Choosing the Right Picture for the Media

Choosing the Right Picture for the Media

If you are not sending pictures out with your press releases, you are missing a vital part of your PR campaign. As any editor will tell you, a release with a photo has a much higher chance of being used and could elevate your story from a few column centimeters on an inside page to a more prominent position and possibly the front page.

Here are a few tips that could help:

As an absolute minimum, ensure you have headshots of all people mentioned in your press releases and spokespeople representing your organization, before you are asked for them by a journalist. Avoid white background studio shots.

Your main spokespeople, CEO, directors, VPs, etc should have a small selection of images taken which picture them in a natural working setting representing your specific business, both with your company logo and without. Make sure you get landscape and portrait orientated shots.

If you are 'telling a story' in your press release, make sure the photo also tells the (same) story. Ensure it has enough impact to immediately grab the attention of firstly the editor and secondly the reader.

Supplying a feature picture instead of a simple headshot is the biggest single thing you can do to bring your story to the top of the pile. Sometimes the most mundane story can be published as the lead story on the page thanks to a superb photo. (This is known as a picture led story).

Have some generic shots taken that represent your business and industry sector. Both internal and exterior shots should be produced showing your business at work. Sometimes having these generic shots available when a picture editor is looking for a photo to go with an existing story can result in your organization being asked to comment. (Make sure you are told what the basis of the story is before making the pictures available).

Make sure all your photos meet the media photo specs so you they can easily be sent by email and will not overload the mailbox of the journalist you are sending them to. (This wouldn't help your cause!)

Tune-Up: Journalists go to company sites and visit the press area with different expectations for different reasons and wanting vastly different things. You have to aim to satisfy them all. Do not surrender control of the site to the IT department simply because you are in a rush to get media delivery online. Joseph Reriani - PR Consultant

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This article is part of Joseph Reriani's "PR Tune-up Blog" newsletter posted to over 6,000 subscribers weekly. The newsletter was first published in 2002 at http://www.Reriani.com. For more articles and PR tune-up tips, please visit www.PrudentPressAgency.com and www.SkyNewswire.com. Joseph Reriani is a Media Consultant and Fellow with the Chartered Institute of Public Relations-  United Kingdom. He is the President/CEO of Prudent International Inc and Executive Editor of Prudent Press Agency. He is also an Assistant Editor of SkyNewswire.com directed by Jackie Mugambi . He is a trained journalist and specializes in helping businesses, organizations, and individuals improve their public image by effectively employing the power of public relations. Mr Reriani can be reached at admin @ Reriani.com. You may freely copy and re-publish this article without altering any part in the body.

A look at Blogging as a PR Strategy

A look at Blogging as a PR Strategy

Search engine optimization (SEO) marketing is becoming increasingly sophisticated, but people are still making very basic mistakes. The fundamentals that were true 5 years ago are still true today. Create a well structured site that is easy for search engines to crawl, add fresh, themed content on an ongoing basis and never stop attracting incoming links from relevant resources. Think of search engine optimization as a long term commitment and don't get distracted by short term tricks.

Google will continue to dominate for some time. You will be foolish to ignore it irrespective of your line of business. Google's percentage of mind share is really unmatched in the search industry. Yahoo has a loyal following and many more registered users, Ask.com has made significant improvements, particularly with blog search. The effect of Google's dominance has been the creation of a wide variety of very useful tools and services for users. I do wonder if there may come a time where Google will become too big and pervasive. Hopefully the competition can avoid that happening as the more quality search options there are, the better it is for users and the marketplace.

Blog entries may be removed from main search engine listings and only listed in blog searches. Most consumers don't know the difference between a blog and a web site. Most of my customers refer to this blog as a website. In fact, an increasing number of companies are using blog software as their web site content management system (CMS). Therefore, I think removing blog entries entirely from search results will reduce the quality of user experience to some degree. At the same time, there is a big problem with blog spam. Particularly with blogs that are automatically created by the thousands for the purpose of generating AdSense revenue. Removing those types of blogs from regular search results and only listing them in a blog search engine may improve search results quality, but it does not solve the problem of blog spam.

I like what Ask.com is doing with their new blog and feed search service. Blog search is offered as an option right along with news, local and image search. That way the searcher can use the same interface for search. Rather than trying to spider all blogs on the web, the Ask.com blog and feed search engine only includes blogs that have been subscribed to within Bloglines. That will stem quite a bit of the blog spam.

There's a lot of useful information on blogs and hopefully the search engines can find a way to package that information in a way that maintains regular search results quality. SEO / blogging seems to be a close-knit community (despite being all over the world) - how do you make sure the ideas are communicated to a wider audience, especially to non-technical business people who need to benefit from these techniques? Syndication to online publications with more of a mass market audience is one way of reaching a wide audience about SEO.

Blogging has certainly caught the attention of the media and the growth in corporate blogging seems to prove that it is rapidly being accepted as hugely important to managing online reputation. Corporate blogging is on the rise, but most executives are far from accepting it . There's a long way to go in making blogging a standard part of a corporate communication and public relations strategy. Most businesses still treat blogging as an experiment.

Tune-Up Many publications run product reviews, tests, comparisons and recommendations. Aim to get your product/services included in as many as possible. One sure way is through creating about them in a blog. Joseph Reriani - PR Consultant

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This article is part of Joseph Reriani's "PR Tune-up Blog" newsletter posted to over 6,000 subscribers weekly. The newsletter was first published in 2002 at http://www.Reriani.com. For more articles and PR tune-up tips, please visit www.PrudentPressAgency.com and www.SkyNewswire.com. Joseph Reriani is a Media Consultant and Fellow with the Chartered Institute of Public Relations-  United Kingdom. He is the President/CEO of Prudent International Inc and Executive Editor of Prudent Press Agency. He is also an Assistant Editor of SkyNewswire.com directed by Jackie Mugambi . He is a trained journalist and specializes in helping businesses, organizations, and individuals improve their public image by effectively employing the power of public relations. Mr Reriani can be reached at admin @ Reriani.com. You may freely copy and re-publish this article without altering any part in the body.

A look at Blogging as a PR Strategy

A look at Blogging as a PR Strategy

Search engine optimization (SEO) marketing is becoming increasingly sophisticated, but people are still making very basic mistakes. The fundamentals that were true 5 years ago are still true today. Create a well structured site that is easy for search engines to crawl, add fresh, themed content on an ongoing basis and never stop attracting incoming links from relevant resources. Think of search engine optimization as a long term commitment and don't get distracted by short term tricks.

Google will continue to dominate for some time. You will be foolish to ignore it irrespective of your line of business. Google's percentage of mind share is really unmatched in the search industry. Yahoo has a loyal following and many more registered users, Ask.com has made significant improvements, particularly with blog search. The effect of Google's dominance has been the creation of a wide variety of very useful tools and services for users. I do wonder if there may come a time where Google will become too big and pervasive. Hopefully the competition can avoid that happening as the more quality search options there are, the better it is for users and the marketplace.

