Your Media Moment & Beyond! Expert Tips for DIY Publicity

Hiring Video Pros

                                                                    

Little flip-style cameras are so popular, many people think anyone can instantly become a videographer.  But one tour of YouTube will show you that's not true.  Videomaking is both a craft and an art form.

Grainy, shaky video and poor audio might be okay, if you're shooting your child's baseball game or ballet rehearsal, but if it's online video to promote your business, think twice about doing it all yourself.  While there's a place for attracting attention with fun, engaging guerrilla marketing videos, for some businesses, if all you present is a collection of amateur-looking videos, it may hurt your image.

No business today, whether it's a local bricks and mortar or a virtual company, can afford to be invisible online. Local search is a fast growing arena and if you're not "find-able" online, you competitor probably is. 

Plus any business can benefit from monitoring and managing its image and reputation online to build and maintain credibility.  Many people "google" everything these days. What will they find about you?   

Online video can also be quite affordable because even professional work doesn't have to be a slick expensive production, although it can be. Often, a mix of casual, homemade videos with more professional fare can be very effective for online promotion.   

Some things to consider:

Make a plan. Don't just rush out and start shooting and posting online because you can. Think through what you want to achieve with your videos, who you want to reach, what you want to show them, what image you want to project and what message you want to send potential customers, clients or patients. 

Funny or Thoughtful - Does your target audience love surfing YouTube and sharing all kinds of web videos?  Is your business image all about having fun and being creative - kids, pets, parties, sports, fashion, etc?  Would a zany video appeal to potential clients?  An example is the viral video series Will It Blend? 

Or is it important to be viewed as a serious professional?  Anyone want to do business with a zany accountant?   A good "expert" strategy is to do a series of short (one to 3 minute long) videos answering the questions you get asked most frequently, one question and answer per video. 

Survey your current clients to find out what they'd like to know and get some ideas about what they'd like to see in your videos.

Find out more and get a free gift at my new site - Web Video Biz Boosters

Photo Credit: stock. xchng/powerjacob

How to Work (with) the Media

I often talk about the value of getting "free" publicity to promote yourself, your business, or your cause, but free doesn't mean effortless. You need to do your homework and reach out to the media with an irresistible story pitch. Today I have a guest article to help you do it right from PR expert Drew Gerber, CEO of PublicityResults.com.  Thanks, Drew!

Connecting with the Media for PR Success

By L. Drew Gerber

 

PR success can only come from creating and cultivating healthy relationships with the media. From the very beginning you’ll need to connect with the media in such a way that proves to them you’re a unique expert who can provide their audience with a fresh perspective. When it comes to connecting with the media you need to make it clear you can offer the media something that no one else can.

 

Here’s a few ways to connect with the media to guarantee PR success:

 

Brand Your Messages

When you connect with the media you’ll need to speak about your brand succinctly. It’s imperative to talk about who you are and what you do in no more than three sentences, making sure those short sentences sum up your brand powerfully. Double-check what you say so you distinguish yourself powerfully from your competition. In your pitch start with an introduction on who you are as an expert and then follow-up with more news and story angles created specifically for their beat.

 

Use Online Press Kits

When you connect with the media over the phone, they will say one of two things: 1) “I pass”, or 2) “Send me more.” Just because they say “I pass” now, doesn’t mean they will pass on you forever. They’re simply saying they aren’t interested in the news hook you’re giving them today. You’ll rarely hear, “Quit contacting me.” Either way, don’t take it personally. But when the media says “Send me more,” send them your online press kit link (never send attachments unless you clear that with them first) and a personalized email, just for them.

 

Use Breaking and Seasonal News

When you’re researching new media connections take note of breaking and seasonal news most relevant to them and the media outlet. It’s the best way to introduce yourself. Say something like, “Celeb X is back in jail and I noticed you were covering it. I have something to say about it as I’m an expert in X. Have a second?” or “It’s July and I bet you’re already working on your December magazine. The advertising section of your website says you work six months in advance. Might you use information about X product? It would be perfect for your readers in December.” If you can provide a fresh take on a news story they’re working on, it will definitely increase your chances to build a quality relationship with the media.

