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Catching All the Angles
Every story, every song has an angle or a hook. It is what grabs the audience and attracts their attention. As a business owner or entrepreneur the idea of having an angle on your story, i.e., your press release may at first seem repulsive. After all, your product or service does not need a gimmick or a line to sell it or does it? Having an angle is not bad thing – it is the attention grabber, so don’t feel ashamed that it will overshadow your product. Realize that this is what makes it attractive to the reader – the reporter and to the public itself. Realize also that there are thousands and thousands of companies competing for their attention and you really do have to convey something special and of course interesting to cut through the clutter. And that something is that interesting approach or viewpoint that sets you apart. It is your unique selling proposition. Once you have discovered this and it may take some time and some brainstorming to get there. But I assure you as it well worth it. Stories will just begin to flow off of that USP. Make it interesting and you will succeed make it boring and you will get a snooze. And since we don’t want to hear the audience snoring but rather hear them clamoring for more by all means strike a chord with your public.
Whatever you write it is important to keep it focused and tight. Keep in mind you have a split second to garner their attention. You have to be quick and succinct to get to them and don’t make them feel bombarded with information. Give them that immediate idea that makes them want to read more. You are creating mystery and intrigue not writing a novel. You need to answer the usual questions that you learned in Writing 101 – Who, What, When Where, Why and how! Strike the chord and be relevant to their lives and you will have a fan. Keep your release short and to the point, 500 words or less will keep their attention especially if your story fits on one page. You could always provide a data sheet or a later release with more details. Remember short, simple to the point and with an edge to draw them in.
There are numerous reasons for writing and sending out a press release. Here is a list of PR opportunities for you and your company. Here’s a bunch in no particular order: You come out with a new product, service or website; How about offering a freebie like a helpful tips, newsletter, whitepaper or eBook; New hires are always good for a blurb in trade journals or local papers; Celebrity endorsements or testimonials are always news worthy; Reaching company milestones like anniversaries, etc. are also good angles; Perhaps you are sponsoring a team, a contest or even a sweepstakes – good announcements to get out; there are so many possibilities.
As promised this DIY is all about you. Can you imagine a more fascinating subject than your organization or company? For certain you have a certain perception of your group. You like to think it lives up to your standards and that its reputation is nothing but pristine. Perhaps it is time to take an outside look. There are a number of ways to do this. The first of course is Google. And just like last month when we suggested that you Google your competition, this time we ask you to Google yourself. There are a couple of ways to go about this.
But alas TripAdvisor is no longer airing out the dirty laundry. Woe is us! This is a JoTo Out!
