You sent out a news release. Then a newspaper or a magazine (or both, oh happy day) published an article about you based on the release. Whoopee! Break out the Dom Perignon!
It’s true, an article about your business does wonders for your business. Not only do you get an increase in business, but you can leverage the article in many ways. You can create reprints of the article to send to current clients and prospects, and you can use the article in your advertising. The article gives you instant credibility.
So how do you get all this free advertising? You’re well on the way to that newspaper or magazine article if you realize that a news release is NOT AN AD. It’s NEWS about your business. If your news release has a whiff of advertising about it, it will it hit journalists’ round files faster than it took you to lick the stamp and paste it on the envelope.
Unfortunately many small business owners, and even many copywriters, are unclear about the difference between advertising and a news release.
So what’s the difference between a news release and an ad?
A news release gives the FACTS. Just the plain, unvarnished, unembellished facts. It doesn’t try to sell the business. It doesn’t say how wonderful the business, service or product is, it gives verifiable facts.
For example, let’s say that you’re a copywriter. You’ve gone solo, and have just started a new copywriting services business. So you’ve decided to send out a news release announcing your new business.
The fact that you’ve started a copywriting services business is a fact. The name of your business and its address is a fact. The hours you’re open for business: fact.
A biographical note about yourself gives facts.
A statement that you make, in quotes, as part of the news release is also a fact. The release could include this paragraph:
‘Felicity Jones said: “I’m looking forward to becoming a part of the Ocean Park business community. I’ve been introducing myself to local business owners, who have expressed strong interest in my services.” ‘
Remember, a news release contains: FACTS.
A news release, because it’s NEWS, is also written in newspaper style, that is, in Inverted Pyramid style.
=> Inverted Pyramid style
A news release is written in “inverted pyramid” style. Imagine a pyramid. Stand it on its apex. You now have the broad base uppermost. This signifies that the base of the story, or the root of the story, comes first.
Therefore, news releases have this structure: a headline, and the first paragraph giving the most important information. The first paragraph tells the entire story.
Then each succeeding paragraph gives more information in order of descending importance. You can chop off any of the later paragraphs and still have the story make sense.
I like using a headline in a news release, but it’s optional. Unlike the headline in an ad, your headline shouldn’t be cute or gimmicky, it should summarize the story in five or six words. For example: ‘Nursery Gives Away Free Trees’; ‘New Store Opens’; ‘Delaney Sponsors Local Swimmers’.
The first paragraph is your story in a nutshell: who, what, how, when, where and why. It’s easy to write. Just state your case. Tell who you are, what you’re doing, how you’re doing it, where you’re doing it, and why.
Here’s an example of a headline, and the first paragraph of a news release:
LOCAL WRITER OPENS NEW COPYWRITING BUSINESSS
Last Thursday, local writer Samantha Jones opened Pine Ridge’s first copywriting business, “Just Add Words”, at 4784 Boundary Road. Ms Jones said: “I decided to start my new business when I realized that Pine Ridge has two businesses offering secretarial services, and three printers, but no one’s helping local businesses to write their marketing communications.”
As you can see, it tells the complete story in the first paragraph, and it’s all facts. Let’s hope that some enterprising journalist decides to give Samantha a call, and writes a story about Samantha’s new business.
If you’re new to writing news releases, go to the library and take out a couple of books on public relations. The books will give you lots of information on how to find material for news releases, and also sample releases.
Beware some of the so-called news releases you find online. Most of these are simply advertising, dressed up to look like a release. They’re not news releases, because news releases contain facts.
Good luck with your news releases and remember: just give the facts.
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Tags: press release, PR, news release, media release, copywriting, copy, copy PR, publicity
Why go low tech?
Today, in the age of E-Mail, multi-media presentations and the Internet, it’s easy to
assume that a website can take the place of a printed brochure. Printers today are
producing more printed marketing materials than ever. In fact, with people
spending so much time in front of computer screen, going through the mail or
reading printed materials can be a welcome diversionand an opportunity for you.
