ReNews -- Remodelors Council News - 07/13/2005 (Plain Text Version)

Don Novak CGR, CAPS, CKB, GMB
Remodelors^TM Council Chair
Cedar Rapids, Iowa

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In this issue:
State of Remodeling (P.S. It's Good)
Aging in Place Momentum Growing
Remodeling Show Reminder
Remodelors Night Out and Fall Board Update
Remodelors Council in the News
We Need CAPS Photos!
How to Use Press Releases
IRS Small Business Resource Guide
View RC Ads in Action
Deadline Approaches for September Remodelor of the Month
Get Recognized
GM Discount
Platinum Partners
Gold Partners
New Idea? No Problem!

How to Use Press Releases

A press release is one of the easiest ways to reach media, but it is often used incorrectly. One of the biggest mistakes is sending out irrelevant press releases for the sake of sending something out.

Don’t do it. If you bombard the media with insubstantial press releases, they won’t listen when you have something newsworthy to share.

Keep a list of local media and industry publication contacts in a database for distributing your press releases. If possible, establish rapport with your local press. If local media calls you for quotes and information, get their contact information so you can call them when you have an important story to tell.

When writing a press release, keep these 10 tips in mind:

Ensure that the information is newsworthy. Wait until you have something of substance to issue a release. Grand openings, community service events, new products, and winning awards are examples of relevant new housing news that you will want to share.
Decide how and when to send it out. You can send the press release by mail, fax, e-mail, or HTML news. Electronic communication is the quickest but can be blocked by junk mail filters. Ask your media contacts which medium they prefer. Send out the press release the day of the event, or earlier to give a reporter time to cover your story. If you send it out early, clearly note the date the release can be made public.
Start strong. Your headline and first paragraph should tell the story. The rest of your press release should provide the detail. You only have a few seconds to grab your reader's attention.
Avoid excessive use of adjectives and redundant expressions. Keep the text concise and make each word count.
Deal with the facts. Include research and statistics when possible.
Include a quote or quotes in your release. Attributed the quote to an appropriate senior manager who can be reached by a journalist for further comment.
Provide details. Include the date and location of your news in the first paragraph. Include contact information: who to contact, phone, fax, e-mail, and Web site address.
Craft a boilerplate. Include a boilerplate, which provides brief information about your company and its mission, at the end of every press release.
Use a consistent style throughout the press release. Many newspapers follow the AP style so familiarize yourself with AP rules and keep a style guide for reference.
Formatting. Include “For Immediate Release” at the top of the release for immediate publication or “For Release After ___” to embargo the press release until a later date. Center the word “more” between two dashes (– more –) at the bottom of the page to let reporters know that another page follows. Use three centered numbers symbols (# # #) immediately following the last paragraph to indicate the end of the press release.