ComputerHunter.org

 

How to Develop a Killer News Hook


When you are going to write a press release probably the most important thing you can do is create a killer news hook. A press release without a news hook is just blatant advertising, plain and simple. There is nothing that turns off journalists more than a press release that's just advertising, and when you turn them off, they're often off for good.

So, with this in mind, creating a news hook for your press release and media plan in general is probably the most important thing that you can do. But, how do you do it?

A news hook can be defined as the property in your press release that really makes a person read it and say, "I'm glad that I read this. This is really news." A news hook does not directly try to sell something, but to put some real news in front of the reader and encourage them to learn more about you.

If you are a major company, almost anything you do could be considered news. Take Google, for example. Everything they announce tends to be front-page news, no matter how small it is. However, your probably not so lucky, so you have to look pretty had.

If you are selling cars in a local dealership, a news hook could be if a local celebrity if performing a function at your dealership or even if they are long time and outspoken customers. If you are selling hair dryers, upgrading your model form XD1000 to XD1001 is not news outside of the hair dryer community. However, there are plenty of ways to generate news out of something that normally cannot be considered news.

To do this, you must ask yourself the 6 questions that every journalist is always asking

-Who
-What
-Where
-When
-Why
-How

If you are able to answer all of these, then you have something that can go onto the next stage. If you are not able to adequately answer these questions, then you have to try again and find something that can legitimately be considered news.

When you have this, then what you must do is think about

-What a member of the general public would think about this news
-What journalists would think
-What a member of your target demographic would think

When you get this, decide how you will address each group. If you want PR, then you will typically have to go through the journalist. The journalist should have a good idea of what the general public wants and what the target demographic wants, so if you have news, they will pass it on.

With this in mind, if you are selling something specialized, and then you should target publications and media that focus on that specific industry. If you have something more general, then you should focus on the more general media.

Bryan Thompson is a young entrepreneur and founder of Press Release Writing Online ( http://www.prwritingonline.com ). In his experience as a freelance publicist, writer and entrepreneur, he has worked with dozens of small, medium and large companies. He is also writing a book on the basics of publicity for small businesses and is also managing several other online businesses at the same time. You may contact him at info@prwritingonline.com.







Google News - Top Stories

McCain, Palin Draw Sniping, Support
Washington Post - 35 minutes ago
We're officially down to the White House finals now, with two months of sound bites to go. Dan Balz writes that Republican presidential nominee John McCain's selection of Alaska Gov.
McCain and Obama campaigns grapple for 'change' The Associated Press
Palin-Mania Sweeping Nation CBS News
FOXNews - Gary Post Tribune - Reuters - SustainableBusiness.com
all 4,813 news articles


USA Today

Tropical Storm Hanna set to soak East Coast
The Associated Press - 1 hour ago
HOLDEN BEACH, NC (AP) - Beach vacationers in the Carolinas prepared to pack up and head inland Friday as Tropical Storm Hanna cruised steadily toward the coast, while others decided to ride out the fast-moving storm that threatens to become a small ...
Video: NC Residents, Businesses Brace for Hanna AssociatedPress
Hanna heads to Carolinas; Ike not far behind CNN International
WTKR Your NewsChannel 3 - New York Times - guardian.co.uk - Powhatan Today
all 2,605 news articles


Boston Globe

Detroit Mayor Quits, Faces Jail Sentence After 2 Guilty Pleas
Washington Post - 50 minutes ago
After months of defiantly holding onto his office, Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick pleaded guilty to two obstruction of justice charges.
Video: A Timeline of Detroit Mayor's Text Scandal AssociatedPress
Detroit’s Mayor Will Leave Office and Go to Jail New York Times
Los Angeles Times - Newsweek - DetNews.com - PRWeek
all 5,059 news articles


San Diego Union Tribune

Hart beats state API goals
Signal - 30 minutes ago
The Hart district shot up 13 points in the state's Academic Performance Index (API), exceeding the state's goal of 800 points with an overall district score of 804.
County schools improve on state measurement, but fall behind in ... San Jose Mercury News
Lompoc’s API score virtually unchanged Lompoc Record
Pasadena Now - Press-Enterprise - San Francisco Chronicle - Santa Rosa Press Democrat
all 127 news articles


Canada.com

Angolans Go to the Polls
New York Times - 59 minutes ago
By CELIA W. DUGGER JOHANNESBURG - More than eight million people - nearly half of the population - have registered to vote in war-ravaged Angola, a country with an abundance of oil, diamonds and grinding poverty that held its first election in 16 years ...
Angola: Nation Faces Historical Moment - Head of State AllAfrica.com
Angolan Elections Underway, Many Polls Opening Late Voice of America
guardian.co.uk - Bloomberg - International Herald Tribune - AFP
all 353 news articles

Google
 

Copyright © 2006 Computer Hunter - A Division of Arthur´s Job Base