In common parlance, “press release” and “news release” mean the same thing. However, the terminology people use often betrays a fundamental difference in how they put this information together and how well it is accepted by the media.

Early in my career, I was editor of a daily newspaper and later a writer with The Wall Street Journal. One of my jobs was to screen submissions to decide which ones we would print and which ones we would throw away.

Approximately 80 – 85% of submissions failed the first screening, a life or death decision usually made within 60 seconds or less. On the other hand, the vast majority of those that survived this first screening also survived the second one and were ultimately published.

What made the difference? Basically, it was in how the author of the document viewed the material being submitted.

• Losers. Information a company or organisation wanted to see printed for its own benefit.
• Winners. Information a company or organisation wanted to see printed for its own benefit and the benefit of our readers.

In both cases, the submitter had something to gain if we published the release, i.e. positive publicity. However, in the first case, the focus was on only how the submitter would benefit from publication. In the second, it was on both how the submitter and our readers would benefit.

A Concrete Example

If all this sounds a bit theoretical, here is an example to make it more concrete.

After leaving The Wall Street Journal, I was an account executive with a major international press relations agency. One of my subordinates presented me with a typically self-serving press release he wanted to distribute on behalf of his client.

The headline was something like: Egotistical Industries gains major new contract. The first paragraph said something like:

Tom Bighead today announced that Egotistical Industries has won a $350,000 contract to supply window sealants for the new sports centre currently under construction in Baden-Baden, Germany. Egotistical Industries was founded in 1989 by Mr. Bighead and his brother George, and is now considered to be the leading company in its field. Last year the company’s sales were . . . .”

In the fifth paragraph, if anyone would read that far, we learned that the sealant the company would supply had the property of not freezing in cold weather, so work on the sports centre could be carried out in December, rather than waiting for warmer weather in March or April.

This of course was the true story. If you are a reader of a professional construction magazine, you couldn’t care less that Egotistical Industries has a new contract. By contrast, you could be vitally interested in knowing that you could possibly gain three months on your construction schedule by using Egotistical’s product.

More importantly, editors of professional construction magazines would view the release this way.

Remember: Editors are vitally concerned about what their readers want to read, because if they lose readership, they lose their jobs. The real target of your release must be the editors. They are the gatekeepers. If they value the release, it gets published; if they don’t, it doesn’t.

We therefore rewrote the information into a news release with the headline: Windows in Baden-Baden Sports Centre will be sealed in the dead of winter, saving the contractor approximately $30,000 in labour costs. The first paragraph, and as many additional paragraphs as necessary, elaborated on this very attractive theme. The background information about the company came at the end of the release where it justifiably belonged.

The Short Road to Nowhere

Here’s another example. As a marketing communication consultant, I was asked by a client to write a release announcing an important new service. I was told to limit the release to 400 words. “Why 400 words?” I asked. “Well, it’s our policy to keep our releases short. Journalists like that.”

The problem was, I couldn’t find a way of saying everything that needed to be said in only 400 words. The client was insistent. I finally produced something at 400 words which the client felt was exactly what was wanted. But when the release was issued, no one published it.

The client called a few newspapers and magazines to find out why. The answer was, they just didn’t see anything that would be of interest to their readers. I then called a couple of these newspapers and magazines and asked, “Do you think you readers would be interested in X.” “Yes, why didn’t you put that in the release?”

Well, I had. But under the stricture of the 400-word limit, it had become so severely condensed as to be cryptic. It was there—if you knew what to look for. The function of an effective release is to give information, not challenge journalists to find it.

I rewrote the release. This time it came out to 650 words and was widely published. Why? Because it had been transformed from a press release, i.e. what the client wanted to say, into a news release—what journalists believed their readers wanted and needed to know.

Each time you start tapping at the keyboard, keep uppermost in mind the aspects that make a release a “news release”.

• First, a release gets published only if editors feel that it offers something their readers want and need to know. So make certain that it does.
• Second, there is no “correct” length for a news release. To paraphrase a sexist joke (I apologise, but it is just too pertinent), a news release should be like a miniskirt: short enough to be interesting, and long enough to cover the subject.

By Philip Yaffe

1) Identify trends in your industry – use your organization/product/issue as an example of a trend — and pitch them as story ideas to the magazines, newsletters and Web sites your customers and prospects read.

2) A milestone: does your organization have an accomplishment or anniversary to brag about that is of public interest – a new product, service, partnership, event, contract win or hire? Find a news hook for it. Here, for example, are some commemorations that might be good news hooks for your products or services: National School Success Month, National Preparedness Month, Self Improvement Month, and Hispanic Heritage Month.

