Be Brief To Get Noticed

If your product or service makes a great holiday gift, send the media a photo of it, along with a brief.

A brief can take several forms. It can be:

• A one-page news release.

• A short list of questions and answers about a problem your product or service solves.

• A quiz.

• Tips on how to use the product.

• A resource box of places where the product or service can be bought.

• A list of definitions that pertain to a particular product or service.

• Statistics related to the problem the product solves.

Editors love briefs because they fill odd-size holes on a page and need little editing. The media aren’t likely to devote an entire story to your product unless it’s very unusual.

But between now and Christmas, they’ll be collecting short items that can be included in their annual round-ups of the most popular, practical, expensive or inexpensive holiday gifts. Briefs are one of the very best ways to get into big magazines.

– Joan