Black Belt Web Marketing.pdf - Costa del Sol

1. Subject Lines: Catching a journalist’s attention begins with the subject line. Be descriptive.
Avoid nondescript ones like "Press Release", "Visit My New Site", etc. It determines
whether the e-mail gets opened or goes straight into the trash. Take another look at the
subject used for the press release on your media page. Will it work? If not, consider these
tips for improving the chances that your news release will get noticed:
Think of the subject line as the headline for a news story. Try to frame it in news
headline format. Informative and concise is better than clever and cute.
"New" is a power word that works but it has to apply to something more interesting
than a "new site". Can it be used with the site’s unique characteristics?
Find the angle or hook that will make your release stand out from the others.
For ideas on effective subject lines revisit PR Newswire and Business Wire in
Exercise 9-4 or some of the newsgroups in Exercise 3-4.
2. Body of the News Release: You may want to start with the press release on your media page
and pare it down to a maximum of three paragraphs — less than a screenful. The first
paragraph hooks the editor. The second pitches the story. The third summarizes contact
information.
Sending an e-mail news release to your media list is similar to sending e-mail to your
contacts list. For this reason, we’ve repeating warnings from Exercise 8-4:
Spelling/Grammatical Errors: Review your e-mail for spelling or grammatical errors. They reflect
on your competence and credibility. Don’t let any slip through if you can help it. You may
find it worthwhile to have a second person look it over before releasing it to your list.
Signature: Make sure that you have the right signature attached and that it is adequately
customized for the recipients. Is the one you chose to use due for an update? Take another
look at others’ signatures for ideas. The signature is such an important part of your Web
Marketing Plan, you should always be looking for ways to improve it.
Active Links: Make sure that links in your e-mail are properly formatted so that they are active or
"hotlinks" if the recipient’s e-mail program permits it. URLs, particularly to your web
site, should be formatted beginning with "http://" and ending with the page where you
want to direct the reader. E-mail addresses should begin with "mailto:" and the e-mail
address (with no space). This makes it easier for the recipient to visit your site, any other
web resource identified in your e-mail, and e-mail you.
Formatting: Test to see that your e-mail is formatted properly (see below). Send it to a friend or
another e-mail box. Have it reviewed for properly formatting, appearance.
Lesson 9 Pg. 27