 

Connecting with the media can be a frustrating endeavor so it’s important to never take rejection personally. Just keep doing what you’re doing, making tweaks along the way. Remember, if you’re always striving to make the media’s job easier, you’ll be sure to see results.

 

L. Drew Gerber is CEO of www.PublicityResults.com and creator of www.pitchrate.com, a free media tool that connects journalists and the highest rated experts. Gerber's business practices and staffing innovations have been revered by PR Week, Good Morning America and the Christian Science Monitor. His companies handle international PR campaigns and his staff develops online press kits for authors, speakers and companies with Online PressKit 24/7, a technology he developed (www.PressKit247.com). Contact L. Drew Gerber at: AskDrew@PublicityResults.com or call him at 828-749-3548.

 

Professional Image

I recently experienced an image disconnect on two occasions. First, when I went to see an author speak and second when I opened an email newsletter with a video message.

With the author, I had read her book and seen her photo on the book jacket.  As I approached the hall, a giant poster of her stood by the entrance.  When I took my seat and looked to the front of the room, the woman who was smiling and greeting us looked nothing like the photos.  I thought this was someone who would introduce the author or was here to make some other announcement.  For a moment, I thought I might have entered the wrong conference room.

In fact, the stranger at the front of the room WAS the author.  Her photograph wasn't just a younger version of herself. It was an image airbrushed beyond recognition and her book had only come out a few years ago. Her lecture was excellent both in delivery and content. But I could not get over how completely different she looked from the person in the photo right outside the door! 

The second instance was in a monthly ezine I enjoy reading.  For years, it has featured a smiling photo of the writer.  She uses the same photograph on her website and blog.  This month she sent her first video ezine and it was a big surprise.  Yes, I recognized the woman but her photo is clearly from 20 years ago and "touched-up" in the extreme.  In a small way, I felt deceived.

When you're building your personal brand, authenticity means a lot. We all want to look our best, smooth out the wrinkles, roll back the years.  Air brushing and photoshop-type software programs can work magic on less than perfect pictures, but if you're a speaker, going on TV or using video, you won't keep the secret for long. 

Get realistic professional head shots taken or perhaps have a friend who's a good photographer do some fun shots showing your personality with a prop, a hat, sunglasses, etc.  When I first started online, I pulled out an old 80's head shot, but made sure I replaced it with a more current image pretty quickly.

I had new professional head shots done a couple years ago.  They looked like me but I didn't really like them. That's why I use my microphone shot and an image of me on an old-fashioned TV from photofunia.com.  They fit my brand image and I like how they look.

By all means, choose photos you're happy with and commit to updating them periodically. I'd also suggest you use pictures that represent the REAL you as you look in the 21st Century. 

Social Media Blur

A longtime friend and mentor who's a marketing consultant recently told me he is opting out of the Social Media whirl.   He said he made the choice for both personal and professional reasons which he didn't want to go into.  His decision got me thinking. 

Miley Cyrus quit Twitter last fall to, "get a personal life."  Country singer Blake Shelton recently told a radio interviewer he'd tried to quit Twitter but couldn't!  I understand he's tweeting to build his fan base and promote his music, effective uses of the platform.  But he was quoted as saying it was the first thing he thought about when he woke up each morning.  Wow.  To me, Twitter is way too small a thing to be the center of your LIFE.

An interesting article in the March Vanity Fair Ringside at the Web Fight talks about finding the Internet's "Next Big Thing."   As we've seen before, online platforms that seem essential to some people today will likely be gone or vastly changed tomorrow.  Yet we'll all have this information we volunteered in profiles, musings, videos, wall writings, etc. digitally floating around somewhere. 

I wonder how many of us, at some future point, will consciously and deliberately drop off the social media radar?  Why?  And how will what we've chosen to make public affect us down the road? 

What are your thoughts and ideas about the value, uses and abuses of social media? Please leave a comment.

Edgy Brownies Needed Buzz

On Feb. 28, CBS Sunday Morning's Bill Geist featured three entrepreneurs who came up with unique ideas.

Watch the story here Big Ideas for Entrepreneurs

All three tales are inspiring, but my favorite is the third one about Matt Griffin and his brownie pan.  He was passionate about his product and worked hard to create it but NOBODY CARED about his clever pan.