3) Take note of a “First in a Series” article. If you and your company would fit into the series as good sources, contact the reporter with reasons you might be included in the next article in the series.

4) Commission a study or survey, the results of which need to appeal to news outlets you most want to reach. Co-sponsor the survey with a well-known industry organization to boost visibility. Online companies let you create, send, and analyze surveys via the Web at very small cost. For inexpensive online polling, try www.surveymonkey.com, www.questionpro.com, www.constantcontact.com, www.freeonlinesurveys.com, http://info.zoomerang.com, or www.vovici.com.

5) Spotlight newsworthy people in your organization. For example, if a staffer is a gifted writer, musician or athlete, pitch the story to the appropriate editors of the newspaper. That way you’ll also have a chance of getting your organization mentioned in the Arts, Sports and Local sections as well as Business.

6) Write a column yourself. Somewhere in your organization is a white paper or speech that you can cut to 800 words and submit as an Op-Ed or “expert” column to a trade publication or local business journal. Buy reprints and add them to your sales and marketing materials.

7) Send news releases. They do work if concise, newsworthy, and timely. Keep out the fluff and spin. Put the real news in the headline and first paragraph. Before you send a release, put yourself in a reporter’s place. “Could I write a story using this information?” A regular “drumbeat” of releases (one or two a month) keeps your visibility high and helps keep you current when reporters do Internet searches to look for information. About 400-500 words is the optimum length.

By Robert Deigh
www.rdccommunication.com

Effective messaging provides you and your team with a PR “codebook” to communicate with all audiences: customers, potential customers, the press, investors, partners and employees. It provides a shortcut for all of your public relations: creating speeches, marketing materials, web site text, news releases and language for proposals, contracts and other official communication. Your team will find it indispensable.

It need not be complex — 2-3 pages is standard. It includes:

1) The ID graph. This is a single paragraph, the “boilerplate,” that describes your organization. Like all of the other messages below, it should answer the question “What Can You Do For Me?” It is often used at the bottom of press releases under “About XYZCo.”

2) The Elevator Speech. Keep it to 3-4 floors! Practice a 15- second pitch on how you and your organization can help your “elevator-mate’s” organization succeed. What they want to know is “What can you do for me?” good conversation starter at networking events.

3) Must Say Messages. These are the four or five most important messages everyone in your organization MUST know by heart. They should be in ALL communication. When you do a press interview, for example, you should weave them into your answers — regardless of the questions.

4) Main Messages. These comprise a couple pages worth of accurate details about your organization/services/products/industry that everyone on your team can cut and paste into proposals, presentations, articles, letters, Op-Eds, factsheets, marketing and sales materials.

Once your messages document it is finalized, you, as CEO, or another senior executive, should present it to the company at an all-hands meeting to underscore its importance.

By Robert Deigh
www.rdccommunication.com

Champions may have no vested interest in your success except that they are happy with the service you provide, they like you and your team personally, they admire your drive, want to help you push ahead of the competition and would be very proud to look back one day and know that they helped an industry powerhouse when it was just a few people in a little rented office.

Champions can include:

• Customers
• Former customers
• Board members
• Colleagues in your trade association
• Colleagues in your chamber of commerce
• Employees
• Former employees
• Vendors
• Partners
• Investors
• Friends
• Family members

Six benefits that champions can provide for you:

1. Provide them with your key messages and ask them to speak with the media if the occasion arises.
2. Have them write testimonials for your Web site and your marketing and sales kits (you can draft these testimonials yourself and have them modify the words according to their own style – nothing wrong with that). Make sure your collection of testimonials addresses the language in those all-important corporate messages we learned about above.
3. Draft up an article for their byline in an industry publication
4. They can call prospects and brag about how happy they are with your products and services.
5. They can serve as an advisory committee
6. They can mention your company in presentations they make to industry groups.

Seven ways to treat your champions like the royalty they are:

1. When you need a favor, don’t be afraid to ask. Champions want to contribute their expertise and skill, so let them. Most of the time you’ll need for them to do nothing more than make a phone call or two.
2. Keep them up to date on your organization. Make them feel part of the “family.” Send champions your company newsletters, press releases, press clips and other public communication.
3. Invite them to an all-staff meeting once a year – and provide lunch — to get to know your team. If they are customers, let them tell your employees firsthand how their work really makes a difference.
4. Cross promote their organizations with your own. If you have a newsletter, mention them occasionally as a company you like. Put information about them on your Web site, if appropriate.
5. Send reporters their way if they would make good sources for any appropriate stories even if the story would have nothing to do with your company.
6. Send them a small token of appreciation once in a while.
7. Invite them to industry events as your guest.

