Want to get on the air?
Try writing a letter to the editor of your local newspaper!
Why? When I was a local radio and TV reporter, one of the newsrooms’s daily must-do’s was reading the Letters to the Editor section of the area’s papers. It’s a good place to find potential news sources, identify little-known local experts and get ideas for different story angles about the news of the day.
We liked to check letters because it's clear the authors care about a topic when they take the time to write about it. You can also gauge a little about their personality from how they express
themselves and their ideas.
Perhaps they’re an expert who disagrees with the expert quoted in a recent article or someone who has had a different experience from the one featured in a news report. Here they are going on the record with a particular opinion, a compliment or a diss, offering new information or a new perspective. Best of all, they’ve put their name on it. You often even see an email address after their name where you can contact them. How easy is that? (Before the Internet, I'd have to telephone every “John Brown” in the phone book looking for a particular letter writer.)
Will the editor print the letter you write? No guarantees, but here are some tips: Read the letters section often to get a feel for what the editor publishes. Notice the structure, length and style of the letters and use that as a guide when you write.
Make your letter short, direct and catchy. Reference the article you agree or disagree with and briefly explain why. Show why you’re "in the know"
about this subject by including your
background or experience with a simple sentence like "In my 20 years delivering the mail," or "When
I was a high school teacher in the 80’s."
Add a missing fact, an unanswered question or give a quick anecdote that supports your point of view.
The editorial section is one of the most widely read and
respected parts of a newspaper. You’ll be
surprised how many people will tell you they saw your letter. The newspaper may
call you for their next story on the topic.
A local radio or TV station may want to do a story with you or add your name to
their contact list as an expert for a future
story.
Am I sure local radio or TV reporters will call, if your letter gets printed? No. Serious publicity-seekers would never make writing letters their only PR strategy. Still, getting your name in the local paper could open doors in unexpected ways.
If you care about something in the news, want to add
to the community’s understanding of an issue and/or want to do a little
light-handed self-promotion by weighing in with your own ideas in your own
words, write a letter to the editor. Let me know what happens.
Photo credit: stock.xchng/svilen001
I had the pleasure of talking with Certified Professional Organizer and Productivity Consultant Debbie Rosemont this week. We discussed the value of organization and barriers to getting organized, how her company Simply Placed was born and, naturally, the publicity strategies she uses to grow her business.
Listen here to our interview.
You can find out more about Debbie, her company, products and services at www.ItsSimplyPlaced.com.
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:
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
Amber Singleton Riviere recently launched the new Internet Radio Show, Rock Your Genius. She is an entrepreneur dedicated to helping other entrepreneurs and small business owners and has carved out online success as a writer, web designer, coach/consultant, podcaster and much more.
Amber has a lot going on and she shares her expertise and inspiring entrepreneurial story, as you'll hear in this interview.
Find out more about all of Amber's work at ambersingleton.com
I'm excited to present this audio interview with Author Jennifer Chambers. She has a great personal story to tell and has just published her first novel. It's about 20-minutes long and we cover a lot of ground about her life experience, her book and the challenges of book promotion. Listen now -
Find out more about Jennifer and her new book, Learning Life Again, at www.JenniferBChambers.com
Disclaimer: Some of the links in this post or other posts may lead to my affiliate accounts and I will be compensated if you buy those products. However, I will never recommend anything that I don’t believe in and I welcome your questions and feedback.
I've been talking a lot about owning your expertise and how often we discount the value of what we know and do.
But there's another side to this expert status thing that's equally important. Be HONEST.
When the media bites, you've got to deliver the goods. Don't oversell who you are or what you can do.
With the constant barrage of pitches, media people quickly develop a healthy skepticism. Producers can't afford to put phonies and hucksters on the air.
You may get away with faking it for awhile, but if you burn the media, getting back in their good graces will be very tough. Broadcasting is a small world.
I recently heard a woman say she'd gotten an online Ph.D. because television shows liked it. She readily admitted it wasn't the kind of degree that would allow her to teach at a college or do research in the field. Maybe she's a great guest and really knows her stuff, but the idea bothered me because it sounded as if she'd paid a diploma mill for a doctorate that wasn't a real credential at all, just a title to impress the media.
I don't investigate the background and legitimacy of every "expert" I interview for a feature story. Sure, I'll check the facts and may google you to see what's out there, but I won't ask for or check up on your curriculum vitae. Ultimately, I have to trust my gut.
Unfortunately, now I'm a little more skeptical when I see Ph.D. on a pitch.
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