Blog entries may be removed from main search engine listings and only listed in blog searches. Most consumers don't know the difference between a blog and a web site. Most of my customers refer to this blog as a website. In fact, an increasing number of companies are using blog software as their web site content management system (CMS). Therefore, I think removing blog entries entirely from search results will reduce the quality of user experience to some degree. At the same time, there is a big problem with blog spam. Particularly with blogs that are automatically created by the thousands for the purpose of generating AdSense revenue. Removing those types of blogs from regular search results and only listing them in a blog search engine may improve search results quality, but it does not solve the problem of blog spam.

I like what Ask.com is doing with their new blog and feed search service. Blog search is offered as an option right along with news, local and image search. That way the searcher can use the same interface for search. Rather than trying to spider all blogs on the web, the Ask.com blog and feed search engine only includes blogs that have been subscribed to within Bloglines. That will stem quite a bit of the blog spam.

There's a lot of useful information on blogs and hopefully the search engines can find a way to package that information in a way that maintains regular search results quality. SEO / blogging seems to be a close-knit community (despite being all over the world) - how do you make sure the ideas are communicated to a wider audience, especially to non-technical business people who need to benefit from these techniques? Syndication to online publications with more of a mass market audience is one way of reaching a wide audience about SEO.

Blogging has certainly caught the attention of the media and the growth in corporate blogging seems to prove that it is rapidly being accepted as hugely important to managing online reputation. Corporate blogging is on the rise, but most executives are far from accepting it . There's a long way to go in making blogging a standard part of a corporate communication and public relations strategy. Most businesses still treat blogging as an experiment.

Tune-Up Many publications run product reviews, tests, comparisons and recommendations. Aim to get your product/services included in as many as possible. One sure way is through creating about them in a blog. Joseph Reriani - PR Consultant

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This article is part of Joseph Reriani's "PR Tune-up Blog" newsletter posted to over 6,000 subscribers weekly. The newsletter was first published in 2002 at http://www.Reriani.com. For more articles and PR tune-up tips, please visit www.PrudentPressAgency.com and www.SkyNewswire.com. Joseph Reriani is a Media Consultant and Fellow with the Chartered Institute of Public Relations-  United Kingdom. He is the President/CEO of Prudent International Inc and Executive Editor of Prudent Press Agency. He is also an Assistant Editor of SkyNewswire.com directed by Jackie Mugambi . He is a trained journalist and specializes in helping businesses, organizations, and individuals improve their public image by effectively employing the power of public relations. Mr Reriani can be reached at admin @ Reriani.com. You may freely copy and re-publish this article without altering any part in the body.

Write a World - Class Press Release

Write a World - Class Press Release

Why do most press releases seem to read like this: ‘XYZ Co. Inc., a leading supplier of the world’s 123, announced today the availability of its latest product, the XYZ 4.2, version 3, which will revolutionize the software-aided micro-technology chip industry. “This will revolutionize the software-aided micro-technology chip industry,” said Joe Blow, XYZ Co. Chief Executive Officer and Founder.’”

Why do PR professionals flock to the fill-in-the-blanks model of writing press releases? Certainly not because it stands out in the crowd of all the other releases a reporter is likely to get in a day. Unless "Joe Blow" is a famous CEO known to the media or XYZ Co Inc is a company household name, such a press release may more likely than not find itself either deleted or in the trash.

Instead of conforming to the conventional approach as above which is dated, formulaic and, let’s face it, dull — choose a better model to follow. Here are some approaches that I use to spice up the press releases.

Write a feature lead. Contrary to popular opinion, reporters don’t hate feature leads. They hate crappy feature leads.

Instead of the conventional “XYZ Drugs Introduces a new 123 drug to relieve pets pain...” of a first paragraph, why not make your release stand out from the crowd with a first paragraph  like, "Imagine the first few hours in the recovery room following a major surgery. Consider what post-surgical life has been like for some pets undergoing common surgical procedures; intense hours WITHOUT pain medication. …now all that may come to end with the release of 123 drug by XYZ Drugs...". With newspapers your readers or editors have to pick it up to throw it away or if you are lucky get it filed. Not so when you’re sending a release via e-mail. Online, you’re just one click of the delete key away button. Your only chance to get the message read: the subject line and first paragraph... get it right and juicy.

Lead with the benefits to your intended market or media outlet. Present the key element … that explains how your story can benefit the newspapers readers. "Employers now have a better way to measure, monitor and manage employee absences, thanks to XYZ expanded online Comparative Reporting & Analysis (CRA) information services.

Give a great biography. Do your executive or director bios read like a resume... very boring even if you are Bill Gates? Wake your biography up with human-interest details and storytelling. Here’s a great example I recently picked about Embassy Suites hotels: It all started when Carlton Calvin was reading a brief item in the Los Angeles Times about the growing popularity of push scooters in Japan. With a spark of creative thinking, Carlton, president of Razor USA LLC, spawned the “Razor scooter,” one of the hottest trends to hit the United States within the last two years. Hint: “It all started when …” leads draw the reader in. The moment of creative inspiration is a great place to start an executive or director bio — or any story, for that matter.

Use human interest. What’s more compelling: an announcement about custom-fitted breast prostheses, or a “breast cancer survivor profile”? Let people tell your story with leads like this one: "In 1989, Wangari Wanjohi of Karatina, felt a knot in her left breast. Her physician told her that she needed a biopsy, but was 99 percent sure it would be benign. Ms Wanjohi kept putting it off — until the pain in her breast woke her up at night. …" Now you can go ahead and introduce your product and its benefits to Wangari Wanjohi.

Instead of just filling in the blanks, use any or all of these approaches when you write your next press release or pitch. Make your copy creative and compelling, not just one more cliché. 

Tune-Up: Use customer and reference sites to reinforce your messages. Ask satisfied customers to give a few sentences on the benefits they have derived from your product or service, and their return on investment. A list of testimonials, with the company they come from and ideally a contact name should be available to all journalists. Joseph Reriani - PR Consultant

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This article is part of Joseph Reriani's "PR Tune-up Blog" newsletter posted to over 6,000 subscribers weekly. The newsletter was first published in 2002 at http://www.Reriani.com. For more articles and PR tune-up tips, please visit www.PrudentPressAgency.com and www.SkyNewswire.com. Joseph Reriani is a Media Consultant and Fellow with the Chartered Institute of Public Relations-  United Kingdom. He is the President/CEO of Prudent International Inc and Executive Editor of Prudent Press Agency. He is also an Assistant Editor of SkyNewswire.com directed by Jackie Mugambi . He is a trained journalist and specializes in helping businesses, organizations, and individuals improve their public image by effectively employing the power of public relations. Mr Reriani can be reached at admin @ Reriani.com. You may freely copy and re-publish this article without altering any part in the body.

