The Media Need You!
When the bulls-eye issue for most small businesses is attracting more of the right kind of business, I'm always surprised that more business people do not include media strategies in their marketing mix.
By ignoring the media, or dismissing media strategies altogether, you fail to develop an aura of visibility, credibility and expertise attainable by those who embrace this simple truth: the media need you -- the industry expert -- to give substance and credibility to their stories.
Read any newspaper or magazine article and you will undoubtably find a handful of experts quoted within stories ranging from international business, stock market forecasts to the latest fashion trends.
Reporters are not experts. So, they look for experts who can help them create their stories. Experts include authors, speakers, consultants, business owners, managers and professionals. If you have in-depth knowledge about a specific subject—and that subject can be your business—you qualify too.
The test is how much you know, and if you know a lot about something, you can leverage your knowledge into a halo of authority, providing quotes and inside information on stories related to your industry.
Hook The Media
If you learn a bit about how the media works, and mold your expertise into a carefully-crafted media marketing strategy, you will not only help the media do its job but get a lot of free, valuable exposure for your company.
The secret is seeing yourself as a partner in the news-making process. Approach editors and journalists like new clients. Do some fact-finding to learn the kind of stories they run. Once you understand their needs, introduce yourself and offer your expertise or desire to write an article.
Approach the publication with the concept of "I am here to solve your problem, Mr. Editor, because your readers need this specific kind of information and I have that information." Send that message repeatedly with different story ideas over a period of time.
In short, woo the media exactly as you would woo a client. Editors and reporters must believe that you are credible, that you have knowledge and that you have done a good job for other people.
Become A Media Resource
Becoming a media resource serves two functions: it helps you demonstrate your expertise so as to be in demand as a media expert. It also helps you become "locatable" when editors and journalists trawl the Internet in search of information.
You can attract the media by posting free, useful information about your area of expertise on your website. Start by taking data you already have available within your business and converting it into useful media information.
The American Association of Advertising Agencies, for example, in a report called "Advertising in a Recession," cited a number of studies that show a strong correlation between sustained spending and increased market share. The report was cited widely in newspaper, magazine and online articles.
Consider your clients as possible sources of data that can be compiled as case studies that reflect your expertise and that provide insight into your industry. Find ways to "create" news by looking to your particular industry expertise and insights and even your customers to create information that is useful to journalists and editors.
Get Interviewed
Getting quoted by a reporter is not as mysterious as you may think. If you have knowledge that could help a reporter write a better story, you stand a good chance to be interviewed as an expert. With some effort, you can become the first person on an editor's or reporter's list when a story about your area of expertise is in the works. But first, you have to let the media know you exist!
- Identify the media likely to be interested in your expertise
- Build personal relationships with reporters who influence your target market
- Look for columnists who cover topics related to your business
When you find journalists and editors that reach your target market, contact them. Introduce yourself and explain that you have specialized knowledge they find useful in their stories.
Just Show Up
Woody Allen once said, "80 per cent of success in life is just showing up. Those who show up run the world."
It's effective to go out and find media opportunities. For example, I know an advisor who asked the editor of a newspaper for building contractors in New Jersey if he could write a column. The editor agreed and the advisor's column runs on the front page every month. He's the only financial advisor who has ever appeared in that publication, and he got it by asking.
Copyright © 2003 Steven Van Yoder
Get Slightly Famous is a Trademark of Steven Van Yoder
