Where to Send Your News Or Press Releases
Wednesday, December 21st, 2011Where to transmit your release.
The first thing I’m asked by people doing publicity for the first time is “Does your directory list e-mail addresses?” Their main interest is sending their release to as numerous places as possible at no cost. They’re then puzzled why a lot of editors become irate, accuse them of spamming and get them not to send them anything again. Use commons sense. Don’t send your announcement about a fund raising car wash for that Boy Scouts in Dublin, Ohio to some radio station in Florida. Don’t alert the editor of the plumbing trade magazine about a new restaurant opening. Don’t send an every week community newspaper anything except local news or events that will impact them directly. Don’t expect TV stations to be thinking about your new website devoted to collecting seashells. I believe you receive my point.
You cannot go wrong if you print your release and set a postage stamp on the envelope. It will also force you to target your media effectively. I am not saying E-mail is a very bad thing. A suitable story delivered to an appropriate outlet is a great thing; just make sure those two criteria happen to be met. Faxing a release towards the media is standard practice. If you want to send to all 1,500 Daily Newspapers and do not possess the five hundred plus dollars for stamps, you will want a limitless long-distance phone plan (I have seen them for as little as twenty or thirty dollars a month) and begin sending faxes. It may take several days, but won’t set you back greatly.
I’m often asked, “Does your directory list editor names or reporter names?” Aside from magazines, we do not. There is no real magic in using an individual name on the press release. Use titles instead. A release addressed to “Food Editor”, “PSA Director” or “City Desk” will surely be directed to the correct person. In general, use the following titles to deal with your releases, if you don’t know a particular organization uses a different title that will serve better:
Daily newspapers: City Editor (Unless you plan to get to the Food Editor, Business Editor, Entertainment Editor, etc.)
Weekly newspaper: Editor
Magazines: Editor or Managing Editor
R / c: News Department (or PSA Director if you’re sending a public service announcement)
Television stations: News Director
In the event you contact the media before you send your material? In the event you follow-up afterwards?
Let’s assume you’ve actually built a better mousetrap. I’d probably concentrate on the “Home and Garden” editors at all Daily newspapers, however i wouldn’t try calling all fifteen hundred of these. But if I found ten or twelve trade magazines associated with the pest management industry, I’d probably give the matter some personal attention. I would drop the managing editor a quick note stating that I’d be sending a release in the near future, or maybe have them on the phone and incredibly politely and briefly ask them if it could be alright to transmit them a story and photo of the mousetrap. I would not test to pitch the storyline at that point. Just touch base, that’s all. If you’re at a loss for words, here’s a cue card: