DIY Marketing

SUBJECT: [DIY Marketing] It’s Time to Meet the Press

Meeting with the media is something that every
entrepreneur should do at some point. Whether it’s the trade press
or analysts in your industry or the local newspaper, making the most
of your media relationships and appearances can get you the
publicity you need to catapult your business to the next level.

Oh, and if you just signed up, you can see the course info we’ve
already covered right here:

http://www.diymarketingmonth.com/e-course-email-recap/

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“Don’t hate the media, become the media”
– Jello Biafra (American musician)
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Unless you’ve worked for an organization with a specific media
training curriculum, most entrepreneurs have not been trained nor
have they had extended experience with the media. More to the point,
entrepreneurs are typically passionate, energized and excited about
your company, sometimes beyond reason. After the scandals that
we’ve seen, the dot-com bust and the current recession, journalists
and the media can more critical than ever on any company in their
sights.

If you’ve followed any of the ideas that I’ve put forth so far,
you’ve likely put yourself on a path to securing media attention
if you’ve not been contacted already. With media attention comes
responsibility for how to best use those opportunities. Let’s look
at some of the media fundamentals to help make you more effective
and your message more credible to reporters and to the target
markets you serve.

1. Your #1 job is to make the reporter’s life easier. Respond
immediately, be humble yet confident and just be a helpful
resource.

2. Your first story should always be your best story. If you’ve not
yet been covered in the media, the all-important first story is what
others (especially reporters) will often find then researching your
company.

3. Press does not mean puff pieces, it’s about real stories with
the warts and all. You need to have a very clear vision of the
’story’ that you want to tell and stick to your message, but
credible coverage means that you take the good with the bad.

4. Everything (even “off the record”) can affect your story. You
need to have your storyline tuned so that you don’t go off track
in an interview.

5. You need to think beyond just “your story” and be a resource
(steward) for your industry. Someone who can spot trends and be
useful to media will find favor in getting their constant attention.

6. Have a lean, but effective press kit that includes a company
overview, bios, news clips or recent press releases, photos and
data. One organization that I worked with built our whole PR strategy
on being the go-to guys in the industry for data. We got calls every
week!

7. Not every story is right for you. With the advent of tools like
HARO (help a reporter out – www.helpareporter.com) it has become
easier than ever to be a source. Always be sure that a story
angle fits your PR plan.

***** ACTION SUMMARY *****

1. Media savvy doesn’t happen overnight. I recommend reading a book
or two on the subject (resources below) and then creating a simple
plan for the type of coverage you’re seeking, they storyline that
you’re working from and an outline of the questions/areas that you
don’t want to focus on.

2. Subscribe to the HARO newsletter (www.helpareporter.com) and
look through the daily emails for story opportunities that fit your
organization.

***** RESOURCES *****

>> “Media Training 101″ by Sally Stewart

>> Help A Reporter Out – http://www.helpareporter.com

>> “The Publicity Handbook: The Inside Scoop from More than 100
Journalists and PR Pros on How to Get Great Publicity Coverage”
by David Yale and Andrew Carothers

Well, that’s all for now. Be on the lookout for next lesson
tomorrow.

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If you would like to learn more about MarketingSavant’s marketing
strategy, thought leadership or social media services, where you
work directly with me to build your business through strategic
marketing, go to:

http://www.marketingsavant.com/diymarketing

I’ve created a special set of offerings just for DIY Marketing
e-course members.

And, as always… think big and market well!

Yours truly,

Dana VanDen Heuvel

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MarketingSavant(TM)
Leading Through Thought
Social Media // Thought Leadership Marketing
www.marketingsavant.com
dana@marketingsavant.com
Twitter: danavan
888-989-7771
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