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Communicating to different customer groups in a way
that resonates with each is a challenge. How many different variations of a
message should you have? How small (or large) should each customer niche be?
When it comes to public relations, exactly how do you go about varying the
message according to different niches? Here, Marcia Yudkin gives a specific
example of how one would go about adjusting the headline on a press release to
appeal to different audiences.
Everyone keeps their radio tuned to station WIIFM - What's In It For Me. This
fact and its implications hold a valuable secret for multiplying publicity
opportunities. Let's put ourselves first in the position of the editor of a
magazine for floral shops. His assistant has collected the day's press releases
for her, and he gives each headline a scan before either reading more carefully
or tossing it. His foremost concern during his five-second screen: Is this
relevant to florists, my readers?
Naturally anything with the word "florists" or "flowers" in the
headline commands a thorough read. And since his readers all own
or operate a small business, anything with "small business" in
the headline catches his attention as well. Without these key
words or phrases in the headline, the editor is forced to
translate, to think whether a general message about a trend, a
law, a new service or an event holds significance for her
market.
Likewise, when the editor of a portal site for financial service
professionals peruses the day's business releases, anything with
"finance" or better yet, "financial professionals" compels her
to click through. In browsing mode, her brain might not think
quickly enough to see "E-Learning Grew 40% in 2001, Expected to
Double in 2002" and understand that this relates to her readers'
ability to obtain continuing education more cheaply and
efficiently. However, if she saw "Financial Services
Professionals Keep Skills Tuned Through Rising E-Learning
Trend," she wouldn't ever ignore it.
Now let's explore what this means for the smart publicity
seeker. If you want to maximize your media coverage, begin by
making a list of professions, industries or consumer segments
that would benefit from what you're promoting. Then craft a
general press release and change the headline and at least part
of the contents for each niche so that the relevance to that
group jumps out unmistakably.
For instance, a few years ago a client of mine released a new
video on the home and family life of the Amish. I watched the
video and took notes on the kinds of magazines that would be
interested in different aspects of the material, then fashioned
a headline for each angle. The reference to "happiest" in three
of the headlines refers to a scientific study mentioned in the
video narration.
- Travel - New video, "Amish Values & Virtues...Plain &
Simple," reveals the everyday life of America's happiest, most
picturesque community
- Country - New video, "Amish Values & Virtues...Plain &
Simple," reveals the beliefs underlying America's happiest rural
lifestyle
- Parenting - New video, "Amish Values & Virtues...Plain &
Simple," reveals the child-rearing practices underlying
America's happiest lifestyle
- Christian - New video, "Amish Values & Virtues...Plain &
Simple," shows Christian values shaping a way of life.
About half of the release text stayed unchanged from version to
version, and the rest elaborated on the travel, country,
parenting or Christian content. Thanks to the niching, this
video took off faster than any of my clients' previous releases.
Marcia Yudkin is the author of 6 Steps to Free Publicity
(Career Press), and 10 other books. She has helped clients achieve publicity
everywhere from the Wall Street Journal to the National Enquirer, from the Today
Show to local news broadcasts. Learn how to write press releases that rocket
unknowns into stardom:
Marcia's Makeovers: 24 Press Releases Transformed from So-So to Sizzling
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