Press Release Tutorial Part 2 - Email Distribution
Guidelines
You’ve followed the guidelines on how to write, format and design your
press release. Now, you have to decide who to send it to, the best
delivery format, and should you include attachments?
Public Relations Templates
Press Release Tools and Templates
1
Public Relations Templates
2.Press
Release Email Distribution
3.Press
Release Analytics
Here’s a run-down of what you need to consider:
Contacting Journalists
Send your release only to those that are
interested in your subject matter. Forget those who are outside of your
field.
Don’t waste their and your time. To do this, look through the
publications you want it to be published in, for example, IT magazines
or gadget websites. Most publish their email address.
Develop a targeted media list
I have an excel spreadsheet where I have
the name of journalists, their position (e.g. tech editor), email address
and phone number.
If you can’t find their contact details, call the
publication and ask for them. It’s important to get their direct email
addresses otherwise the press release goes to a general email address.
Email the press release in advance of calling. Send the information
before calling, so when you do call the journalists know what you are
talking about.
Delivery format
Find out the best way to contact the journalists.
They
may have a preference for snail mail, email, or fax? Some may not have
email access.
Subject heading
Make the subject heading: Press Release – and title of the press
release.
Learn to wait
Wait 2 days and then call the journalists.
Don’t ask them if they are going to publish it. Just confirm if they
received it and if they would like further information or images.
Be prepared
Be prepared to answer their questions.
“No I didn’t get the release”. Journalists get hundreds of releases a
day. If they haven’t got it, resend it to them. Confirm you have their
correct email address.
No
Attachments
Don't include attachments with email releases. It’s not
the done thing. Add links to where they can download high-resolution
images.
Deadlines
Get a list of the editor’s deadlines and work towards those.
Publish on your Website
Put the press release on your own website
before you send it out.
If you don’t make the effort to publish it on your site, why should they
write about it on their site?
Recommendations
Press Release Templates
Built in MS Word for easy editing and customization, this template helps
you design a press relations program to create company awareness in the
media, the general populace, and business communities. A well-designed
Public Relations Strategy targets the right publications, delivers the
right message, and schedules releases that reinforce other elements in
your marketing mix.
More tips at
Go To Market PR templates
Press Release Email Distribution
We use AWeber to send out press releases.
What’s impressive about it is
that,
even when we send our emails that go to over 1000 (opt-in)
customers, it doesn’t get caught in their company’s spam filters.
Learn more at
http://www.aweber.com
Press Release Analytics
Get Response are excellent,
especially now that it partners with Google.
Its tools give you a complete "web-wide" picture of subscribers’ actions
within the context of your email communications. In other words, it
tracks and reports on each visitor’s activity relative to specific
campaigns, as opposed to your web traffic in general.
http://www.getresponse.com/index/ivanwalsh
What do you think of these guidelines? What have I missed?
Let me know on my writing site here:
www.ivanwalsh.com
