Press Releases That Work
     The primary purpose in the writing of any press release is to get it printed ... and printed as close as possible to the way it was initially written. This ensures that the writer retains control over how a story is told.
     After nearly two decades of writing press releases, we have talked with countless editors and received a great deal of advice on this subject. After implementing much of the advice which follows, the result has been an average of about a 95% "print" factor in the releases written and sent out for clients. That is, for those clients who let us write as we believe the editors desire, and not as the client desires. We never send out anything unless we're certain meets the requirements of the editor.
Here are some important things to keep in mind when preparing press releases:

• Most daily newspaper business/hospitality/real estate editors receive upwards of 200 releases A DAY! Even in smaller towns.
  
• Editors have to be able to look at a release and instantly determine what the story is about.
  
• This means the lead has to be clear, simple and strong.
  
• Most importantly, it has to contain some element of NEWS!
  
• Next in importance, a press release should contain only facts, not "editorial" comments which are the opinion of the client and not necessarily a fact.
  
• A press release should never be something that can easily be replaced by an ad.
  
• One-page releases are most likely to be read.
  
• "People" releases (personnel, promotions, etc.) should NEVER be more than one page. Facts about every job the person had had in the past 20 years are seldom printed and usually desired purely for ego purposes.
  
• Easy-to-read type fonts are preferred.
  
• Editors seldom, if ever, read the 2nd or 3rd page of a release.
  
• Most editors are very poorly paid.
  
• Many don't have the desire or energy to rewrite something if it is poorly written.
  
• Distinctive letterhead can also mean the difference of having a release read or dumped in the trash can.
  
• It never hurts to call editors once in a while and compliment them on a well-written story. Everyone likes a little bit of praise and they don't forget this little kindness.

Marketing programs that work-

Newsletters for owners and prospects
     As a marketing and public relations advisor to the vacation ownership industry since 1978, I have seen many expensive marketing programs come and go. One that has maintained a constant level of success, is an owner communications program.
     When properly written and designed, newsletters can be highly effective in communicating to existing and/or prospective owners for both informational and marketing purposes.The following "tips" have been prepared after creating more than 400 newsletters and interviewing several hundred timeshare owners around the globe.
     Just because a resort is sold out, communications with the owners need not come to an abrupt halt. You can never tell when you'll want them as a customer again. If a resort is sold out, the newsletter can be a separate line item in the condo association budget. If the developer is still in sales, costs can come from the marketing budget.
Unless you are in sales, a one- or two-color newsletter is sufficient and will be inexpensive to print.
     The actual newsletter format is accepted by readers with far more credibility than an advertisement or direct mail letter. It is therefore important to make sure it IS DESIGNED & READS LIKE a newspaper instead of an ad. It's a slight form of "trickery", but it works!
     An informed owner will be better prepared for maintenance and tax increases and will be more responsive to meeting notices or voting proxies.
     The implementation of a quarterly communications program will assure the developer of an informed owner base.
Many newsletters have played a major role in reducing maintenance delinquencies, simply because of their repetition.
     An owner newsletter can be the ideal vehicle to emphasize an on-going resales program. If none exist, it can be used as a resales listing forum for the owners themselves, listing internal trade requests from other owners.
     When used as a marketing piece, owner interviews (testimonials) can help sell the resort. This also applies to articles that emphasize benefits of quality resort management.
It is important that the professional you select (PR firm or ad agency) be knowledgeable about the vacation ownership product and understand the true purpose of the newsletter.

How To Create Effective Owner Communications:
     Newsletters can do much more than announce annual meetings or increased maintenance fees. When properly written and designed, they can become one of your most inexpensive and effective marketing tools.

     Although estimates run as high as 100 million newsletters published in North America, most of them never get read. That's because they are often unappealing to look at, even more boring to read, and frequently mistaken for a sales pitch. Many end up in the I'll-Get-To-It-Someday pile.
But when done right, newsletters can work marketing magic. They can be used to expand a customer base, introduce new products and services or referral programs, and encourage repeat business. Newsletters can also build customer awareness for a resort or business and be used as a vehicle to reposition the company. More importantly, because of their "newsy" format, the contents of newsletters are often accepted as fact and have far more credibility than ads or sales material.
Today, we receive newsletters from airlines, utility companies, attorneys, bankers, and suppliers. In the vacation ownership industry, most developers and management companies recognize the value of a regularly scheduled owner communications program. But few utilize this vehicle to its fullest potential. Here are a few tips to get the most from your newsletter dollars.

