The way to earn publicity is to be newsworthy. In other words, worthy of being written about and ... [+]
To build awareness of your services, it pays to invest in publicity.
Publicity is the most cost-effective way to generate awareness, which is the first step in the awareness-interest-desire-action formula for attracting high-paying clients.
You buy advertising; you earn publicity. The way to earn it is to be newsworthy. In other words, worthy of being written about and talked about.
This is not about posting articles, blogs, podcasts and videos. This is about getting other people to talk and type about you. This has the power of third-party endorsement, which is somebody else saying you are worthy of attention.
Who would a prospect believe more: somebody saying how great they are, or a credible third-party media outlet saying how great they are?
The really good publicists in the world make their living with this knowledge about third-party credibility. You can hire a publicist, or like a good friend of mine who is an author you can be your own publicist. By understanding what is newsworthy, she has generated more than 2,500 articles and interviews. She was even interviewed by Oprah Winfrey and Dr. Phil.
If you are willing to be your own publicist, here are some newsworthy angles you can offer the media:
Become a futurist. Make a bold, yet informed, prediction. Just stick to your area of expertise. Predicting the future makes great reading. And who is to say you are wrong?
Borrow numbers. There are many government studies that come out with numbers on a monthly basis, such as the employment numbers from the US Department of Labor. But what do these numbers mean? You can generate publicity by offering solid analyses of these numbers.
Conduct a survey. It’s no secret the media loves numbers. Give the media real numbers that are provocative, and they will give you coverage.
Offer some advice. Tips for consumers or business readers always work. This is not off the cuff stuff. Do some solid thinking. You cannot go wrong if you can give advice about health, money, or romance.
Present an award. For a running shoe store, I helped create a novel award outside on the sidewalk. Inspired by the renowned Hollywood movie theater with footprints of the stars, we invited famous runners to send their shoes and we made shoeprints in the cement. Others have done halls of fame or lifetime achievement awards.
Now where do you promote these newsworthy angles?
“Today our audience is more digitally driven than ever before,” says Valerie Zucker, founder of Zucker Lewis Media Group. “For this reason, we work toward reaching top circulation numbers within our targeted demographic. This is defined by the number of page views and unique visits.”
Online publicity is what I call the gift that keeps giving. Online stories continue to be found years after the story was first posted.
According to Zucker, being newsworthy means looking for impactful content to offer up to those who would write about you or talk about you. Here are the types of angles she offers (FYI: direct quotes, so not in Forbes.com style).
“How to get to $5M luxury condo buyer? Gil Dezer, President, Dezer Development. Create events that showcase what they own, i.e., car showcases $1M products such as car eye candy.”
“How to build your brand for women? Elena Cardone, CEO of 10X Ladies. Share from billionaire brands such as her husband and offer advice she's seen firsthand.”
“How to reclaim a CEO brand? Rita Case, CEO of Rick Case Auto. Reach higher by touching more people. Hosting more events. More guest speaker roles. More shaking hands with employees.”
The pitch is short, sweet and to the point. In addition, Zucker says to succeed in the publicity game there is something else involved.
“It’s not always about breakthrough impactful content,” says Zucker. “Sometimes it’s how we engage in conversation with the writers, editors and producers that make the stories work. More often it’s about the email and phone chemistry that allows for the best opportunities to develop. We can’t wear out our welcome either. Asking for too many stories is off limits.”
