How to build a great reputation fast – part 1

(This idea is one of the marketing ideas discussed at The Ideal Marketing Company’s new marketing seminars) 

It’s amazing how people will refuse to believe what is printed in a brochure, but will believe things that are printed in a newspaper.  There are several ways to build your reputation – the first is by creating news releases about your company and sending them off to see them in print.  

1. News releases.  These are 1 page long stories, surveys and news items about your business. They are written in a very impersonal, objective way.  Your job is to report the facts not the hype.  Look at what the newspaper or trade magazine has in it’s pages and aim for a similar style. This is a classic style press release.  Don’t think about the content – look at the layout and the style of writting.

News Release 20.08.07                                For Immediate Release  

Free children’s entertainment and music on offer over bank holiday weekend at Heart of the Shires  

A programme of free activities with the family in mind is on offer this bank holiday weekend at the Heart of the

The ‘Spectacular Science’ stage show is a funny and educational event that has proved popular with children and adults alike up and down the country. The audience will discover some ‘cool chemistry’ and find out all about air pressure. The show also includes a heart stopping moment when a ball is suspended over the audience during one of the experiments.

Bank Holiday Monday offers a rare chance to see one of the country’s leading experts on Punch & Judy. “This show is so highly rated that it has the honour of being amongst just a handful of performers to be presented with an award by fellow performers who recognise this show as being amongst the very best in the UK,” comments event organiser Elaine Vandelli.

All events are free of charge and will take place in the courtyard around the Victorian bandstand. All units will be open for business between 10am and 4pm during the two family fun days.  See www.heartoftheshires.co.uk for more details.

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Contacts: Alastair Campbell, PR contact: 01858 44 55 43

You’ll notice that it contains all the information that a reporter needs to either print as it is or use as the basis for e scripr or shorten it to a small article.  It also has the contact details of the people who matter in the story in case more information or a photagraph is required. Press releases are traditionally double spaced or at least have 1.5 lines between sentences. You can use a company such as The Ideal Marketing Company to write and distribute your release or you can build up a file of relevant trade or local publications to target.