E-ZINES 401: Content Development and Writing

Get FREE Publicity - send a press release to the media. Getting free publicity from the media is the most cost-effective marketing tool you can find.

* What the heck does that mean?
* How does a press release work?
* Who do I send it to?
* What does it mean when they say "picked up" by the media?
* How can it help to increase subscriptions to my ezine?
* How can I learn about press releases and how they work?

WALK A MILE IN THOSE MEDIA SHOES

One terrific way to learn about press releases is by using press releases to help you develop content for your publication. Once you have reviewed press releases from the perspective of Editor or Publisher, you will have a finer appreciation for what other publishers will be looking for in a press release when it is time for you to write one about your business or to announce your E-zine.

As an ezine publisher, you know what a struggle it is to fill your ezine with quality content. Imagine what it would be like to produce a daily newspaper. Where would you get all the content needed to fill those pages every single day? Although the opinions vary, many marketing experts estimate that 75 percent of news stories come from press releases.

HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOUR PRESS RELEASE WILL WORK?

Media specialist, Dr. Kevin Nunley, says that the honest  answer is "you don't."

According to Dr. Nunley, "The job of a press release is to suggest a story idea to an editor, reporter, writer, or broadcaster. It's a bit like fishing. Whether or not the editor takes your bait depends a lot of what kind of day they're having."

Remember, you are sending your press releases to a person  whose job depends upon them finding news to fill their publication. They want and NEED your news. But it must be appropriate for their publication and their audience, and it must be well-written to get them to "nibble."

WHERE CAN YOU FIND PRESS RELEASES ONLINE?

Let's find some press releases to work with at the Internet News Bureau. Point your browser to http://www.newsbureau.com/recent   to review their most recent press releases. The Internet News Bureau has a searchable archive, as well, where you can search for a release based on a topic or keyword.

Start your search by simply browsing through the recent listings and look for anything that you find interesting. Or, go directly to the archives and search for a topic if you are looking for information for a particular article idea. (Be careful! This can be quite entertaining and if you aren't careful, you can spend hours following links. Keep notes on the types of press releases that draw your attention and cause you to look further.)

THIS WEEK'S SCAN AND SEARCH

As I was looking for news about the E-zine industry this week, I ran across this headline.

SparkNET Corporation and Lyris Technologies, Inc. Join Forces to Create Mega Email List Service Bureau

OK. That's pretty big news for anyone interested in the email marketing industry, so I read a little bit further. Right away, the powerful first paragraph answered the five big questions for me: who, what, where, why and when.

------start press release here------

MILWAUKEE, WI - September 16, 1999 (INB) -- SparkNET
Corporation and Lyris Technologies, Inc. have combined
resources to form SparkLIST.com LLC http://SparkLIST.com/.

The combined company leverages SparkNET's 3 year history of
providing business class email list hosting and promotion
services along with Lyris' world class email list serving
software. Together, SparkLIST.com is now able to deliver
billions of email list messages per month, along with
improved scalability and industrial strength reliability.
The newly formed company will carry the SparkLIST.com brand.

------end of first paragraph------

At this point, I decided to "pick up" this press release and use it in the Insider's Track in this month's e-zine. I copied and pasted the text into my news folder and continued my news search.

INSTANT REVIEW

==>Why Did I Choose It?

1. Well-written News

Simply put, this press release is great. I don't have to rewrite it. I am publishing a news summary, and the first paragraph has all the news I need. I will print the news release as it was released.

Wait a minute! Isn't that against the copyright rules?

Good question. So, ask yourself "What is the purpose of a press release?" The answer: To get media coverage by using the content provided in the press release. Its primary purpose is to get reprinted!

2. That Relationship Thing!

My pal, Brian Alt, "the hardest working man in the E-zine industry," works for the List-Universe.com, a "cousin" of SparkList.com. (Whenever possible, I like to promote my friends--don't you?!) Seeing the company name, and knowing someone on the "inside" of this story, drew me to this release.

3. It's Appropriate for My Audience

Remember that I was looking specifically for news related to the E-zine industry? This release was exactly what I needed.

Your business gains credibility through this type of publicity. Readers are much more likely to trust an article they read in a newspaper or ezine than an advertisement.

QUICK RECAP

So, how do you get the attention of editors and publishers?

Start with a well-written press release. If your press release is well-written, you dramatically increase the chances that it will be picked up by more media outlets, which in turn can enhance the exposure your business gets.

When your customers read about your business in an article in the local, regional, national or online news, your credibility and image are enhanced. A well-written press release can help to get you that positive media coverage and FREE Publicity you keep hearing about.

Resources:

Kevin Nunley: http://www.drnunley.com
Internet News Bureau: http://www.newsbureau.com

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