# Getting into Magazines: wait to be discovered or ask (beg?)



## The T Shirt Man (Aug 29, 2006)

My website is going well, over the past 6 months i have been concentrating heavily on improving it, in terms of t-shirt designs and getting it to the top of search engines.
Because of this, i have seen lots of visitors, including people who want to see my site in their publications, some wanting money i.e. me to advertise in their mags, and one national magazine who was going to put me in for free.

The magazine style editor told me i would be featured, i even went to the length of sending them a shirt because they asked, but nothing as of yet...no feedback, and i doubt i was in the magazine, i didnt see a huge surge in visitors.

There are quite a few magazines in the UK which i think my site could be featured in, but should i wait it out, or inform their style editors of my existance? I dont want to pay for ads, i know that is possible in some magazines, but i do not really have the budget for such a thing (espeically if there are possabilities of getting in free). Is asking seen as begging for free publicity? I have no problem sending a big magazine t-shirt for a competition or something like that, but i cant afford paying thousands for an ad in a weekly/monthly

One problem is i sell a big range of t-shirts, some are funny, some offensive, some really offensive, this could be a problem for some magazines.

For the people that have been featured in magazines, shoud i ask them? should i let them know i exist? send them a press release? or just do nothing, and wait?


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## Rodney (Nov 3, 2004)

> For the people that have been featured in magazines, shoud i ask them? should i let them know i exist? send them a press release? or just do nothing, and wait?


I usually just wait until they notice. I focus my energy on making things (designs/websites) that truly stand out and are worthing writing about.

Once you've got some press going your way, a press release is a nice, economical reminder to let the media know what you're about and why you're special


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## The T Shirt Man (Aug 29, 2006)

i find it really hard to write a press release, i dont know quite what to say which can be considered newsworthy! That may sound weird, but i cant seem to think of anything without sounding like i am trying to plug my site or shirts, i have tried reading other press releases for guides and inspiration, but cant come up with much. Should it be about my site, a section of shirts, a special i am running, a new design?

I am confident with the web side of things now, high in goole and yahoo...the next big step for me is going to the next leval, marketing, word of mouth and so on, it is hard to start a buzz about my shirts/site!

I know that people have already done some for me, i see my shirts being posted on sites and written about in blogs by random visitors, which is always a good thing, but i need more of this, on a bigger scale. If you go round a forum for example posting something, people know you are just advertising, because you are just going and posting once and leaving.


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## Rodney (Nov 3, 2004)

> i find it really hard to write a press release, i dont know quite what to say which can be considered newsworthy! That may sound weird, but i cant seem to think of anything without sounding like i am trying to plug my site or shirts, i have tried reading other press releases for guides and inspiration, but cant come up with much.


To be honest, that's a good indication that you may have nothing newsworthy for them to report about. That may make it harder for you to get press.

A generic press release topic might be the announcement of your site launch or whatever makes your site/designs/company unique.

If you can't write one yourself, you may consider hiring a professional to do it. There are even press release distribution services that can send them out.

Check out this link: http://www.t-shirtforums.com/tags/press-release/


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## rejoice (Jun 7, 2007)

Are you looking at a short burst of activity say a two or three month launch project or are you looking for ongoing PR? What are your PR objectives - where would you like to see press and what do you hope to gain from the exposure? You may run a press release on yourself as the brains behind the company, new product launches, any events you are holding, website launch - a good one if you haven't released one for that yet, etc...


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## rejoice (Jun 7, 2007)

free press releases aren't worth the trouble
just search in google and you'll get plenty
contact a pr firm that specialises with fashion, etc
they know who to contact at what publications, etc
work around your budget to get maximum exposure
you have to pitch the pr, send it, follow up
should really be left to the professionals as they have the contacts
and a well written press release is also essential


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## TripleT (Apr 29, 2007)

I can't say that I'm familiar with the UK news/magazine culture, but if you have a small, local newspaper, they are always looking for stories of local interest. Try running some sort of a contest, give away a prize (maybe putting the person's picture on your website wearing a winning T-Shirt), then write a short (funny) story about it and submit it to your local news organization.

If they run the story, then use that to write a press release and submit it to larger media outlets (ie: Local T-Shirt Company Wins Big. Reaches Out to National Audience.) 

If it works, great, you can do it again, if it doesn't, so what? You're spent almost nothing.


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## The T Shirt Man (Aug 29, 2006)

> Are you looking at a short burst of activity say a two or three month launch project or are you looking for ongoing PR? What are your PR objectives - where would you like to see press and what do you hope to gain from the exposure? You may run a press release on yourself as the brains behind the company, new product launches, any events you are holding, website launch - a good one if you haven't released one for that yet, etc...


