Pressing Matters

I did try to do my own PR.  I slogged away and even called thirty journalists one morning, to be met with indifference at best. It was most disheartening, but I felt the business couldn’t really afford to pay a PR full time. I can write, but I don’t have all the know how, or the contacts and standing you really need to win those journos over.

And then Lisa Jackson of Eurydice PR came into my life. Lisa can do:

• Copywriting for promotional literature, newsletters and E-zines
• Blog writing and placement on line
• Feature Writing and placement in the press
• Press Releases for on-line and print media use
• Media Research & Article Placement
• Newsletters and E-zines
• Public Relations
• Direct Marketing Campaigns
• Exhibition & Event Services
• Fundraising and Sponsorship

and all with an ethically and environmentally sound approach!

The main point about Lisa though is that she is extremely good at what she does, efficient, dedicated and also supportive, a quality I was not necessarily expecting, but which is most welcome as someone who runs their business single handedly! Lisa is flexible and full of fantastic ideas for press releases. She knows the business inside out having been in it for over 16 years, and has been both journalist and PR so she knows how it works on both sides of the fence.

Because of all the above, Lisa is very busy at the moment with lots of ethical businesses banging her door down for help, but if you fancy your chances you can catch her here: Eurydice PR.

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Getting Your Site Known

It’s all very well having a gorgeous site with good functionality and lots of lovely things on it, but if no one knows about it it’s rather a waste! (And very unfair on potential customers!) (And potentially quite bad for business….)

So (having emailed all my family and friends and asked them to tell theirs), my current daily task is sending my press release to all the contacts I have amassed in my Press Book, and also applying to various online directories. I have been reliably informed that several things are essential/very helpful when contacting the press:

1. If you can add a couple of photos to your press release it gives a great idea of the feel of your site and is more eyecatching.

2. Find out the name of the person you need to contact and email them directly.

3. Make sure your press release is double spaced.

4. Follow up! Don’t just assume the journalist in question is going to either read or use your press release. (Edit: I’ve recently been told this is a very BAD idea. Confusing! But since calling journalists can be a little bit soul destroying sometimes, I’m tempted to choose this option.)

5. Some people say don’t send it as an attachment, some say it’s fine to. I’m not sure about this one, but I know it looks a lot better separately.

6. Having thoroughly researched your target market and what they read you will know exactly which publications to contact!

7. Don’t forget to give all your contact details.

8. If you don’t want your press release to be used before a certain time, put ‘Embargoed until…….’ at the top.

9. Get someone to check it over for spelling or grammatical errors.

10. There are various websites that enable you to submit your press release for free, and to which journalists come for new information. I haven’t yet tried one and am slightly sceptical because it sounds a bit too easy, but I may well try it anyway and report back.

(This is by no means an exhaustive list, just a few things I’ve picked up along the way.)

I’ve also been joining online directories. This is so easy; most of them have a page for submitting your details, or an email contact. Some cost (anything between £10 and £250 as far as I can tell), and some are free. I’ve gone with several ethical/eco/green directories and so far am attached to about three or four. The best thing about this is that most of them are on page one of Google, so even though on my own I’m nowhere near this yet, through the directories I can indirectly benefit from their high ranking.

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