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Casual Articles - Media Coverage: 5 Myths, 5 Musts
It is quite impossible you haven’t noticed that more businesses each day are offering an 0800 number for people to contact them. This is mainly because during a sale there is a normal need of communication and in 90% of cases this is done by phone. Also you have to consider that all people think of money and the prospect of asking for information without paying a dime is a very big plus to considering asking for information about what you are offering.0800 numbers are known as free phone numbers. The concept behind them is very simple: people call you and don’t pay. This means the bills for each call will be paid by you or your business. Now you will ask why pay if the other one is calling. The answer is very simple: because you can gain a lot more if he is persuaded to buy your product or service. Thus being said it is easy to see that the customer will feel a lot more confident and has nothing to lose if he calls.Let us think about why you should get such an 0800 number for your company. Fi
Myth 4. An announcement of your newest service offering is juicy news. Okay, here is where you need to step outside yourself and detach from how fabulous you are – which I’m certain you truly are! But you want to write a delete-proof press release. Scour your business for something that is newsworthy to your target media outlet’s readers. Announcing your newest service may be news for some publications and not for others. Dig deep to really understand the story that is most interesting to the target readers. What is your angle? How does your service make life easier? Increase revenue? Revolutionize an old process? Impact the local community? Stir controversy? Talk to some of your best clients and ask them what they see as newsworthy about your business.
Myth 5. You can make copies of your printed article and
So many people come to me asking why their products and services are not doing well. I wonder if they ever had any experiences with effective marketing. I always ask them just three simple questions and they get their answer within those simple questions.I tell them no big thing, just simple things which I guess each and everyone involved in business must ask himself/herself. And I am very sure there is nothing alien about the things I tell them and most of the people already know them. The problem lies in the fact that we all tend to overlook some basic things in excitement of doing something BIG. I cam across so many people who launched their online business and websites with lot of enthusiasm and within weeks they quit because of not getting success as they expected. First of all, I would like to emphasize on the fact that it’s almost rare to get success within few days of starting any business and the saddest part is that almost 90% of the people quit after not getting success in initial days an
I urge you to incorporate the media into your overall marketing strategy. It’s a no-lose proposition. That said, I know that cracking the crusty exterior of the media can feel rather daunting for the uninitiated. I come from the media side of the fence – a degree in journalism and career history of working for publishing companies – so my perspective includes what I know firsthand of what goes on behind the scenes.
As an editor, I was always thrilled to receive a solid story idea. Thanks for helping me do my job! But for every solid pitch there were plenty of misfired press releases that, frankly, hit the trashcan quickly. So I’ve identified some of the most commonly held myths about getting media coverage as well as five “musts” that will help you hit the mark for your media blitz. I refer to the media and publications here, which can include local or national newspapers and magazines, trade journals and other printed media. But don’t exclude broadcast media – there are opportunities there, especially with the growing number of Internet radio stations.
The Myths
Myth 1. Sending a press release is your ticket to automatic coverage. Editors and reporters get stacks of press releases every day. Many entrepreneurs make the mistake of blanketing every media outlet in the phone book with press releases, and then they are disappointed (and sometimes arrogantly put out!) that no one picked up the story. The media doesn’t owe you anything – your best approach is to earn your way into their awareness through persistence, building credibility, deepening your understanding of their readership and being a resource. Treat your targeted media outlets just as you would your best clients… that means being courteous, respectful, responsive, service minded and relationship oriented. It’s not a one-shot deal.
Myth 2. Buying an ad increases your chances of getting an article placed. Perhaps you’re thinking you can get into a publication’s good graces by purchasing advertising space. Put your credit card away. A reputable publication keeps the editorial department separate from the advertising department – and one does not influence the other. In fact, it is an insult to journalists with integrity to assume that you can buy your way into the news pages. In truth, there are media outlets that let themselves become influenced by advertiser dollars… and are those the kinds of media you want to affiliate with? Not me!
