Use the power of the press to build redwood sales

ItrIHO IN your community knows V Y more about redwood decking and fencing or do-it-yourself building projects than you?

Probably no one. That makes you the local expert, so you should be getting coverage in your local news media. This is doubly true if you are advertising in your local newspaper.

An easy way to get started is to become known as a source for articles about the products you sell. These will usually run in the Home or Lifestyle section of your newspaper. The first step is to contact your vendors or trade associations. The California Redwood Association. for example, can supply press releases, professional quality photographs and background product information that you can submit directly or through your newspaper rep.

When you place CRA stories. be sure to stress that you'd like your company mentioned as a local source for redwood and offer yourself as an expert. It always helps to have a couple of good quotes prepared before speaking to the reporter. A bigger story might result if you can refer the newspaper to local builders and designers who are doing interesting work and to photogenic redwood projects in the neighborhood.

Activities at your company can also be converted into free pub- licity. Subjects might include special events at your store such as a deck clinic or contest or changes in key personnel. Let the local editor know of upcoming events with a polite phone call and/or a written release. With luck, the paper may decide to send out a reporter to cover the story.

If the newspaper does not send a reporter, you may still be able to get coverage by sending a release immediately after the event. Perhaps you or one of your employees has demonstrated special writing or photography skills.

General guidelines to follow when writing a newspaper article are to keep sentences and paragraphs short and to avoid using long words and technical trade terms. The old "who, what, when, where and how" formula still holds true. Try to get all of this information into the first paragraph and then elaborate on the facts and details in the rest of the story. Keep it short-one page is best-and be sure to include the name of a contact per-

A key

To Successful

story placement is to accompany your submittals with clear, good quality black and white photographs. son and his or her phone number. A key to successful story placement about local news is to accompany your submittals with clear, good quality black and white photographs. Investing in the services of a competent local photographer can really pay off, but if you or one of your employees have a good camera and a talent for photography, you can sometimes achieve usable in-house results.

It's not that difficult to get local newspaper exposure. Include a press program in your marketing plan and watch your sales and company image grow.