Your Use of Press Releases

[Haunting Copy]

Hi, All

For those of you who may not know, I'm a copywriter. So, as press releases are a big part of my work, I'm wondering how many of you used a press release as part of your marketing scheme. Why or why not?

Your input will help me understand what you need as haunters.

Thanks!
Sarah

[Jim Warfield]

a press release= too easy.

The local newspaper reporters always get things wrong. someone writing as a person with a vested intrest in the event might get the directions, times , ex cetra correct..but then one is stealing that feeling of accomplishment from those who persevere and overcome the reporter based confusions.

[Haunting Copy]

The local newspaper reporters always get things wrong. someone writing as a person with a vested intrest in the event might get the directions, times , ex cetra correct..but then one is stealing that feeling of accomplishment from those who persevere and overcome the reporter based confusions.

Jim, can you elaborate for me? I'm not sure I understand. Thanks!

Sarah

[Haunting Copy]

By the way, if there are some who don't know what a press release is, or what it does, please feel free to write me. I'll be happy to explain.

Sarah

[Greg Chrise]

can you elaborate for me? I'm not sure I understand

"The local newspaper reporters always get things wrong. someone writing as a person with a vested intrest in the event might get the directions, times , ex cetra correct.."

The mundane facts my as well be blurred, even being deamed of no importance or of any due credit, reported incorrectly. As they (a reporter) do not have any investment or stake whether accuracy may effect informing the reader/viewer/listener properly. Although they may imply attentiveness. To the reporter, usually somehow describing their experience seems to have priority. Yet accuracy or the lack of informations can alter the haunts income or overall prove to be worthless or confusing mis information to would be patrons, despite spending a great amount of time conveying such information.

"but then one is stealing that feeling of accomplishment from"

Just spouting the facts would not be neccessarily polite and seem trying to be superior or making subserviant the reporter's own ego concerning a brand new to them topic. Thus possibly creating a touchy advesarial relationship and having information intentionally sabotaged.

"those who persevere and overcome the reporter based confusions."

Making the reporter aware that you are only being overly attentive to be polite, to be spending so much time on their behalf. Having the where with all to be polite is not something an idiot or gentleman or lady does and the haunt owner should not be portrayed as some kind of idiot in the media for the reporters own entertainment, or their own perception of what their readers/viewers/listeners want.

In summation, Jim's was much shorter and easily readable/understandable to anyone who has taken an academic course in high school that included a second language or to those that have made up their own language in their spare time, because they just hated everyone on the planet and their common over stress of proper language usages as perpetrators falsely try to prove somehow they are superior. Then they wonder why everone hates them. This easily transfers the dis taste for intellectual sparing and comparisons, hence make the once judging as well hate everyone and "feel" the proper perspective they have invariably and rudely initiated.

Yet the whole subject offers some kind of paradox as the haunt is best described in fantasy or entertaining presentation rather than hard cold facts and assumptions as to why it exists as if in some documentary format.

So, I'm very curious how "copy" would somehow narrow this function down. An approach? A tallent one has exhibited? Transcribing for those thought to be illiterate? But, they aren't illiterate or un decipherable, they have infact grabbed your attention and made you spend far more time concentrating and internalizing what could be meant and ultimately you associate you own meanings anyhow but, have infact memorized any statements as intimate conversation rather than a "press release". You have had a one on one personal conversation rather than gotten a sound bite from a news conference from a press secretary or tried to make sense of 53 seperate concepts all in one sitting.

In reality the portrail of incorrect grammar and spelling, run on sentences, wrap around meaning and puns is a long held language tactic that is endearing in every day conversation as unique or could make one stop at a road side vegetable stand just to see who wrote Waler Melon instead of Watermellon. In the last case the would be patron had to stop and thought they might be observing some kind of character to be made fun of but, infact left with a bag of costly fruit instead.

What techniques of "copy" relate to these principles? Unique interaction is savored and resumes are sumarily thrown in the trash as unsolicited wastes of time.

Yeah, we know what a press release is....What are the skills? What are the advanced goals? What are the costs? What are the proven returns on investment?

Do you send severed limbs with your packet?

If this gets lost in slow 11.8 second transfer time I'm gonna be pissed.

[Haunting Copy]

Greg, I think you're reading a little too much into this, LOL.

I've come across *lots* of people who don't know what a press release is. For years, I was one of them! So, it wasn't condescending to offer further explanation.

As for the language I use, I'm sorry that you feel insulted by it.

Sarah

[Haunting Copy]

For Mike Krausert's Nightmare New England, I wrote a press release which resulted in an interview for Mike, and the following article in NewHampshire.com:


http://www.newhampshire.com/article....articleid=2414

The organization that posted the article also owns many neighborhood newspapers, one of which has a circulation of 48,000. It is conceivable that they printed the article in one of them (though I have no information on this).


