No great man ever complains of want of opportunity." - Ralph Waldo Emerson
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Improve Your Online Small Business Profits
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Newspapers, radio stations, TV news departments, ezines, and many web sites are constantly looking for news and information their audiences can use. They're 24 hour businesses that gobble up info at an unbelievable rate. No matter how much news they have, they always need more.
Get your information in the hands of an info-hungry editor and you can expect to see your name and message in front of thousands of potential prospects -- all for free.
But getting no-cost publicity can be tricky. Newspapers and
broadcast stations get bag loads of press releases every day. Most are poorly written, boring, and little more than commercials for the companies they come from (to which most editors reply "Why don't you just pay for an ad!")
It helps if you can have some new tricks in your PR bag to get media attention and get your information used.
A while back I was on a radio DJ discussion group when
one guy suggested people send a letter rather than a press
release.
This makes a lot of sense as I used to use this method with
great success. Here's how it works:
Rather than sending a press release, media editors find it
refreshing when you simply send a letter that gives them an
idea for an article, program, or report.
Have your letter introduce yourself and tell why you are
qualified to provide the information. Then get directly to
the juicy part. Tell the editor the information that will
REALLY interest their readers.
Editors jump for story ideas that relate to things in the news or help readers with a common problem.
Follow that with some interesting or helpful details the
editor can use to fill the article out. Finally, provide your contact information so the editor can reach you for answers to her questions.
Watch the headlines for any major story that relates to your area of expertise. If you're a CPA, watch for a corporate financial scandal to hit the front page. If you're a teacher, look for education to be in the news. When media cover a big story, they look for local experts who can provide explanations for their audience.
These days reporters and writers prefer to get their questions answered via email. Answer their email query with lots of details just as fast as you can. Most writers are on a very tight deadline and use the information that comes in first.
It's very easy to get contact information for media. Look in the Yellow Pages or do a quick search on Google or Yahoo. Almost all media have a web site featuring the names of reporters and their departments along with current contact info.
Once you get your information used by media, don't stop. Wait a few months, then offer more information. Patiently work to become a trusted source of know-how on your subject. You'll find editors come back to you again and again when they need information about your topic.
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Have you heard the latest buzz about Ezine Articles?
Experts say they are THE best way to promote a small
business online. If you don't write, no problem. Kevin will write your article for you and distribute it to 20,000 ezines for $245. See http://DrNunley.com/copy.htm Reach Kevin at kevin@drnunley.com
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