Your Media Moment & Beyond!

I'm preparing for a phone interview with author Jennifer Chambers. She has a powerful personal story and her first novel just came out. www.jenniferbchambers.com

Who are You Online? Part Two

Last week I talked about how more than half of American small businesses do not have a website.  If you're one of them and it works for you, that's great.  But as my previous post noted, if you want media publicity, having no web presence might work against you.   

I'm no Internet expert and I'm sure for Internet-savvy readers this post is old hat, but if you are among the missing and "un-searchable," reporters may shy away from doing a story because you are a blank slate online. You don't want customers or competitors defining you and your industry, perhaps in a negative way, without your voice being heard.  Make it easy for the media to find out positive information about you and your company.

How can you get a foothold on the Internet without breaking the bank?  A little time spent doing online research could help.  There are a number of free and inexpensive website and blogging platforms with professional-looking templates that will let you set up a simple site with 2-5 pages. You can always hire a designer to produce a more elaborate site now or later or perhaps your business will never need that.  For starters, I would just claim a little piece of online real estate.

Create the site with basic information about your company, your products or services, your biography, contact information, location, store hours, whatever fits your business. Perhaps you already have a brochure or other customer literature you can use for the copy. 

I'd also buy my own domain name...your personal name and/or business name and/or a motto or catch phrase about your business.  The annual fees for domain registration are very low. Get the .com designation, whenever possible.  It's a good idea to secure your personal name and/or business name now for future use, even if a website or blog isn't in your plans just yet.

If your own name or business name is already taken - look for alternatives.  For example, I was looking for a name to connote "do your own PR" or "DIY publicity" or "get your own publicity," but everything was gone. I kept playing around with word combinations until I came up with "Help Yourself to Publicity.com."   That worked for me and, though I haven't done anything with it yet, I registered the domain name.  You can brainstorm ideas with domain name generators like Nameboy.com. 

Even if your their business is strictly offline, a few simple steps on the Internet can shape the image you want to project to the media and the world.

Who Are You Online?

    Like a lot of people, I spend a fair amount of time every day on my computer and on the Internet.  So it's sometimes hard to believe there are plenty of small businesses doing very well, thank you very much, without any online presence. 

In December 2009,  FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski said more than 50-percent of American small businesses do not have a website.  Some don't need or want one, but, in my view, a website or a blog  may help you get publicity.

I recently talked to a business owner without a website/blog who was thinking about going after some publicity this year. I recommended establishing some sort of online identity before reaching out to the media.

Here's why. Even if your media targets are reporters at your local newspapers, magazines, radio or TV stations and your business is entirely offline, you need to be "find-able" by the media. Journalists are a skeptical bunch and if they read your press release or get a pitch call and don't know anything about you, they'll want to independently "check you out."  Since reporters often work odd hours, they may want to do it at 4 in the morning or 11 at night.

The quickest and easiest way?  They'll do an Internet search of your name, business name, industry associations, etc. In short, they'll "google" you. What will they find?  Is it positive?  Negative?  

What if their search finds NOTHING about you or your business?  Maybe it's unfair, but that could raise red flags for a reporter.  An unknown person or business in this wired age?  How could that be? 

Now, they're wondering, "Are they legit?"  The reporter might even decide, "Why take a chance?" and go with someone else's story.  Ouch. 

Before you make your first pitch, check out your online reputation and if necessary start creating an identity. Make it easy for the media to find out more about who you are and what you do, any time of the day or night.

I'll have more about staking a claim to your name online in my next post. 

What are your thoughts about having an online identity for your offline business?

Photo credit: Stock.xchng/mmagallan

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Become a Blogger is Back!

Want to get an online identity quickly and easily?  Start a blog.

When I started my business, building an Internet presence was the most economical way to increase my visibility, show my expertise and enhance my credibility.  My web coach recommended creating a blog  that acts like a website, a hybrid that serves two purposes.  I wrote static "pages" of information about my business including my bio, testimonials, contact details, etc.  I also write blog "posts" which I update regularly.

If you don't want to write, you could have no posts of any kind on your blog and just let your static pages sit there as your business billboard or calling card. You could do audio or video posts or use other people's content.  Blogs give you a lot of flexibility.

Ready to begin?   Yaro Starak is a blogging pro with a wealth of knowledge. He's re-opening his premium training program this week and I'm an affiliate.  He's offering a free "roadmap" to get you started.  Check it out here -

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Audio Posts on the Way

I put a request out for telephone interviews on Blogger LinkUp last week and got quite a few terrific responses. I plan to put more audio (and even some video) on this blog in the near future.

I actually had recorded an audio post myself today, but when I edited it, my energy seemed so low, I scrapped it.  You really have to step up your energy in radio and television work because the medium tends to flatten it. I was using a new handheld recorder and the technology probably depressed my sound.

I'll try again tomorrow with the new device or use a different recorder. 

