Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

We are looking to take our PR to a national level and have been looking at various media tools such as Burelles, Vocus, etc., for building lists, distribution and organizing contacts. What is the general feeling out there regarding these products? 

Just giving you an inside track... I used to work in radio and got hundreds of PR requests and we didn`t have the time to look at them all.  As the marketing director if it didn`t look interesting, I usually just passed it over.  Email was the worst - often it didn`t even get read.  If it was paper, it was more likely we`d look at it. But if it didn`t offer something for our listeners quickly, we`d toss it.  And we wouldn`t get too far into it.  (So offer the benefit for the listener or viewer in the first paragraph). If it was interesting the best way to get it on-air is to provide more information at a website, and make it clear where we can get that. Don`t put a homepage, but a page with more information specific to what you`re publishing (e.g. domain.com/nov12pressrelease.html) -- but don`t include everything in the press release.  A four page paper will get tossed fast.  Then also a contact, and phone number - and a promise to offer an interview or more information (or photos or whatever... all of which should be on the web page too).  If you`ve done interviews before, mention that.  On radio our hosts always love an interview (it makes their job easier, and the station sounds better) ESPECIALLY if they can interview someone who already has experience because they know it`ll be smooth.

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Hi Green Ideas,

Jeff has some excellent points here. And as far as the media lists go, I`ve used many of them that are out there, and I`ve always had the most luck conducting my own research and creating my own list.

This way, you will have a better understanding of what a media member talks about and what he or she is looking for...and then you`ll be able to give a targeted pitch specifically to that person. And this method always works better than sending a press release out to a massive, general list of people.

Just a thought...

Thanks,

Melanie

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Melanie Rembrandt
CEO, Rembrandt Communications®, LLC
Visit www.rembrandtwrites.com for valuable PR tips and SEO copywriting help!
Twitter: @RembrandtWrites

If you`re going to pay for media contacts, know exactly what kind of journalists  you want to reach.   Be careful about buying a huge comprehensive list of 10,000 contacts, etc.  You`ll end up mostly paying for  info on journalists who have no interest in what you are trying to promote.

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Author of "You Can Be Famous! Insider Secrets to Getting Free Publicity."

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