Press Release or article?

[gajarvis]

What do you consider to be an effective way to get in the media? Press releases still have a place, and they are but one method. As an editor, and as well as someone who writes articles, whitepapers and other types of copy for PR, the most effective copy in my opinion is in a format that is informative, readable, topical, subtle and it does not attempt to blatantly sell in an in your face fashion (but it should demonstrate knowledge and expertise rather than to shout how great you are). This can attract potential customers, and help to retain existing ones.

Other methods and channels should also be used too. FeaturesExec, a media contacts and forward planning database to which I am subscribed, or Media-Disk, are also very useful tools for keeping in touch with the media's forward features, and then you can match them with your clients' own requirements.

In multi-channel world though you need to consider a variety of options. What do you think?

I have been referred to UK Business Forums by Michael Jackson of EB Marketing.

[directmarketingadvice]

the most effective copy in my opinion is in a format that is informative, readable, topical, subtle and it does not attempt to blatantly sell in an in your face fashion (but it should demonstrate knowledge and expertise rather than to shout how great you are).

I'm curious, how does this differ from an effective press release?

Steve

[gajarvis]

the most effective copy in my opinion is in a format that is informative, readable, topical, subtle and it does not attempt to blatantly sell in an in your face fashion (but it should demonstrate knowledge and expertise rather than to shout how great you are).

I'm curious, how does this differ from an effective press release?

Steve

It differs in style and tone, and most press releases are very one-sided.

[daveashton]

Articles generate links ( and SPAM email ahhhhhhh)
Press releases (done well) get good news stories.

Online and offline are both important in this new world of marketing so we need to do both.

[WakingDragon]

hey graham - what is this featuresexec thing and who supplies it? We do our own in-house PR - sorry :oops: - but features lists are always useful. More so now we are crossing out of our original clearly defined market into a broader one.

[gajarvis]

Articles generate links ( and SPAM email ahhhhhhh)
Press releases (done well) get good news stories.

Online and offline are both important in this new world of marketing so we need to do both.

The suggestion that articles generate spam is very myopic, particularly the suggestion that they can't generate good news stories, which is nonsense. Both press releases and articles of any shape or form have a place, but if you write a topical article it is more likely to be lifted off the page and published as it was written.

On the other hand most press releases are useless, one-sided and they can be quite boring. Even here journalism skills can play a major role in ensuring that at least some soundbites are published.

[gajarvis]

hey graham - what is this featuresexec thing and who supplies it? We do our own in-house PR - sorry :oops: - but features lists are always useful. More so now we are crossing out of our original clearly defined market into a broader one.

Daryl Wilcox Publishing.

[WakingDragon]

thanks

[10 Yetis]

Well, I am a bit confused?

You are an editor, you know how its work better than us :D

My two penneth;

I would never send a readily prepared article to any form of media unless explicitly asked to do so by the ed or journo in question. All the media I know would kick my ass bad, real bad.

I would suggest they may even laugh and never take our work seriously again if I even tried to send a pre-written article.

Just in my opinion, it is best to stick to the traditional route of sending the release and then following up i.e.

I would always start by sending the initial release and then suggest to the journo i followed it up with that if they wanted us to prepare an article around the clients offering then we could do so.

I would say that sometimes a journo sees something you have done and takes it forward as an article in its own right, for example (cheap plug I know but... hey!) two of the newsletters we have on the 10 Yetis site have been picked up by national business mags and one by a regional business mag.

BTW, Walking Dragon, Features Exec is another Forward Features and journo db site.

Just my opinion.

[gajarvis]

Well, I am a bit confused?

You are an editor, you know how its work better than us :D

My two penneth;

I would never send a readily prepared article to any form of media unless explicitly asked to do so by the ed or journo in question. All the media I know would kick my ass bad, real bad.

I would suggest they may even laugh and never take our work seriously again if I even tried to send a pre-written article.

Just in my opinion, it is best to stick to the traditional route of sending the release and then following up i.e.

I would always start by sending the initial release and then suggest to the journo i followed it up with that if they wanted us to prepare an article around the clients offering then we could do so.

I would say that sometimes a journo sees something you have done and takes it forward as an article in its own right, for example (cheap plug I know but... hey!) two of the newsletters we have on the 10 Yetis site have been picked up by national business mags and one by a regional business mag.

BTW, Walking Dragon, Features Exec is another Forward Features and journo db site.

Just my opinion.

If the editors don't want speculative pre-written articles, then of course ask them first. However, it does and can work. Press releases, articles, whitepapers, etc. are only some of the tools you can use and they can serve different purposes. To a degree your approach and the success of it will depend on the editorial policy of the media outlet you target: some like to receive speculative copy, some don't because they prefer to write it themselves. In some cases the journalists would prefer to interview your client rather than receive something in writing.