Advertising Versus Public Relations

Advertising Versus Public Relations - What's the Difference?

Often, when the words "public" and "relations" are thrown together in a sentence, a light bulb goes off in the head shining, "Advertising". However, using advertising and public relations as synonyms is a long shot. So what is the big difference?

One of the most crucial differences between public relations and advertising is that PR is free. That is right; none of your hard-earned cash is going to be thrown down to promote your business.

For example, if you run an advertisement in your local newspaper, they charge you for the space you use as well as for the period that the ad is run. But if that same newspaper decides that your business or product is article worthy, you are getting great publicity with no out of pocket costs.

While it is great to get free recognition if someone writes an article about your product, the downfall is that you have no content control. In other words, the journalist that takes on the task is going to have all the say in the length, word choice, and format of what is being said about you and your business. Advertising, on the other hand, makes you the boss as long as you have the cash flow for it.

Along with the benefit of knowing exactly what your ad is going to say, you also have the option of running the ad campaign over and over again if you're getting good results. The media will most likely only run your story once, unless you give them new topics, or an interesting new way of looking at the old ones.

That is not to say that there aren't great benefits that come with public relations. How many times have you looked at an ad in a magazine or on a billboard and been beyond skeptical in terms of the product's reliability? When you read an article or blurb about it in a printed media source, though, you are usually more inclined to think that the product is trustworthy.

Sending off a great press release has many advantages that you might not have taken into consideration before. Let us say that your small business is sponsoring a local charity event. It would probably sound very snobbish of you to run an ad promoting your own selflessness, but if some other media source decided to talk you up, that would be okay, right?

One important thing to remember is that no one is going to cover your story if it is not interesting to the editor that goes over it. First you have to grab their attention, and hope that the editor or journalist will want to give your business some recognition. You also have to wonder if the audience that sees the coverage will be captivated enough to remember your name when looking for products in your specific market. When you pay for an advertisement, the only audience you have to target is your prospects.

There are great benefits in both the worlds of advertising and public relations. Depending on your budget and your needs, you can figure out a combination that will suit you best.

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This Article was written by By Ana Ventura Editor/Project Manager http://www.fullservicepr.com as a guest contributor to the PR Tune-Up newsletter. You can contact Ana Ventura by visiting http://www.fullservicepr.com. You may wish to read other articles on advertising verses Public Relations on the website www.Reriani.com or reriani.blogspot.com.

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Tune-Up: Your aim should be to become the journalist's pundit of choice. You want them to call or email you every time they need a comment in your are of specialty. Joseph Reriani - PR Consultant

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This article is part of Joseph Reriani's "PR Tune-up Blog" newsletter posted to over 6,000 subscribers weekly. The newsletter was first published in 2002 at http://www.Reriani.com. For more articles and PR tune-up tips, please visit www.PrudentPressAgency.com and www.SkyNewswire.com. Joseph Reriani is a Media Consultant and Fellow with the Chartered Institute of Public Relations-  United Kingdom. He is the President/CEO of Prudent International Inc and Executive Editor of Prudent Press Agency. He is also an Assistant Editor of SkyNewswire.com directed by Jackie Mugambi . He is a trained journalist and specializes in helping businesses, organizations, and individuals improve their public image by effectively employing the power of public relations. Mr Reriani can be reached at admin @ Reriani.com. You may freely copy and re-publish this article without altering any part in the body.

About Prudent International Inc

About Prudent International Inc

Now in its 8th year, Prudent International Inc ( http://www.prudentpressagency.com  and http://www.SkyNewswire.com ) provides electronic press release distribution, targeting, measurement, translation and broadcast services on behalf of some 6,000 individuals, corporations, government agencies, associations, labor, non-profit, and other customers worldwide who seek to reach a variety of critical audiences including the news media, the investment community, government decision-makers, and the general public with their up-to-the-minute, full-text news developments. Established in 1999, Prudent International Inc is registered in the USA and The E.U in the Netherlands.

Utilizing the latest in communications technology, Prudent International Inc content is considered a mainstay among news reporters, investors and individuals who seek breaking news from the source.

Prudent International Inc also specializes in marketing the work of freelance journalists and reporters to the media and we are currently working with over 50 journalists in over 18 countries. We have over the years helped numerous first time journalists, photographers and writers get published. Contact either Joseph Reriani (PrudentPressAgency.com) at editorial@PrudentPressAgency.com or Jackie Mugambi (SkyNewswire.com) at editorial@SkyNewswire.com depending on the network you wish to work with.

NB: Please note that you cannot register on both websites as a freelancer.

Since its founding, Prudent International Inc has grown to become a market leader in commercial news preparation and distribution. Many companies and organizations depend on our services to transmit their news releases, regulatory filings, photos and other multimedia content to journalists, financial professionals, investor services, bloggers, regulatory authorities and the general public worldwide. We originate numerous news announcements each year, with a dramatic impact on perception, credibility, capital and commercial markets around the globe in virtually every industry sector. Our news has appeared in the past on such media outlets as MSNBC, CNN, PR Report, The New York Times, PR Week and many other newspapers, magazines and websites.

Prudent International Inc offers free and paid for press release distribution, write-up and public relations consultation services among other PR services. Unlike other press release outsourcing services on the internet, we care about quality press releases and all articles on our website have to first get approval from our team of editors. A common problem in today’s online PR services is that they publish anything to make money and generate traffic to themselves. The result is that journalists and editors start ignoring and avoiding news releases from these sources and organizations associated with them. Please also view our FAQ's on our websites.

Our Mission
Our primary mission is to help anyone announce newsworthy events and create an affordable and appropriate network to achieve this goal. Public relations used to be a field exclusive to the big guys but we have made it our motto to make it accessible to everyone. We have teamed up with leading news sources that display our headlines on their web sites and search engines and are continually working to increase our outlets.

Tune- Up: The most important relationship to the professional PR agency is the one between them and the press. The would rather lose the client than risk the relationship. Joseph Reriani - PR Consultant

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This article is part of Joseph Reriani's "PR Tune-up Blog" newsletter posted to over 6,000 subscribers weekly. The newsletter was first published in 2002 at http://www.Reriani.com. For more articles and PR tune-up tips, please visit www.PrudentPressAgency.com and www.SkyNewswire.com. Joseph Reriani is a Media Consultant and Fellow with the Chartered Institute of Public Relations-  United Kingdom. He is the President/CEO of Prudent International Inc and Executive Editor of Prudent Press Agency. He is also an Assistant Editor of SkyNewswire.com directed by Jackie Mugambi . He is a trained journalist and specializes in helping businesses, organizations, and individuals improve their public image by effectively employing the power of public relations. Mr Reriani can be reached at admin @ Reriani.com. You may freely copy and re-publish this article without altering any part in the body.

Advertising verses Public Relations

Advertising verses Public Relations

It's easy to become confused about these terms: Advertising, Marketing, Promotion, Public Relations and Publicity, and Sales. The terms have often mistakenly been used interchangeably. However, they are all very different -- but aim to achieve similar goals - or do they? Some basic text book definitions are provided below with a short example to help make the terms more clear.

Advertising
Advertising is bringing a product (or service) to the attention of potential and current customers. Advertising is typically done with signs, brochures, commercials, direct mailings or e-mail messages, personal contact, etc.

Promotion
Promotion keeps the product in the minds of the customer and helps stimulate demand for the product. Promotion involves ongoing advertising and publicity (mention in the press). The ongoing activities of advertising, sales and public relations are often considered aspects of promotions.

Marketing
Marketing is the wide range of activities involved in making sure that you're continuing to meet the needs of your customers and getting value in return. These activities include market research to find out, for example, what groups of potential customers exist, what their needs are, which of those needs you can meet, how you should meet them, etc. Marketing also includes analyzing the competition, positioning your new product or service (finding your market niche), pricing your products and services, and promoting them through continued advertising, promotions, public relations and sales.

Public relations
Public relations includes ongoing activities to ensure the company has a strong public image. Public relations activities include helping the public to understand the company and its products. Often, public relations are conducted through the media, that is, newspapers, television, magazines, etc. As noted above, public relations is often considered as one of the primary activities included in promotions.

Publicity
Publicity is mention in the media. Organizations usually have little control over the message in the media, at least, not as they do in advertising. Regarding publicity, reporters and writers decide what will be said.

Public relations includes ongoing activities to ensure the organization has a strong public image. Public relations activities include helping the public to understand the organization and its products. Similar to effective advertising and promotions, effective public relations often depends on designing and implementing a well-designed public relations plan. The plan often includes description of what you want to convey to whom, how you plan to convey it, who is responsible for various activities and by when, and how much money is budgeted to fund these activities. Similar to advertising and promotions, a media plan and calendar can be very useful, which specifies what media methods that are used and when.

Often, public relations are conducted through the media, that is, newspapers, television, magazines, etc. Publicity is mention in the media. Organizations usually have little control over the message in the media, at least, not as much as they do in advertising. Regarding publicity, reporters and writers decide what will be said.

Regarding public relations, consider: What groups of stakeholders do we want to appeal to and how? What impressions do you want each of your stakeholder to have? What communications media do they see or prefer the most? Consider advertising, collaborations, annual reports, networking, TV, radio, newsletters, classifieds, displays/signs, posters, word of mouth, direct mail, special events, brochures, neighborhood newsletters, etc. What media is most practical for you to use in terms of access and affordability? What messages are most appealing to each stakeholder group?

Paid Space or Free Coverage

Advertising:
The company pays for ad space. You know exactly when that ad will air or be published.

Public Relations:
Your job is to get free publicity for the company. From news conferences to press releases, you're focused on getting free media exposure for the company and its products/services.

Creative Control Vs. No Control

Advertising:
Since you're paying for the space, you have creative control on what goes into that ad.

Public Relations:
You have no control over how the media presents your information, if they decide to use your info at all. They're not obligated to cover your event or publish your press release just because you sent something to them. "Journalists like people who are prepared to be outrageous, bold and outspoken, provided they are not arrogant, obnoxious or irritating. This can give you a measure of creativity though small. PR is ultimately uncontrollable because the journalists are uncontrollable" reiterates Joseph Reriani Executive Editor of Prudent Press Agency

Shelf Life

Advertising:
Since you pay for the space, you can run your ads over and over for as long as your budget allows. An ad generally has a longer shelf life than one press release.

Public Relations:
You only submit a press release about a new product once. You only submit a press release about a news conference once. The PR exposure you receive is only circulated once. An editor won't publish your same press release three or four times in their magazine.

Wise Consumers

Advertising:
Consumers know when they're reading an advertisement they're trying to be sold a product or service.

Public Relations:
When someone reads a third-party article written about your product or views coverage of your event on TV, they're seeing something you didn't pay for with ad dollars and view it differently than they do paid advertising.

In-House or Out on the Town

Advertising:
If you're working at an ad agency, your main contacts are your co-workers and the agency's clients. If you buy and plan ad space on behalf of the client, then you'll also interact with media sales people.

Public Relations:
You interact with the media and develop a relationship with them. Your contact is not limited to in-house communications. You're in constant touch with your contacts at the print publications and broadcast media.

Target Audience or Hooked Editor

Advertising:
You're looking for your target audience and advertising accordingly. You would not advertise a women's TV network in a male-oriented sports magazine.

Public Relations:
You must have an angle and hook editors to get them to use info for an article, to run a press release or to cover your event. Our team of experienced editors ( www.PrudentPressAgency.com and www.SkyNewswire.com ) have idealized thousands of news angles and do it for a living.

Special Events

Advertising:
If your company sponsors an event, you wouldn't want to take out an ad giving yourself a pat on the back for being such a great company. This is where your PR department steps in.

Public Relations:
If you're sponsoring an event, you can send out a press release and the media might pick it up. They may publish the information or cover the event.

Writing Style

Advertising:
Buy this product! Act now! Call today! These are all things you can say in an advertisement. You want to use those buzz words to motivate people to buy your product.

Public Relations:
You're strictly writing in a no-nonsense news format. Any blatant commercial messages in your communications are disregarded by the media. "Journalists are looking for a fresh story of interest to their audience. You are looking to promote your product and company. The two are not necessarily incompatible" stresses Lilian Matana Executive Editor of SkyNewswire.com

Tune-Up: A PR Agency cannot help resorting to hype or soft-selling - they think it is their responsibility to enhance information to try to "sell" it to the press, without realizing that this alienates them from the journalists and inhibits the development of good, long-lasting, mutually satisfying relationship. Joseph Reriani - PR Consultant

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This article is part of Joseph Reriani's "PR Tune-up Blog" newsletter posted to over 6,000 subscribers weekly. The newsletter was first published in 2002 at http://www.Reriani.com. For more articles and PR tune-up tips, please visit www.PrudentPressAgency.com and www.SkyNewswire.com. Joseph Reriani is a Media Consultant and Fellow with the Chartered Institute of Public Relations-  United Kingdom. He is the President/CEO of Prudent International Inc and Executive Editor of Prudent Press Agency. He is also an Assistant Editor of SkyNewswire.com directed by Jackie Mugambi . He is a trained journalist and specializes in helping businesses, organizations, and individuals improve their public image by effectively employing the power of public relations. Mr Reriani can be reached at admin @ Reriani.com. You may freely copy and re-publish this article without altering any part in the body.

The 10 Commandments for Avoiding a Public Relations Disaster:

The 10 Commandments for Avoiding a Public Relations Disaster:

Ever wonder why so many people have gotten into trouble because of what they have said or written that has become public on TV, radio, newpapers, or the internet? I  recently discovered an ancient scroll with ten sacred commandments that can ensure that the reader will avoid these public relations pitfalls.

1. Thou shalt think – and think clearly and carefully – before thou speaketh or writeth.

2. Thou shalt not write or say anything (that is, ANYTHING) that thou wouldst not be proud to see quoted in the newspaper, TV, radio, or Internet.

3. Thou shalt never say or write anything that is “off the record,” since thou knowest that in today’s world, NOTHING is off the record.

4. Thou shalt avoid jokes and trying to be “funny” or “cute,” since thou knowest that most humor has a hostile and sarcastic element. Thou shalt leavest the humor to the professional comedians and comedy writers.

5. In whatever thou sayest and writest, thou shalt ask, “How would someone who hates me interpret this?”

6. Thou shalt keep things positive, and avoid the negatives.

7. Thou shalt not insult any specific individual or group.

8. Thou shalt avoid the temptation to say something controversial, or to offer an “off the cuff” opinion about anything controversial.

9. Thou shalt offer opinions only within one’s own areas of knowledge, competence, and experience.

10. When in doubt about what to say or write, thou shalt consult.

I am not certain which ancient public relations firm wrote the above ten commandments and I do not in any way claim to own them. However, their relevance for today's world is unquestioned.

Tune- Up: Letters for publication are one of the most overlooked areas of opportunity for those seeking to promote their products or services. Many editors are crying out for good, entertaining, controversial letters to print. Letters to the editor offer excellent opportunities to build name and brand familiarity Joseph Reriani. - PR Consultant

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This article is part of Joseph Reriani's "PR Tune-up Blog" newsletter posted to over 6,000 subscribers weekly. The newsletter was first published in 2002 at http://www.Reriani.com. For more articles and PR tune-up tips, please visit www.PrudentPressAgency.com and www.SkyNewswire.com. Joseph Reriani is a Media Consultant and Fellow with the Chartered Institute of Public Relations-  United Kingdom. He is the President/CEO of Prudent International Inc and Executive Editor of Prudent Press Agency. He is also an Assistant Editor of SkyNewswire.com directed by Jackie Mugambi . He is a trained journalist and specializes in helping businesses, organizations, and individuals improve their public image by effectively employing the power of public relations. Mr Reriani can be reached at admin @ Reriani.com. You may freely copy and re-publish this article without altering any part in the body.

Importance of Strategic Fore Thought in PR

Importance of Strategic Fore Thought in PR

Do you read stories in newspapers and trade magazines about your competitors? Perhaps you know your company is as successful as they are with just as many positive stories to tell, but none of the articles you have submitted have been published.

The first thing to understand is that journalists are not in the business of providing free publicity. Their role is to produce articles of interest to their readers, so you need to provide relevant information which they genuinely want to publish. Different journalists write in different ways for different audiences and it is essential to develop an understanding of their requirements before submitting any information to them. A newspaper distributed in one city, for example, is unlikely to be interested in your new office in another city -- but it may well be if you explain that you've had to recruit specialist staff from the city the newspaper is published in, to address local skills shortages.

Be Strategic
Efforts to secure publicity need to form part of a strategy which supports your broader commercial objectives. Hold a meeting with your management team -- perhaps with guidance from a PR consultant -- to explore the rationale behind the publicity drive. For example, you may have expansion plans which rely on being able to attract and retain high caliber staff. You therefore have two priorities: Firstly, to position yourself as a highly successful employer that looks after its staff, and secondly, to ensure that customers know who you are, what you do, and why you are the best.

Know your Market
It's important to develop a realistic understanding of your target audiences: Who are the decision-makers? What size companies do they work for or run? Where are these companies based? How are they influenced? What publications do they read? You can only hope to make a meaningful impact on people if you know what makes them tick.

Focus on the Message
Once you've established what you want to create 'noise' about and you've prioritized your target audiences, it's worth considering how you want to be positioned. Seeing your company's name in print can be immensely satisfying but if the article does not communicate specific aspects of your service and expertise, it's unlikely to have the required effect. By consistently describing your company in the same way and communicating three or four unique selling points you are more likely to get your message across. 

Spread the Word
Press releases are a useful means of providing journalists with information and a good proportion of business articles begin their life in this way. However, journalists are bombarded with hundreds on a daily basis so it's essential that yours stands out. A powerful headline and first paragraph clearly identifying the news angle are fundamental. Avoid jargon at all costs and remember KISS: Keep It Short and Simple.

Remember that pro-activity, and perseverance, are essential to reap the fruits of a PR campaign

Tune-Up Press releases are by no means the only way. Pick up the telephone and discuss your story with the journalists you want to target. Don't lose heart if you get an indifferent response: think of the discussion as an opportunity to gain a better understanding of the type of commentary most likely to impress. . Joseph Reriani - PR Consultant

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This article is part of Joseph Reriani's "PR Tune-up Blog" newsletter posted to over 6,000 subscribers weekly. The newsletter was first published in 2002 at http://www.Reriani.com. For more articles and PR tune-up tips, please visit www.PrudentPressAgency.com and www.SkyNewswire.com. Joseph Reriani is a Media Consultant and Fellow with the Chartered Institute of Public Relations-  United Kingdom. He is the President/CEO of Prudent International Inc and Executive Editor of Prudent Press Agency. He is also an Assistant Editor of SkyNewswire.com directed by Jackie Mugambi . He is a trained journalist and specializes in helping businesses, organizations, and individuals improve their public image by effectively employing the power of public relations. Mr Reriani can be reached at admin @ Reriani.com. You may freely copy and re-publish this article without altering any part in the body.

About Prudent International Inc

About Prudent International Inc

Now in its 8th year, Prudent International Inc ( http://www.prudentpressagency.com  and http://www.SkyNewswire.com ) provides electronic press release distribution, targeting, measurement, translation and broadcast services on behalf of some 6,000 individuals, corporations, government agencies, associations, labor, non-profit, and other customers worldwide who seek to reach a variety of critical audiences including the news media, the investment community, government decision-makers, and the general public with their up-to-the-minute, full-text news developments. Established in 1999, Prudent International Inc is registered in the USA and The E.U in the Netherlands.

Utilizing the latest in communications technology, Prudent International Inc content is considered a mainstay among news reporters, investors and individuals who seek breaking news from the source.

Prudent International Inc also specializes in marketing the work of freelance journalists and reporters to the media and we are currently working with over 50 journalists in over 18 countries. We have over the years helped numerous first time journalists, photographers and writers get published. Contact either Joseph Reriani (PrudentPressAgency.com) at editorial@PrudentPressAgency.com or Jackie Mugambi (SkyNewswire.com) at editorial@SkyNewswire.com depending on the network you wish to work with.

NB: Please note that you cannot register on both websites as a freelancer.