Let’s face it, letters take a lot of effort to read through and there are usually no
graphics beyond the sender’s logo and signature to break up the blocks of copy. A
cover letter sent to prospects or handing out a business card to a potential client
can make a quick impression, but these two marketing vehicles can only present
only a small fraction of information about your business. Meeting prospective
clients face-to-face takes time and effort, and sometimes you need a creative way
to introduce yourself and your company.
Brochures are a great way to package and deliver a lot of information about
yourself, your business and expertise into a format that is easily mailed or handed
out at a business meeting. Brochures can be given to current clients to pass on to
possible referrals or even left in brochure holders in different locations.
What is a brochure, exactly?
Brochures range from a simple two-fold design using one sheet of 8-1/2 inch x 11
inch paper to elaborate 9 x 12 inch pocket folders with pages stitched in and insert
sheets. There is one standard size or configuration, but over the years several sizes
have emerged, either to fit mail envelopes or to fit printing presses.
Good brochure design involves not simply producing an expensive-looking, flashy
design, but a careful analysis of your target market, what level of sophistication is
needed and consideration of your market niche in order to make a great first
impression. And, last but certainly not least, your brochure should leave a potential
client with something he or she is hesitant to throw away.
Getting started
If you have never created a brochure before, start by collecting a number of
brochures (including competitors’) that represent a wide range of qualityfrom
simple one and two-color on textured stock to slick 4-color glossy brochures.
By asking yourself what it is that makes a brochure attractive and effective to you, it
will be easier to make a brochure for your own business which will convey the
message and level of sophistication you require.
Next, you will need to create some basic brochure copy about your business. Even if
you’re not a professional writer, putting some thoughts and facts about what your
business does on paper will help make more concrete what information your
brochure needs to convey.
When writing copy ask yourself:
Questions to ask yourself should include:
Key information to include in your brochure:
Be sure not to include in your brochure any information which is subject to
changing in the next 12 months or so. Also, be wary of using a specific person’s
name as a contact person unless he or she is someone you know isn’t going to leave
in the next year. The same goes for printing photographs of people. There’s no
sense in spending several thousand dollars to create a brochure only to have it
become out of date because someone leaves the company.
What does a brochure cost to produce?
Brochures can vary from a few hundred dollars to several thousand dollars. Because
there are so many variables involved in producing a brochure such as quality of
paper, number of ink colors, use of photographs, number of brochures printed, etc.,
it is difficult to estimate the final costs until all the specifications are determined.
Four color process printing, varnishing and special treatments such die-cutting, foil
stamping can add additional costs to producing a brochure, and may well be worth
it if they enhance your brochure and the image you wish to project. Other cost
considerations are whether you need professional photography, help with writing or
editing copy for your brochure.
Even if you don’t know all the details of your brochure when getting started, it’s a
good idea to create a budget. Start with determining how many brochures you will
need to use during the next twelve months including mailings and sales meetings. If
you have seen a brochure with a similar amount of information and photographs as
you need for your brochure, a designer can use it as a model for determining
printing and production costs.
Another consideration when designing a brochure is postage. Larger brochures will
be more expensive to mail and if you are planning on doing a large mailing as part
of your marketing, an oversized brochure may be expensive to mail. Larger
brochures don’t fare well through the postal system and often end up wrapped
around other mail. Brochures which fit in a standard #10 business envelope give you
the best buy in terms of postage and protection while mailing. Using a business
envelope also allows you to mail a cover letter and business card as well.
Updating an existing brochure
I worked with a client once who had sales of over a million dollars a year, but was
still using a very dated, unsophisticated brochure produced by a printer nearly ten
years earlier. While reputation alone helped the company’s sales, their brochure was
doing very little to promote them as a cutting-edge company to potential customers
who had never heard of them.
If you have a brochure you produced a few years ago, it might be a good idea to
have your brochure evaluated by a someone outside your company to make sure it
projects the image of your company today and sets you apart from your
competition. Often, a small company will produce an inexpensive brochure just to
have something for a trade show or for telephone inquiries. While short-term needs
are fulfilled, not having any kind of long-term plan for a package of coordinated
materials will lead to a “hodge-podge.”