What turned the tide? He got PUBLICITY and sales took off.  His website www.BakersEdge.com lists dozens and dozens of media mentions under "buzz."  No doubt he's learned how to get noticed, maximize his moment and profit from free publicity.

What about you?

Banish Your Boring Bio & Get More Publici-Tea™

                                                                
    

Do you have a professional bio at your fingertips ready to go? 

I’m giving a talk this week to a college class in television news gathering.  The professor asked me to send him my bio. I simply found the file on my computer, tweaked it a bit for his audience and sent an email.  Quick – Easy – Done! 

A bio tells the story of you and your business.  It’s generally the same information you put on your resume, but it’s written in a more engaging narrative style.  Done right, your bio not only highlights who you are and what you do, it shows off your personality.

Want a bio that’s as interesting and unique as you are?   My friend, Author and DIY Publicity Expert Nancy Juetten can help. 

She's written the Bye-Bye Boring Bio Action Guide and this week, March 1 – March 7, Nancy is offering a terrific sale to celebrate her 9 Year Business Anniversary. (I’m an affiliate and a fan)

When you buy the Bye-Bye Boring Bio Action Guide for $49, you ALSO get the Publici-Tea™ Digital Workshop as a high value bonus gift.  That’s $97 in audio and print products that can deliver priceless visibility for your business in the media.

The action guide walks you through a step-by-step process to create your own compelling bio. It's full of useful tips, worksheets, templates and more.  The bonus gift really sweetens the deal. I've spoken to several of Nancy's workshop graduates and with her expert help, they've all become media-smart Women Entrepreneurs who know how to profit from free publicity.

What can you do with your professional bio?  You can use it in countless ways including:

• on your website and blog

• in media pitches and your media kit

• in other marketing materials

• in speaking and presentation proposals

• in social media profiles

• in client proposals

• as part of a book, ebook or other product you create

Let Nancy guide you to a fantastic bio.  It’s fun and easy!

Buy the Bye-Bye Boring Bio Action Guidefor $49 between March 1 and March 7 and enjoy the valuable Publici-Tea™ Express Digital Workshop as a bonus gift.

Don't miss out. Get it Now  

Photo credit: stock.xchng/anya-anya

Why Personal Scandals Make News

                                                                
       

As the whole planet knows, last Friday Professional Golfer Tiger Woods made his first public comments since his November 27 car crash and resulting fall from grace amid lurid tabloid tales about his personal life. 

I was in a business office and it was funny to see how many people, who have probably never seen Tiger play a round of golf, stopped working to jockey around and make sure they didn't miss his TV announcement. 

To be fair, they're media people so they wanted to see if he would make news, but it's also true a lot of regular people are celebrity-obsessed and can't get enough of the scandal du jour. 

Why does gossip makes news?  I'm sure there are many explanations, but one is that part of human nature takes delight in another person's misfortunes. The Germans even have a word for it "Schadenfreude."  And it's especially enjoyable when the other person is better looking, richer or more powerful than you are.

Author Henry Scott talked about that during a public radio interview about his new book on the rise of the 1950's Hollywood gossip magazine Confidential.  Here's a link to his interview

Confidential magazine was one of the first publications to pierce the golden bubble of the movie star's perfect world. It's mostly accurate reporting exposed the reality of famous names' lives, which were often at odds with the public persona so carefully crafted by the studios star-making machine. 

Tiger's stellar image disappeared practically overnight last November and pundits gave his long-delayed "mea culpa" mixed reviews.  It will be interesting to watch what actions he takes now to rehabilitate his reputation and resurrect his billion dollar brand.

Photo credit: stock.xchng/gorillablu

Gaga and Branding

What could singer Lady Gaga and Apple, Inc. possibly have in common?   According to this article at Bnet, while their approaches are different, they both know and apply the power of these five branding secrets.

It's a fun read. Here is my summary of the five points:

• Nurture and grow your fan base
• Be technically proficient - Know your stuff
• Have a VISION and work it
• Keep It Simple - in your message and presentation
• Create engaging packaging/image

Could your personal branding success improve with these?

What other brand "secrets" do you  use and/or recommend?

Photo Credit: Photobucket/Lady Gaga