Boost your reputation and your profits from

free advertising with press releases

Summary ...

The strategy

I don't really rely on the media coverage to generate sales.

Your follow-up advertising will build your sales.

The media builds your reputation and awareness in the community.

That makes it easier to convince people to buy your stuff later, because those people are already aware of you through the media, and trust the media's analysis of whether or not you are a good business.

Write your press release

I'm not going to go into how to write a good press release.

It's similar to writing a good sales letter.

There are plenty of books around - at your library for free, and at your bookstore.

There's also craploads of stuff about it online - just be careful you don't get sucked into signing up onto everyone else's databases in exchange for their "free report - how to write press releases that make you millions of dollars $$$"

And use the stuff you find from following the steps in the $50,000 marketing trick of the pros.

All those things will more than help you write a good press release.

Contact the media

Once you have your press release written, it's time to contact the media.

If you live in a large city with heaps of different newspapers, radio stations and TV outlets, you might want to try just faxing out your press release on its own, like I did in Townsville and Melbourne.

Or, if you live in a small place with only one newspaper, it's best to call them first and tell them about your event or product (whatever you wrote about in your press release), and get them to agree to write the article before you send it. That's what I did in Airlie Beach. I mean, if there's only one media outlet, you don't want to screw it up. So check with them first, then send it along.

How to communicate with them

When they get in touch with you for more information, be very very polite.

They love good manners.

Be the kind of person they have always wanted to meet - kind, courteous, friendly, genuine, warm, full of laughter.

They love that stuff.

Poor guys are usually stuck over a desk somewhere in a synthetic office.

Bring a bit of colour into their lives, and they'll love you for it.

Keep copies of anything they publish

Ask the dudes what date they are going to publish their stuff about you.

Buy the paper in multiple copies on that day, or record the radio all day, or record the TV all day.

Make sure you get a record of them publishing good stuff about you.

You will use that stuff later in your marketing material, and it will be priceless.

Use their recommendations

Any good stuff they say about you is basically a recommendation to their readers, listeners or viewers to try your business.

Find the best quotes amongst what they've said, and copy those into your marketing materials.

Like this for my health seminar business...

If you have newspaper articles published about you, also use them like this...

• photocopy them and include them with promotions that you mail to your database
• frame them and hang them on the wall at your business in a place where customers (particularly new or potential customers) can easily see and read them. Think about how restaurants put their newspaper reviews in their shop windows for passers-by to read.
• scan them, and put them on your website like I've done with mine on this website.

So in a nutshell, that's how I use press releases to build my database, increase my business reputation, make a few sales directly... but mostly to make sales during follow-up promotions.

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