As a business grows, the image of the business can outgrow the first brochure’s
image. Often other collateral such as pocket folders, product inserts, etc. are
produced at different times by different printers and the result is a corporate image
that is not coordinated, with different kinds of paper used and ink colors that don’t
matchnot professional at all.
Fix ItBefore It Breaks
It is tempting to take the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” approach and leave an
existing brochure alonefor years. However, now could also be the ideal time to
produce a truly professional brochure which will set you apart from your
competition and give your potential clients something they will keep on their desk
to serve as a memory jogger when you do a follow-up call.
Why have a graphic designer involved in creating your brochure?
Many businesses are producing promotional and sales materials internally or are
relying on a printer to put a brochure together for them. There’s nothing wrong with
either of these approaches, provided you have the time and expertise to make all
graphic design decisions that will produce a sophisticated brochure that’s right on
target.
It’s rare to find a printer who has a graphic designer on staff who will put a creative
spark in your brochure, and relying on your in-house talent probably won’t save you
money when an unprofessional design can actually costs you lost sales.
Using a graphic designer can free you from having to make all decisions about your
brochure by yourself and will provide you with an outside perspective on how to
communicate to your audience. A designer can provide you not only expertise on
typography but can help you with selecting ink and paper and some direction with
your brochure and help guide you through the process from start to finish.
In addition to making design decisions, a graphic designer can serve as your project
manager and will see the brochure from concept through successful completion.
Most designers work with several different printers and can provide you with a
printer that has the capabilities to print your brochure. If you need help with writing
your brochure copy, many designers work with freelance writers and photographers.
Some Parting Advice . . .
Carpenters have a saying, “Measure twice, cut once,” which applies to creating your
brochure. By defining what your brochure should do and doing some research first,
your brochure can be effective, informative and get prospective clients’ attention. By
utilizing design and printing professionals and by paying close attention to details,
you can have a brochure that truly represents your business and is something you
can be proud to hand out and mail to potential customers.
About the Author
Vann Baker is the president of Design-First, a marketing company that helps both
small businesses and Fortune 500 companies to create successful websites, corporate
identity and print materials including brochures, newsletters, catalogs, and more for
over 20 years. http://www.design-first.com
Tags: brochure, printing, graphic, design, cost-effective, tri-fold, four-color
I am currently planning a major regional event here in the UK. If you have to plan a prestigious event yourself, you might appreciate my guide on the aspects of arranging an event, from start to finish!
1. Define your aims of the event
What is the concept? Before you can start to organise your event, write down a few lines about what the event is going to be about and what you hope to achieve. It’s helpful at this stage to have a meeting with everyone involved to discuss the event. Here is a list of points to cover:
Decide on the subject for the event
Discuss what you hope to achieve, for example
1 .Raise the profile of your business/organisation
2. Network with some sales prospects in a relaxed environment
When do you want to hold the event?
Where do you want to hold it?
Who do you want to come to the event? How many?
How and where will you promote the event to ensure that they come along?
Do you want outside speakers? If so, who? What will they speak about?
What budget do you have for the event?
THINGS TO CONSIDER:
What else is going on at the same time as your event (both within your organisation and externally) - will this have an impact on your event?
If you are, for example, running a training session, have you identified that there is a sufficient need for that particular topic?
If you are inviting outside speakers, always make sure that, where possible, you have a ‘reserve’ choice in case your first choice isn’t available. If you have existing contacts that is fine but make sure you know they will be competent and “on message” - if in doubt contact an agency for advice (I recommend http://www.speakers-uk.com/ for no other reason that they will always spend time with you to make sure that you have a list of the right people at the right price). Watch out for expenses clauses as they can be hidden costs which mess up your budget.
2. Planning and logistics
Nominate a lead person to:
keep track of all the tasks for the event
1. what has been done
2. what still needs to be done
3. who needs to do it
4. when it needs to be done by
5. budget and actual expense
Create a spreadsheet detailing all the tasks for the event. This ensures that all tasks for the event are recorded in one place, so that nothing is missed or forgotten.
