| The Biggest Mistake in Writing News Releases |
In the last issue of his Million Dollar Publicity Strategies newsletter, my good friend Paul Hartunian wrote about a press release he received. Here is the lesson he teaches. It is something many of you need to read more than once. I know, because I still see so many of you making this same mistake over and over again.
Did you understand his message? It's really very simple: No one cares about your book, your publishing company, or you. What they want to know is very simple: What's in it for me? Even those of us who are unselfish, caring, and giving people -- even we still want to know what benefits you have to offer to us. You can tell me everything you can think of about your product, but if you never tell me how I can use it to make my life better, or save money, or lose weight, or take better care of my family, well, then your product means nothing to me. I don't need it. I don't want it. I couldn't care less. The sad thing is that your book might be just what I'm looking for, something I really need, but if your news release is focused solely on the book, I will never hear about it. Make me care. Tell me why I should be interested. Move me to act. Break my heart. And heal it again. |
posted by John Kremer @
12:45 PM
4 comments |
John Kremer's Ten Million Eyeballs Internet Marketing Event
4 Comments:
Amen!
And may I add that no one cares that your new book has just been released.
In a perfect world a press release headline that says "New Book Released" would cause your press release to spontaneously combust before you sent it out sparing you all the wasted expense.
Really. Only JK Rowling could get away with a headline like that.
Amen!
And may I add that no one cares that your new book has just been released.
In a perfect world a press release headline that says "New Book Released" would cause your press release to spontaneously combust before you sent it out sparing you all the wasted expense.
Really. Only JK Rowling could get away with a headline like that.
I had the poor luck to have my desk situated near the fax machine in a large newsroom for a few years. I got to weed through the press releases. I knew in about 10 words if it was going to make the "read" pile, or be rolled into a ball and used for garbage can basketball. The funniest thing I see online are supposed experts who give people advice that will pretty much guarantee their releases are never read, much less used. If you want to know what works, ask someone who actually uses and discards releases on a daily basis. There are no other experts. They're the ones making the calls.
I had the poor luck to have my desk situated near the fax machine in a large newsroom for a few years. I got to weed through the press releases. I knew in about 10 words if it was going to make the "read" pile, or be rolled into a ball and used for garbage can basketball. The funniest thing I see online are supposed experts who give people advice that will pretty much guarantee their releases are never read, much less used. If you want to know what works, ask someone who actually uses and discards releases on a daily basis. There are no other experts. They're the ones making the calls.
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