Since its founding, Prudent International Inc has grown to become a market leader in commercial news preparation and distribution. Many companies and organizations depend on our services to transmit their news releases, regulatory filings, photos and other multimedia content to journalists, financial professionals, investor services, bloggers, regulatory authorities and the general public worldwide. We originate numerous news announcements each year, with a dramatic impact on perception, credibility, capital and commercial markets around the globe in virtually every industry sector. Our news has appeared in the past on such media outlets as MSNBC, CNN, PR Report, The New York Times, PR Week and many other newspapers, magazines and websites.

Prudent International Inc offers free and paid for press release distribution, write-up and public relations consultation services among other PR services. Unlike other press release outsourcing services on the internet, we care about quality press releases and all articles on our website have to first get approval from our team of editors. A common problem in today’s online PR services is that they publish anything to make money and generate traffic to themselves. The result is that journalists and editors start ignoring and avoiding news releases from these sources and organizations associated with them. Please also view our FAQ's on our websites.

Our Mission
Our primary mission is to help anyone announce newsworthy events and create an affordable and appropriate network to achieve this goal. Public relations used to be a field exclusive to the big guys but we have made it our motto to make it accessible to everyone. We have teamed up with leading news sources that display our headlines on their web sites and search engines and are continually working to increase our outlets.

Tune- Up: The most important relationship to the professional PR agency is the one between them and the press. The would rather lose the client than risk the relationship. Joseph Reriani - PR Consultant

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This article is part of Joseph Reriani's "PR Tune-up Blog" newsletter posted to over 6,000 subscribers weekly. The newsletter was first published in 2002 at http://www.Reriani.com. For more articles and PR tune-up tips, please visit www.PrudentPressAgency.com and www.SkyNewswire.com. Joseph Reriani is a Media Consultant and Fellow with the Chartered Institute of Public Relations-  United Kingdom. He is the President/CEO of Prudent International Inc and Executive Editor of Prudent Press Agency. He is also an Assistant Editor of SkyNewswire.com directed by Jackie Mugambi . He is a trained journalist and specializes in helping businesses, organizations, and individuals improve their public image by effectively employing the power of public relations. Mr Reriani can be reached at admin @ Reriani.com. You may freely copy and re-publish this article without altering any part in the body.

A Newswire for Your Organization

A Newswire for Your Organization

Think you can’t afford to get the word out on your small business? Think again. Joseph Reriani, founder of Prudent International Inc the parent company of www.PrudentPressAgency.com and www.SkyNewswire.com, explains in the following Q&A about our services.

Advertising Is Expensive. Anybody Can Purchase Ad Space and Tout Themselves As The Next Big Thing. However it is Third - Party Endorsement That Comes From a Strategically Placed Articled About Your Business That Stays On The Minds Of Your Potential Customers.
A basic tool to any PR campaign is a good media list. We have access to the industries best and latest media database. Plenty of time has been put into categorizing and familiarizing ourselves with the editorial policies of many media houses worldwide. We have access to a strong 85,000 newspapers, magazines, news websites, radio and television editors and journalists worldwide in over 70 diverse categories, the outcome of hundreds of hours of phone calls and faxes as well as thousands of dollars in media subscriptions

When was PrudentPressAgency.com founded?
Prudent International Inc the parent company of PrudentPressAgency.com was incorporated in 1999 by Joseph Reriani then working as a freelance journalist for various media organizations. He was joined by Jackie Mugambi in 2003 a newly graduate broadcast student who started off on a volunteer basis and rose to direct www.SkyNewswire.com when it was started. Both websites have over 7,000 registered members and receive over 350,000 unique hits monthly generating over 1,000,000 page views. We define a page view as one person viewing one press release or classified advisement.
We originate numerous news announcements each year, with a dramatic impact on perception, credibility, capital and commercial markets around the globe in virtually every industry sector. Our news has appeared in the past on such media outlets as MSNBC, CNN, PR Report, The New York Times, PR Week and many other newspapers, magazines and websites.
Prudent International Inc is a privately held company registered in the USA and The Netherlands in the E.U.

What happens to my press release when I post it on your networks?
After being approved by our editorial team, your press release will be posted on our website front page. This makes it accessible to the over 350,000 unique monthly visitors who access our networks as well as over 30,000 RSS and XML feed subscribers also known as syndicated news feeds.

You will also most probably find your press release in other high traffic news outlets like Google News, Google Finance and Yahoo News minutes after appearing on our front page.

Your news release will also be searchable on most search engines within a day to a week compared to the average 6 month to a year it takes most new websites contents. For more on the benefits of submitting your news release FREE on our website go to: http://prudentpressagency.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=13  

For our paid services, you get all the free services benefits plus PR crafting, consultation and/or distribution services depending on your chosen package. We maintain a database of over 85,000 media contacts in over 70 categories and have partnered with many specialist wire services around the world to better target our media reach. We have the capability of placing your press release in front of journalist computers and other places they frequent depending on the nature of your news release.

Prudent Press Agency & SkyNewswire.com Web Sites
Both websites currently have a combined traffic of over 350,000 unique visitors monthly generating millions of page views. We describe a page view as one person viewing one press release. All press releases are posted on our site indefinitely and only removed from our site if the originator deletes it or it is found to compromise our editorial guidelines. Please see our Terms and Conditions.

Search Engine Submission
Each press release appearing on our websites is optimized for search engine indexing. This is one reason why your press release will appear on the major search engines within a day to a week and within minutes on news sites such as  Google News, Google Finance and Yahoo News among others.

Syndicated News Feed
XML/RSS news feeds are a popular way of distributing content on the internet. XML and RSS technology has made it possible for publishers and individuals to easily stay updated on the contents of particular website simply by placing a small code on their websites or email subscription. We are currently aware of over 30,000 XML and RSS subscribers to our websites though this number could be much much higher. XML/RSS news feeds increases exposure to your press release.

Media Distribution - Fax, Post, Telephone and Email
We currently maintain a database of over 85,000 media contacts in over 70 categories. Different media personalities choose to be contacted in different ways though the most popular mode still remains email. Traditional modes of press release distribution such as fax, and post are still widely used mostly by feature writers who are less constrained by time.

How do I upload a press release?
Go to our website home page at www.PrudentPressAgency.com and register for a free account. Check your email after a few minutes for a verification link to activate the account. Please ensure that you enter your email correctly as this is where your verification link is sent to. Activate your account and you are ready to go. Login to your account and take advantage of our free press release services benefits.

How long does my press release remain online?
Your press release remains online forever, that means that it never expires. Most users leave their release online even if it becomes old news. One advantage is that it will be available under search results and result in hits to your website. Leaving older releases online is an effective way of letting the media know where you have been as an organization. In certain circumstances you may want to remove a press release but that decision is entirely up to you.

