Interactive Media Kits

Media Relations Media coverage has major benefits over standard forms of advertising. Reporters are seen by the public to be unbiased third parties and therefore carry a level of credibility that simply doesn't exist with paid advertising. The one disadvantage is that you have little or no control over what is published or when that content hits the stands.

In developing better media relations, it is important that you be able to write and distribute an effective news or press release. News releases are designed to inform reporters of events that the public may find newsworthy. To appeal to a journalist, be sure to write your news release as if it was prepared by an unbiased third party and follow a standard format as follows:

Notice of Release

The first thing the reader sees is:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Unless you're sending advanced notice and then it should read:
FOR RELEASE: Tuesday, April 13, 2004

Header - This contains all the contact information for one or two key people. This should appear in the upper left corner.

Contact: Heather Gordon Meridian Design Inc (828)251-0028 mail@meridiandesign.net http://www.meridiandesign.net

Headline - Your headline should be powerful, summarizing your message and be less than ten words.

City and Date - Name the city you wrote from and the date you wrote the release.

The Body - Your first sentence should tell why this story is newsworthy. Answer the five W's (who, what, where, when, and why). Include quotes from key individuals and other relevant outside sources. Your last paragraph should be a short company description.

The Close - If your release is two pages long, center the "-more-" at the bottom of the first page. To end your release, type and center the word "end".

The Interactive News Release

These take the standard form, but journalists can connect to other resources and email using hyperlinks. Some things to make clickable include:

Email for the contact person
A link to the company website
Links to articles written about the company both on and off the company website
Links to graphics and pictures suitable for print (200-300 dpi)
Links to key players, their biographies, photos, and possibly some quotes.
A link to an FAQ section where you have frequently asked questions and a few you wish were frequently asked.

Distributing a News Release

You can choose to use a distribution service or save money and do it yourself. If you decide to do it yourself, then you will need to build a list of journalists. When reading publications that might be interested in your releases, look for the names of reporters and find out their contact information.

Try some of these online resources for help in building your list:

News Release Timing & Deadlines

Know how far in advance you need to send a news release for each media. These are some general guidelines:

Magazines - 2-3 months in advance for monthly magazines.
Daily Newspapers - Several weeks in advance. For holiday content, make it even earlier.
TV and Radio - Quick turn-around here. Sometimes a story they find in the morning can appear that evening and you may be asked to be interviewed.

Tips on Emailing News Releases

Keep your release between 1-2 pages with short paragraphs
DO NOT send as an attachment. Copy and paste your release into the body of a plain text email.
Make sure your subject line is compelling

What is Newsworthy?

A company merger
A free public service offered by your company
The appearance of a celebrity at a company event
Your participation in a trade show
A breakthrough in technology
A charitable contribution by your company
A milestone anniversary
An award presented by your company
Tips, articles, or advice
Stories with a human interest element

Preparing Media Kits

Media Kits contain all essential information about you and your company held together in a folder and containing the following:

A news release about the newsworthy event
A company history
Brochures
Other articles written about your company
Pictures
Background information and quotes from key players
FAQ's and answers
Contact Information
Business Card

Online Media Kits

These are interactive media kits allowing the reporter to complete their due diligence and contact you easily for further information. An online media kit should include:

News Releases distributed by your company in chronological order.
The company's history and background information.
An electronic brochure (PDF format)
Links to other articles written about your company
Links to story ideas for future articles
Links to related pictures in TIFF format at 200-300 dpi. The TIFF format is not supported by web browsers, so you can use a series of thumbnails that trigger an autoresponder to send the picture in the requested format via email.
Background information on key players including pictures, bios and quotes.
A link to the media contact.
FAQ's and answers

An online media kits says you think the reporter is important and you want them to have everything they need to do their jobs quickly and easily. Be sure to include a link or button to be included on the press release mailing list and provide a Tell-a-Friend option.

<< Online Advertising Explained

Web Rings >>

Helpful Websites
MediaFinder - a comprehensive database of print media
MediaMap - detailed profiles on over 20,000 media contacts
The Care and Feeding of the Press by NetPress.org
Media Relations and Working with Journalists by XpressPress.com
BusinessWire - a media news distribution service
EmailWire.com - a press release distribution service
PR Web - providing distribution and extensive PR resources
PR Wizard - press release software for PC
How to Write a Press Release by Pandecta Magazine
How to Write a Press Release by LunarEclipse.net
Guide to Writing Successful Press Release by Dr. Randall Hansen

Recommended Titles