DIY PR

[sam.r]

Does many people do their own PR?

Has anyone got a good formula eg: get a list of people you want to publish and then write/email content, then follow up with a call etc?
How often would you do that and where might you find the contacts?

I had a PR agency for a while which were ok however I always thought my stories would attract more interest (I was young and clueless) so I stopped using them.

Is it something people do themselves?

For example a story that I think would get 'some' coverage is the story of a director of drink drive prevention company being hit by a drunk driver
http://www.alcoholbreathtesting.com/blog/?p=25
Should I just email the text to a few publications I want it to appear? Is that the done thing? Would it be newsworthy to local press?

[sam.r]

Anyone?

It took me ages to write

[ShadownINja]

Is this stuff that should be sent to magazines? You have to look at it from a magazine's viewpoint... "Why would I want this st published in my magazine?"

[JustinP1]

ShadownINja said:

Is this stuff that should be sent to magazines? You have to look at it from a magazine's viewpoint... "Why would I want this st published in my magazine?"

Usually you offer to buy an advertising space next to the article...

[sam.r]

ShadownINja said:

Is this stuff that should be sent to magazines? You have to look at it from a magazine's viewpoint... "Why would I want this st published in my magazine?"

and I thought I didn't do too bad for a quick late night scribble!

I'll dig out that PR firms number in the morning!

[ginettag27]

Sam

It's not bad, but it definitely needs tidying up.. You need to get someone else to proof read and make suggestions about it and implement those that you think should apply. It's obviously written by yourself, but it's too personal in parts... It's maybe a local news / local newspaper type interest... Then maybe someone bigger might see it and "run with it"...

[sam.r]

Ok - I see what you mean with the personal comments etc.

I was reading some news type stories last night and you can see a pattern.

Headline
Brief desiption
Small quote
Bit more info
Close

If I strip it right down and maybe stick to the above?

Thanks for your imput - I've always been usless at writing, wonder why the hell I got a blog on there!

Thanks again,

Sam

[Andrew[MG]]

For a company like yours I’m sure you could write loads of interesting stories. Spend some time going through the websites of newspapers and getting email addresses for relevant departments. Don't just stick with one department per paper as they are all desperate for something to write. As long as you make the story sound interesting then there is a decent chance it will make it to the papers.

One of my clients uses a big London PR agency and they get in the papers/on TV a lot but I’m guessing it costs them big bucks. Every day they get a scan of all the newspaper clippings that they appear in. I can get a contact for them tomorrow but I really have no idea about the costs...