Don’t forget one of your most important audiences: employees. They are also among your most influential champions. Employees who are treated well and enjoy their work are happy to talk about it with others.

By Robert Deigh
www.rdccommunication.com

1) Get the attendees roster in advance. Decide what constitutes a qualified prospect. Make a list of all of the companies you want to communicate with and assign each person on your team a share of the targets to approach. Ask show organizers, current customers and colleagues to make introductions on the floor.

2) Cultivate press proactively: Get the press list a week in advance if possible. Choose the top 10 reporters (start with trade publications your prospects read most). If you have news – or at least a product or service that is newsworthy – call ahead and try to set up interviews. If you have a news release or a factsheet, put a stack in the press room – a fat press kit is not necessary.

3) The “Show Daily.” Most big conferences distribute a daily newspaper or newsletter to attendees. If you have news, give the information to editors at least week ahead of time so they can publish it on the day you make the announcement.

4) Make your booth project professionalism and business. Don’t fall into a comfort zone of constantly chatting with co-workers. Invite interest. Open your booth physically as much as possible; make it easy for people to walk in without feeling trapped. Once they step in, tell and show them quickly what your product or service can do for them. If you have a tangible product, get it into their hands as soon as possible.

5) Take photos. Invite notables into your booth and snap their pictures surrounded by you and your staff in logo shirts with your booth in the background. These will play well on your Web site with a descriptive caption.

6) Make follow-up with attendees a fast but formal project for the team. Use contact information while it is fresh and prospects are still interested. Prepare a short template follow-up letter in advance and have it ready to mail-merge with your list of new contacts as soon as you get back. Send follow – up letters within seven days of the event.

7) Send a follow-up email to all registered reporters – even those who did not attend the show. Call the ones you made contact with, offer additional information and ask whether they plan to write anything. Keep track of potential articles so you will see them when they are published.

If it’s the right show, your competitors will be there. Now is a good time to see them up close. It’s not spying; it’s market research! Pick up their marketing materials and listen to their pitch. Nothing wrong with that — you can be sure they’ll be doing the same at your booth.

Good luck! .

By Robert Deigh
www.rdccommunication.com

Whether it be in the form of emails, Web sites, presentations, exhibits or print materials such as marketing kits, letters, contracts, speeches, press releases, or case studies — clear, concise business writing is part of your communication mix, so make it work for you.

Here are a few steps to get your organization’s writing into shape and keep it that way.

1) Make sure you have a set of 5-6 clear messages that tell customers “Here is what we can do for you (and why).” Those will be the core of your written communications.

2) Step back and look at the big picture. Who is your audience? What actions do you want them to take? Which writing most directly touches your customers? For many companies, it’s the Web site and product/service brochures. Tackle those first.

3) Fall out of love with outdated material. Send old Web pages and soggy sales materials to the right staffers to update and get back into print. Revamping a whole Web site is daunting; not so much if each person is responsible for only 2-3 pages.

4) Tackle the easy stuff first. Translate everything from Jargon into English. You’ll be amazed at how that little act can make an enormous difference in the clarity and sparkle of your writing.

5) Get rid of clichés. Have security escort them from the building. No one on the team needs to “drill down and get more granular.” Unless your company really is an “industry leader” don’t use the term. Here are a few more phrases to avoid: (with their preferred English translations): “low-hanging fruit” (already interested in buying), “at the end of the day” (the net effect), “no brainer” (easy), “win-win” (mutually beneficial), “cutting edge” (innovative) and “talk off line” (chat in private).

6) Use newspaper style. Put the most important facts up top so readers can get the most information in the least amount of time.

7) Be concise. Cut all text in half. Do it again. Then, surgically remove redundant words like “current” services, “future” plans, “new” innovations. Make each word earn its place.

Now put it all back together. You have the right messages and call to action. You understand what gets your audience’s attention. You have prioritized your communication vehicles and updated them. Everyone on your team will notice the difference. So will your customers.

By Robert Deigh
www.rdccommunication.com

Here’s how: Put all the good stuff just a click or two away from the home page by creating an online “Newsroom.” You’ll make a good first — and lasting — impression.

