Giving reporters the followup they want

Great tip from David Meerman Scott at Web Ink Now: Reporters are going to be looking for the followup, so be ahead of the game and be prepared to give them a followup.

Meerman Scott writes,

The technique goes like this:

1) Something breaks in the news.

2) Then, everyone wants to put some context around the story. The journalists are looking in real-time to find "the second paragraph."

3) Your job is to instantly get your story or idea out there if you can add to what’s being written and provide that perfect second paragraph.

Read more at Web Ink Now.

Catering Your Press Release to the Receiver

A recent blog post I read by e-releases talked about things you should check before sending out a press releases (facts, links, etc). The issue that came up in comments replying to the article, however, was over whether or not a press release should be tight, newsworthy and catered to the average reporter.

The tips e-releases provided are still good for news releases sent to newspapers, but not necessarily for other outlets. Of course, any press release sent to a customer or put online for the public could be reclassified as something else entirely. In any case, it depends on who your reader is and what you want them to do with the press release. A blogger might be looking for something different in a press release than a reporter. That's why it's important to cater the release to the receiver. You should NEVER send the same release out to every media outlet, just like you should never send the same resume to every employer you apply for a job with.

What are some necessary elements of a news release for you? How do changing audiences affect how you write your press releases?

To read some sample press releases, click here.