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for Sending E-Mail
To The Media
A Notice To All Users from the
Publisher
Paul J. Krupin, JD
Question: What's The Best Way To Use The US All
Media E-Mail Directory ?
Answer: Target & Personalize!
This is A Powerful Tool! Use it Wisely and
Succeed!
Don't Succumb to Professional Spam!
There are several essential rules
that publicists must abide by in submitting e-mail to the media if they are to avoid the wrath of the
recipients, and maintain their credibility, their and reputation as a honorable and
credible on-line PR practitioner.
"Net Results" News
Service Creator Al Bredenberg requested I give people advice on how to best avoid the
pitfalls and derive the maximum benefits.
David Hakala, Editor In Chief,
Cyber Week encouraged me to tell people to carefully consider determining the recipients
"Reason To Read" before they write anything to the media, or anyone else for
that matter.
Marcia Yudkin, author of
"Six Steps to Free Publicity" and "Marketing Online," urged me to read
people the riot act about the power and potential for abuse from this product.
If you believe you might be prone
to professional spamming, please do not use this product unsupervised.
Internet Web Marketing Expert
John Audette agreed and recommends that you consider having a recognized Internet News
Agency distribute your release for you. In John's I-Sales Newsletter, he points out that
the media are starting to get pretty beat up with unsolicited e-mail and they're starting
to push back. E-mail addresses are viewed as being much more private than postal addresses
and it's risky to blast away via e-mail as we are all used to doing via snail mail.
John counsels people that they
don't have to use recognized Internet News Services, but be careful about sending
unsolicited e-mail to the media.
Al Bredenberg recommends you take
the time to target and personalize your releases. Al says if you have a real story to tell
or real news to share, there are media people out there who want to see it. Just use sound
judgment in making up your list for each campaign.
Eric Ward, creator of NetPost and
URLWire says that the best response comes from personalizing each and every news release.
So Please Follow These Principles or
Suffer The Consequences!!!
The 10 Commandments for
Sending E-Mail to The Media
Actually, there's more than 10 Commandments.
But it's a great metaphor isn't it!
1. Think, think think - before you write.
2. Target narrowly and carefully.
3. Keep it short.
4. Keep it relevant to your target
5. To Query or Not to Query -- That is The
Question!
6. Tailor the submittal.
7. Address each e-mail message separately.
8. Re-read, re-read, and re-read and re-write,
re-write, re-write.
9. Be brutally honest.
10. Follow-up professionally.
11. Don't Bother Your Target Media
1. First Commandment!
Think, think, think before you write. Ask
yourself why you are writing, and what are you trying to accomplish by writing. Put
yourself in the position of the person reading your message. Why should you care about
this message? Why should you read this message?
Determine the recipients' "Reason to
Read" before writing anything. Then write a subject line that persuades your target
to read your message. Remember your recipients are are busy media professionals. There are
two primary considerations on their minds: readership interest and editorial interest.
Your title can make a difference between being read and possibly acted upon, or being
deleted quickly without being read.
Ask yourself -- "What will they do upon
receiving your message?" -- "What will they think of you?" -- "What
action will they take in response to receiving your message?"
What impression are you going to make? What
response rate and placement success are you going to get from your efforts? It's up to you
to do your homework!
2. Second Commandment!
Target narrowly and carefully. Study the media
industry! Learn who the players are and how they like to play.
Go for the quality contacts and not the
quantity. Don't broadcast a query or news release or announcement to irrelevant media.
Pick out your target media carefully, based on the industry or readership of the specific
media you are targeting.
Even once you've developed a target media
e-mail list, don't succumb to professional spam with a one-size-fits-all e-mail news
release. Take your time and personalize each message. Even just a little. Just think about
the positive impact of even just one published news release or announcement.
Recognize and respect the individuals to whom
you are writing, their personality and preferences, and their role and importance in their
respective media outlet. Personalize to maximize the results of you outreach efforts.
3. Third Commandment!
Keep it short -- Trim your e-mail message so
that it fills one screen, if you can. Keep it three to four paragraphs tops. Don't try to
sell the media your product.
Make sure you support The Reason to Read! Tell
them why the Reason to Read is important to them and their readers in the first paragraph!
Get their interest and ask them to make a request for more information.
Keep it simple and reduce the steps they have
to take to one simple action -- a reply message to you that says "Send Me More!"
