Incredibly Dumb Things Smart Business Owners Do When They Try To Get Free Publicity

Theres an unwritten "code of ethics" out there that dictates the guidelines the

media expects savvy publicists to follow. Certain dos and donts that keep the

amateurs out of the "club". More than a few well-intentioned businessmen owners

trying to lobby for free publicity have been caught in the tangled web of protocol

violations.

As crazy as it may sound, the most common reason publicity campaigns fail is

something you might call the paralysis of analysis. You come up with an idea, it

sounds good, but you wonder if youre being objective enough. Weeks and months

later youre still tweaking and fine tuning it. If this is a problem for you, it might be

helpful to know that editors and program managers never remember the bad press

releases (unless theyre really bad). Its the good stories they remember. So if you

send one in that gets tossed in the trash, it shouldnt hurt your chances the next

time around.

Right up at the top of the list of reasons press releases fail is a general category you

might call trying too hard. It usually stems from insecurity. Youve never done this

before, so you want to cover all bases. That usually leads to a long list of behaviors

that do nothing but label you as a beginner.

Under this category youd find those long, 10-page press releases. They tell it all.

You walk away with a complete picture. They say far more than needs to be said.

The ONLY purpose for a press release is to entice an editor or program director to

call for details. The entire press release should fit on a single, double spaced page.

You just need to give them the basics. A few details and plenty or reason to call.

Anything else will make your release too long to merit the time of the typical media

person.

This category would also include the fancy press release. Cutesy flowers on the

border and perfumed stationary all yell "AMATEUR" to a news editor. So do deliveries

by singing bears and tap dancing teens. People who know what theyre doing

typically limit themselves to simple straightforward stories on white, unadorned

stationary. The story should be the main focus, not the paper it comes on.

Which brings us to another serious mistake a lot of press release writers fall prey to.

They cant answer the simple question:

Why are you telling the story?

Remember, youre trying to get your story run as news or entertainment. Something

that would make a stranger stop and buy a newspaper.

Before including anything in your story, always ask yourself "who cares?". Is this the

kind of stuff the average Joe walking down Main Street wants to know or are you

trying to sell information only your mother and kids are interested in?

Even if you happen to get it perfectly right the first time, theres another very deadly

trap most beginners fall into.

It feels great to see your picture on the front page of newspapers around the

country. But fame is very fleeting. It wont be long before business will be back to

"normal", unless you plan carefully. Plan your campaign ahead of time and schedule

what you have to say so you can say it in various stages. Find ways to become more

than just a one-time guest.

You want the world to know you as the "expert" in your field. You need to watch the

news whenever it breaks a story you can build on. You want to do your own

reporting every time something in your field comes up you think the world might

want to know about.

Once you get the system down, its then just a matter of keeping the momentum

going.

If you need help writing press releases, you can find all kinds of free information on

my web site at www.PressReleasesMadeEasy.com.

If youd like to become a real pro on the topic, you must get my publicity kit. It

offers complete, step-by-step instructions and includes dozens of samples of

successful press releases and media campaigns that you can use as your models.

Youll also find a huge list of newspaper and radio contacts around the country, an

invaluable source in getting your campaign going. You can find the complete course

at: www.Hartunian.com/prkit.

Its a crazy world out there, and most attempts at telling stories fail long before they

make it out of the printer. Fortunately it only takes a little know how to stand out

among the 5% or so that regularly get their stories published and their guests

interviewed.

# # #

Paul Hartunian is widely considered the worlds leading authority on writing press

releases and getting publicity for any product, service, cause or issue.

Subscribe to Pauls free publicity ezine Million Dollar Publicity Tactics. By going to

http://www.Hartunian.com/ezine. Also be sure to check out all the great free

publicity resources at his website http://www.Hartunian.com.

Also be sure to read the story of how Paul used press releases and publicity to

become the first person in history to really sell the world famous Brooklyn Bridge.

You can read the story at http://www.Hartunian.com/bridge.html.

You can reach Paul at (973) 857-4142 or by email at Paul@Hartunian.com.

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