Smashing The Myth

A musician spends years honing his craft. He writes world-class songs and
performs them in a manner that moves his listeners to tears. He records a demo
tape and sends it to record labels. He gets a contract and becomes rich, famous
and adored.

The lesson: demo tapes are the secret of becoming a famous musician.

Wait, you say, the demo tape was just a tool, just his way of conveying his talent.
It's his ability as a musician that got him the contract & made him famous. You
are right, of course. He could have become just as famous if a record executive
saw him in person, or heard about him from a friend, or as a result of a variety of
other events.

Which brings us to the press release. Somehow, the press release has taken on
a magical reputation as the alpha and omega of publicity. Wanna become rich?
Send out a press release. Wanna become famous? Press release. Wanna get
on the cover of Newsweek? Press release.

Publicity "gurus" are springing up all over the Internet touting the press release
as the answer to all marketing ills. Just knock out a release, mass e-mail it to journalists, sit back and wait for Oprah to call.

It's a cruel joke.

Here's the reality: the press release is no more important to your potential of
scoring free publicity than the demo tape was to our musician friend. If he had
no talent, if his songs sounded like garbage, the best recorded demo tape in the
world wouldn't get him signed. Ditto for the publicity seeker. If you don't have a
story to tell, your press release is utterly worthless.

I'm not knocking the press release -- it's an important tool. But it's just that: a
tool. It's not the first thing you need to think about when it comes time to seek
publicity. In fact, it's one of the last. And it's not even absolutely necessary
(I've gotten plenty of publicity with just a pitch letter, a quick e- mail or a phone
call).

If you worship at the shrine of the press release, it's time to shift your priorities.
Here, then, are the things that are MORE important than a press release in
generating publicity:

1. A newsworthy story. This is the equivalent of our musician's talent. It's the
very basis for your publicity efforts. Without it, your press release means nothing.
To learn about how to develop a newsworthy story, take a look at my website:
http://publicityinsider.com/questions.asp and scroll down to "Is my company/
website/life really newsworthy?"

2. Learning to think like an editor. Oh, what an edge you'll have in scoring publicity
over all those press release worshippers once you learn how to get inside the
head of an editor. Give an editor what he wants in the way he wants it and you'll
do great. Read my entire article at:http://publicityinsider.com/freesecret.asp .
Go there now and absorb it all. Trust me, it will make a world of difference.

3. Relevance. Tie in with a news event, make yourself part of a trend, piggyback
on a larger competitor's story, but, by all means, make your story part of a picture
that's bigger than just your company. Stories that exist in a vacuum quickly run
out of oxygen.

4. Persistence. Sending out a press release and waiting for results is lazy and
ineffective. If you really believe in your story, and you believe that it's right for
a particular media outlet, you need to fight to make it happen. Call or e-mail the
editor to pitch your story BEFORE sending the release. If one editor says no,
try somebody else. If they all say no, come back at them with a different story
angle. Getting publicity involves so much more than just sending out a press
release. Treat it as seriously and with as much respect as our newly minted rock
star treats his craft and you'll be well on your way to success.

Bill Stoller, the "Publicity Insider", has spent 20 years as one of America's
top publicists. Now, through his website, eZine and subscription newsletter,
Free Publicity: The Newsletter for PR-Hungry Businesses
http://www.PublicityInsider.com/freepub.asp .
He's sharing -- for the very first time -- his secrets of scoring big publicity.
For free articles & killer publicity tips, visit Bill's exclusive new site:
http://www.publicityInsider.com or contact him at bill@publicityinsider.com.