4. Fourth Commandment!
Keep the subject and content of your message
relevant to your target -- it's got to be newsworthy and timely. The subject should
intrigue them enough to read your message.
Propose and present informative,
problem-solving articles which advocate the benefits or techniques associated with a
strategy, technique, product or service in a way which stimulates readership and editorial
interest. Make sure it meets the editorial style of the media you are addressing.
5. Fifth Commandment!
To query or not to query - that is the
question! If you are seeking publicity for a product or service, or want to get reviews
for a new book or software, you can use a two step approach -- query with a hook, news
angle and release with an offer for a free review copy before transmitting a review copy,
product sample, or a full blown article to those who request it.
To avoid angry replies and complaints about
unsolicited e-mail some suggest sending a very brief e-mail requesting their permission to
send them a news release before actually doing so.
Others view that as a waste of time. Just send
it and don't make them beg they say. Just make it good.
6. Sixth Commandment!
Tailor the submittal to the media editorial
style or content. Read a copy of the magazine. Visit the publications web site or go to a
library and find a copy of the magazine or journal, new or used. Send a letter to the
advertising director and request a media kit.
If you are seeking to contribute to the
publication, request the editor send you their writer's guidelines. Study the style and
content of the media. Then write the way they like it.
Seek to develop a longer term relationship as a
reliable, knowledgeable and regular contributor.
7. Seventh Commandment!
Address each e-mail message separately to an
individual media target.
Take your time and personalize each e-mail.
This is the best way to maximize your response. It does not matter how many you send out.
It only matters how many result in publication. Listen to the pros!!! Mass mailing is
self-defeating. Target and personalize. Realize the power of each and every prospective
publication of an article about you. Show your respect to the media contacts you are
writing to in the manner in which you write and communicate with them.
Don't ever send to multiple addresses in the
TO: or the CC: header lines. Large lists of recipients are a major inconvenience, and they
send a message to the media targets which just about guarantees that they'll delete the
message unread.
8. Eighth Commandment!
Reread, reread, and reread and re-write,
re-write, re-write before you click to send. Does it sing to you?
Begin to use your news release slowly. ---
test, test,test,and test some more.
Get feedback from targets, customers, friends,
and family.
Revise your news release as part of a
continuous improvement process.
9. Ninth Commandment!
Be brutally honest with yourself, and with your
media contacts.
Don't make claims about your product or service
you can't prove.
10. Tenth Commandment!
Follow-up in a timely manner when you write
queries, with precision writing and professionalism.
Don't rely on just E-mail -- use it to open
doors and supplement what would be naturally and appropriately done in other ways to
achieve your PR goals.
Communicate to achieve maximum effectiveness,
using conventional -- even old fashion -- technology.
Write a letter, make a personal phone call or
even, god forbid, go to actually see someone face to face.
11. Eleventh Commandment!
Don't bother editors with announcements of
"agreements in principle," "intentions to do something two quarters from
now" and other vaporous far-fetched future commitments.
And now a few parting comments...
Welcome to the World of Electronic Commerce.
You can send e-mail to the media nation-wide
quick as a click. It's easy, it's almost free. Many journalists faithfully read and
responded to e-mail press releases and article submissions.
Media people are driven by substance. Content
is king. They are constantly on the look out for new information and ideas of interest and
importance to their readers.
E-mail is becoming a frequently used
technology to acquire current information direct from the source. Some journalists prefer
e-mail press releases to paper, faxes and the telephone.
Some are kicking and screaming as they are
dragged into the 21st century. Luckily it's easy for media organizations to set up E-Mail
News Release E-Mail addresses and implement e-mail PR management systems.
Many use it to supplement their ordinary
business communications and to avoid phone tag. They like e-mail because it is quick,
easy, professional yet personal, highly interactive, cost-effective and environmentally
friendly.
E-mail is the most effective tool on the
information superhighway. It’s open 24 hours a day, and it’s here to stay.
People will have to learn new skills to make the most of it. Professional spamming is the
worst error people can make. The more messages you send at one time, the lower the
quality, and the greater the error rate using Internet E-Mail. People know when you spam.
You can avoid the negative impact entirely.
Just remember -- always target and personalize. Even though many of you won't follow this
advice right away. You will learn by your mistakes. It will be worth your time and effort.
Remember, there are real people
at the receiving end, and your success with the media depends on your respecting the media
and being courteous, and on your credibility, reputation and performance.
Give the media what they want and
maybe they'll give you what you need.
Free Publicity.
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