The Power Of Publicity

The following are some key points to note for anyone considering using publicity.

• Seventy per cent of publicity is placed. Many publications rely on contributed articles.

• Uptake of a story depends on space demands, what else is happening and how interesting and well written your story is. Only the latter is in your control.

• Stories can be written for a blanket release or exclusively for one publication. Each has its merits.

• Thirty per cent of stories are wrong! Why? Because editors are deluged with media releases, journalists are driven by deadlines and time is short. Errors are sometimes inevitable. These can seem worse to you than they actually are.

• The best way to safeguard against errors is to write in good journalistic style - and in the style of the medium you are targeting.

• Frequency is one of the keys to publicity: the effectiveness of publicity needs to be measured over time, not on the success or otherwise of one release.

• Publicity starts with a story idea. Have a brainstorm session to identify possible stories. They can be right under your nose.

• Research the story and think about the angle before you write it. Be clear in your own mind what the angle is.

• Start with the strongest angle or hook. Make sure it's included in the introduction. And write an eye-catching heading.

• When writing for the media remember less is more. It was Mark Twain who said: "I would have written a shorter letter but I didn't have the time."

• Distribute the story to the media - in person if practicable. Start developing a personal rapport with the editors.

• Follow up by phoning editors of the key publications to "sell in" the story. This can increase the uptake by 50 per cent.