Press Release Power…

by Uncle Alan

I received a truly satisfying email from one of my Ink-U-Bator MasterMind members just the other day. In all fairness, Kelly Thomas has worked with me before – in the riginal E-publishing Business System mastermind I conducted a few years ago. He achieved “Hemingway” status by completing the system and putting it into action.

It seems it stuck with him!

Ink-U-Bator MasterMind member Kelly Thomas is a computer technician, photographer, and also an accomplished info-preneur, running a successful online real estate listing service in his area for several years.

Kelly has now joined the new Ink-U-Bator MasterMind Forum. He’s a photographer who’s also an accomplished info-preneur, running a successful online real estate listing service in his area for several years.

Otherwise, I assure you Kelly’s a regular guy. He’s fun to be with, married to a charming wife who’s far too good to be hanging around with his sort (sorry, Kelly – couldn’t resist the jab, but you know you married UP … facts are facts).

Kelly’s email to me was related to something I teach all the time — using press releases to get local and regional attention for your online business. Especially tying press releases to major news events, for maximum impact.

Kelly decided to jump into the online protest against the proposed SOPA/PIPA anti-piracy legislation.

Kelly decided he would black out his Website, www.sihometours.com, joining the Internet-wide blackout protest that swept the Web, demanding an end to the SOPA/PIPA anti-piracy legislation.

But, he didn’t just black out his site. Instead, Kelly reached out to local media to announce his intentions and spread the word.

Here’s what he wrote me:

Woo! I eMailed it around. Got a call just before lunch today.
Did an interview and made the local news at BOTH 5 and 6pm. I'd
imagine there will be a segment ran in the morning also. I'm so
excited I might take my site down NOW!

Someone new has liked my facebook page already.

Riches are starting to arrive.

(actually, they used LOTS of beautiful screen shots of my site. )

I'll send a link to the video if it ever goes online.

Thanks teaching me about PR, Uncle Alan.

/kelly thomas

Media Consultant and Owner of SIHomeTours.com

Kelly took an important step here and helped two causes in the process. He helped spread the word about the dangers of SOPA and PIPA, and he gave his action a lot more impact by announcing it to the press.

Free publicity for his business was an additional benefit.

Kelly joked, in a later response:

“…I’m thinking I should shut down my site more often, like every day! ”

I can’t think of a better reason to recommend that you consider putting press releases to work for your online business soon. Look beyond using press releases as little more than keyword-laden SEO bait and backlinks. Give them a try for what they were originally created to do – reaching the media to get your message out.

Look for something newsworthy to which you can tie a special promotion or feature on your blog or Website. Then announce it to your local and regional media with a simple press release.

The process is amazingly simple and the results can be huge.

Check out my piece on SOPA here.

Kelly sent his press release via email. I recommend you also consider looking up the FAX numbers and mailing addresses of all the media in your three-county area. Call each one and ask for the name of the specific editor, columnist or producer responsible for covering news in your genre. Then send your press release addressed directly to that person.

It’s much tougher getting the attention of the national media than it is your local and regional press. Use them! The fact that you live in their area gives you an advantage over a lot of larger national companies who may be competing with you for their attention. Use that advantage!

Would you agree that working directly with people like Kelly and me would be valuable to your future as an info-publisher? Consider joining us in the Info-Publishing and Marketing Portal Ink-U-Bator MasterMind Forum. Kelly’s a member, along with 49 other highly-motivated info-preneurs. Get all the details and jump on board, if you like what you see.

The MasterMind is so cool, I’m writing some press releases about it right now!