Paste a “Newsroom” button onto your home page. Have it take visitors to a special page that includes contact information (nothing worse than having to search all over for a company’s address and phone number) and links to product and service brochures, bios, press releases, news clips, testimonials, speeches, event information, white papers, FAQs, newsletters and case studies. Also, make the documents downloadable as .pdf files where possible.

Too often, organizations — even large ones with plenty of resources — put off creating a central information page until “we finish redesigning the Web site.” No need to wait. Everything you need is probably already there. If, for example, product sheets and executive bios are featured somewhere on the site, just link to them from the press page. In no more than a couple of clicks, visitors should be able get to the information from the newsroom. That makes it easy and inviting. Your online newsroom may also function as a sales and marketing kit.

This is also a good place to link to video clips, blogs, podcasts, slide shows and other media that feature recent presentations, product demos and the like.

It’s very important to keep the online newsroom and its contents up to date. If the last news release you posted is dated back in 2006, for example, it gives the impression of stagnation.

Check out the Web sites of companies you like and see how they have organized their online newsrooms. Pick one example and use it as a model for yours.

By Robert Deigh
www.rdccommunication.com

Before the interview, the female host assures him that he’ll get softball questions about how he helps people as a psychiatrist. They joke around and make small talk before the show. But once the cameras are on, the interviewer fires off one blistering question after another, leaving Newhart confused, defensive, blushing and, finally, speechless.

It’s hilarious when Newhart does it. Not so funny if it happens to you. Executives who want exposure on television — but who have not had much experience in front of the camera — should first consider landing a radio interview or two as a way to hone their voices and practice answering questions effectively live on the air. Radio should be part of your public relations activities.

There are two reasons. First, of course, radio is great exposure. Nothing has diminished the impact of radio as a means of delivering message. Particularly in drive time (radiospeak for “traffic jams), you have a captive audience.

Give them a reason to listen and they’ll stick with you. Also, radio is an intimate medium that allows you to speak directly to the listener — and paint a picture in their imagination about your issue, product or service — with little distraction from visual images.

Second, it is a great way to build your media chops doing live, on-air interviews without the distractions of the television studio. They include lights, makeup, the stare of the camera, your posture and clothing, floor-manager signals and the need to appear rested and physically engaged — even if it is 8 p.m. after a 12-hour workday.

Appearance counts for too much on television if you’re not prepared. The way your clothing “reads” on camera, the size of the bags under your eyes, razor stubble, body language and the distractions of jewelry are a few pitfalls. And if you’re like me, with a great face for radio, you’ll especially welcome the opportunity to do an interview in shirtsleeves, late in the afternoon, and not worry that you look like Richard Nixon at the first televised presidential debate.

You should consider a few basic things before and during the interview:

• Listen to the interviewer’s program a few times before it’s your day in the studio. Know the host’s style — and whether it is confrontational or supportive.
• Call the interviewer to find out generally what kinds of questions you’ll get.
• Nail down your messages. Be prepared with three “must-say” messages, the things you will convey during the interview under any circumstances. Practice “bridging” to those messages.
• Arrive a few minutes early so you are not running into the studio huffing and puffing. Get comfortable in the green room, practice your messages.
• Relax. It will show in your voice at the interview.

Keep these guidelines in mind during the interview:

• Radio provides a number of natural advantages for the interviewee. One of the most important is the freedom to look at detailed notes while on the air, something that would be a no-no on TV. Nothing takes the place of preparation — knowing exactly what you want to say and having your key messages nailed down. But having notes in front of you — as long as you don’t read them verbatim — ensures that you will not forget any of your key points.
• Be interesting. Explain why what you have to say is of consequence to the listener. Use figures sparingly. Save the jargon and the reams of data for your next staff meeting.
• Remember that the silence belongs to the interviewer, who will do whatever it takes to avoid “dead air.” Listen carefully to the question, answer it succinctly and then shut up. Don’t get trapped embellishing your answer unnecessarily — or worse, boring the listeners by being windy — just because the interviewer is silent for a few beats. This is much harder to do on television. When the interviewer is not talking, the camera is on you and, unless you’re good at this stuff, you end up shifting around. Very awkward. Watch what anchors do before they go to commercial — they just look straight into the camera and wait! Do the same.
• If your schedule is tight, suggest a telephone interview. You can do a phoner from just about any quiet spot — your home, office or hotel room on the road. Forget using the cell phone. Most radio programs will not let you use them because of the invariable poor reception.

