How To Get Your Press Release Noticed

As a public relations practitioner at a Chicago PR agency, I have learned a few things about how to get a press release noticed; after all, Chicago has plenty of PR agencies and so just having a press release will not get you noticed by the media, you have to make it worth their time.

Pitch a story that is relevant. 
You want to pitch a story to journalists that is on topic with what is going on in the world or a certain industry. Make sure to give people a reason why your story is something that people will care about and how it will help them, this stands out.

Make the info easy to find. 
A journalist will love when you have a press release that contains the important and relevant information at the top, not at the bottom. There is a trend in the industry that has some PRPs putting bullet points in their releases, some journalists find this attractive while others do not.

It helps to put the contact information at the top of the release as well and paired with a couple sentences giving a summary of what the release is about, this is similar to a budget line. You are sure to get your release tossed by a journalist if they have to dig through your release just to figure out who you are, that is a no-no. In order to succeed at a franchise PR agency, you have to succeed at this.

Make sure, above all things, you list the Ws! Who, what, where, when, why, and how in the release. Now, not all the points will be important enough to be in the first paragraph but list them all in the release somewhere, according to importance.

Do a full subject field and headline. 
Make your subject line something creative and catchy but do not make it over-the-top or cheesy; if you try to oversell in the subject line, this will not get your release noticed. You have to have a valid subject line, do not make it misleading or you will only frustrate the recipient. Give the person a reason to care and to continue reading.

Think like the audience. 
Whoever you send the release to, you will want to think like their audience. This will help you get the attention of the recipient. If you are in franchise PR, you will realize that thinking like the audience will get you great results.

If you have any questions, then contact All Points PR - a franchise public relations agency.

PR Tips for Grand Openings

The grand opening to your business, whether it is your first location or another location, is a big deal and can be rather chaotic. You wonder if you are letting people know in the right way and if there is more you can do. There are several things you can do to help increase the promotion on your business's grand opening.

• Franchise Public Relations: having a franchise PR firm help you out will be absolutely worth the cost. Why would hiring a PR team be worth your time? Well, PR agencies have ties to the media that you might not, if you do, they might not be as good. The team can gather a story about you and write it up in a nice press release and then submit that to journalists in various areas of media: newspapers, magazines, online newspapers, radio, even television news. If you get your name out there in the media, then you will have your name be seen by thousands, perhaps even millions of people (depending on the medium and the location). The PR team can also help you with creating a promotion plan. 
• Blogging. Having a blog post or two will also help you get your promotion for your grand opening a big push. When you do a blog post, you will be able to give great detail about your business and your grand opening. This can allow for comments and discussion as well. 
• Social media: You probably expected this one because it is so easy to do. Your company likely has twitter, Facebook, and other social media (or, if it's your first location, then maybe just your personal accounts) and you just take a few seconds to push a few keys and get the message out there. 

If you have any questions or need assistance with your grand opening, contact All Points PR.