Press Release Follow UpBoost results of your press releases by appropriate telephone follow-up. (Shel Horowitz's Frugal Marketing Tip, May, 1997) When mailing, faxing, or hand-delivering a press release, follow up by phone a few days later (time-permitting) - and well ahead of the newspaper's deadline for running your information in time to promote your event. Say that you're calling to answer any questions they may have about the release. Stay helpful and polite at all times, even if the journalist is rude - and NEVER call at deadline time! In my experience, this often significantly boosts the chances of coverage. First, you draw the reporter's attention to your release out of a stack of hundreds. Second, you have the opportunity to clear up any confusion, generate interest through your own enthusiasm (but not hype!), impart new information not covered in the initial release, etc. And third, you're on your way to building a long-term relationship as a helpful source - and they may call you sometimes, when they need information in your field. Caution: I have heard reports from many sources that for some reason, many reporters dislike phone follow-up if the release was sent by e-mail. Since my own press contacts are primarily local, I have not sent out releases over the Net and can't speak from my own experience on this. Thank you reading this back issue of Shel Horowitz's Monthly Frugal Marketing Tips, published every month since May, 1997; please click here to view the complete archives, grouped by subject. Shel is an internationally known copywriter and marketing consultant, author of Grassroots Marketing Getting Noticed in a Noisy World, Principled Profit: Marketing That Puts People First and several other books, and creator of the Frugal Marketing web site. Please click here to contact Shel.
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