Hold regular progress meetings for everyone involved in the event to ensure that everyone is aware of what stage the event is at, as well as any problems that have arisen. Any further tasks arising as a result of these meetings should be assigned and logged in the planning spreadsheet. Depending on the number of people involved, you may also find it useful to take minutes of the meeting.
Here are some of the main areas you will need to consider - although it will vary depending on the nature of your event.
Timescale
Allow plenty of time to plan and organise the event, particularly if you are inviting outside speakers as their diaries fill up quickly. A month is probably the bare minimum - more if it’s a large event with many speakers.
Check deadlines!!
Make sure that everything is arranged in plenty of time before the event, so that you’re not left with a last-minute panic the day before.
If you find yourself with only a few people signed up with only 2-3 weeks to go before your event, don’t panic. This is fairly normal - we find that most people don’t sign up to our events until a week or two beforehand.
Venue and catering
Decide on a venue for your event, bearing in mind the following factors (depending on the nature of the event, your needs will vary):
Location - is it easily accessible for your intended audience?
Size - ideally you want a venue that will fit everyone in, but not so big that you have lots of empty space
Cost - can you afford it? If your event has a charitable cause attached to it, please remember that some venues offer a discount for charities and not-for-profit organisations, so it’s worth asking
Availability - many popular venues book up months (even years) in advance, so you may need to hunt around
Facilities -do they provide catering? Do they have disabled access? Event equipment (e.g. data projector)?
Cancellation policy - if you have to cancel your event for any reason, you should check whether you’ll lose any money
Once you’ve booked your venue, check when it needs to be paid for - then make sure it’s paid on time!
Decide what catering you need for your event (this may be dependent on your budget).
People tend to be happy if they’re well fed and watered - so make sure there’s enough food and drink for everyone, as this is one of things they’re sure to remember about your event!
If you’re using an outside catering company, check if they have a delivery charge, as this can add to your costs.
Ask your attendees if they have any special dietary requirements and, where possible, try to meet their requirements. As vegetarianism is fairly common now, make sure there’s enough vegetarian food (as a rough guide, order half veggie, half non-veggie).
Check the deadline for ordering catering - and again, make sure it’s paid on time!
Speakers
Once you’ve decided who you would like to speak at your event, invite them. Initially, this can be a phone call to check their availability, but this should be followed up with an email/letter outlining:
1.What the event is about and when it is
2.What you want them to speak about, including a list of bullet points of issues you want them to cover
3.What time you would like them to speak (this is particularly important if it’s an all day event, as they may not be able to commit to a whole day)
4.Who else is speaking at the event
5.The intended audience for the event
6.The venue (if this has already been confirmed)
Keep your speakers up-to-date with any changes to the event, and email them a full outline/agenda for the event once it is confirmed. You may also want to send them copies of any promotional material you produce. I like to meet my key speakers a week or so before the event to tie up any loose ends.
For seminars/conferences in which your speakers are giving formal presentations, it is useful to prepare handouts for the delegates of all the presentations, as well as speaker biographies. Therefore, you will need this information beforehand from your speakers. Tell them that you need their presentation and biography at least a couple of days before the event - although you may find that you don’t receive it until the day of the event! If this is the case, ask them to bring copies with them.
It’s also useful to have the presentation beforehand so that you can load it onto the computer you’re using, to avoid any last minute IT hitches. It also helps to prevent any surprises in the presentations!
Complying with legislation:
Public liability insurance is required
Public entertainment licence/gaming licence may be required for fundraising events - check with your local authority about their requirements for public events
Risk assessment - guides are available from the Health and Safety Executive website
www.hse.gov.uk/pubns
Invitations and promotion:
Once you’ve decided who you want to come to your event - what type of people - you need to work out the best way to get them to come to your event.
Think about your event and the people that you want to attend - what is so special about it? Why should people come to your event and not someone else’s? What will they get out of attending your event? List at least three reasons - these are your unique selling points (USPs) and should form the basis of any promotional material that you create for your event.
