Media Relations
Free publicity is a key way to get you noticed. Most people still trusts a journalist’s review before your own advert.
The best way to get noticed is to do the journalist’s job for them, think like they do when it comes to framing the story and write a press release as if it were an article they could re-print. The more printable it is, as is, in these busy times, the more likely it is your press release will be published verbatim.
At marinaMmedia we know how to pitch media stories, because we’ve been journalists ourselves. We know what works.
A well written press release, optimized for the web, with an embedded video, followed up by a phone call is a sure way of making the news, as long as you have a newsworthy story to tell. We’d be happy to help you find, develop and share stories the media will lap up.
Media Release Format
1. Company Logo in the header.
2. Timing: For IMMEDIATE RELEASE. Or EMBARGOED until a set date, day month year.
3. Contact Info: Name, phone number, email, web address, (hyperlinked)
4. HEADLINE – 2 FONTS BIGGER THAN TEXT DESIGNED TO GRAB ATTENTION
5. Subheadline. The Theme of Your release.
(Both 4/5 so well written they can by copied verbatim by editors pressed for time).
6. Town, Province, Date of Release. (This info, in bold font, starts the main paragraph). (7) The body of a good press release is an exciting read and answers the questions who, what, when, where and why. When possible, also answer the question how.
8. Copy is best kept simple as possible, (targeted to a reading age of seven year is good), precise, well edited, evocative and emotional. “The purpose of a press release is to make people care and want to find out more”, advises Joe Bloggs. The more you write the press release as if it were an actual article, the more likely it will get reprinted as is and distributed in on-line news organizations.
9. The second paragraph can also include a quote from company representative, eg as shown in 8. above. This adds impact to the release and suggests someone was actually interviewed for the quote.
10. The media release can be broken into many paragraphs but is best kept to one page. Two pages are rare but acceptable. One is standard and preferred by the media.
11. The last paragraph of the press release contains a standard line of company information. Most companies use the same closing paragraph for all of their press releases that sums up the company’s purpose, and other essential information.
12. Video and photos can be embedded into the release for maximum impact.