5 Ideas to Turn Your Press Release Into a Media Magnet

Here are five tips to turn your company's public relations beyond normal, everyday press release. These suggestions help provide additional entrance-ways into your firm’s online presence, and help promote the thought leadership of your company's leadership – opening up other media possibilities and a greater number of touchpoints between your organization and its customers.

Leverage Current Events
When choosing a story that already has or is gaining a high level of public awareness, find an unusual hook specific to your company or industry to get your information visibility. For example, a local health club could have connected with the Old Spice YouTube campaign with an article like “21 Tips to Be In Shape Like Old Spice Spokesperson, Isaiah Mustafa.” Ask yourself, what can our firm contribute to the discussion where we have a special perspective? Think in terms of giving advice, not promoting your product and/or services.

Use a survey
Gather publishable data that your market will find interesting. Charles Schwab’s 2010 Family & Money Survey found that twenty-somethings were more interested in financial fitness than physical fitness following the financial meltdown. Remember you’re looking for a way to get people’s attention related to a topic they’re interested in. Your offering shouldn’t be the main focus of the survey!

Extend holiday-related promotions
Develop PR campaigns around promotionally-driven events like back-to-school, Halloween and Thanksgiving. For example, you could write a press release on “5 Reasons Helping Your Child Get Organized for School Improves Grades” and link to a shopping list on your website or specific back-to-school products. Your goal is to provide useful information to customers, which also relates to your products. Alternatively, you could help create an event, like Mashable's “Social Media Day ”.

Incorporate Promos into your press releases
A great example that illustrates this point is from Southwest Airlines: it generated $1.5 million in sales from four press releases. When you use this form of promotion, think about creating special promo codes to track results. Consider that this type of promotion might go viral, so you must have sufficient product or your potential customers will feel cheated.

Spotlight your Clients and Customers
Take a page from American Express, which features customers who use their product in their Open advertising and Lion Brand Yarn, which features a customer project each month in their blog. For a press release, think about how to incorporate your product and something of benefit to prospective customers. For example, Lion Brand Yarn could provide a link to a pattern in their press release and give a discount on the materials. Remember to get permission and a release for using customers’ photographs. Many customers are thrilled to get the attention.

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