What are the advantages of a paid release?
In addition to all the features you get for a free press release, you receive highly targeted distribution to the media, press release and articles crafting as well as public relations consulting depending your chosen package. You can also create your own custom package (please contact us). You may also opt to employ the services of our experienced editors and journalists in crafting and polishing your press release. We currently have over 20 customized PR packages.

What other media services do you offer?
We offer numerous media services including Edgar filing services for public traded companies, long term media communication and consultation services, various press release write-up and distribution packages. Working with numerous journalists and writers puts us at an added advantage of knowing what they are looking for in terms of sources, news angles and content and we are able to create that valuable bridge between you and them. We also offer professional website analysis in relation to public relations.

Do you ever reject press releases?
Yes, we do under certain circumstances. Every press release must pass a review process by our editors. We never verify any of the news or proofread any of the free press releases. Correct grammar and spelling are the submitter's responsibility. Remember the importance of submitting well-conceived and well-written press releases.
A few of our general guidelines include - We will not post ads and will reject press releases that are not deemed newsworthy. Press releases that we perceive to be inflammatory or intended to cause harm to a third party will not be accepted. In addition, we will only post press releases which are in standard press release format. Please see our Terms and Conditions.

Do you accept press releases for adult content?
No, we do not accept press releases for adult content.

Is Prudent International Inc a public traded company?
No, Prudent International Inc the parent company of Prudent Press Agency and SkyNewswire.com is a privately held for-profit company.

Press release or News Release?
For a number of reasons, including search engine optimization we use the terms press release, news release and media release interchangeably. They all mean the same thing.

Does distribution through your networks guarantee that the media will use my press release?
No, no newswire service can guarantee that the media will use your news release. We do not control the media only try to get your news to them in the best way we can. For all free press release, the ultimate responsibility for success lies with you. Did you create a compelling story? Is it newsworthy? Will others find it newsworthy? See other parts of this website for our weekly "PR Tune-Up" newsletter which can help you greatly patch up your media relations".

Will my press release be used elsewhere on the Internet or in print?
We cannot guarantee that your release will be picked up and used by other media outlets. The ultimate responsibility for success lies with you. Did you create a compelling story? Is it newsworthy? etc. Google News, Google Finance and Yahoo News pick up most of our stories minutes after publication.

Do you offer a clipping service?
No, we do not offer a clipping service of our own but subscribe to those of other newswires. We can very easily and cheaply find out what the media is saying or has said about you for a nominal fee. Please see our services package here

How can I access my press release statistics?
Every press release has an individual hit counter that displays the page impressions since publication. This information is available to the general public. It is to your advantage to direct as much traffic to your press releases as possible by placing links to it in as many websites as possible.

Why do you encourage publishers to create links to their press releases on their website?
The main reason is to shorten the period search engines take to index your press release page and also to create a "search bundle" for your press release on the internet. The more links that point to your press release on the internet the higher placed and visible it will be be using relevant keyword searches.

How many employees does Prudent Press Agency and SkyNewswire.com have?
Prudent International Inc currently has 7 employees working as editors, copy tasters and journalists. All have a background in journalism and media studies with a combined 80 years of experience. Joseph Reriani is the Executive Editor of Prudent Press Agency while Lilian A. Matama is the Executive Editor of SkyNewswire.com responsible for crafting and enforcing editorial policies of the websites. They are also usually the first link between the newsroom and customers. Protus Nyamwea, Geodfree Otieno and Sami Khan are copy tasters and editors all holding diplomas and/or degrees in journalism and public relations. We also work with over 50 freelance journalists and writers located in 13 countries who supply us with various news and feature articles which we market to the media on their behalf.

17. Do you write and edit press releases?
Yes, for a nominal fee, our editors can help craft a professional press release ensuring that such vital aspects as newsworthiness, grammar and timeliness are met in your press release. We will also offer advice on news angles and best times to distribute your release. An analysis of your website will also be conducted to ensure that journalists can easily find information about you. We have a team of talented news crafters editors that are able to help you write your press release.

I am a freelance journalist/writer how can you help me?
If you are interested in joining our growing team of freelance journalists, reporters feature writers, specialist writers, photographers we would very much love to have you on board. Prudent International Inc specializes in marketing the work of freelancers to the media. We have over the years helped numerous first time journalists get published. Contact either Joseph Reriani at editorial@Prudent Press Agency.com or Jackie Mugambi at editorial@SkyNewswire.com  depending on the network you wish to work with. Please note that you can not register as a freelance journalist on both websites.  

What is Prudent Press Agency?
It is a newswire service for the entire business sector. Our parent company Prudent International Inc, was incorporated in 1999 originally distributing news to continental North America before branching to the rest of the world in early 2002. We have access to a strong 85,000 newspapers, magazines, websites, radio and television editors and journalists worldwide in over 70 diverse categories, the outcome of over 2,000 hours of phone calls and sending faxes. A professionally written News Release can make the difference between a successful PR campaign and an utter failure. Our in-house editors and PR department will prepare your news release in the globally accepted PR format stressing the most news worthy features of your release. We pride ourselves in serving over 7,000 registered individuals and businesses who periodically use our services either to post their media releases for FREE or buying one of our well priced PR packages. Our website at http://www.PrudentPressAgency.com receives over 30,000 media related visits monthly.

Why do small entrepreneurs have a problem with some of the more traditional newswire services?
It is a combination of brand and cost. The people who are most interested in small business news do not tend to be on the political and hard news desk, which is largely where the major newswires distribute their read.

Another reason is that small entrepreneurs cannot afford to spend US$700 for each press release they want to put out nationally. We do a variety of things to keep our costs as low as we can and use technologies that allow us to pass those savings on to our customers.

"We have and continue to negotiate strategic relationships with major wire services in individual countries to ensure that our services remain affordable and of the highest quality." - Joseph Reriani, founder and Executive Editor Prudent Press Agency

If a company wanted to try out your service, how would it go about doing so?
(The company) would place an order directly for one of our services here. The link has all the basic information and links to detailed specific contents of our services.

What is PR packaging?
PR Packaging involves purchasing a PR write-up and distribution packages in one. One way we drive costs down is by combining two or more services for individual releases. Over 90 percent of our clients renew their chosen packages.

How much does your press release distribution cost?

The price for crafting and distributing a press release of 400 words or less is only US$ 149.95. You receive a comprehensive press release distribution to more than 50,000 general editors and over 20,000 specialist magazines and websites. To view some of the media outlets we will reach with your Press Release go to our media list

How soon does the press release go out?

Your press release will be distributed between Monday 9hrs EST and Thursday 16hrs the following business day. This ensures that editors and journalists receive it in their email in-box or fax machines the next morning. We see stronger responses with press releases received in the morning and well before weekends.