Follow-ups, like with sales, are therefore good practice whether you send a press release or an article.

[WakingDragon]

When we do our releases they are usually written in the format of an article. I though that was the basic idea - saves the ed some time. We call it a press release obviously.

[gajarvis]

When we do our releases they are usually written in the format of an article. I though that was the basic idea - saves the ed some time. We call it a press release obviously.

We could be playing with semantics here! Most articles are more than one dimensional, press releases aren't. However, anything that is sent to the press could be defined as a 'release'. As an editor I have received copy that on the face of it appears like an article, but on further inspection it reads like a sales document or, if you like, a press release.

[10 Yetis]

Sorry, I have missed something here... which editor are you the magazine of :) (you get the drift?).

I may have misunderstood what you were saying, of course i agree that White Papers, Press Release, Media Facts Sheets and Client Biog's etc etc are all much of a muchness when sent to the media... and can be sent cold.
But if I understand correctly, you originally asked what we thought about reading a FF list and then sending a suggested pre-written article for the feature, cold, with no pre-discussion with the journo?

I am glad this works well for you as an editor of a magazine, but I would say that you are a (welcome) rarity for a journo. In my experience I have never had success from going down the route of reading a FF list and then sending in an article around this theme.

I have found the best route is to read the FF list, chat through the options with the feature writer to see where they can factor in comments from a client or in best case scenario, have the client credited for the article (which we of course write on their behalf).

If you are saying that you accept fully written articles out of the blue for your magazine, (a) please encourage more journo's to do this :D and (b) send me your email address!

Am I making sense or just waffling like an old goat? I am guessing the latter.

[ebonybailey]

why dont yu agree to disagree. I dont remember people getting such a hard time when they join ukbf.
Graham is a very highly skilled Journalist / Editor I am sure he knows what he his doing and why.

Michael

[10 Yetis]

ah man!!!! I am not disagreeing.

I thought we were having a discussion on the different routes to getting media exposure.

Obviously sorry if i caused any offence, it certainly was not intended and I was in fact trying to get across that if there is a switch to doing this then that is fantastic.

[WakingDragon]

I agree with Graham on this (but that is only my experience). What we typically do is store up any ideas for innovative, topical or interesting products/services and keep them noted - sort of topline R&D. Then we look for the nexus of those ideas and a topical issue relevant to our audience.

At the point where we can deliver benefits and the subject is of interest to the audience we then try to prepare a well researched article on the subject. What we find is that, as long as you have something "newsworthy" to say (e.g. some research you have done, or response to controvertial legislation), and the document is balanced and intelligent, then it will be well received.

The sales pitch is always implicit. Usually effective PR is best matched with a piece of advertising next to it so you can do the blatant sales through that.

I have never had a problem just sending stuff through on spec, but I do make a point of reading the last couple of issues of the publication to get an idea of their style and areas of interest.

That's just my experience though and I am not a PR pro, but any hints are always welcome ;)

[ebonybailey]

andy

i know ur a good guy. but look at it from a new comers point of view. I'm sure graham knows its just a heated debate, seemed strong though, we are not in the business of scaring people off.
no harm done

[10 Yetis]

i have sent a grovelling apology via PM pointing out the error of my ways and as i said to him...

Part of it was from a learning curve point of view, in that if I learn from the discussion that this approach works then I will use it to help my own clients out.

Nuff said, I will scuttle off.

[ebonybailey]

now u have made me feel bad. Sorry

[Amber]

If you are saying that you accept fully written articles out of the blue for your magazine, (a) please encourage more journo's to do this :D and (b) send me your email address!



Me too, please :)

For what it's worth, I've never sent pre-written articles to magazines on spec either. I've always pitched the idea to an editor first, and then written the article once commissioned to do so. But if there is a move for editors to start accepting articles on spec, then it's certainly a very welcome one.

[LindseyMHC]

If you are saying that you accept fully written articles out of the blue for your magazine, (a) please encourage more journo's to do this :D and (b) send me your email address!



Me too, please :)

For what it's worth, I've never sent pre-written articles to magazines on spec either. I've always pitched the idea to an editor first, and then written the article once commissioned to do so. But if there is a move for editors to start accepting articles on spec, then it's certainly a very welcome one.

Andy & Amber ... you must be reading my mind!

Lindsey.

[lightload]

if you are going to send a press release out, you will need to make sure that it catches the eye of the publication. We receive hundreds each week so you need to make sure that yours stands out