More bang for your marketing $$$: News releases that get noticed.

What do you do with junk mail? Do you delete it, toss it, or just ignore it– unless you see some benefit. Publication editors do the same. They toss, delete, or ignore news releases that don’t demonstrate a benefit for their audience.

Here are seven easy tips for writing releases that get picked up.

1. Make sure it’s newsworthy. What’s newsworthy? It needs to be timely, of interest to the publication’s audience, benefit-oriented, and substantive (that is, not self-serving, hype or fluff.)

2. Write a powerful headline. The headline will pull in the editor or leave her/him cold. Keep it short and descriptive, but make it interesting.

3. Use journalist style. Editors are looking for the facts, not fluff. Be sure to include the essentials: Who, What, When, Where, Why and How.

4. Keep it brief. Editors are pressed for time and inundated with releases. Keep yours to 300-800 words. The headline and first two paragraphs are the most important parts of your release.

5. Avoid jargon. Even if you’re sending a release on a technical topic to a technical journal, resist the temptation to use acronyms. Spell it out! Use common language. It will make your releases more readable and accessible.

6. Proof it. The accuracy of your release – including spelling and grammar – reflects on your company. If you aren’t good at proofreading your own stuff, enlist someone else to do it.

7. Include a photo.  This isn’t a writing tip, but it’s good advic. Publications are looking for good quality visuals, so including a photo, illustration, chart or graph (with a caption, please) increases your chance of getting picked up.

More bang for your marketing $$$: Say it again, Sam!

Animals learn through repetition, right? If you want a horse or dog to learn something you work with him over…and over…and over. That's the power of repetition. It’s a key element in successful marketing to humans, too.

Think about jingles, brand icons, and other ad messages (McDonald’s “I’m lovin’ it”; The Geico Gecko). These words and images stick with us for one big reason – REPETITION. You’ve heard and seen these messages again…and again…and again.

If you want people to absorb your message, repeat it. And I don’t mean two or three times, either. Current wisdom says it can take nine or more repetitions for a message to sink in.

Why does it take such an effort to make an impact? Consider these facts.

· We’re inundated with messages – from public bathroom doors to mobile devices to computer screens. You have to break through the clutter. Repetition combined with an intriguing presentation increases your odds of being noticed.

· Folks buy when they’re ready. You need to be visible consistently to capture someone's attention when the time is right.

· We retain only about 10% of the information we’re exposed to each day. Repetition increases the chance your message will be part of that lucky 10%.

Don't throw your money away on a single ad, mailer or email blast. Repeat your message for better results.

 

More bang for you marketing $$$:Be Direct! Target you communications with direct mail.

Direct mail –  surface mail or e-mail – is a great way to get response from a clearly defined audience. But doing direct mail successfully means watching three things:

1. LIST
Make sure your message goes to the RIGHT people. If you’re purchasing a list, ask to test a small number of names before investing in the full list.

When you send out a mailing, you can expect 1-3% wrong addresses. These will come as returned mail or maybe phone calls. It’s a good idea to keep track of the number of bad addresses. If you get more than 3%, you may be able to get money back from your list provider.

2. BREAK-THROUGH CREATIVE
Think of all the stuff in your in-box. A mailer needs to break through that clutter. Grab attention. Beg to be opened and read. So have some fun. Maybe take a risk. Different creative approaches can be tested to find what works best.

3. OFFER/CALL TO ACTION
Direct mail is all about response. So offer something attractive to spur it – a trinket, rebate, coupon, or informational pamphlet. Be creative here, too. This is another variable that can be tested.

Other factors to think about are:

REPETITION  For any communication program to succeed, you have to repeat, repeat, repeat. With direct mail you can send a series of mailers or send the same piece. Send pieces two or three weeks apart…and repeat the series in three to six months.

FOLLOW-UP  Phone calls to recipients after they’ve received a mailing can help get maximum results.

MEASUREMENT  Look at inquiry quantity and quality from your program. Use the information to make your program better.

More bang for your marketing $$$: Lookin’ Good

You’ve heard of dressing for success. Well, looks count when it comes to communications materials as well. In fact, looks matter a lot.

Whether it's electronic or print, you can avoid looking bush league by watching these details:

1) TYPEFACE
There are hundreds, maybe thousands, of typefaces. Some are easier to read than others. Use a readable face to make sure your text is easy-to-follow. Keep the type large enough, too. (You may have to cut back on copy to fit your space.) Avoid using more than two or three different faces in any piece. Multiple typefaces can look cluttered.

2) LINE LENGTH
Ever wonder why newspapers and magazines format their articles in columns? It’s easier for human eyes to track shorter lines of text. Break up your copy into columns about 3” wide or less for a cleaner look and better readability.

3) COPY LENGTH
Most of your audience won’t have the time or inclination to plow through long text. Keep what you have to say brief. Use bullet points.  Or use photos and captions -- much more involving than straight text  If it’s a web site, you can offer more information through links. That leaves it up to the visitor to click or not. 

4) PHOTOS/VISUALS
You know the saying, “A picture is worth a thousand words”? It’s true. So use visuals to emphasize your messages. But be picky. Poor quality photos speak volumes about your organization. And what they say isn’t good.

5) PRODUCTION QUALITY
Fuzz is okay on peaches but not on web sites, ads, brochures, newsletters or anything else with your name on it. That means no fuzzy logos, fuzzy type or fuzzy photos.

6) CONSISTENCY
Once you’ve worked out a look, standardize it. Set up rules for logo usage, colors, tag line, and layout, and follow them. Consistency helps build familiarity.