Four
Alternatives to Press Releases
by
Kelle Campbell
Press releases are considered the mainstay of
public relations, but that doesn't mean that other written materials can't get
you media exposure. If you don't have a subject newsworthy for a release, try
sending one of these.
1. Pitch Letters
Use these letters to suggest story ideas to
journalists. Many are looking for good ideas and your ideas will be appreciated
as long as they're on target.
Your goal is to present a story idea that
will highlight your personnel, product or service, or some other feature of
your business or life. However, you should approach the idea from an angle that
will benefit journalists and their audiences. Tailor your pitches to the
different outlets you target. And when you're pitching to broadcast media,
remember to mention audio and video opportunities in your letter.
2. Introductory Letters
Instead of waiting for the media to discover
you, make the first move by offering yourself as an expert source. Introductory
letters can serve as your first contact or as a follow-up to a call.
When writing to journalists, explain that if
they ever need information on [fill in the blank] you will be able to supply
them with information. Include a brief description of your expertise, a short
fact sheet on your business, and your business card. Make sure you've given
them all your contact information: home phone, cell phone as well as regular
business phone and e-mail. You never know when a reporter will need to get in
touch with you.
3. Letters to the Editors/Op-Eds
Another technique for gaining publicity is
writing letters to the editor about articles that appear in the publication.
These can either offer praise for an article or point out inaccuracies and
omissions. If it's the latter, be polite and make sure that you support your
claims in your letter. Also, keep your letter brief (one page) and focused on
one subject.
Op-eds or opposite editorials can be in the
form of letters or essays, depending on the preference of the publications you
target. Keep your piece short and base it on a timely subject in order to have
a better chance of being published. You don't have to refer to any articles or
news that ran in the publication. In fact, some publications consider those
strictly letters to the editors and won't run it in the op-ed section. Accepted
lengths range from 500-1,500 words, so check to see if there are any guidelines
before you submit your piece.
4. Articles and Columns
Contribute articles to publications in order
to gain exposure and credibility. Writing articles about your particular field
of expertise establishes you as an expert and builds confidence in your
abilities, two of the very things that you want to accomplish via your PR
efforts.
Look at publications that you already read to
see if any of them will make likely markets for articles (focus especially on
publications that are read by your clients and prospects). If you're just
starting out, trade magazines are a good bet since they have fewer writers
competing for placement. An added bonus is that they target niche audiences, so
your words will be before a focused group of prospects.
Think of a few story ideas, do some basic
research and start shooting off query letters to editors.
Once you have some writing experience under
your belt, you may even be able to get your own column. Newspapers and
some newsletters may be receptive to proposals for a column that focuses on
your particular know-how. Experts have also become columnists for community
newspapers, business magazines and so on.
Propose your column idea to an editor (local
publications are a good bet) and submit about three to six pieces so that
they'll have an idea of what to expect. Before you decide to become a
columnist, bear in mind that columns can be daily, weekly, biweekly or monthly.
That means that you'll have to come up with new slants and ideas on a regular
basis. If you are successful in getting a column, try to have a few pieces
written in advance as a safety net.
These four options can help you stay in the
media even when you don't have anything for a news release. Start using them
now.
Bio
Kelle Campbell specializes in freelance
public relations writing for PR companies, businesses and nonprofit
organizations. She has contributed several articles on PR, writing, small
business and technology topics to print and online publications. For more
information, visit http://www.kcwriter.com.
This article may be freely reprinted as long as the
bio is included.