Articles > Marketing Basics >
PR

One of the best business building strategies is with publicity. You get in front of thousands or millions of prospects. And you get instant credibility because publicity is like a third-party endorsement. A reputable newspaper, magazine, radio show,TV show, website,or blog who quotes you is implicitly endorsing you and saying that you are the expert.

Every business owner wants publicity but most don’t try. The reason? Most people think that getting great media quotes is prohibitively expensive. I thought this myself and didn’t try it for years. But then I started doing my own low cost publicity and have been quoted in media such as The New York Times and Inc.

Here are some tips to help you get inexpensive publicity in top media outlets.

   1. Turn your ideas into headlines.

With publicity, as with most things, it’s not what you say, but how you say it. The media loves sound-bites. Sound-bites are short, punchy statements that get your ideas across concisely and powerfully.

I recommend writing down a few elements of your core message (how you or your product helps people). Then turn them into headlines. For example,take the title of this article. I originally wrote down “Build your business with low-cost publicity” because I help my clients get their own publicity as one of the elements of building their platform. Then I turned the idea into a headline is more attention-grabbing and curiosity building.
       
   2. Send pitches, instead of press releases.

Once you have a great headline, turn it into a media pitch. After interviewing members of the media, I’ve learned two things: First, they are always insanely busy. Second, they are always under insanely tight deadlines. They don’t have time to sift through your press release to find the story.

A pitch, on the other hand, is a story idea. It begins with your powerful headline. It then describes your key points which should be different from what’s been said before, controversial, and/or tied to current events. After your key points, include a brief media bio and your contact information. The pitch should fit on one page.
       
   3. Get to know your local media

Once you have a pitch, the best and easiest way to get started is with your local media. Once you have some local media placements you can build up to national outlets. You’ll get a demo-tape of yourself on TV and can get reprints of articles that have your quotes. You’ll leverage these to get into even bigger media.

Before sending out your pitch, research local media outlets. Figure out if your story would be the right fit for business, lifestyle, health, etc. Get to know the style and format of the TV or radio shows and find out who the best producer for your segment would be.
       
   4. Use the telephone and email to your advantage.

Remember that members of the press have deadlines of yesterday so you need to get right to the point and communicate as succinctly as possible.

If you are emailing someone “cold” I recommend a one sentence introduction which includes your credibility-enhancers, which are things like your book, university affiliation, title, or accolades. Then provide 3-5 bullet points with your tips. If sending a pitch to TV media or radio, call first to let them know to expect your pitch.
       
   5. Create a great media room for your website.

When you send out pitches, get listed in media directories, and take other steps to help the media find you, make sure they are finding exactly what they. Some publicists recommending having a separate media website, but you can also make your existing site media-friendly.

Have a page specifically for the media. Call it Press, Media Room, or some such so that it is clearly identified. Include your headshot and media bio, a list of your media appearances, interview questions or topics, and an online media kit. An online media kit is a PDF file that goes into greater detail about your background and interview topics.

These are just five of the many ways to attract low-cost, high-quality publicity. Enjoy the instant credibility and business growth.