As we mentioned in seminar 3, publicity is the most cost effective means of generating awareness. The goal of publicity is to get attention in online and traditional media (appearing in print by this "unpaid" manner is sometimes known as "free coverage"). The broader term of public relations is the process of molding public opinion through a variety of methods ranging from events, public speaking, and newsletters to the media and Internet communications channels we associate with publicity.
The most common method of getting media attention is through a press release. You need to write a press release, identify a distribution method, and have a list of contacts you want to work with to make sure your press release gets the attention it deserves. With your targeted media list, you need to approach this people directly and use a pitch letter to make the "story opportunity" crystal clear.
Remember as well that the most important side effects of good and frequent press release distribution is search engine optimization and increased website traffic.
Here are some valuable links that will help you with this process:
Publicity Do's and Don'ts
Useful overview of the process
How to write a press release.
How to write with template and sample
Here is an annotated example
Best practices for quotes in a press release
Creating a pitch letter:
from the Publicity Insider
from Inc magazine
Here is a checklist
Developing a media list:
article from eHow
article in Inc magazine
article from Suite101
Commercial Press Release Wire Services:
Marketwire
PR Newswire
BusinessWire
PRWeb
Canada Newswire/CNW Group
Free Press Release Wire Services:
http://presszoom.com/
http://www.pitchengine.com/
http://www.pressreleasepoint.com/
http://www.prlog.org/submit-free-press-release.html
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