Have you ever felt a jolt of envy
to see a competitor – or
even a friend – grinning
up at you from a newspaper or
trade publication? Why him, and
not me, we often wonder.
When
you are interviewed by the media,
you gain official third party
credibility. On a subconscious
level, prospects, clients, and
colleagues may subconsciously
believe that the publication
or show is actually endorsing
your services and giving you
the golden seal of approval.
Receiving
media attention is the quickest
way to emerge as the expert
of choice, and elevate yourself
above your competition. And
the great thing is that a single
media appearance begets even
more media appearances. You
don’t need a high priced
publicist to become a media
darling, but you do need to
become proactive and resolve
to start now.
Here
is an easy-to-implement 3-step
plan that will have you generating
publicity in no time flat.
Step
1:
Buy a notebook and carry it
with your everywhere, especially
when you read the paper or your
trade publications. Journalists
today feature between 3-5 experts
for every story to add a balanced
perspective, local color, and
help the reader map the anecdote
to his own experience.
Begin
to write down the names and
publications of journalists
who cover experts similar to
yourself. Jot down the titles
of their stories and add this
information to a database such
as Act.
Write
these journalists a four paragraph
“introductory letter.”
In the first paragraph, tell
them that you are a fan and
mention a specific article by
name. This flatters them, but
more important, shows that you
actually read their stories
and know the themes and issues
they actually cover.
In the
second paragraph, briefly discuss
your area of expertise, and
offer yourself as a source for
future stories. You may score
more points by mentioning that
you are also a member of many
associations related to their
beat, and that you can offer
other experts should they need
them. In the third paragraph,
you may mention a few timely,
relevant story ideas (see Step
2).
Then,
in the last paragraph, mention
you will call them to discuss
it further on a specific date,
and do so.
Step
2:
Develop a running list of story
ideas. With that same notebook
you take everywhere, begin to
jot down story ideas as they
occur to you. For example:
1. Research
you have done for a client.
Can you turn this into a case
study or story idea?
2. Questions
clients are asking you. Are
clients all suddenly asking
the same question? This may
be a universal concern journalists
want to know about.
3. Trade
show gossip. What were people
whispering about in the halls?
What can you turn into a story?
4. Trends.
Journalists
love trend stories. You are
out in the field and read an
assortment of trade publications,
but they are shackled to their
desk and rely on experts such
as yourself to feed them hot
information and new trends.
What’s new in your field?
What do you see for the future?
5. Observations.
In the
course of your daily life, story
ideas are all around you. In
the past, before directed awareness
and your notebook, they might
have flown into one ear and
out the other. Now, you’ll
write these observations down
and turn it into tasty media
morsels.
6. Evergreen
stories.
Each
year, the media needs to cover
the same topics. If you are
an accountant, you know the
media is going to want timely
tax saving tips, so score brownie
points by giving the subject
a new spin.
Step
3:
Put yourself
in the position of an editor,
reporter, or producer. Specifically,
realize that:
1. They
want news and information relevant
to their audience.
2. They
want “new news”
– if it could have been
told last week, or next week,
it’s low on their radar
screen.
3. They
prefer it if you put the story
together for them. Instead of
just giving them a one-line
idea, do the legwork yourself
and find sources in addition
to yourself.
Score
even more points by finding
a source who opposes your point
of view, since journalists like
to cover both sides of an issue
and love the tension created
by controversy.
Becoming a media darling can
build your business and give
you the “celebrity status”
usually bestowed on film stars
and politicians. 95% of the
trick is simply becoming aware
of the opportunities around
you, and realizing that if an
expert similar to yourself was
featured on a show or in an
article, so could you!
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| Resource
Box |
By: Marisa D'Vari
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a multitude of ways
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