How are your press releases sent?
Our press releases are sent via email with the text formatted by us for line length and presentation. We also send out electronic faxes to media outlets that choose this mode. The text of the press release is sent within the body of the fax/email message as many organizations will not accept attachments because of virus and bandwidth concerns. If you have an image, we upload them to our website and provide a link to them on our website. The subject of the email message sent to editors will include your press release title or an abbreviated version of it.
Your press release is also personally issued through Reuters, Associated Press, Inter Press Service, Media General News Service Inc and others. We also post it on our website under your chosen categories.

How do I post my Press Release FREE on your site?
To post your Press Release on our website, first open an account them login to your account after registering and verifying your email.
Go to the "Submit your Article" link and post your article. Our editors will review it to see if it meets our requirements before posting it on the website. Every day hundreds of journalists and media editors visit our website in search of new articles and fill-ups.

What makes your press release services different from your competitors?
- We never charge a membership fee. Unlike other press release services, we have no hidden or extra charges. Our low prices stay low and remain among the lowest in the industry but the quality of our PR services remain highest.
- We don't spam journalists. Our sources have opted to receive our press releases and media communications. We also maintain a responsible remove list for those who do not wish to be contacted by us. Beware of press release services which bombard journalists with unwelcome emails: you'll run the risk of weakening your impact and alienating the very audience you want to impress.
- We contact interested journalists directly. We reach more than 75 percent of our sources by name, and send press releases to their personal email addresses. Most press release services simply use a generic "editor@newspaper.com" format.
- Our low price includes quality press release write-up and distribution. We dare you to find a cheaper service offering a combination of the two at the quality and guarantee offered by us.
- We don't just send your press release. We send you proof of distribution! We also watch the media for new angles to pursue in future. As a client, you'll receive a customized report with links to your press release between five and ten websites where it appears.

Under what circumstances does PrudentPressAgency.com reject Press Releases?
Every press release we post on our website or to the media must pass a review process. PrudentPressAgency.com does not verify any of the news nor proofread any press release that was not prepared by us. Correct grammar and spelling are the submitter's responsibility. Please remember the importance of submitting well-conceived and well-written press releases.
We review all releases for general content to make sure that the story falls within our guidelines which are as follows: - We will not post advertisements and will reject press releases that are not deemed newsworthy. Press releases that we perceive to be inflammatory or intended to cause harm to a third party will not be accepted. We will also reject all releases that are written in all capital letters which is perceived as screaming. In addition, we will only post press releases which are in standard press release format.

Why are some of your articles free?
All Press Release articles on our website are free to editors, journalists and our website visitors to read. PrudentPressAgency.com was originally founded as a newswire organization. Many professional journalists and reporters around the world routinely sell their articles to the media through us.

Is PrudentPressAgency.com a not-for-profit company?
No. PrudentPressAgency.com is a privately held for-profit company. It is a fully owned subsidiary of Prudent International Inc USA & EU. We manage to keep our prices low because we rely on volume sales, advertisement placement for clients and other media related services. Please note that our low prices never affect our ability to deliver our high quality services.

Can I post my release via snail mail?
Our editorial team can turn around a news story and run an editorial news flash banner on our site or post out your message to the media typically within about 30 minutes. We can only do that if the news story comes in an electronic format (email, electronic fax or web page).
Sorry to say, the press releases which still come into our office daily on paper, by snail mail are just thrown straight into the bin. They usually arrive too late anyway, so they fail on two counts.

How much does it cost to have your agency prepare my Press Release without distribution to the media?
We are asked this question many times. A one time PR crafting costs only US$ 49.95. Among the reasons given for wanting a Press Release write-up without distribution are:
1. Acquiring quality material for organizational and company in-house magazines and journals
2. Acquiring quality material for advertisement brochures, leaflets and pamphlets
3. Acquiring quality material for Press Release/ Media sections of websites
4. Testing the agencies ability to produce quality PR write-ups at lower prices.

What are the most important aspects of a Press Release?
If you plan on preparing and distributing your own Press Release ensure that:
1. The first lines of your press releases includes: "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE" (or FOR RELEASE May 18, 2001) and "For more information, contact:" followed by your contact information.
2. Craft a compelling headline. The headline makes your release stand out. Keep it short, active, and descriptive. If you don't know how, read a number of compelling headlines till you get some idea.
3. Hook reader with the first paragraph. A first paragraph shall summarize the five W's: who, what, where, when and why. In fact, most readers will give up if you haven't "hooked" them in the first few lines.
4. Put the most important information at the beginning. This is a tried and true rule of journalism. Never hide golden points to the end.
5. Don't sell but answer questions! Making over-inflated statements is helpless to your business. Write a release that answers questions about your business, rather than piling flowery adjectives without saying why.
6. Avoid saying something is "unique" or "the best". Instead, show how people will benefit - i.e. save time, save money, make their life easier, etc.
7. A 'non- biased' source is very helpful.
8. Provide all possible contact information including mail address, telephone, fax, e-mail and web site (especially for online business).
9. Proofread & Proofread! Do remember to proofread your press release for typographical errors before you send them out.
10. End your press release with "###" (without the quotation marks) after your last lines of text. This symbol lets the editors know they have successfully received the entire release.

Does Prudent Press Agency accept press releases for adult content?
NO. Prudent Press Agency does not accept explicit adult content pieces and reserves the right to refuse all press releases containing or promoting adult content.

Do I need two accounts for both PrudentPressAgency.com and SkyNewswire.com?
Yes, you need two separate accounts for both websites. Each website has a separate and independent editorial team responsible for creating their own editorial policies. SkyNewswire.com headed by Jackie Mugambi (Executive Editor) accepts fewer free press releases. The website mostly targets public traded and fortune 500 companies as its clientele compared to Prudent Press Agency which will accept most well crafted and angled press releases irrespective of source.

Can you give us some examples of how you manage to keep your prices so low?

We are currently seven strong and do not have the expense that the major corporate newswires have of releasing market-moving financial information simultaneously on three continents. We also negotiate bulk orders with many of the E.U countries newswire services and we pass these savings to our clients.

Tune-Up: "The PR agency's primary objective is to help you win the hearts and minds of the journalists so that they think of you and your product or services favorably." Joseph Reriani - PR Consultant

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This article is part of Joseph Reriani's "PR Tune-up Blog" newsletter posted to over 6,000 subscribers weekly. The newsletter was first published in 2002 at http://www.Reriani.com. For more articles and PR tune-up tips, please visit www.PrudentPressAgency.com and www.SkyNewswire.com. Joseph Reriani is a Media Consultant and Fellow with the Chartered Institute of Public Relations-  United Kingdom. He is the President/CEO of Prudent International Inc and Executive Editor of Prudent Press Agency. He is also an Assistant Editor of SkyNewswire.com directed by Jackie Mugambi . He is a trained journalist and specializes in helping businesses, organizations, and individuals improve their public image by effectively employing the power of public relations. Mr Reriani can be reached at admin @ Reriani.com. You may freely copy and re-publish this article without altering any part in the body.