RE: Email Press Releases

From: Dahna Chandler <Dahna_Chandler_at_alum.wellesley.edu>
Date: Wed 1 Dec 1999 01:52:13 -0500

KAREN DILLON WROTE:
> I'm a small business and I want to send e-mail press
> releases to relevant (and select) sites, ad agencies
> and industry pundits so that I can promote my
> site, our new features and (as appropriate) encourage
> ad sales. So how do I do this so that it's not spam?

TO WHICH WAYNE BROWNING REPLIED:
> You can not, in my opinion,what you propose. It is the
> very definition of the word spam, isn't it? What you
> are attempting is to send unrequested advertising i.e
> spam. What you need to do is learn how to advertise by
> forming associations with other sites, buying banner
> ads, advertising off-line and yes, have a bugdget to
> gain a foothold.

Karen,

I agree with Wayne that you can't send advertising to
reporters disguised as a press release. It's offensive
and you will lose credibility. I don't agree with Wayne
that it's necessarily spam to send press releases to
specific editors/reporters/newswires. That's what they
want (as both a journalist and publicist, I know). But
it's critical that your press release be news...as
strory that tells why your product or service is
different, making it news, and focuses on benefits not
just features. It's critical for you to learn how to
write business press releases. "BusinessThinkers.com"
is doing a three day FREE online seminar on writing
press release and getting publicity. Lots of rules
there so check it out before you decide to create press
releases.

Hope this helps.

Kindest,

Dahna Chandler
President & Chief Relationship Officer
E*pifany[TM] Communications Group, Inc.
"Revelations in Marketing Strategy that Brand
  Your Business with Success"[SM]





Received on Wed Dec 01 1999 - 00:52:13 CST