Publicity for Financial Planners--Eight Tips For Success

Individual financial planners can outscore bigger competitors and gain market share with publicity. The key to doing it well: don't mimic the big guys and gals. Do it smartly, but on your scale. How? Here are eight rules:

1. Don't invest in expensive packaging. Skip the fancy, slick-looking press kits and media materials. You can't compete with the big boys on costly gimmickry. And no financial planner's press kit ever approached the eye appeal of what luxury goods purveyors and the entertainment industry churn out every day. So don't try. Instead, concentrate on making the insides ? your story ? strong. Which leads to?.

2. Spend your money on brainpower. Good ideas are the raw ingredient of good publicity and good media stories. They are what separate the winners from the wannabes. Find and invest in the talent that can conceive and develop them. Smart people who consistently generate good ideas are the most valued individuals in the PR industry. So?

3. When a good idea comes along, push it to the hilt. A truly winning story idea is not only rare ? it's often luck and good timing that make it soar. When it comes, it can generate massive, nationwide publicity. If you're lucky enough to hitch onto one, don't let it go ? with enough variations and persistence, it can last for months. Go with it!

4. Set clear objectives, and make sure someone is accountable for results. Sounds logical, but PR has a way of "falling though the cracks" in small firms. Don't let it!

5. Measure results. In publicity, the result is what lands in the press, and what happens to business as a result. Results are not measured in the poundage of press materials your PR person ships off to the media.

6. Concentrate on what you know, not who you know. Don't get overconfident if you're lucky to have the numbers of some reporters are in your Rolodex-and beware the PR person who claims that their "contacts" alone can get you a story. Whether a reporter has talked to you once or a thousand times, all that she will respond to in the end is a great story.

7. Avoid costly distribution systems. Videos, CDs, satellites ? there are many high-tech ways to reach the media. Most of them benefit large companies more. A good story, a phone, and a brief e-mail are what a small firm's PR person should use most.

8. Leverage results. When a good story lands, reprint it ? and market the heck out of it. Send it to clients, prospects, everyone. Alert your clients about it via e-mail. Frame and mount it in the reception area. Reading it in that day's paper is just the start ? it can work for you for years if you keep distributing it.

Ned Steele works with people in professional services who want to build their practice and accelerate their growth. The president of Ned Steele's MediaImpact, he is the author of 102 Publicity Tips To Grow a Business or Practice. To learn more visit http://www.MediaImpact.biz or call 212-243-8383.

---

How PR Helps Managers Win

Anything that lets managers achieve their managerial objectives is a... Read More

16 Publicity tips for Restaurants

With a dismal failure rate of more than 75 percent... Read More

The Truth About Public Relations

The truth is, you CAN attract the support of those... Read More

Say What?

As the comedian Steve Martin once said, "some people have... Read More

Media Training: How To Speak During a Media Interview

WHITE NOISEA client recently told me about a fascinating new... Read More

Getting Free Publicity with Radio Interviews

Imagine that you are a radio producer. You have to... Read More

Asian Media Relations: Increase Your Profile and Image in China

China's media is booming creating opportunities for marketing-savvy businesses. But... Read More

Public Relations Writing: Write Better Press Release Headlines With More Impact in Less Time

Public relations writing when writing press releases can be a... Read More

Publicity - The Right Media Person to Call for Free Publicity

You won't accomplish much if you call the gas company... Read More

Building Credibility Through Bylined Articles

As if making sure your company runs smoothly on an... Read More

How To Get An Avalanche Of Free Publicity For Your Home Business!

There are many ways you can get tons of free... Read More

Top Five Publicity Myths

Most people consider getting publicity the most important part of... Read More

Managers and PR: One Thing Is Clear

As a business, non-profit or association manager, you have a... Read More

Slow Day? Create News

Sometimes there seems to be no client news worthy of... Read More

Media Kit: 25 Component Possibilities

Media kits include a combination of information whether created for... Read More

How About MANAGING Your Own PR?

It's one thing for a senior manager to approve story... Read More

Post Your Press Release Online ? For Free!!

Are you launching a new product or website? Announcing a... Read More

A Powerful PR Strategy

It really is powerful when a business, non-profit or association... Read More

Something New For Managers?

A new public relations blueprint could be a good idea... Read More

Publicity - How to Write a Headline That Will Garner Free Publicity

Taking your ad and turning it into paragraph-style prose is... Read More

Community Based Marketing Strategies

As small businesses we have an opportunity and an obligation... Read More

Top Ten Tips for Writing your Best Press Release Ever

Keep these few crucial details in mind when writing and... Read More

A Sensible Way to Use PR

The most sensible way for business, non-profit or association managers... Read More

How Public Relations Changes Minds

Public relations changes minds in the process of delivering what... Read More

The Only Way to Get Free Advertising?

Receiving free advertising is the dream of most business people.... Read More

The Press Release: How to Get the Media to Pay Attention!

As many of you already know, promoting and marketing your... Read More

Achieve Media Attention for Your Business

Do you want to be quoted by the national press... Read More

Easy to be Foolish About PR

In fact, here are three really foolish goofs made by... Read More

Dont Use PR

?lose the confidence of your key target audiences? discourage them... Read More

Media Contact Lists and How to Build a Fantastic One

I got the latest issue of Internet Works in the... Read More

Managers: Why PR is SO Key

When outside audiences important to your operation do not understand... Read More

The PR And Marketing Expert Has A Smattering Of Knowledge Regarding Nearly Everything And Is Certain

PR, that is public-relations, leads the way to effective advertising;... Read More

How to Generate Free Publicity for Your Product, Service, or Cause

One of the most misunderstood and most underutilized promotional tools... Read More