Creating
News - Where None Existed
By Diane Hughes
(
The following article was excerpted
from
InternetGuide.com )
The
hard, cold truth of the matter is that you cannot write a press release about
any aspect of your business and have it end up on the home page of the Fortune
Small Business Web site. So what do you do if you need publicity but have
nothing newsworthy to share?
Offer
a Donation to a Worthy Cause
One
woman (a business coach) gave two scholarships to a local community college that
catered to the underprivileged. She included two months of free
business-building coaching services for qualified applicants at the school. She
received a lot of free promotion and boosted her image as a community leader,
too.
Relate
Your Product or Service to a Local or National News Event
Take,
for example, two of the troubling problems the media were covering before Sept.
11: the drastic upswing in unemployment (especially in high-tech fields) and the
California energy crisis. If your product or service can somehow offer a
solution (even a small one) to one of these two dilemmas, you stand a great
chance of getting some publicity.
Perhaps
you own a resumé service that has an exceptional rate of success for one reason
or another. Phrase your release so it helps solve the unemployment crisis (and
does not blatantly promote your business) and you’ll perk up some
journalists’ ears.
The
change in seasons always makes the news. In the summer, you’ll find stories on
safe vacation travel or the best airline deals. At the end of the year there is
always coverage pertaining to New Year’s
Resolutions
and how to keep them.
If your
company can offer some viable information pertaining to seasonal events, a press
release might be in order. Above all, use your imagination. Pay attention to the
newspapers, television news
Main
Page
Date Stamp 22 January 2004