Myth 3. If you are interviewed, you will have an opportunity to review the article before it is printed. It is extremely rare for an editor to allow interview sources to review an article they’ve been quoted in. Whether the publication is a daily, weekly or monthly, you are battling against very tight deadlines. No time for reviews and, frankly, if you have tweaks and changes you create more work for the editorial staff and invite schedule delays. Occasionally, a reporter will ask for clarification or a name spelling, and if this happens – respond swiftly. Ultimately, you have absolutely no control over what gets printed. If you are clear in your interviews, you’ll cut down the incidence of misquotes.
Myth 4. An announcement of your newest service offering is juicy news. Okay, here is where you need to step outside yourself and detach from how fabulous you are – which I’m certain you truly are! But you want to write a delete-proof press release. Scour your business for something that is newsworthy to your target media outlet’s readers. Announcing your newest service may be news for some publications and not for others. Dig deep to really understand the story that is most interesting to the target readers. What is your angle? How does your service make life easier? Increase revenue? Revolutionize an old process? Impact the local community? Stir controversy? Talk to some of your best clients and ask them what they see as newsworthy about your business.
Myth 5. You can make copies of your printed article and
I encourage customers to buy books directly from me by noting on my Web site that the books are personally signed by the author. Another author said that, although she didn't mean to offend, she didn't know why anyone would want my signature. After all, I'm not famous.Well, I didn't take offense at her observation. In fact, I was a little surprised by the phenomenon, too. The fact is that I get a lot of feedback from customers about how much they like getting an autographed book. They respond to the personal touch. Maybe they are hoping that I will become famous (or infamous!) one day, and they will be able to sell the book on eBay for a huge profit. Or maybe they just like the connection to an almost-famous author.Even if you don't sell books, you may be able to use this personal touch to reach more customers. Craftsmen, artists and designers often sign their work. Do you produce a product you could sign? Even if your business is installing air conditioners, would saying that "all of our ins
The Myths
Myth 1. Sending a press release is your ticket to automatic coverage. Editors and reporters get stacks of press releases every day. Many entrepreneurs make the mistake of blanketing every media outlet in the phone book with press releases, and then they are disappointed (and sometimes arrogantly put out!) that no one picked up the story. The media doesn’t owe you anything – your best approach is to earn your way into their awareness through persistence, building credibility, deepening your understanding of their readership and being a resource. Treat your targeted media outlets just as you would your best clients… that means being courteous, respectful, responsive, service minded and relationship oriented. It’s not a one-shot deal.
Myth 2. Buying an ad increases your chances of getting an article placed. Perhaps you’re thinking you can get into a publication’s good graces by purchasing advertising space. Put your credit card away. A reputable publication keeps the editorial department separate from the advertising department – and one does not influence the other. In fact, it is an insult to journalists with integrity to assume that you can buy your way into the news pages. In truth, there are media outlets that let themselves become influenced by advertiser dollars… and are those the kinds of media you want to affiliate with? Not me!
Myth 3. If you are interviewed, you will have an opportunity to review the article before it is printed. It is extremely rare for an editor to allow interview sources to review an article they’ve been quoted in. Whether the publication is a daily, weekly or monthly, you are battling against very tight deadlines. No time for reviews and, frankly, if you have tweaks and changes you create more work for the editorial staff and invite schedule delays. Occasionally, a reporter will ask for clarification or a name spelling, and if this happens – respond swiftly. Ultimately, you have absolutely no control over what gets printed. If you are clear in your interviews, you’ll cut down the incidence of misquotes.
Myth 4. An announcement of your newest service offering is juicy news. Okay, here is where you need to step outside yourself and detach from how fabulous you are – which I’m certain you truly are! But you want to write a delete-proof press release. Scour your business for something that is newsworthy to your target media outlet’s readers. Announcing your newest service may be news for some publications and not for others. Dig deep to really understand the story that is most interesting to the target readers. What is your angle? How does your service make life easier? Increase revenue? Revolutionize an old process? Impact the local community? Stir controversy? Talk to some of your best clients and ask them what they see as newsworthy about your business.
