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I had an interesting phone call yesterday that got me thinking about people’s understanding on the subject of PR—or should I say their misunderstanding. The caller was a prospective client—a very savvy businesswoman—who asked if my firm can send out a press release for a new product they’re getting ready to launch.

Knowing how ineffective press releases are, I asked (a little bit tongue-in-cheek) what she expected would happen from sending out a press release, and to whom would she like it sent? She said she wasn’t sure and just knew when companies launch a product – they’re supposed to send out a press release!

After the call I realized this actually comes up quite often on sales calls – the idea that if a press release is written and sent somewhere, something “magical” will happen. I sure wish it was that simple!

With The New York Times receiving over 500 press releases a day and having just laid off more than 1,700 workers over the last 12 months, do you think anyone is actually reading them? The fact is that press releases are commodities today, with thousands each day passing through services like PR Newswire and BusinessWire like sausage through a grinder. The odd part is that once those releases hit and get distributed to all the article banks and PR news sites, they become so ubiquitous that they cease to be actual news. That means legitimate news organizations that represent the vanguard of third-party verification in the PR world are no longer interested in them.

So, how are you supposed to communicate with the media? It comes down to using the right tool for the right job. Depending on your specific needs, there are ways of communicating with the press that will get their attention and have a better chance of resulting in news coverage of your company. They include:

• The Calendar Listing. Local newspapers, weeklies and Web sites still have calendar sections that report on local events. Write up a simple blurb about your event, no more than a paragraph in length, and include who will be there and who should attend, along with all the pertinent information such as time and place, and send it to the calendar editors of the local print publications. In many cases, the email addresses for these editors are clearly listed on their publication’s Web sites, or even in the calendar section where your notice would run. By sending this blurb and following up by phone, you have a much better chance of getting your event listed than if you send a general press release that will wind up in the recycle bin of an editor’s desktop.
• The Media Alert. Local television news organizations like covering local events, but they need a little more detailed information than the calendar editor at your major daily or weekly newspaper. More importantly, they need to know what the “visuals” will be for their story. Provide these details and follow up by phone a few days before and again on the morning of, your event. You’ll have a solid shot at getting some cameras at your event.
• The Expert Pitch Letter. If you want the media to put you on the air, or write about your company, you have to create a reason for them to be interested in you. You can send them a one or two paragraph pitch offering yourself or your spokesperson as an expert commentator on your topic. The first step is to ask yourself, “What is my company’s area of expertise and how will my new product or service benefit an audience?”

How does this get your product launch mentioned? Getting press is a strategy. Using the expert pitch letter is a tactic that positions you and your company as smart and cutting edge. The result will be a plug for your company, product and Web site, where you can trumpet your product launch like a 100 piece orchestra. This is a much higher percentage shot than putting out a press release and hoping that someone in the press cares enough to write about it.

Remember, the media aren’t fond of sales pitches for your company, but if your expertise on a topic can help lend clarity or focus to an existing news story, your company has the chance to be cast as the area expert, prompting potential customers to seek you out when they are in need of your related product or service.

So forget about issuing press releases every week. No one is reading them, and the few who are, have to wade through several hundred to get to yours. You’re much better off helping the news media actually report on the news. This approach will make them more inclined to include your company in their coverage, and even come back to you from time to time.

When it comes to press releases most people believe they just can write one, email it to a radio or television station and sit back and wait for the avalanche of phone calls. But as time passes and no producers are beating down their door, they make a few phone calls to the producers and hosts only to discover that no one even read the release in the first place.

The following are the important components of radio and TV press releases which will make your show idea come to life for producers and hosts, as well as position you ahead of the pack.

The Five Pieces of the Press Release Puzzle

1. Headline! Headline? HEADLINE!!!

Arguably the most important aspect of your press release, headlines are so vital that there are entire books written and seminars taught on how to construct the most effective ones. Now, don’t let this scare you. Writing a killer headline is definitely a skill that can be developed; all you need is a clear and concise overview of your topic. Write down your show idea and look it over. Now look it over again.

What is your key message? Is your show idea newsworthy? Are there any well-known people that you can tie into your topic? Do you have any impressive statistics that are relevant? Is there anything controversial that ties directly into your subject? The answers to these questions will help you develop a headline which is ready for increased attention by producers and hosts.

Your headline must communicate the topic of the show instantly in an eye-catching way. It should not be longer than 1 sentence and will act as THE sound bite on your topic. Now that’s a lot of weight to put on a single sentence!

Sometimes to alleviate the weight of the headline, you may need a sub-head to support it. If your headline gives just a taste of your show topic, then a sub-head is useful to explain it further. When someone reads the headline and sub-head together it should immediately click what the concept of the show is. Do this correctly and you will definitely grab some attention!

2. Discussion Topic

This is your chance to present a concise summary of your show topic. It should continue naturally from the headline to further expand the topic. The headline gets the attention and the discussion topic gives the reader more.

The length should be two or three sentences, tops. This forces you to present (and think about) your topic in a concise manner. Again try to tie your topic to current events, big name, big money, or controversy! Don’t be worried about repeating yourself in the different sections of the press release. After all, you want to get a cohesive point across! (A great tip: try writing the Topic Summary and Headline together. It is a great way to save time!)

3. Talking Points/Questions

These are an absolute must for radio and TV as they are the shaping tools that guide the host through your topic. Often times the host will read directly off of the press release during the interview. This not only makes them look knowledgeable, but it saves them heaps of time! So why not have them read YOUR questions so you can give very specific answers which will not only make you look knowledgeable but also make for a great interview.

Yet again you will need to tie in current events and any controversy that will stir interest (are you tired of hearing this yet?). Generally it is good to give no more than 10 of these conversation shapers. If you do get invited as a guest, your interviews will generally last anywhere from 5 to 30 minutes…so concise is a word that you should familiarize yourself with right now!

Remember: the more interesting the questions – the more interesting your interview!

4. Topic Overview

Once you have gained their attention with your eye-catching headline, topic summary and talking points it is time to present the full show idea. This is your opportunity to fully flesh out your topic to position you as an expert on the topic you are discussing. Do not write a sales piece here – write your show! Work your name, personal quotes and product name into the summary. Liberally use the following to build your topic and profile: statistics, testimonials, current news facts, professional title (which is real and honest). Use anything that will interest the producer, host and in effect THEIR AUDIENCE! Try to limit this to a page maximum, with an ideal range to be 4-6 paragraphs with around 4 sentences max in each one.

5. Biography

Now this is the one element that people tend to forget, underplay or overplay. THIS IS ABOUT YOU! This is your chance to position yourself as the expert you are in order for you to be invited as a guest. Use your qualifications, education, career, relationships, memberships, travel history, how many dogs you have….etc. Basically use anything that can help qualify you as an expert on the topic. If you are writing about religion, for example, anything that you do in your life that pertains to religion is applicable and increases your plausibility as an expert on that topic.

A word of warning though: don’t sensationalize yourself. By doing this you will immediately turn-off producers and hosts. Instead, effectively communicate your achievements and expertise on the topic that you are presenting. Simply rehashing your resume with bullet-points is an absolute “no-no”.

The press release is your marketing tool to get invited as a guest on radio and television shows. If you take your time developing exactly what your interview segment will be about and put lots of thought into developing your press release to clearly reflect that you will be more successful in getting the media attention you desire. So get writing!