Your Publicity Matters
Snag publicity for yourself
Facing the press can be a daunting experience. Getting publicity for yourself can often be frowned upon by others and risking yourself being tagged with titles like ‘media whore’ or ‘celebrity wannabe’. The truth of the matter is, generating publicity can be an easy task if you understand the dos and don’ts in handling the media. A little publicity might just give you the extra fuel to steer your business to the right direction. Snag publicity for yourself with the following tips and pointers -
Have a PR plan in place
One needs to take charge and be responsible for his or her own publicity. As the saying goes, if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Review your goals and targets for 2010 and ensure they fall into your master PR plan. A PR plan should include your objectives, targets, strategies and deliverables, to name a few. The duration of the plan should be from six months to a year.
Prepare your PR tools in advance
‘A press kit is to publicity what thunder is to lightning. Without it, a campaign has no voice’. This is what Jodee Blanco says in the Complete Guide to Book Publicity (New York, NY: Allworth Press, 2000).
The press kit is the foundation of any media relations program. In the kit, it should include – Press release, Bio sheet, Company history, Fact sheet, Brochure, testimonials, photos.
Apart from having the right PR tools, make sure other communication materials like website, brochures, newsletter, etc are all in place.
Hire a publicist
If you simply do not have time to handle your press matters, the right thing to do is to hire a publicist. A publicist will have all the necessary PR experience to manage your reputation. He or she will also have the right media contacts to ensure that you are profiled well in the relevant media.
Write a Column
Writing a column with a trade publication or local newspaper is a wise move. A column will give you credibility and catapult you before a wider audience. And since you will be viewed as an expert, it will open doors to many speaking engagements and opportunities. Other benefits include payment for the column. You could be paid a fee by the newspaper or magazine.
Create rapport with journalists
Create your own media database and update it when you meet new journalists. After your interview with the journalist, send a thank you note via email to leave a stronger first impression. During festivities, it doesn’t take and cost much to send them an e-card or email. You’ll be surprised how far this little gesture can bring you.
Do not neglect the social media
According to Wikipedia, social media is defined as media designed to be disseminated through social interaction, created using highly accessible and scalable publishing techniques. The two applications highly popular amongst Singaporeans are Facebook and Twitter.
Other popular forms of online marketing are Google ad words, podcasting, blogging, and email marketing.
Do not neglect the social media. With its viral nature, the mileage and reach is astounding and tremendous.
Whether you run a commercial enterprise, a non-profit organization or an entrepreneur, the tips and ideas will help you generate tons of publicity. Your name, products, services or agenda, can all receive news coverage if you pitch it correctly.
For more information on how to shine in the media spot light, log on to www.yourpublicitymatters.com or email flaunt@yourpublicitymatters.com
