Achieve Media Attention for Your Business

Do you want to be quoted by the national press on a daily basis? (How much would that be worth to your business?)

In the past six months, I've been quoted in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The International Herald Tribune, Entrepreneur, The Associated Press, PBS, Voice of America, Family Circle, Glamour, Redbook, Self, Health, Prevention, Parents, Parenting, Women's World, First for Women, Newsday, Newsweek, Salon, In Touch Weekly--and even The National Enquirer.

In fact, I've been quoted in over 100 prestigious U.S. publications. I call this "Expertizing," and it's good for business, regardless of the business you're in. Anyone can learn to get this kind of media attention, for any book or any business; my Expertizing workshop attendees are achieving this same level of media recognition. Here's how:

First, syndicate. This column is syndicated; hundreds of thousands of people read it. Syndicating a newspaper column doesn't pay very well anymore (you'll probably make only $5 or $10 per column) but it gets your name out. And syndicating online is even easier. My next title, "The Publishing Game: Syndicate a Column in 30 Days" will cover the topic more thoroughly, but you can get started just by doing a google search for "[Keyword] article submit."

Start a national association. A national association will get you media attention automatically, regardless of your other credentials. The National Pediculosis Association in Needham, Massachusetts, is a great example. (That's lice, for those of you without small children.)

Create a holiday. Anyone can create a national holiday, and it's free. Register at Chases.com, and on a slow news day, journalists will come looking for more information on your holiday-the more interesting, funny, or quirky, the better. I just helped an Expertizing client set up a holiday for her very technical company that would otherwise have been paid little press attention-but next year, she's going to be inundated with press attention when National Geek Day rolls around.

If you're going to do a flyer for your business, put something useful on the back so people don't throw it away. The back of my Publishing Game book flyer has a useful hot contact list, with contact information for major magazines, talk show hosts, wholesalers and distributors, book reviewers, and more. (You can get a complimentary copy at PublishingGame.com.) My new Expertizing flyer has information on my Expertizing workshops on one side, but the other side has suggestions of how to write Killer Soundbites that the media will quote. (You can get a free copy of that one at Expertizing.com.) If you include something useful, people will hang onto your flyers forever.

Talk to the press. Press kits mostly get tossed or buried. But today there are services you can subscribe to that will keep you up to date on what journalists are working on, so that you can respond in time to be quoted in their articles. I respond to health journalists with quotes about my Infertility Diet book; I respond to business journalists with information about my Publishing Game and Expertizing products. But I also respond about lifestyle issues-entrepreneurship, marriage, kids, home business. One of the things I do in my all-day Expertizing workshops is train authors and executives to develop the soundbites that will propel them into these articles. Even without training, you can generate plenty of press.

Don't forget speaking. If you enjoy public speaking, do as much of it as you can. Speaking can pay-even public libraries pay for talks-and even without pay, it's worth it for the publicity. If you speak at the Learning Annex, for example, thousands of people see your information. When it comes to speaking, this is one of the few times you shouldn't focus just on your niche. Cast your net more widely, and see if you don't have something to say to others. For example, this year I'm speaking at Media Relations, at SPAN, and at Book Expo America, all of which are in my target audience. But I'm also speaking to over 200 CEOs at an executive transition firm event-and that's probably going to generate more business for me, because writers and publishers have heard of me already, but these executives may have not. So look for new audiences and groups that might be interested, as well as your target markets.

And then forget what I'm telling you, about how you have to do this or that sort of PR. Do the publicity you love. What you love doing will be most effective for you, because you'll enjoy it. So if you like to speak, go out and do that, but if you'd prefer to sit home in your bathrobe and do it all by email, do that instead. Live the dream the way you want to.

About The Author

Copyright (C) Fern Reiss - is the CEO of Expertizing.com/PublishingGame.com. More information on Fern's books ("The Publishing Game: Find an Agent in 30 Days," (literary agents) "The Publishing Game: Publish a Book in 30 Days," (self publishing) and "The Publishing Game: Bestseller in 30 Days" (book promotion) and all-day Publishing Game workshops can be found at the websites. More information on positioning yourself as an expert and being quoted by the media, along with Fern's Expertizing Workshops at the Ritz Carlton in Boston (September 19) and Manhattan (October 4) can be found at the websites.

fernreiss@pbjpress.com

---

Press Releases for Every Occasion

To many marketers, the press release is something of a... Read More

Media Release Headlines - Ten Tips to Get Media Attention

So you have spent hours and hours writing, shaping and... Read More

Why News Releases Fail

Sorry about my otaku with this issue (otaku = more... 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

Is The Traditional Press Review Still A Business Tool Of The Future?

Press reviews are a common and basic feature for surveying... Read More

Dont Pay for Radio Interviews

It used to be that all you had to do... Read More

10 Secrets to Free Publicity

Public relations is popular because it is very cost-effective and... Read More

Can Your PR Game Plan be Salvaged?

If, as is often the case, you are preoccupied with... Read More

Business Gifts for Your Clients and Employees

Tis' the season for business and corporate gift-giving! If you... Read More

The Three-Mile Radius

In last year's animated film Shrek II, a giant gingerbread... Read More

Public Relations Primer Part III: 10 Donts

There are all kinds of smart moves professionals can make... Read More

Etymology- How Words Change Over Time

Etymology is the study of the origins of words.As languages... Read More

Why PR Can be Effective Medicine

When properly applied by business, non-profit and association managers, public... Read More

Publicizing Your Company

Got a huge need for publicity and a tiny publicity... Read More

Youve Done PR the Hard Way Long Enough

As a business, non-profit or association manager, let the tacticians... Read More

Creating Event Magic through Planned Video Production

Once upon a time, there was a young, stressed out... Read More

Marketing-Minded Financial Planners, Dont Hold Back Information From the Media

Some financial planners think that they shouldn't share their top... Read More

Publicity: Nailing a Media Interview, Part II (Crisis Management)

We'd all like reporters to ask us about our career... Read More

Get Outsiders on Your Side

Especially good advice for business, non-profit and association managers whose... 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

Do You Really Need PR?

The right kind of PR, that is, the kind that... Read More

Do You Have an Exclusive Market Segment?

You do if you're a business, non-profit or association manager... Read More

Public Relations ? Defining Your Organization from the Inside Out

What do your customers say about your company?Would you let... Read More

Top Five Publicity Myths

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

How Real PR Works

For some, public relations works well when their news release... Read More

Publicity - Use This System to Track Publicity Progress

Tracking your correspondence with reporters, via phone or email, is... Read More

Do-It-Yourself PR: An Accident Waiting to Happen

Early in my career as a public relations consultant, I... Read More

Public Relations Primer, Part II: Five Dos

1) Package your story. Two critical elements will help you... Read More

Want This Kind of PR?

PR that really does something positive about the behaviors of... Read More

So, How Do I Answer That?

How you answer questions depends on many factors. Example what... Read More

Media Training 101: When 60 Minutes Knocks On Your Door

You never know when 60 Minutes will knock on your... Read More

Same Old, Same Old PR Still Tops

Like human nature over time, the power of good public... Read More

The Truth About Public Relations

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