WHY WON'T THE MEDIA COVER MY NEWS?

You've taken a lot of time to put together a press release announcing the opening of your store. You've sent it to the local media. And, yet, not one reporter has called you. Not one media has covered your news. What went wrong?

Here are some tips for getting your news in the news:

Don't use exclamation points to proclaim your news. If what you're announcing is really news, the editor will recognize it.

Be sure your press release doesn't sound like an ad. Don't insult editors by sending them a press release that is really an ad in disguise. Put yourself in their shoes. Would you just turn this over to the sales department? What makes this news?

Check your grammar and style. Think of your release as a representation of yourself and your business. Put you best foot forward. Spelling and grammar count.

Get familiar with a media outlet before you send them your release. If your store is a clothing boutique and you send it to a golf magazine, chances are you've wasted your time and distribution money.

Send your release to the right person. Take the trouble to find out who is following your type of business and send the release directly to that reporter. The banking reporter is never going to cover your golf store, and unless you are announcing really big news, he'll just put your release in the trash.

Don't give a release to your ad rep and expect editorial because the ad rep says she'll pass it along to the editor.

Don't just send out the release and then sit back and wait to be called. Follow up and pitch your story. A release is merely a door opener.

Be flexible. Smaller publications may ask you to adapt your news to their style in order to consider publishing it. If they reach your target market, step up and do whatever they want to make your news fit.

If you don't feel comfortable writing a release or calling a reporter, hire a professional to do it for you.