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LOCAL BUSINESS SPARKLES NATIONALLY
Competitive process nets two Sapphire and two Diamond Awards

Beachdog.com, Inc., a leading provider of marketing products and services for small organizations, today announced that it won prestigious Sapphire Awards for “Best Overall Branding–Small Companies” and “Best Print/Online Bundle–Governmental Organizations”, as well as Diamond Awards for “Best Customized Publishing Project” and “Event/New Event Bundle” at the 2009 American Integrated Marketing Awards.

The Association of American Integrated Marketing (AAIM) is dedicated to recognizing the power of offering integrated marketing programs and supporting the ongoing pursuit of professional integrity in a constantly changing industry.

AAIM Awards were presented in over 40 categories recognizing achievement in a variety of campaign types and emcompassing both the for-profit and non-profit sectors.  More than 7,600 entries from companies of all sizes and in virtually every industry were submitted for consideration.  Award selection was based on concept,
design, originality and content having achieved levels of excellence deserving of recognition. More than 200 industry leaders across the country participated in the judging process to determine the winners.

“As a company, we are passionate about helping organizations succeed. We go to great lengths to deliver top-notch service, support, resources and education to our customers in the manner that best fits their needs and gives them the strongest return, given their resources,” said Keleigh Schwartz, President of beachdog.com.. “We are honored to have been selected as a winner in these categories, and we will use our latest AAIM wins as a constant reminder to continue to support the organizations that rely on us.”

Beachdog.com is a full-service marketing firm offering outcome-based consulting and commercial graphic design services as well as fulfillment products such as collateral media and web site development.

For more information, please contact Keleigh Schwartz by calling 360-642-4431, or e-mail Keleigh at woof@beachdog.com.

As promised, here is a step-by-step guide that will walk you through crafting your media release.  Use your mouse to highlight the text below, then copy (EDIT pull-down menu, COPY) and paste into your favorite word processing program (EDIT pull-down menu, PASTE).  As you work through the questions, delete our writing, leaving only your answers.  Click here for a pdf of a release visually formatted as the media expects to receive one.

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Release Timing: Choose one; be aware that a hold request may not be honored.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -or- HOLD FOR RELEASE UNTIL (date ).

Target: Enter the type of editor you wish to reach; ex. ATTENTION SPORTS EDITORS

Headline/Title: USE ALL CAPS.  Keep your title short and catchy. Use alliterations, colons, color words, tips and/or offer tips. Best is fewer than 80 characters; maximum of 170 characters.

Sub-Headline: This is optional. If you use it, it is a little longer than the Headline, elaborating on the news in the headline in one to four sentences. The summary uses sentence case, with standard capitalization and punctuation.

Date: Enter the date that the release will be distributed. Ex., May 19, 2009.

Location:  Enter the location that the release will be distributed from.

Introductory Paragraph: Create an interest-catching introduction to your release that answers the questions: who, what, where and when. The lead sentence contains the most important information in 25 words or less. Grab your reader’s attention here by simply stating the news you have to announce. Do not assume that your reader has read your headline or summary paragraph; the lead should stand on its own.

Second Paragraph: Include a brief description of the products, services, event, or company including any facts supporting its significance.

Subsequent Paragraphs: Include less important facts and supporting information.

For Further Information: Tell the media with whom they can follow up with, and provide contact information here.  For example:  “ For more information about this topic, please contact [Full Name] by calling [555.555.5555], or e-mail [First Name] at [email@domain.com].” Double check that you have entered your correct email address.

About your company: Write a sentence that briefly describes your company and its key offerings. For example, “Beachdog.com is a full-service marketing firm offering outcome-based consulting and graphic design services as well as fulfillment products such as collateral media and web site development.”

SENDING YOUR RELEASE: If you are sending the release via email, include the words “Media Release” in the subject of your email and do not attach documents. Journalists prefer to receive plain text emails due to download times and virus concerns.

Next: A Media Release Sample

<< Previous  “Media Releases: Why? How?“

Does My Organization Really Need Media Releases?

Let’s face it, small business owners and non-profit organization managers wear far too many hats and something has always got to give.  All too often, because these hard-working people aren’t comfortable writing for public consumption and/or they don’t understand what they’re giving up by ignoring media releases, this activity gets overlooked.

An organization will always be well-served to hire a professional public relations firm to assist with media releases and an overall pr plan.  However, small organizations and businesses do not always have a business plan that warrants a line item in the budget for these services.  Unfortunately, when this is the case, what frequently results is no public relations plan, which also affects the marketing plan.

Media Releases (aka press releases) are an important part of the marketing plan of any organization.  Not only do they drastically increase the likelihood that your story is going to be told, they sometimes give you some control over how, where and when it is told.  Notice the italics in that last sentence; the smaller and/or more local the media outlet receiving your release, the more likely this tends to be true.  As a bonus, those of you marketing web sites get an extra punch you can’t get any other way when you submit media releases online. AND not only are media stories more trusted than advertisements, they don’t cost you ad fees.

I Don’t Know How To Write A Media Release (and I’m not sure I want to learn)

Of course, we’re more than happy to help you write your releases, or to write them for you.  We can also connect you to some outstanding public relations (pr) people who can help you with a comprehensive pr program which dovetails your marketing plan.

