Head, Hook, Body, Close

In the last two installments of this column, we defined what public relations is, and gave a general overview of how to develop a good PR strategy. Now it's time to get down to the nuts and bolts of a public relations campaign.

The most important piece of information in your public relations campaign is the press release, the standard currency for media. Whenever you have an announcement to make, or are asked to send information, this is what reporters are looking for. And while releases can be part of a complete press kit, they must also be able to stand alone.

Press releases have standard ingredients and follow a specific format. The most important information goes at the beginning, leaving supporting details for subsequent paragraphs. Be aware, however, that what you may think is the best thing about your product may not be what reporters or editors think is newsworthy. Criteria the media use to determine newsworthiness include:

Timing. We're talking about “news,” right? New products and current topics make good topics. Most stories need to be told quickly if they're going to be told at all. If it happened today, it's news; if it happened last week, it's no longer news.

Significance. The number of people affected is also important. A product that's available nationally is of more interest than one that's available only in Phoenix. Unless, of course, you're pitching to the Phoenix paper. Which brings us to…

Proximity. Stories that happen near by have significance. When dealing with community newspapers, proximity is vital. In that case, readers want to know about things they can purchase down the street. Media won't be interested in a product their readers can't find.

Prominence. Famous people get coverage. If you break your arm it won't make the news, but if the Queen of England breaks her arm, it's big news.

Human Interest. Human interest stories are a special case because they often disregard the rules of newsworthiness. For example, they don't date as quickly, they need not affect a large number of people, and it may not matter where in the world the story takes place. The main thing about human interest stories is that they appeal to emotion. Television news programs usually place a humorous or quirky story at the end of the broadcast to finish on a feel-good note. Newspapers often have a dedicated area for offbeat items.

You only need to have one of these things to be newsworthy. If you have more than one, even better.

Now that you know what makes a story newsworthy, find those qualities in your story. Start by asking yourself, “So what?”

My product is new.

So what?

My product is the best on the market.

So what?

My product is the only one that uses this formula.

So what?

Keep asking till you find the one thing that makes your product interesting to the reader, and therefore newsworthy to the media.

Once you've got your hook, it's time to write the actual release. Editors quickly toss press releases that make outlandish promotional promises or read like pure marketing copy. Phrases like “best ever” “totally unique!” or “one-of-a-kind” will get tossed fast.

Think like a reporter: follow journalistic style when writing releases. Then you'll get consideration.

Headline. You've only got a few words to grab the editor's attention. The headline should summarize the information in the press release, but in a way that's snappy and dynamic. Think of it as a billboard — you've got just a few seconds to make your release stand out among all the ones editors get each day.

Opening Paragraph. Your first paragraph is critical. Sometimes it's all an editor will read, so the most important information must go here. Explain the who, what, when, where, why, and how of the story — the following paragraphs will provide more detail.

Hook. The opening paragraph also contains your hook, the one thing that will get your audience interested in reading more. Remember, the hook has to be relevant to the end audience as well as the press. It's not false promotion — just an interesting, factual statement.

Body. Using a strategy called the inverted pyramid, the body of the press release should set out the most important information and quotes first. That way, if editors need to cut, they can cut from the end without losing critical information.

Closing Paragraph. The closing paragraph is where the “about my company” information goes. A standard sentence or two to wrap everything up and mention background information will suffice, in case the press needs context.

Finally, under the closing paragraph, use the symbol “– 30 –” or “###” to indicate that the text meant for publication is finished, and anything below those marks is for the editor's information. Below this divider, place contact information, including name, phone numbers and email address. Make it as easy as possible for the media to get in touch with you if they're interested in more information.

You'll also need high resolution images of your products to send if journalists choose to cover you. High resolution images are at least 300 dpi (dots per inch) and are suitable for printing. Images of lesser quality will be grainy and unacceptable for print publication.

If you follow these steps, you'll create a release that will get read. Yet even if you have a brilliant release, there's no guarantee you'll get coverage. That depends on a lot of factors that are out of your control. We'll talk about those in the next column.