If you have a mailing list for your target audience, send quality personalised invites to them. Be sure to include details of how to book a place or where to get further information. The invites can be sent by email or letter. Both have their pros and cons and which method you choose depends on your resources.
If your organisation has a website, list the event on it. If other organisations working in the same field have event diaries on their website, ask them to list it on there.
Find out if there is an e-news that is sent to people in your target audience. If so, see if you can get the event listed in it. This is a particularly good way to promote your event, as the recipients will have chosen to receive the e-news and are therefore interested in the field.
If you plan your event far enough in advance, you can also have it listed in the events page of magazines and newsletters. Again, check what your target audience reads - and don’t forget to check the deadline!
Depending on your budget, you can also get flyers printed for the event. It’s worth making sure that these are printed to a high quality, as this will make your organisation appear much more professional - which is particularly important if you’re trying to attract a professional audience! Again, check schedules with printers before committing yourself - there’s nothing worse than having a box full of flyers and no time to distribute them before the event.
If you do get flyers printed, plan where you’re going to distribute them and the resources involved.
You may want to invite the press, particularly if it’s an outdoor/family event. Write a press release regarding the event or get someone like the Press Release Writing Service to write and distribute one (www.pressreleasewritingservice.co.uk). It’s usually best to invite your local press rather than a national newspaper or magazine - people are more likely to read their local newspaper cover to cover than any other! Also, if one of the aims of your event is to raise the profile of your organisation, or get more local people involved, then some local press coverage is a great (free!) way to do this. If in doubt, use a local marketing and PR company.
Once people have signed up to the event, confirm their booking - either by email, phone or letter. Ask them where they heard of the event, so you can evaluate what promotion methods work best.
3. The day before and on the day
Hopefully everything should have run smoothly up until now, and there are no last minute panics
The day before
If appropriate to the event, compile a list of all the attendees and make name badges (don’t forget the speakers!)
If appropriate, create and compile delegate packs. What you include is up to you and depends on the nature of your event, but it could include an agenda, copies of the presentations, speaker biographies, delegate lists, feedback forms, promotional material about your organisation, upcoming events and details of further suggested reading.
Decide who is going to do what during the day, and make sure everyone knows what their role is, where they need to be and at what time.
Create a checklist of everything that you need to take to the event. Starting collecting it all together in one pile, and tick things off the list once they’ve been added to the pile.
Decide who is going to be responsible for taking the materials to the venue, and who is going to take it back.
Book a taxi to take you to venue in plenty of time to set up before the event starts.
On the day:
All the logistics of the event have been pre-organised so you need to stick to that but obviously prepare for the unexpected (rain, delayed trains, speakers not turning up etc)
Appoint a chair, if appropriate, to start the event (maybe the lead person who would know the speakers and audience). This can include:
welcome attendees and inform them of what will take place throughout the event:
the purpose/objectives of the event
introduce the speakers and the presentations
when Q&A session will take place
when breaks and refreshments will be provided
remind attendees to complete their feedback forms and return along with their name badges
provide practical information (facilities, cloakrooms, fire exit and assembly point)
Make people feel welcome and remember to smile! - if problems arise remember we are all humans.
To collect data about attendees (and to know who didn’t attend) have a spare person available to register people - even if that is just collecting peoples’ business cards.
Follow up and evaluation:
Evaluation and follow up after the event is equally as important as the planning and organisation, and shouldn’t be forgotten.
Thank the speakers (and volunteers) for their time - by email, phone or letter
Provide general feedback on the event to your staff and remember to let them know if they have done a good job
If possible (or appropriate) email the attendees - ask if they need further information, invite them for further dialogue or to sign up to mailing lists for future events
Keep track of the feedback and importantly evaluate - revisit every 6 month
List and take in what worked and what didn’t
Make notes of feedback suggested by attendees
Nothing is ever right first time, so it’s important that you take note of what didn’t work so well and make improvements in the future!
Well, I have my event to start planning so here goes…
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John Hicks is a Marketing and Press & Public Relations Consultant supporting small to medium sized businesses in the UK. |
Tags: business events, organising events, marketing and pr, public relations, headline promotions