Tell the Media ­ They'll Tell the World! Press Releases That Get You Noticed      If hundreds of magazines, newspapers, web sites and radio and television stations offered your business completely free advertising, would you be interested? You bet you would, yet many companies never use one of the most effective methods of reaching the market and speaking directly with their prospective customers ­ the professionally written press release.      Gay Adult Marketing's staff is experienced in crafting newsworthy press and publicity releases and putting them in front of the editors, writers and reporters that can get them into print. We're 'media savvy' and include public relations as an integral part of your campaign - something the other Internet marketing companies either don¹t do or happily charge you extra for.      Capturing the attention of the media is a big challenge. The competition is fierce, with thousands of other businesses, web sites and vendors scrambling for attention, exposure and coverage. Gay Adult Marketing gives you the edge, and provides the attention and exposure the media can deliver. We'll get their attention and interest, and by presenting your story in an readable, professional manner, we'll make it easy for them to pick your release for use in their publication.      Here are a few techniques that we've found invaluable in playing the PR game: Make it Newsworthy to Make it News      The most important aim in writing a press release is to position the story as something that the reader will find interesting. If the editor doesn't think it's worth reading, why would he think his readers would?      Figuring out the right 'angle' for your release is necessary to determine the key idea, subject or 'hook'. Are you offering something unique or superior to other businesses in your market? How are you better serving the consumers' needs? More payment options, more flexible terms, better value? Anything unique about your management, contacts, associates? Pinpoint what your 'value add' is and write the press release from the perspective of the readers' response. Keep it Brief, Informative and 'On Message'      Everyone, especially editors and reporters are busy these days, and have extremely short attention spans. The hallmark of a great press release is that it is short and completely to the point. If an editor decides to expand your release into a longer story or a feature, they'll contact us for more information. Write it in Standard News Style      You may remember from your high school or college writing classes the 'inverted pyramid' style of a well-written news item. Simply put, that means including all the important and relevant information, (who, where, what, and when), into the lead paragraph. In the remainder of the story you can weave in your primary marketing message, but keep the sales pitch subtle. If you sell too hard, your release will be discarded as ³too promotional².      Never use exclamation points, and choose everyday words and understandable, concise sentences. Clarity is key. Your ideal objective is to have news organizations use your release verbatim, in its entirety. By sticking with the accepted conventions of professional news writing, you greatly increase the chances of this occurring. Man Bites Dog!      Don't underestimate the most important part of your release ­ the headline! Like a billboard or print ad, the headline is your 'one-second' chance to make someone read your release, starting with the editor. Come up with a headline that grabs attention and gets right to the point. Don't make it sound like a slogan or brochure title, however, or it will be viewed as a self-serving ad. Also, keep in mind that the editor reserves the right to create his own headline, so yours may not make the final cut - another reason to make your first paragraph strong and compelling. Target Your Message      To connect with prospective customers, it's essential to reach them through the media outlets they are accustomed to and are exposed to daily. Gay Adult Marketing maintains the most up-to-date and comprehensive list of both gay and mainstream media contacts in the business. Entertainment, travel, shopping, sports, hobbies, special interest, technology, Internet and, of primarily, adult, are just some of the subject categories we track. The names in our media contacts database are the people who have the decision-making power to print your release and deliver your audience. Show and Tell      The Internet is a very visual medium. Your web site's content, style and personality might be best conveyed with a logo, screen shot or other high impact color image. Where appropriate, we'll include a graphic attachment with your release, and give editors and reporters a dynamic and attention-getting visual of your site, your business and your message. Credibility      Editors, reporters and news professionals don't pay much attention to material that comes in 'over the transom' - they've been burned too often with provocative stories that had little basis in fact. They much prefer dealing with news sources that they have dealt with before and who in effect 'have something to lose' - their credibility. Gay Adult Marketing makes certain that we have our facts straight, and deal with people we have built up trust with over the years, thereby increasing our odds of having your story accepted - and perhaps published!   For recorded info please call 1-800-GAY-4166 Gay Adult Marketing 1525 State St #210 Santa Barbara, CA 93101 Toll free: 1-800-429-4822 Phone: (805) 896-2607 Email: sales@gayadultmarketing.com © Gay Adult Marketing.com 2002 World Rights Reserved