Sending your news to TTJ keeps you in touch with your customers and can show competitors that you’re a force with which to be reckoned. It can help to attract staff: potential recruits exposed to regular, interesting news about your company will wonder what it’s like to work for you. Regularly communicating the vibrancy of your business can also improve internal company relationships.
The types of news that may be of interest include appointments, training schemes, new or much-extended premises or facilities, major investments in machinery, certificates and awards, anniversaries, and other significant achievements. But don’t forget the unusual: more happens to your timber when it leaves your premises than you think. Ask selected customers what they’re doing with the timber they buy. You may find you’ve supplied timber for restoring an ancient listed building, to create a work of art for a special exhibition, or for the floor of a theatre. And what about your customers’ requirements – have you had a sudden influx of requests for a particular profile, and why might this be?
Make news-collecting a regular part of your weekly routine, but be honest in your assessment of likely news value: there must be identifiable factors that make your story worthwhile. Most importantly, before you write the press release to communicate your news, think about the picture of your business which will be conveyed by what you write. It can help you decide whether a story is worthwhile.
Writing a press release to present your news is easier than you think. Encapsulate the real news in the headline. If you’ve supplied some timber for a local theatre, an idea for a snappy headline could be ‘Treading the boards’. Alternatively for a piece of more standard news, use a factual headline : ‘ABC Timber appoints new sales director’.
Interest value
You have only a few moments to catch a journalist’s interest: they have to judge your item against other news and will rate it on its uniqueness and its interest to the wider trade. There is no guarantee your information will be published, therefore you must make it as captivating, relevant, brief and factual as you can. Restrain your use of adjectives – ‘quality’, for example, has been over-used to the point of becoming meaningless.
Your first paragraph (aim for about 6/7 lines) should contain a brief overview of your news. Your second and subsequent paragraphs will contain more detail. If it adds to the story’s news value, include a ‘quotable quote’ from someone involved. Ensure, though, that you check the quote with them and obtain their written permission to use it before doing so. Ideally your complete text should be double-spaced and run to a single A4 page or just over. Indicate if a second sheet is attached, and put a contact number at the end.
Time is of the essence with news stories: TTJ finishes writing the editorial copy for each issue on the Tuesday prior to publication. Photographs can make stories in themselves so look out for opportunities. If the news story will date quickly, use a one-hour processing service: a delay of a few days may mean you miss an opportunity.
Marketing messages
Trade magazines can cover a wide audience. TTJ’s readers range from foresters to manufacturing end users of timber and wood products. If your customers are along that chain it’s worth reminding them of your offering. Advertising helps to keep up your profile and convey marketing messages which might not make it into the ‘news’ category. Advertisements need not be large to attract attention: again it’s the headline that counts. Strings of adjectives lack credibility – concentrate on a few key words which demonstrate your understanding of customers’ needs. Regularity is also a factor: little and often may be better than big and infrequent. A mix of newsworthy press releases and regular advertising will make your business stand out from the crowd.