Myth 5. You can make copies of your printed article and
How much should I charge for my expert witness services? It’s an important question that will determine the success of your consulting practice.You can establish competitive pricing levels in several ways. One way is to discretely conduct some research to find out what other experts are charging. Another way is to review pertinent court records, since experts have to disclose their rates as part of their Rule 26 or equivalent reports.SEAK publishes a reference book that you might find useful in creating your rate structure. Ask for the “National Guide to Expert Witness Fees and Billing Procedures,” written by Alex Babitsky, MBA, Steven Babitsky, Esq., and James J. Mangraviti, Jr., Esq.Now that you have a better sense of how to set your hourly rates, here are five tips to help you prepare a competitive rate card:1. Get it in writing! Always start with a letter of engagement that clearly identifies your rates and business terms. You want to be entirely clear on how and when y
Myth 2. Buying an ad increases your chances of getting an article placed. Perhaps you’re thinking you can get into a publication’s good graces by purchasing advertising space. Put your credit card away. A reputable publication keeps the editorial department separate from the advertising department – and one does not influence the other. In fact, it is an insult to journalists with integrity to assume that you can buy your way into the news pages. In truth, there are media outlets that let themselves become influenced by advertiser dollars… and are those the kinds of media you want to affiliate with? Not me!
Myth 3. If you are interviewed, you will have an opportunity to review the article before it is printed. It is extremely rare for an editor to allow interview sources to review an article they’ve been quoted in. Whether the publication is a daily, weekly or monthly, you are battling against very tight deadlines. No time for reviews and, frankly, if you have tweaks and changes you create more work for the editorial staff and invite schedule delays. Occasionally, a reporter will ask for clarification or a name spelling, and if this happens – respond swiftly. Ultimately, you have absolutely no control over what gets printed. If you are clear in your interviews, you’ll cut down the incidence of misquotes.
Myth 4. An announcement of your newest service offering is juicy news. Okay, here is where you need to step outside yourself and detach from how fabulous you are – which I’m certain you truly are! But you want to write a delete-proof press release. Scour your business for something that is newsworthy to your target media outlet’s readers. Announcing your newest service may be news for some publications and not for others. Dig deep to really understand the story that is most interesting to the target readers. What is your angle? How does your service make life easier? Increase revenue? Revolutionize an old process? Impact the local community? Stir controversy? Talk to some of your best clients and ask them what they see as newsworthy about your business.
Myth 5. You can make copies of your printed article and
It’s Business 101: Marketing and Sales are the two forces that drive business; whether it’s a small one-person operation or a global corporation, these are the two distinct channels of reaching customer and prospects. Or at least that’s the traditional thinking…The problem is that this traditional approach creates a rift between two forces that should be working together. Sales often thrives on relationships that may or may not be beneficial to the companies overall growth goals. Marketing, on the other hand, may be producing leads but doing very little to close sales faster or help enhance already existing relationships. Integrating the tactics of these two traditionally separate elements into an Integrated Initiative can grow your share in the markets you need to grow in and close sales faster.The good news is that creating an Integrated Initiative can be done from almost any level of an organization and in tandem with strategic partners such as design partners, advertising channels, an
Myth 3. If you are interviewed, you will have an opportunity to review the article before it is printed. It is extremely rare for an editor to allow interview sources to review an article they’ve been quoted in. Whether the publication is a daily, weekly or monthly, you are battling against very tight deadlines. No time for reviews and, frankly, if you have tweaks and changes you create more work for the editorial staff and invite schedule delays. Occasionally, a reporter will ask for clarification or a name spelling, and if this happens – respond swiftly. Ultimately, you have absolutely no control over what gets printed. If you are clear in your interviews, you’ll cut down the incidence of misquotes.
Myth 4. An announcement of your newest service offering is juicy news. Okay, here is where you need to step outside yourself and detach from how fabulous you are – which I’m certain you truly are! But you want to write a delete-proof press release. Scour your business for something that is newsworthy to your target media outlet’s readers. Announcing your newest service may be news for some publications and not for others. Dig deep to really understand the story that is most interesting to the target readers. What is your angle? How does your service make life easier? Increase revenue? Revolutionize an old process? Impact the local community? Stir controversy? Talk to some of your best clients and ask them what they see as newsworthy about your business.
