIPS

BASIC PUBLICITY TIPS YOU CAN USE…
The News Release	THE NEWS RELEASE YOUR BASIC TOOL FOR REACHING THE MEDIA News Releases are the basic vehicle for reaching the media with news they can use. Releases are written in a journalistic news style and are delivered to the appropriate media contact by fax, e-mail, snail mail or distributed by a commercial PR news distribution service. If you're planning to write and distribute your own press release to the media, then one of the most important things to remember is that you need to develop a communications news format style. Rule of thumb – always double space and avoid adding extra fluff and promotional words that detract from the main purpose of your release.
Release Style	Press releases must follow a journalistic style in order to be given any kind of consideration by the media. To write a successful press release here are the essential guidelines you’ll need to follow:
Headline	Headline – Less is more. In ten words or less the headline should summarize the information in the release. You have just a few words to make your release stand out from all the others – so make your words exciting!
Opening Paragraph	Opening Paragraph – Your first paragraph is critical. This paragraph must explain the WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHY, and HOW. It must also include the “news hook” that makes it relevant to your audience. Remember, a release is not a hard sell – it’s a factual statement. Keep it simple.
Second Paragraph	Second Paragraph – Using the inverted pyramid rule, the second paragraph should include the most important information and quotes first. This technique is used so if editors need to cut the story due to space, they can cut the ending without deleting essential information.
Closing Paragraph	Closing Paragraph – Summarize the key information, including the name, phone, fax and email address of the contact person. Finally, be concise and grammatically correct. Double check your spelling -- and proof, proof, proof!
Summarize	Summarize the key information, including the name, phone, fax and email address of the contact person. Finally, be concise and grammatically correct. Double check your spelling -- and proof, proof, proof!
Circulating Your News	Circulating Your News to the Media Here are three ways to distribute your news: 1. Have KeepinTouch handle it for you 2. Deliver it yourself. 3. Use a news distribution service. In addition to media distribution, you can leverage your release potential by: 5. Posting your release on the Internet. 6. Distributing your release to business associates and clients.
SOMETIMES LESS IS MORE…	Try the One Paragraph Press Release for Power & Punch!!! Often we think we are hard-pressed to get all our information into the standard form one-page press release. Press releases can be longer, of course, but the one page-er has become the accepted and expected model. What many people don't realize is that a short one paragraph press release can be a powerful statement, both in its brevity and in its surprise factor. Media people reaching into their daily pile of press releases are generally surprised when they see one paragraph on the page. Are they more likely to read it? Probably. Who doesn't have time to read one brief paragraph? We're not talking about a page-long paragraph. This first paragraph, up to here, for example, is about the common length of a paragraph, give or take a few sentences.