This is me
My team and I wrote this article/press release. You’ll start it seeing around the web and hopefully in some pubs next week. For the sake of full disclosure, we wrote it for a couple of reasons. 1.) I have a teleseminar coming up where I plan to share lots of great info with people who really want to know how to get their message in the media. 2.) I am so sick and tired of seeing awful pitches! It’s a shame that many publicists don’t even know how to pitch!!!
Anyway, read it, let it marinate and take my advice. I know what I’m talking about. I’ve been in this game for a good minute.
You can also reprint it in your blog or newsletter. I don’t mind at all so long as you give me and my crew the credit.
Oh yeah, and register for the seminar if you can. I’d love to share my knowledge with you.
ARTICLE STARTS HERE>>>>>>>>>
In an era of online news magazines, blogs and 24-hour news stations, having a publicity strategy is a no-brainer. The opportunities for experts, authors and businesses to get media exposure are endless. The competition, however, is extremely fierce.
So how do you grab the attention of media gatekeepers when they are routinely flooded with pitches from people looking to leverage the power of publicity? TV/Radio personality and media consultant Monique Caradine says mastering what she calls the “new rules of publicity” is key.
Having hosted and co-produced several TV & radio shows over the past decade, Caradine has combed through thousands of pitches, press releases and media kits. Because of common mistakes, the vast majority wind up in the so-called circular file. “We live by deadlines so the goal is to identify guests with unique, compelling stories in a matter of 5 seconds or less,” she said.
Unfortunately, far too many great stories and guests get overlooked because most people don’t have a clue of how to get the interest of the media. “Even some publicists don’t know how to pitch correctly,” Caradine said.
On her list of common mistakes publicity seekers make Caradine sites the following: press releases that are too long, too promotional or simply not newsworthy and pitches that are boring, off topic and have nothing to do with the overall focus of the show.
These pitfalls, Caradine says, can be easily overcome if publicity seekers employ some new publicity strategies:
1.) Tell a compelling story or solve a problem, don’t just promote! Ten years ago it was okay to use a press release to announce a new product or new hire. Now, nobody really gives a hoot about that. Your press release has to do more especially since journalists are not the only ones privy to them. Always assume that your target market is reading your release. Tell a story or solve a problem that resonates with them and speak their language.
2.) Be edgy, vulnerable and honest. When you decide to go after media exposure, your willingness to push the envelope will get you noticed. Share the good, the bad and the ugly. Then tie your overall message into that. Done correctly, this strategy will get people buzzing about you.
3.) Make yourself magnetic. It’s cool to pitch a story to the media, but it’s even cooler to have them come to you. Diversifying your publicity arsenal by using social media can help you become a media magnet. Not only will you draw the attention of your target market, but strategically using tools like Twitter, Blogs, YouTube and FaceBook will put you on the media radar. Couple this with some old school publicity tactics and you could position yourself as a potential “go-to” guest for the top local and national media outlets.
“It’s not about getting publicity just for the sake of being seen,” Caradine said. It’s about knowing how to capitalize on your visibility and turning that audience into loyal followers hungry for your message and eager to spread it.”
In 1998, Caradine became the youngest midday host at Chicago’s WVON radio, headlining a cutting-edge and award winning show. In 2003 she left to launch Momentum Media Group which provides media training and consulting to female executives, authors and entrepreneurs.
Caradine has been featured on CNN, FOX and National Public Radio. She is also a noted speaker and workshop facilitator. She currently hosts and co-produces Perspective, a weekly news affairs program airing on FOX affiliate My50 Chicago. Her upcoming teleseminar called TV & Radio Publicity Secrets for Women in Business: How to build media buzz, get major publicity and become a household name even on a shoestring budget takes place Friday, February 26, 2010. For more information, visit: http://www.publicityjumpstart.com/tvradio.
