14 Publicity
Tips You Can't Live Without
by: Paul Hartunian
How do you best
promote yourself, your business or your cause using publicity?
The list could easily be 100 items long. But 14 items stand
out that can make yours a winning publicity campaign. If you
follow these 14 tips, you tremendously increase your chances
of getting publicity.
Even better, all
14 tips are easy to put into action.
Here are the Magic
14:
1. Establish a
Consistent Look - A great way to get your release pulled and
looked at first, is if the editor becomes familiar with your
name and the look and quality of your previous stories.
2. Submit Anything
To Start Off With - Get your name on file. Whether or not they
run your first story isn't important, you just want to have
a 'previous story' on file the next time something important
in your field comes up.
3. Keep On Submitting
- Always be on the lookout for good stories. Editors need to
see your name popping up regularly, not just once or twice a
year.
4. Watch The News
- Become 'The Authority' on your subject. Watch what's happening
around the world. Send out timely press releases connecting
your story to local, national or world news. Be ready when editors
call wanting to know about something that broke the news this
morning.
5. Keep Up On
The Trades - Understanding the trends and aims of your profession
is essential to your being able to speak knowledgeably when
called on short notice.
6. Piggyback Your
Cause - Find community events where you can offer your services.
If media personalities know you can deliver a good interview,
they'll be very interested in talking to you.
7. Be A Character
- Don't be afraid to get out of yourself. Study successful talk
show hosts. Watch how they work topics, how they keep your attention.
Become a fun, knowledgeable person to interview. Your character
is as important to an interviewer as your story is. You don't
have to be outrageous (although that can be a real plus), just
an enjoyable, knowledgeable expert in your field.
8. Network In
All The Right Places - Go to the gala balls, the fund raising
banquets, the Lions Club or Country Club events. Anywhere the
press might be looking, be sure they see you hanging out. Make
a point of striking up a conversation as often as comfortably
possible.
9. Remember Names
- Everybody loves to hear their name. Especially reporters.
Carry a small spiral notebook and write down names and details
on every media person you meet. It helps immensely in remembering
who they are the next time you run across them around town.
10. Be 100% Reliable
- Reporters become incredibly frustrated when someone cancels
or postpones an interview ' or worse, don't show for the interview.
Establish a rock solid reputation for being a reliable interview.
Also become known as a person who can be available on short
notice for an interview. Reporters will love you for that.
11. Be A Source
Of Referrals - Many times the reporter interviewing you will
ask for the names of two or three other people in your field
they can interview. Don't be afraid to give them the names.
There are three solid reasons for this. First, the people you
refer to them will be very grateful to you for the opportunity.
Second, the reporter will be grateful and will look on you as
a great source of information. And third, very frankly, the
people you refer to the reporter will almost certainly not know
how to either do a good interview or how to turn that interview
into additional business. It's very unlikely these other people
and their interviews will be a threat to your business.
12. Follow Up
On Stories - ALWAYS send thank you notes for any interview or
story a paper or station runs. With a little imagination you
can often parlay this 'after the fact' moment into more coverage.
One singer more than doubled her coverage by sending flowers
to a PBS television station after her interview thanking them
for the time and wishing them a successful fund drive (which
just happened to be in progress). Her flowers and note kept
showing up all day, along with clips from her interview.
13. Stay In Charge
Of The Interview - Don't let interviewers take off on their
own paths. Remember always, you are the authority on this topic
and a bad interview will ultimately reflect only on you. If
an interviewer is trying to dig in areas the general public
will find boring, be courteous, answer the questions quickly,
and then point the conversation where it should be headed, towards
the more fascinating and lively topics. A good Q&A, following
my system, will almost guarantee that you stay in control of
the interview from beginning to end.
14. Finally, Don't
Be Afraid To Create News - Write a book, do a survey, author
a research project, anything that'll take yours out of the 'boring
profession' category. Always look for the angles you know will
fascinate the general public and become the authority in those
areas.
My favorite saying
concerning the media is: 'Media people are very willing to make
you as famous and wealthy as you'd like if you just give them
a good story.'
There are tens
of thousands of media people waiting for your good stories.
Give them what they want and they'll reward you very handsomely.
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About The Author:
Paul Hartunian
is the world's leading authority on publicity and self-promotion.
At his website - http://www.Hartunian.com
- you'll find lots of information about how you can get free
publicity for any product, service or business you're involved
with. Get information about his complete publicity kit at http://www.Hartunian.com/prkit
. Sign up for his free publicity ezine at http://www.hartunian.com/subscribe
. You can reach Paul at (973)857-4142. Or by email at mailto:PaulHartunian@Hotmail.com.
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