| When you want to win and woo new clients with | | | | and even 30 years later, people remember the |
| national publicity -- and don't have an | | | | company's generosity with a warm, fuzzy |
| enormous budget to distribute your message -- | | | | feeling. You can't beat free advice for |
| turn to the news wires. But first, be sure | | | | building trust.Did you know?You can assert |
| you're telling a story that's worth | | | | all you want. But numbers make it real. |
| printing.The best publicity draws on one of a | | | | Research -- real, proprietary research, |
| handful of tried-and-true themes. Newsworthy | | | | carried out by you, with numbers that you own |
| stories have something that hits you as a | | | | --can be a great way to get attention. San |
| reader and makes you more interested than | | | | Diego-based Metabolife Inc. just wrapped up a |
| "just the facts." | | | | year-long research initiative that resulted |
| | | | in mentions and stories in several national |
| Think about how your company's story might | | | | publications. What did they do? They got |
| work as part of one (or more) of the | | | | numbers, and they used them. Did you know |
| following story themes.David vs. GoliathYou | | | | that 47 percent of people say everyone is out |
| were small, the odds against you were great, | | | | of shape at their high school reunion? |
| but you took on the big guys and you won! | | | | Metabolife did the studies, found the |
| Everybody loves an underdog, and if you can | | | | numbers, then turned the statistics into a |
| play this card, you might stir up more | | | | great opportunity for publicity.The wiresOnce |
| attention than you ever thought possible. An | | | | you've got a newsworthy story, how do you get |
| Orange County-based company, ProtectConnect ( | | | | the word out? |
| is using this strategy to publicize its | | | | |
| buzzworthy invention -- a modular system of | | | | One option is to hit the news wire services |
| safety-first electrical outlets and switches. | | | | yourself. Both the PR Newswire ( and Business |
| The wiring device industry they're taking on | | | | Newswire ( are membership-based services that |
| is dominated by just a handful of huge | | | | require you to join in order to distribute |
| corporations, but the attention they're | | | | your releases. Prices for releases can range |
| getting as a startup for their patented | | | | from as little as $125 for a statewide |
| product has prompted more than $1.5 million | | | | distribution to $600 for national, or several |
| in orders -- before the company even opens | | | | thousand dollars for an international |
| its doors for business.First, fastest, | | | | release. For this price, which is much less |
| brightestIf you've really got a story that's | | | | than postage, your brief release will cross |
| unique -- you're the first, or the biggest, | | | | the country or the globe, passing in front of |
| or the strongest, or the loudest -- then you | | | | the eyes of thousands of editors in tens of |
| have a certifiably newsworthy story. RoseTel | | | | thousands of media outlets.There are also |
| System Inc. ( a Los Angeles-based | | | | services that will take on the task of |
| manufacturer of the world's first streaming, | | | | distribution for you, especially if you're a |
| real-time video delivered through plain old | | | | small firm or don't have a dedicated staff to |
| telephone lines, scored a touchdown with this | | | | make contact, handle releases, or do follow |
| angle in January 2003, when their system | | | | up. One such service, E-releases ( for |
| helped the city of San Diego maintain | | | | example, will do as little or as much as you |
| surveillance, security and order during the | | | | want to help you get the word out. They'll |
| Super Bowl. The story became especially | | | | even write your release for you, for a |
| significant because on the day of the big | | | | nominal fee, shaping your story in ways they |
| game, the Internet, which would have carried | | | | know are likely to garner the most attention. |
| other forms of video, was crippled by a | | | | They'll also distribute for around $350, and |
| global virus. RoseTel was able to honestly | | | | send you links showing you where your story |
| state that their video communication system | | | | was run online (a great deal that saves you |
| was the first and only one in the world that | | | | hundreds of dollars, because it includes a |
| could have performed so affordably and so | | | | national distribution via PR |
| well that day -- and as a result, their story | | | | Newswire).Finally, no public relations expert |
| was picked up around the country from one | | | | would ever say there isn't at least some |
| simple wire release.Rags to richesStories | | | | element of chance involved in what stories |
| about the GWOG (Guy Working Out of Garage) | | | | get picked up and which ones don't. It's best |
| who strikes it rich are still unusual. Steve | | | | to take a "water drip" approach. Every little |
| Jobs of Apple may be one of the best examples | | | | bit makes a difference, even if you can't see |
| of a rags-to-riches story, but there are | | | | them for each droplet. Still, after a while, |
| countless examples of this. Jack Daley, | | | | water will wear away a stone, and your story |
| president of the Triarch Group, a San | | | | can break through the clutter in the same |
| Diego-based consulting firm that works with | | | | way.Henry DeVries is a marketing coach and |
| tech-driven companies to systematize their | | | | writer specializing in lead generation for |
| approach to innovation, delights in telling a | | | | professional service firms. An adjunct |
| rags-to-riches story from his own experience. | | | | marketing professor at UCSD since 1984, he is |
| His client, the company that eventually | | | | the author of "Self Marketing Secrets" and |
| became Network Solutions (still the biggest | | | | the recently published "Client Seduction." |
| registrar for domain names on the Internet) | | | | Visit or e-mail questions to © 2005 Henry |
| was started with a cash advance on a credit | | | | DeVries, All rights reserved. You are free to |
| card and eventually grew into a | | | | use this material in whole or in part in |
| multimillion-dollar monster. Now that's a | | | | pint, on a web site or in an email |
| story.Free adviceRemember the ad campaign in | | | | newsletter, as long as you include complete |
| the 1970s that urged you to write away to a | | | | attribution, including live web site link. |
| major petroleum company for free booklets on | | | | Please also notify me where the material will |
| auto maintenance, safety and repair? (Hint: | | | | appear.The attribution should read:"By Henry |
| The booklets were yellow, and the logo is | | | | DeVries of the New Client Marketing |
| still red. Looks a bit like ... a seashell.) | | | | Institute. Please visit Henry's web site at |
| School children across America learned to | | | | for additional marketing articles and |
| write "business letters" by carefully | | | | resources on marketing for professional |
| printing "Dear Sir" requests to that company, | | | | service businesses. |