Press Release Success; Four Simple ways to Prepare your Business

A press release is to announce something important that you and/or your business has achieved. The object is to attract attention from the press, and subsequently be asked for an interview.

Most people put a lot of time and effort into writing their press release, submitting it to the most popular channels, and then checking it out after it goes live and even tracking the number of “hits” through some sort of analytics program.

But how much time do people actually spend preparing for a press contact? What are you suppose to do? Where do you start?

Four simple steps you could take to prepare your business for the press include:

1. Interview Preparation

• Know your press release topic well, especially if you did not write the document yourself. Be sure to gather the basic facts surrounding the topic and also be prepared to answer open ended questions. For example, “Tell us about your award” or, “How did this situation arise”?
• Be yourself and have fun. You want people to get a sense of openness and approachability from you. This is a very important public relations event for you and your business and you want to deliver a positive message.
• Arrive on time and expect delays. Unless the interview is scheduled for the 6pm live news hour, be patient as scheduling conflicts and delays can be common.
• Smile. Always be happy and smile when dealing with a positive subject matter.
• Never say, “I don’t know”. Always position yourself as a subject matter expert even when you don’t know the answer. You can always come up with a positive response such as, good question, thank you for bringing that up.

2. Website/Blog

• Electronic Media Kit. Setup an online portfolio about your company, key players, partners and achievements. It’s a good idea to have a separate page on your website and/or blog for this. Try to keep the information above the fold with captive headlines that are clickable and lead to nicely formatted documents containing the information.
• Media relations coupon offer. If possible, try to offer the audience something special such as a discount coupon. Providing them a call to action will grab their attention and encourage them to get in touch with you.
• Up to date contact information. Make sure your website and/blog displays your contact information in a highly visible location and is up to date.
• Opt in subscriber form. If you have a newsletter, tips or even an RSS feed be sure to place your opt in box in a highly visible spot. Since this interview will be driving traffic to your site you want to capture as many potential leads as possible.

3. Prepare for an Influx in Call Volume and/or Email Inquires

• Set the expectations of your receptionist or virtual assistant well in advance.
• Prepare a custom call script.
• Set up a special voicemail greeting.
• Create an email autoresponder.

4. Afterwards

• First, if it’s possible thank everyone involved in the interview directly. A simple approach is to say, “Thank you for the opportunity to be on your show, I truly appreciate it.” If it’s not possible to thank them afterwards it may be a good idea to send a follow-up note or email expressing your gratitude.
• Be sure to follow-up with any details you promised.
• Remember to give your interviewers every reason to want to invite you back as well as follow your progress.

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