The date of your Virtual Tour is close and it is time to start some adding the PR portion of marketing your event. Yes, this is an event! One of the best ways for you to get the message out about your virtual tour is through Press Releases. Maybe you are not quite sure what a press release is.

According to Wikipedia a press release is…

“… a written or recorded communication directed at members of the news media for the purpose of announcing something claimed as having news value. Typically, they are mailed, faxed, or e-mailed to assignment editors at newspapers, magazines, radio stations, television stations, and/or television networks. Commercial press-release distribution services are also used to distribute them.”

A good press release is not long. As-a-matter of fact most of them are no longer than a page in length.

It is a good idea to find a good press release writer. A good press release writer will capture the attention of journalist. This is important because journalist write and think in a way that most writers do not. They are about the facts of the stories – not the fluff. A good press release writer will focus on the who, what, where, when, and why of the event so that it catches the eye of the journalists.

In other words, you want your press release to read like a good newspaper article.

If you have never written a press release, I caution you to hire an experienced writer who knows how to craft the perfect press release for your virtual tour.

Your press release should be released no less than 2 to 3 weeks out. There are many ways to circulate your press release.

Those include…

• Having your tour hosts share it on their blogs or with their lists
• Submitting to free and fee based press release sites like PR Web. If you choose a free one please be sure to research it well because they are not all made equal.
• Send it to blog/sites  that allow you to posts your press release.
• Add it to your own blog or site.
• Put in your Facebook notes

Press Release must be crafted well. Be sure to make this a top priority should you choose to use a press release to promote your virtual tour.

On Day 8 we will have a special interview from Dr. Daisy Sutherland a.k.a. Dr. Mommy about her experience with a virtual tour.

Have you missed any of the Organizing Your Virtual Tour posts. You can read them all here.