The media does make mistakes, but I would argue that the benefits of an interview - where you can correct the information - easily outweighs the risk of a misprint.

Not only that, but when a press release is sent out, it goes to *hundreds* of online media outlets (if you use a service), thereby greatly reducing the effects of a misprint, should one occur.

The press release is not only extremely powerful compared to other marketing efforts because your attraction is receiving recognition from a third-party source, but it costs pennies on the dollar.


Anyhoo, my offer stands: If anyone would like to ask questions about press releases, I'll be happy to talk.

Cheers!
Sarah

[UnDeRTaKer313]

ive tried the free online press releases and dont get any traffic from them.
what site will give me the most traffic to my site if i post on them.

[Haunting Copy]

Nick, I've never worked with the free release services, but I would trust a service like that about as far as I could throw their CEO.

If you are on a tight budget, I would probably recommend a service like emailwire.com ( http://www.emailwire.com/ ).

It is still going to cost you some money, but you're going to get better results. The one I use - PRWeb - is great. Once you've sent out your release, you can watch the stats on how many times your release has been read and downloaded and other goodies.

Keep in mind that a press release has to appeal *first* to the press itself. An organization may send out release after release and see no benefit, while the next organization sends out only one release and gets all the coverage!

Many times this happens simply because one press release is "newsworthy" and the other is not. Here is a quote from a fantastic article ( http://www.ziffdavis.com/products/re...d/zone.24.html ) on press releases:

'"Vice President Editor and Chief Ziff Davis Internet Jim Louderback notes, "My daily intake of email has ballooned to more than 300, the bulk of which is comprised of press releases. Most of these are mis-directed, poorly written, meandering missives that badly need copy-editing, spell checking and a decent headline," "The best are finely targeted to my needs, have a compelling headline, and get to the point in about 10 words."'

Of course, I haven't seen your releases, Nick; for all I know, they may be perfect! But the writing *may* have contributed to the problem.

There's also another thing to consider. Because reporters and editors have hundreds of releases that they have to sift through, they come to rely on releases that come from reputable sources.

At PRWeb - again, that's the one I use - a release must be approved for newsworthiness and other factors before it can be sent out. Now, if I were a journalist/editor/reporter, I'd be *really* happy about that, and I would place my trust in the releases that came from them.

The free release services? I'd delete them as fast as my fingers could move. Media people just don't have the time to fool around.

Nick, if you would like, I'd be happy to look over your releases, if you'd like to send them to me. Shoot me a PM.

Sarah

[Haunting Copy]

Here is a link to the release I wrote for Nightmare New England:

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2008/09/prweb1348784.htm


I just checked the stats at PRWeb. It listed the terms and search engines that were most often used by Net searchers when they found NNE. That is very helpful information to anyone sending out press releases!

Sarah

[Greg Chrise]

Well, there you go. You should have just as a matter of fact offered all of these examples. These forums are all plagued with those that say they can do but never have done and one line offers do not inspire. Or perhaps some of us are more dense than Mike (Tattoo)

The forums are also plagued with people saying "I don't understand" that have made no effort to try to understand, can't or won't ever understand or are just lazy in the head. Or they do it just because they know it pisses the commenter off.

[UnDeRTaKer313]

i dont mean to be rude, but its probably better if you keep those comments to yourself. Cause that kinda stuff just gets the topic 10000% off topic and just hurts everyone. Let people be who they are. publically calling them out on it only causes problems. sorry man, just had to put this out there.
lets all try and keep these forums more positive and on track.
thanks

[UnDeRTaKer313]

as for greg, its not that i wouldnt pay for the press releases, or anything like that.
I personallay dont want to put credit card online and i dont have personal pay pal.
im looking into like a debit card, or low amount credit card to use online so that i can get into the e-commerce stuff.
thank for your help.

[Haunting Copy]

as for greg, its not that i wouldnt pay for the press releases, or anything like that.
I personallay dont want to put credit card online and i dont have personal pay pal.
im looking into like a debit card, or low amount credit card to use online so that i can get into the e-commerce stuff.
thank for your help.

Nick, I use a prepaid debit card. It keeps would-be thieves from racking up
a bill.

My only suggestion would be to look for one that doesn't gouge you with high fees. Mine is *way* too high, so I'm looking for a better one.

Sarah

[Greg Chrise]

i dont mean to be rude, but its probably better if you keep those comments to yourself. Cause that kinda stuff just gets the topic 10000% off topic and just hurts everyone. Let people be who they are. publically calling them out on it only causes problems. sorry man, just had to put this out there.
lets all try and keep these forums more positive and on track.
thanks

I don't understand what you mean by this? Can you elaborate?