Myth 5. You can make copies of your printed article and
What Causes the Reporting Problem? Busy productive people engaged in the fieldBest performersManagement and even Executives In fact, anyone and everyone in an enterprise can contribute to the Reporting Problem, particularly if left to their own devices. And the cascading negative effect of faulty, late, and missing information will cost a fortune to reconcile, for some companies, millions of dollars each year.In many businesses the Reporting Problem is caused by an absence of effective discipline. The solution is to mandate that late and inaccurate reporting is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.Although necessary in certain instances, cleansing data is a reactive process and, as such, part of the enormous cost burden of poor initial reporting. This cost can be minimized, or eliminated, if at the point of information origination a modern rules-based information collection process is implemented. Reporting then could flow through
Myth 4. An announcement of your newest service offering is juicy news. Okay, here is where you need to step outside yourself and detach from how fabulous you are – which I’m certain you truly are! But you want to write a delete-proof press release. Scour your business for something that is newsworthy to your target media outlet’s readers. Announcing your newest service may be news for some publications and not for others. Dig deep to really understand the story that is most interesting to the target readers. What is your angle? How does your service make life easier? Increase revenue? Revolutionize an old process? Impact the local community? Stir controversy? Talk to some of your best clients and ask them what they see as newsworthy about your business.
Myth 5. You can make copies of your printed article and distribute them any way you like. If you submit a bylined article, be sure to understand the rights you have to the story. Go to the U.S. Copyright Office website (www.copyright.gov) for a crash course on copyrights. Get a written agreement with the publication spelling out your rights as the author. If the publication retains the rights, you then have no legal right to copy and distribute the article. Don’t assume anything. If you have been quoted in an article, you likely have zero rights to it. You may make a copy for your mother… or to put in your scrapbook… but not much more than that. You’ll need to contact the publisher and speak with someone in their Reprints Department to learn the proper way to redistribute copies. Don’t be surprised if there is a cost for reprints. In most cases, it is well worth it. Remember, your quote or byline holds great value.
The Musts
Now that we have busted up some of the biggest media coverage myths, here are five questions you MUST ask yourself as you design your media strategy:
1. Who is my audience? What do they read? Don’t guess – ask them! Make a list and learn as much as you can about each publication. Based on what you learn, select three that you can fully focus on building a relationship with. This is your primary media target list. You can certainly send press releases and contact other media outlets, but you want to put most of your attention on your primary targets.
2. What is newsworthy? Grab a pad of paper and start listing all of the press release topics you can think of that relate to your business. Announcements, events, something controversial or cutting-edge, surveys, statistics, a link to current events or seasons, human interest – how you have succeeded, obstacles you overcame, how your vision will change the world. Study your target media with the filter of: How does my business fit in here? How will the publication’s readers benefit from my story? One tough question to ask yourself is: “Who Cares?”
3. How committed am I? This is where you pitch your story idea either through a press release or a query to the editor. You are now a sales person – selling your story. Where most entrepreneurs fail is lack of follow-up. They send one press release and are disappointed they weren’t published. Be prepared to make a follow-up phone call a day or so after you send your release. Also, your first press release may not catch the editor’s attention. Sending a steady stream of releases and communications over time will increase the chances that you’ll catch the editor’s eye. This takes commitment on your behalf. Are you up to it?
4. What are my soundbites? When a reporter calls you for an interview (Congratulations! Your press release grabbed them!), be prepared to speak quotably. Even though your task is to answer the reporter’s questions, there are ways you can incorporate your core business message. One tip is to create three short bullet-point statements that convey what you want people to know about your business… have them handy and find ways to work those catchy statements in.
5. How will I leverage my coverage? So, you were quoted or you had a full-length bylined article placed in one of your target publications. Well done! You will get great exposure with those readers. But why not take it further? A few ideas: Ask the publicatio
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