Greetings!
When it comes to media, there are lots of no nos one you can commit that will mark you as an amateur forever. And to make it ever worse, unless someone tells you, you won’t even know it.
I know, because during my career as a publicist, I’ve probably committed all of them and learned the hard way. You don’t have to. By simply discovering what these no nos are, you can spend your time being successful at attracting media and getting the exposure to your markets that will help you build your reach even more. Immediately, you’ll look like credible and like the professional that you are.
Sounds like a good plan!
Those media no nos include:
- Thinking it’s all about you
- Sending misdirected pitches
- Not getting to the point
- Being too salesy
- Not building out your platform…
Thinking it’s all about you: You know it’s all about you, and I know it’s all about you. After all, you’ve spent a ton of time creating your business or product, researching the material for your book, program, DVDs or CDs, and it should be all about you, but it isn’t. Media thinks it’s all about them and their audience, and so you have to think like a journalist or a producer. You want to pitch your idea in such a way as they say, “Oh yes, this is the expert I want to speak to.”
Sending misdirected pitches: Careful. It’s so much better to research the 20 places you absolutely should be rather than scatter your pitch out to the entire universe hoping something sticks. I understand the temptation to limit your time on these tasks, but this is not a good place for taking a short cut.
Not getting to the point: Ever been at a party and asked someone what they do? Ten minutes later, you’re still wondering what they do? And they’re still talking. Being able to synthesize your message into bite-sized morsels is absolutely critical. Extra points if you can create a sound bite for each key message.
Being too salesy: This applies to so many different areas, but specifically here, I’m talking about your media or press materials. Most major media folks are looking for a great hook and a great story. They aren’t looking so much for how you prepare your materials and whether or not you have your head shot in the headers.
Not building out your platform: In order to get “Other Media” you have to build our your platform, or your “You Media.” This means building out your website, blog, social media, and any other means you have for reaching your market. The most important key here is that you build out your platform before you do any kind of outreach. You want to be up and optimized by the time they come looking for you. It will enhance your opportunity for success.
Is this an exhaustive list of media no nos?
Not by a long shot. There are many and I ‘ll be covering in these news alerts and on social media. In fact, to learn more, click here to check this out!