1. The Audience. Who is your audience? Existing owners, prospects, or a combination of both? Remember, just because a resort is sold out, communications with the owners need not come to an abrupt halt. You can never tell when you'll want them as a customer again! Also, existing owners are much cheaper to talk to than new ones!

2. Your Goals. Decide first on the purpose, or multiplicity of purposes for your newsletter. What are you trying to accomplish: Referrals? Resales? Reloads? Introduction of new product or services? Or, just conveying resort information? Then, stick to your plan and don't deviate from that purpose.

3. Who Pays For It? Is your resort sold out, or is it still under sales? If it's still in sales, a portion of the costs can usually come from marketing budgets. If not, they are often included as a line item in the management budget and paid for from association funds.
Costs depend on paper, the number of photos and colors used, and quantity printed.

4. The Frequency. Decide on the publication's frequency and maintain your original schedule. A quarterly 4-page newsletter often gets the most readership. Any more may be too often to be noticed and any less has the opposite effect. How often do YOU read your entire frequent flyer or credit card newsletter? Many owner newsletters have played a major role in eliminating potential problems - such as reducing maintenance delinquencies - simply because of their continuing repetition.

5. The Size. Most owner newsletters are designed in an 8.5" x 11" format or larger and are self mailers, eliminating the need for costly envelopes. Unless the purpose is primarily a sales piece, try to keep stories short. The best newsletters are those that can be read in one sitting ... ala Kiplinger. They are far more likely to be read in their entirety. Stay away from long boring articles. Chances are, they'll never be read.
6. The Format. A "newspaper" format (2-3 columns for an 8.5 x 11 size page) is accepted by readers with far more credibility than something that has a strong "buy me" message. Actually, most newsletters have a credibility factor FOUR TIMES that of an actual advertisement. It is therefore important to make sure your newsletter is designed and sounds like a newspaper instead of an ad. Unless you are in sales, a one- or two-color newsletter is sufficient and will be inexpensive to print. Four color newsletters are much more costly unless you print larger quantities, such as 5,000 or more.

7. The Contents. What type of information would YOU like to hear if you had purchased at a distant resort? Try to put yourself in the owner's shoes and think about the questions they would ask if they could talk to your resort managers. Here's where you can merge your purpose with your message.
Remember that a regularly informed owner is most likely to pay maintenance fees, send referrals, be responsive to meeting notices or voting proxies, and show support for sales of new products or services.
If you want your true sales message to be subliminal and not jump off the page, you may want to sneak it in beside several other informational stories.
Resort information, personnel changes, exchange news, owner interviews, new activities, and vacationing tips are all examples of articles owners like to read.
An owner newsletter can be the ideal vehicle to emphasize an on-going resale program. If none exists, it can be used as a resales listing forum for the owners themselves, listing internal trade requests from other owners.
Invite participation from resort managers and corporate staff.
Occasionally add a special coupon or offer to track effectiveness and readership levels. Be sure to follow through and actually record these findings!

8. Photos & graphics. Words are not enough! Don't forget that you need to attract the attention of your prospective audience to get them to pick it up in the first place. The addition of one black and white photo costs only about $10 but adds tremendous impact to your newsletter and makes it far more readable. With computers and inexpensive "clip art", you don't need an in-house artist to produce fun-to-read pieces. If the cost of a photo shoot is prohibitive, have a year-long owner photo contest; photos should be taken while owners are on vacation at your resort. All pictures become your property at the end of the contest. Award prizes for various categories.

9. Mailing. Send it bulk rate. With a minimum of 200 pieces, you can buy a bulk permit to print directly on each newsletter. Mailing locally and presorting by zip code will get you the lowest possible rate. Check with your post office for rates, based on size and weight. The size previously described costs about 25 each. Then there is usually a fee from the mail house to affix labels and presort by zip codes. In the case of smaller owner lists, this can often be handled by the resort staff.

10. Who Should Do The Work? Ideally, an in-house computer graphics specialist or a professional PR or ad agency is best suited to prepare your newsletters and can handle all facets of this task. It is important that they be knowledgeable about your timeshare product. If your owner base is small and doesn't warrant this expense, remember that ANY communications to your owners - no matter how unprofessional it may look - is much better than none at all!

How much does it cost to produce a newsletter?
     There are five main items involved in determining the cost of a newsletter.
       - Writing
       - Typesetting/design
       - Photography
       - Printing
       - Mailing

      Printing costs are determined by:
      - Quantity to be printed
      - Size of the paper
      - Number of folds
      - Type of paper used
      - Number of colors of ink
      - Number of photographs
      - Type of printing equipment used