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How to increase the chances of
getting your free space in magazines
You have to play the game, but
we’ll tell you the rules right now.
You’re probably thinking, “A
press release is a fabulous idea and all, but there’s
really no guarantee that those press releases I send out will
ever be selected for printing. Is there?”
Not really. However, there are
specific things you can do that will certainly help
your press release’s chances of being seen in print.
1. Employ the
help of professionals.
Unless you’re an expert at PR copywriting, the press
release you write may look amateurish to a news editor and
could be passed up for one that doesn’t require so much
editing. Advertising agencies understand what editors like
to see in a news announcement. An agency can also lend some
objectivity to your press release. Editors tend to disregard
announcements that brag like a proud parent or read too much
like blatant promotional copy. It’s news, remember?
2. Show as well as tell.
Editors know how important pictures are to their magazine’s
appeal, so they love press releases that include a quality
photograph. As a reader of trade publications yourself, you
know how frustrating it would be to read about a new product
and not even be able to take a look at it! With a photo, your
press release has a better-than-ever chance of getting published.
3. Know what is—and isn’t—newsworthy.
A trade publication wants to maintain its reputation for being
a helpful resource to its readers, so if your press release
doesn’t present a benefit to the magazine’s readership,
chances are your press release won’t make it into print.
An agency like Creative Partners Group can provide you with
benefits-centered copy that will keep editors—and their
readership—interested.
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Editors may judge the newsworthiness
of your press releases in direct proportion to the amount
of advertising you’re buying in their magazine.
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4. Know how
to play the game.
We’ll let you in on a little secret: Editors may judge
the newsworthiness of your press releases in direct proportion
to the amount of advertising you’re buying in their magazine.
(And you thought this country had a free press!) How do you
get around this pay-or-don’t-play attitude? First, you
should be investing in advertising anyway, so get your feet
wet with a few magazines that have a broad appeal in your
industry. Next, let your agency do its job. At Creative Partners
Group, we’ve cultivated contacts at many of the trade
publications and may often be able to negotiate a press release
into existence. Many magazines will run your press release
on the assumption that you’ll evaluate the responses
(particularly if they see you advertising with other publications)—and
if you’re happy with the way their magazine performed,
you’ll advertise with them. Good magazine ads can get
great responses for you too.
Of course, the best approach to promoting your service or
product is to make sure your name stays in front of your prospective
clients in a variety of ways. And when you stack the deck
in your favor, a solid press release program can be a vital
part of that marketing plan.
What’s the next step? Click
here to find out more.…
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