Hiring an event planner may not be in your business budget, but with a few planning and promotion tips, you can get real media coverage for your event. All it takes is knowing how to structure your announcement, when and how to send it to the local paper, and how to include that “hook” that makes your event news-worthy.
The first thing to consider is how you’re structuring your press release. Do this before the event is even completely planned so you can plan according to the angle you’ve chosen. (More on that later.) Invitations to attend events are great, but rarely get past the local community calendar or gain a spot in a reporter’s schedule. Ever heard of dressing for the job you want? Dress your release like a news story, and it has a better chance of becoming one.
Present Your Information Like a 9-1-1 Call
Reporters write and think in terms of an inverted pyramid. The most important information comes first, like when there’s an emergency and you dial 9-1-1. You don’t start by telling the operator your name or address, in most cases. Instead, you state your emergency. The first information you should provide an assignment editor or report is: why is this news? Once you’ve gotten their attention, you follow with details. Who, what, when, where and why are all points of information that should be in the first paragraph or two after the initial hook, the crafting of which we’ll address in part 3.
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