And the Winner Is…:Beginning this quarter, HR Marketer will spotlight outstanding press releases from our members. The winning members will receive a free Internet "wire" distribution via HR Marketer.For our first spotlight, it's a tie – we're going to feature two releases that feature the necessary elements of a successful press release, and have delivered desired placement results. First, congratulations go to Paula Alsher and the Center for Effective Performance, for their April 30 release on outsourcing and the workforce. A sampling is shown below: "When Deciding to Outsource, Consider the "Skill, Will," and "Hill" Factors Workforce Performance is Critical Factor in Successful Outsourcing "Much of the debate on outsourcing/offshoring of business processes focuses on the financial implications of the decision itself. However, once the decision is made, executives should turn their attention to two other equally important issues: first, what can the organization do to guarantee that contracted workers perform tasks at the same level as experienced employees? Second, has the organization considered the remaining employee population in terms of motivation and job satisfaction? Executives who decide to outsource would be wise to weigh these two issues as the implementation process begins, says Dr. Seth Leibler, CEO of The Center for Effective Performance ..." Elrond Lawrence, Fisher Vista's director of media relations, explains that CEP took a twist on a popular, yet nearly-cliche subject, and capped their release with a catchy headline that enticed writers and editors to read further. Illustrating the appeal of a strong headline was the recent placement of CEP's announcement in the May 6 issue of the E-newsletter "AIRS Newsbytes," which used the press release title verbatim as its subject heading! Congratulations also to Michael Schindel of PerfectSoftware for the release entitled: "PerfectSoftware and Acumen Data Systems, Inc. Announce Strategic Relationship" Here's a sample from the lead paragraphs: "Perfect Software, a leading provider of Human Resource Management Systems, today announced it has formed a strategic relationship with Acumen Data Systems, Inc., a leader in Time & Attendance software and services. Under the new association, each company will offer its software products to the other’s customer base as additional applications to complement their existing solutions. The intuitive and flexible design of Acumen Data Systems products will enable Perfect Software’s clients to easily and seamlessly integrate a Time and Attendance solution that will enable them to boost productivity across their entire enterprise...." While not a unique announcement, Lawrence notes that PerfectSoftware was able to effectively articulate the key elements of their new partnership, and the benefits to customers. The three (and a half) paragraph length kept the release manageable for a busy journalist to skim, without straying onto self-serving language or tangents that didn't relate to the key news. Since the February distribution, the company has scored solid placements in the April issue of Human Resource Executive, Training Magazine online, the Interbiznet Bugler e-newsletter and others. Watch for another press release spotlight in the next issue of Fish Rap. |