By Robert Deigh
www.rdccommunication.com

Before the Interview

• Never do an interview cold. Prepare yourself.
• Learn what you can about the publication, audience, interviewer and story. Read the reporter’s last couple of stories.
• Start with a goal. Visualize the “headline.” What would you like the story to say?
• Review your 5-6 “must-say” message points that make your case.
• Practice answers to all potential questions. Have your staff grill you. They will enjoy it. You probably won’t, but it will make your answers more potent.

During the Interview

• If it is a phone interview, remove distractions. Get into the proper mindset.
• Keep message points in front of you. Repeat your messages 2-3 times during interview to make sure they get into the story.
• Speak through the reporter to your audience (see above).
• Learn to take yes for an answer. Skilled salespeople say that once you make the sale, don’t keep selling! Same goes for interviews. Once you make your point and you are sure the reporter gets it, shut up and move on. There is a temptation to embellish your answer for a few more minutes because you know so much about the topic at hand.
• Be engaging and friendly.
• Speak slowly. Remember, the reporter has to understand you well enough to explain it to others.
• Don’t repeat a negative question; it will end up as part of your quotes in the story. Stay positive.
• Don’t criticize your competitors by name – you’re giving them free PR. If you hammer home what makes your product or service unique, your potential customers will figure out the differences for themselves.
• Never lie. Just say you can’t discuss a particular topic.
• Don’t guess. “I don’t know. I’ll get back to you on it,” is a fine answer. Say you will call back and then DO it.
• Make your points easily understood, e.g., Use clarifying statements to get a reporter’s attention to make sure he/she pays attention when you give your messages:
  • “The three most critical issues are…”
  • “There are three main points to remember here….”
  • “The most important aspect of this whole situation is….”
  • “The people who will be most affected by this are…”
  • “Let me summarize.”
• Let the reporter use a tape recorder for accuracy. You can use one too for verification. Might come in handy if there is a dispute later on a quote.
• In a confrontational interview, keep to the high road. Don’t be defensive. Avoid emotion.
• Always stay in control of an interview. Even if the reporter is rapid-firing questions at you, it is OK to think before you speak. They can’t quote you on something you didn’t say. In this day of one-minute TV stories that are considered in-depth, pausing to think before answering a difficult question can be perceived as being stymied. Still, go for substance over style.
• Never say flatly, “No comment.” It makes it appear as though you are hiding something negative. Always give a reason, even if it is non-committal, e.g., “We can’t discuss anything in litigation,” “We don’t discuss personnel matters,” “We don’t respond to rumors,” or “Once our new product is ready to announce, we will do so.”

By Robert Deigh
www.rdccommunication.com

• Drill down (look for more detail)
• Like drinking out of a firehouse (getting too much information at one time)
• A new paradigm (a new model or pattern)
• Think outside the box (try something new, a fresh approach)
• Herding cats (getting everyone to work together)
• Perpetrator (wrongdoer)
• Close the loop (inform everyone who needs to know)
• Circle back (update others on the situation)
• Conflagration (fire)
• Parameter (a standard by which something else is compared)
• Monetize (make money from)
• Like pulling teeth (difficult to obtain information from)
• Downsized, rightsized, smartsized (let go)
• Low-hanging fruit (already interested and easiest to provide/sell to)
• Granular (more detailed)
• Silver bullet (single solution)
• Fly by the seat of your pants (figure things out as they come along)
• Crossing that bridge when we come to it (figure things out as they come along)
• Burning bridges (severing ties to important contacts)
• Pushing the envelope (exceeding limits; setting a new trend)
• Nose to the grindstone (working hard and staying focused)
• Working one’s fingers to the bone (working hard)
• Dinosaur (outmoded – but keep in mind, the dinosaurs lived for 150 million years)
• Burning the midnight oil (working late)
• Reinvent the wheel (do what has already been done, made, invented)
• At the end of the day (the net effect)
• No brainer (easy)
• Call on the carpet (hold accountable)
• Hold his feet to the fire (hold accountable)
• The whole nine yards (everything)
• Jump on the bandwagon (follow the crowd; do what is popular)
• Strike while the iron is hot (act quickly while there is attention being given)
• Read between the lines (find that which is implied)
• Between a rock and a hard place (to have no good choices)
• It is a marathon, not a sprint (we need to plan for the long term)
• Dot your “i”s and cross your “t”s (finish the details of the job)
• Win-Win (mutually beneficial)
• Leading edge (innovative)
• Off line (after the meeting; in private)
• Turn-key solution (all-inclusive)
• Deliverables (materials, products, songs, umbrellas – be specific)
• Yada Yada Yada (stop it – the show was cancelled years ago)

By Robert Deigh
www.rdccommunication.com