I am looking for some exposure for my site and shirts, not really like an ad campaign or anything like that, thats why i want to stay away from advertising in magazines and rather be featured in some sort of "we have found these funny t-shirts on sale online here..." type of feature. I have been apporached by the people who create a magazine for the universities for freshers (people just starting uni) for the UK who want me to advertise, their circulation is over 300,000 but i am not keen on it, it costs too much with no gaurentee of sales or even people going to the site; Espeically when i had another magazine with similar circulation, but not a free magazine who said they were going to put me in for free.



> I can't say that I'm familiar with the UK news/magazine culture, but if you have a small, local newspaper, they are always looking for stories of local interest. Try running some sort of a contest, give away a prize (maybe putting the person's picture on your website wearing a winning T-Shirt), then write a short (funny) story about it and submit it to your local news organization.
> 
> If they run the story, then use that to write a press release and submit it to larger media outlets (ie: Local T-Shirt Company Wins Big. Reaches Out to National Audience.)
> 
> If it works, great, you can do it again, if it doesn't, so what? You're spent almost nothing.


That is a good idea to get my local newspapers involved, i have thought about it before, i will try and come up with something for it, its hard to think local because my target market is national.


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## TripleT (Apr 29, 2007)

> That is a good idea to get my local newspapers involved, i have thought about it before, i will try and come up with something for it, its hard to think local because my target market is national.


Keep your same national target market - it is only local in the sense that your company is a local company, your target market can be anywhere


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## Binary01 (Jun 2, 2007)

Publicity Insider - Publicity, Public Relations, Press Publicity and Press Release Secrets

start here...read up....


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## Rodney (Nov 3, 2004)

artboook said:


> Hi,
> 
> Does anyone know of FREE press releases ? - most small business shop keepers can`t afford to invest in big ads...
> 
> ...


A press release isn't considered a big ad. It doesn't cost a lot of money to have a press release written or have it distributed.

A shopkeeper is still a business person trying to get customers to their store. Every business is going to have to spend money to advertise to be successful.

My advice would be to save up some money and set aside an advertising budget. 

Some things can be done for free (word of mouth, search engine optimization, viral marketing, links), but some things you will have to pay for.


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## TripleT (Apr 29, 2007)

> start here...read up....


Good Find, 237am - Thanks


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## christopher (Jun 29, 2007)

I have a lot of experience writing press releases for my band and helping others with theirs. 

It is important to time press releases with the release of something new. For me it has most often been an album. For you it would most likely be a new collection of shirts or new project/collaboration. The whole idea of a press release is to tell the world that you have something exciting that is just coming out. You want the magazines, in this case, to feel like they are breaking news not just telling people about something that has allways been there. The same goes for most all media. Unless you are playing with a rather large budget for ad space, time all of your press and advertisement around something new. 

Your press release should be also short. 

A good way that I have heard it explained is that a good press release must convey everything you want it to in the 2 seconds it takes for the reader/editor to drop it out of their hand and into a garbage can because that is where they are used to filing them.

Chris


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## TripleT (Apr 29, 2007)

> The whole idea of a press release is to tell the world that you have something exciting that is just coming out.


That certainly is a good idea, but the reason for a press release is to get your name out in public. If you read the _BusinessWire_ for example, you'll see all kinds of releases about XYZ company has just hired a new CEO, or they have just opened a new office in (city), or they are expanding and hiring new employees, or they just made their sales goal, etc.

So if you have something that is new and or interesting - you have the potential to write a press release. Granted, a paid press release is a little different than a planted release, but the same approach works for both. 

Good point about the 2 second "rule."


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## JohnnyMo (Jun 14, 2007)

Another easy topic for press releases... especially if your site deals with topical issues... is piggybacking something of national celebrity.... 

For example, when Paris Hilton gets released from jail after serving only 50% of her sentence... you announce a 50% off sale to help the "regular people" who never get special treatment.... or when Reverend Falwell dies, you announce a sale on Anti-Religion tees.... the idea is to take something that is already newsworthy and in the headlines, and put your unique spin on it to get coverage.... 

I find submissions to local papers and the like work a bit better than national publications, as you can announce, "Local Retailer Slashes Pop Culture Tees 50% to Coincide with Paris Hilton Release," and you have a shot at getting picked up by either the local business editor, or even the style/celebrity section of the paper... 

You might also want to attned a handful of local business luncheons or other social mixers to meet the editors/writers/etc.... as they're much more receptive to your release if they like you personally.... 

Finally, don't discount the local radio stations and other venues that are always looking for guests or experts in various fields... you can always send off a letter of introduction noting you are a local business man with an expertise in a certain field and that you'd be happy to give interviews on any relevant topic on air as needed.... 

Good luck...


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