Pick Up the Phone

Last week I talked about writing press releases and why fear of writing one or not having a release shouldn't stop you from going after publicity.

Got a story?  Pick up the telephone. Every day people without a press release get a story covered with a verbal pitch.  If you're targeting the right media and you have an interesting timely story, you could get quoted, interviewed or booked on the spot.

Peter Shankman of HARO (helpareporter.com) is on record saying he hates press releases and thinks they're dead.  In my view, press releases still have value, but mailing a slew of paper press releases to every media outlet around is probably on life support.  Who has time to open all those envelopes?  Especially since most releases wind up in the trash bin anyway.

Email releases have pluses and minuses.  Yes, they're easy and immediate, but emails do go astray and reporters get a lot of spam.   Since most reporters work on tight deadlines and get hundreds of emails every day, if the subject line doesn't catch their eye instantly, the delete button is their best friend.

Most reporters today like email pitches, but every reporter has a preferred way they want to be pitched. Want to know what your target media wants?  Check their website and/or telephone them and ask?  You want to do everything you can to make it easy for reporters to do their job and easy for them to work with you.

Most people send the release first and then telephone the reporter a few days later to follow up on their interest.  Most reporters hate these follow-up calls.  Their attitude is - if I wanted to do the story, I'd call YOU.   Often all you'll get is their voicemail.  It's worth leaving a short message, because sometimes they were interested but the release got buried under the 50 other things they had to do that day, so your call is a nice reminder to dig it out.  Only leave one message. Don't call over and over.

I generally like to hear a pitch over the telephone BEFORE someone sends me a release. That's efficient for both parties because it lets each one gauge interest in the story up front and you may get to share some extra give-and-take about the idea and build rapport.  

But....phone pitches need to be short and to the point. Make sure your pitch is going to the right person and is something that works for their audience.  For example, a TV reporter may be pregnant or getting married so the story speaks to them, but will it fit into their show?

Remember publicity is not advertising.  You want to "sell" the idea to the reporter, but you don't want to be too sales-y in your approach.

If the reporter likes what they hear, they may ask for something in writing, before committing to the story. Be ready to send more information in a news release, a fact sheet, a press kit or online link, photos,hand-out b-roll, or to overnight a book or product sample.

As soon as you get off the phone, do it right away.  Be prepared to give them whatever they need. 

Now when you send an email or a package, the reporter is expecting it.  You've gotten their attention and are one step closer to getting your story told.

 

Need Publicity? Get 26 Ideas Free!

I'm a big fan of Joan Stewart, aka The Publicity Hound.  She really knows her stuff and is always on the look-out for great ideas to help you attract publicity for your business, product, service or cause.  Her blog is one of my "must-reads."

Right now, Joan is offering a valuable free ebook with 26 ideas. It's pages and pages of her best tips from 2009, information  that can help anyone who wants free publicity from traditional and social media. 

You can find the 2009 book at http://tinyurl.com/bestof2009tips

Want even more ideas?   Check out all her ebooks from the last five years at http://publicityhound.com/publicity-products/free.html

Interesting Thoughts on where Apps are headed. Should your website become an App? http://ping.fm/3oFyw

You Can Write a Press Release

                                                                   

Aspiring publicity seekers often stop themselves before they begin because they don't have a press release, are afraid to write one or don't know what to do with one. Don't let that be a barrier.  Writing a release will take a little time but it doesn't have to be complicated. 

To get started, do an Internet search. You'll find lots of templates and examples of releases to emulate.  Or, if you are willing to pay for help, hire a professional to write a release (or releases) for you.

Here are two free online resources I like.  With the first, you fill in the online template and it creates a formatted release for you.  The other one reviews what you've written and gives you pointers for improving it. (Watch the overview video on the site to see how it works)

• Instant online Press Release Software
• Press Release Grader 

Remember, these are computerized tools.  No human checks your work, so they have some limitations, but they're still useful to play around with.

The key to writing an effective press release is, you have to tell a real STORY.  What makes a story?  It's more than just facts like, "XYZ is opening  a new branch office" or "we're hosting a gallery exhibition on (blank date)" or "we're proud to announce the development of our new diet product (brand name)." 

Put a human face on your news - pitch a story about something unique someone does in that new branch office or a special community project that office is involved in, offer a profile interview with an artist whose work will be featured at the gallery, tell a compelling story about an individual whose weight loss changed their life, thanks to the new product.  

Reporters want to tell a story that interests their audience.  They don't want to sell your product or make your announcement.  That's there's a new diet product available or an upcoming gallery exhibition are just details likely to be included in the story. 

Another plus, sometimes press releases written as stories get picked up and printed or broadcast, "as-is" with virtually no editing.  It's a sweet thing when you see your story told just the way you wrote it. 

Sending one press release isn't likely to make you a media sensation.  You need to keep "going for it" with story after story to see results.  Pitching stories and writing releases should be part of a comprehensive publicity plan.  But that's a story for another day!

Photo credit: stock.xchng/woodsy