For you do-it-yourself-ers, keep in mind that, while it isn’t rocket science, but writing a release does follow conventions.  Journalists are accustomed to a standardized news release format and you’re wise to follow it if you want your story published.

These tips will help you write a release that is more likely to be read–and picked up–by the news media.

• Answer the questions: who, what, where, when, and how.
• Ensure that your writing is clear, concise, and without jargon.
• Organize information from most important at the beginning through progressively less important information (the media may only use the first paragraph or two and they don’t have time to wade through several paragraphs to get to the meat of the story!)
• Write about yourself in the third person, using “he/she” rather than “I”.
• News releases are meant to be informational, not flowery or written like advertisements. Stick to the facts.
• Use quotes and reactions.
• Be sure you think about the reader of the media to whom you send the release and write for that audience.
• Research the media before you send out your release. See what kind of stories they air or publish.
• Double-space (at least 1.5 space) your press release.
• Complete the paragraph on one page rather than carrying it over onto the next.
• Use only one side of each sheet of paper.
• Two pages is maximum; one page is better. Type ‘more’ at the bottom of the page if your release is longer than one sheet.
• Do not use abbreviations or acronyms when you first refer to someone or something. Instead, spell out the full name – Home Owner Cooperative – and then put the acronym or abbreviation after it in brackets. For example, Home Owner Cooperative (HOC). The next time you refer to it you can say HOC.
• When you use someone’s name say: “Ms Keleigh Schwartz” the first time and then “Ms Schwartz” or simply “Schwartz” in further references.
• Use the names of both the city and the state the first time you refer to a location.
• When you mention a day use the date and year.
• Proofread the release not once, but several times. Reading the release out loud and/or holding the sheet upside down while reading will often help you find the mistakes you’ve missed; having others review your release is even better.
• The standard press release is 300 to 800 words.
• A GREAT resource: http://www.prwebdirect.com/pressreleasetips.php

Next: A Step-By-Step Guide to Crafting Your Media Release

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Most people know that postcards are an inexpensive way for an organization to keep customers and prospects aware of things like special promotions and new product offerings.   But, in a world of email and web communication, is direct mail still a viable solution?  Absolutely.

You hear us talking a lot in this blog about defining your target, really knowing who the person is that you’re trying to reach which each and every marketing move you make.  The better you match the brochure/ad/website/email/etc. to the needs of the person exposed to it, the higher return you’ll get on the promotion.

Is email marketing less expensive than postcard marketing?  Absolutely.  But if your target isn’t making the decision you want them to make while they’re involved in their own email, it’s not going to get a good return.  Email is great for promotions that center around a call to action involving quick, immediate decisions such as “Click to buy now, before they’re all gone!”.

But if your goal is to build your brand, expanding awareness of your organizations products and services over time, email isn’t the best solution.  The average user decides in less than 3 seconds whether to read an email or delete it.  Let’s say you made the cut and they did read your email.  If they didn’t find anything compelling enough (given the other distractions of the particular moment in which it was received) to click for more information, the mail is usually deleted right away.  Sometimes it is saved; most of those are not read again before deletion.

Contrast this to a well-designed postcard.  Let’s say this postcard is from a Realty company who sends the cards to all customers who had purchased through their office more than one year and less than ten years ago.  Imagine that the card has a “Just wanted to say hello” message, along with a tested recipe for a dish with wide appeal.  The call to action is soft; “We look forward to working with you again.  Phone if we can be of help.”  Such a campaign will NOT make the phone ring off the hook immediately.  But it is well-crafted to be saved by the recipient (I might try that recipe next week) and is less likely to be tossed.  It doesn’t appear to be junk mail, so it is more likely to be read.  It may be shared with a friend, as a recipe or a referral or both.   A campaign like this is brand building and relationship building.  Expect the short-term return on investment (ROI) to be weak and the long-term ROI to be strong.

A few points to keep in mind when designing your direct mail campaign:

• Using “variable data printing” dramatically increases response rates.  What we’re talking about here are personalizing the message in each postcard to include the recipient’s information (name, age, member since information – any demographic you choose).  Everything can be personalized.  Hundreds of studies have shown that response rates increase by as much as 200% when this strategy is employed.
• Use color – photos and examples.  Doing so has proven to increase response by up to 100%.
• Use your logo and be sure to include not only your contact information but a call to action; what is the recipient supposed to do now that they have this postcard?
• Use Direct mail when you need to demonstrate credibility.  People trust it far more than other forms of advertising.
• Choose your list carefully.  If you are mailing to a blind list (not one created by your company), make sure it aligns properly with your campaign.  In other words, don’t send diaper ads to retirement homes.
• Use expert design, full color printing and professional photography help to make an emotional connection with your reader and build trust for your company.
• Keep it Simple!  Don’t make your promotion so complicated the recipient doesn’t know how to participate and don’t dilute the message with multiple domain names, phone numbers and logos.
• Third party logos can increase credibility; use appropriately.
• Presentation counts!  If your target is business-professional, use top-quality papers and printing.  If your target is ecologically-minded, use ‘green’ papers and inks.

If you think Direct Mail and/or Variable Data Printing might be a good fit for your organization, give us a jingle.  We’ll be happy to walk through costs and options, offering as much–or as little–assistance as you require.  360-642-4431

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