By Paul J. Krupin www.Imediafax.com
Welcome to the world of Electronic Commerce. It's amazing but true - you can
use e-mail to get publicity with the media. Articles can enhance your
visibility, name recognition, reputation as an expert, and position in your
industry. But there are some tricks of the trade that are developing in this
really new marketing technique. E-Mail PR is not hard to learn, and the
benefits are substantial.
The Golden Rule: Target & Personalize.
Eight years of Internet experience is there are several essential rules that
publicists must abide by in submitting e-mail to the media if they are to
avoid the wrath of the recipients and maintain their credibility and reputation as a credible PR practitioner. Here's "10 Commandments for Sending E-Mail to The
Media":
1. Think, think, think before you write. Ask yourself why you are writing, and
what are you trying to accomplish by writing. Put yourself in the position of
the person reading your message. You are a busy media professional. What would
you do upon receiving your message? Publish it or toss it?
2. Target narrowly and carefully. Go for the quality contacts and not the
quantity. Don't broadcast a query or news release or announcement to
irrelevant media. Pick out your target media carefully, based on the industry or
readership of the specific media you are targeting. Study the media your are
writing to. Write the way the editors write. Make it easy for them to use your
submittal.
3. Keep it short -- Trim your e-mail message so that it fills one to three
screens. Keep it three to four paragraphs tops. Don't try to sell the media
your product. Do try to get their interest and make a request for more
information.
4. Keep the subject and content of your message relevant to your target --
it's got to be newsworthy and timely. The subject should intrigue them enough to
read your message. Present and propose problem-solving articles which advocate
the benefits or techniques associated with a strategy, technique, product or
service. This article is an example.
5. If you are seeking publicity for a product or service, or want to get
reviews for a new book or software, use a two step approach -- query with a
hook and news angle before transmitting a news release, or an article, or
offer to send a review copy to those who request it. Offer free review copies. To avoid angry replies and complaints about unsolicited e-mail send a very brief
e-mail requesting their permission to send them a release before actually
doing so.
6. Tailor the submittal to the media editorial style or content. Go to a
library, read it on-line, or write and ask for a free media kit and a sample
copy of the magazine or journal. Study the style and content of the media.
Then write the way they like it. Seek to develop a longer term relationship as a
regular contributor.
7. Address each e-mail message separately to an individual media target. Take
your time and personalize each e-mail. Don't ever send to multiple addresses.
It's the easiest way to get deleted without being read.
8. Reread, reread, and reread and re-write, re-write, re-write before you
click to send.
9. Be brutally honest with yourself, and with your media contacts. Don't make
claims about your product or service you can't prove.
10. Follow-up in a timely manner, with precision writing and professionalism.
Remember, there are real people at the receiving end. Your success with the
media depends on your respecting the media and being courteous, plus your
credibility, reputation and performance.
Good luck and prosper. It is not hard to garner news coverage if you take your
time and do a careful job. The benefits can be phenomenal. E-mail is a good
way to make the most of limited funds. You can work locally, regionally, or
nationally and all you need is a computer with an Internet connection and
e-mail.
You can and should use e-mail to get news coverage for your business, but you
shouldn't rely on e-mail alone. When used together with conventional PR (mail,
paper, phone and fax), you get the maximum effect. Cultivate relationships
with media by becoming known as a valuable contributor. If you give them what their readers want, they give you free publicity.
Paul J. Krupin operates IMEDIAFAX (The Internet to Media Fax Service)
at www.imediafax.com
Imediafax transmits news releases via fax or e-mail to custom targeted media lists. Prices start at 25 cents per fax page, 15 cents per e-mail. Quantity discounts available.
