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Master showman PT Barnum said, "A terrible thing happens without
publicity ... NOTHING!Ó Whether
you're a one-person road show or a major corporation, you need people
to know about you. Publicity is your best friend if used well and
is a terrible waste if ignored. Publicity is the most overlooked
marketing tool and also the least expensive, least risky...
Publicity, public relations, and advertising
Publicity is free media exposure for your product or service. Public
relations (PR) is the overall planning and strategy for dealing
with the media. Advertising is paying to promote your product or
service. Say, for example, you have a lemonade stand. Your PR strategy
is to use word of mouth to promote your product. With the little
extra money you have, you hire your brother to post flyers (advertising).
In the mean time, a thirsty runner with no money jogs by and you
give her a cool drink on the house. Because she's the editor of
your local paper, the next day your lemonade stand is prominently
displayed on the front page. Business booms. That's publicity.
Publicity is the art of convincing others to sing your praises
for you at the same time you're singing your own praises. You and
others team up to tell the world who you are, what you do, and why
it is so important. If the public doesn't hear about you or your
product or service, as Barnum pointed out, nothing will happen.
With advertising, those who purchase your service or product are
your target customers. In publicity, the media is your target customer.
One customer sold on your service or product equals one sale. One
media representative sold can result in thousands of sales.
Guerrilla publicity
Guerrillas are business operators who substitute time, energy,
and imagination for money. Guerrillas measure their performance
on profits, not sales; they place primary importance on how many
relationships they build not on how much money they make. They realize
that they can enjoy the present while creating a sustainable future.
Five things you can do to become a guerrilla
publicist on a shoestring budget
- Know who you are; know what
you want; sing your praises often
Know who you are.
You are the product regardless of what product or service you
provide. People trust the familiar and if they are familiar with
you, they will be more likely to purchase your product or service.
For this to happen, you must know and believe in yourself, your
products, or your services.
Position yourself as an expert by persistently selling yourself.
This is most easily accomplished with a ten to fifteen second
sound bite that proclaims precisely who you are, what you do,
and why you make a difference. Succinct statements make a powerful
impression and gets people's attention. Be ready to explain exactly
how your product or service will benefit your listener.
Know what you want.
Opportunities won't just come knocking on your door; you have
to make them happen! Luck is made by having a clear purpose, achievable
goals, and by taking consistent and persistent action. Publicity
starts from within. Clearly identify your purpose and objectives
and lay out a precise plan on how you will achieve those objectives.
Capitalize on your strengths to meet precisely the right people
at the right time.
Sing your praises often
The most obvious signs of your expertise are that your customers
keep coming back, pay what you charge, and recommend you to others.
Ask for a written or verbal testimonial then broadcast that testimonial
everywhere you can. If you're doing a seminar or workshop, ask
people who've heard you before to share their experiences publicly.
If you're good, you'll get good publicity.
However, that's where self-promotion can be tricky. One bad experience
can ruin your reputation, so you'd better consistently deliver
on your promises. Self-promotion based on assumptions, exaggerations,
or lies will bury you at the speed of the Internet.
- Build relationships from
your heart day and night with a targeted market
Your relationships are your
most valuable asset.
Because you're in business for the long haul, your best business
will come from your best relationships. When building relationships,
think in terms of:
 Campaigns,
not ads
Careers,
instead of jobs
Decades,
rather than days, months, or years
You do business with the people who have taken the time to get
to know you, understand your needs, and provide you what you need
even before you think you need it! Remembering that the media
is your customer, take the "concierge approachÓ to building relationships
with them. Offer information, sources, access to your contacts,
and fresh stories and ideas. Thank them more than they thank you
and always give them more than they expect. Your appreciation
will always be welcome and will pay you big dividends.
Take every opportunity to say who you are, what you do, and how
what you do can help others. Don't be shy about making yourself
highly visible. In fact, you'd be well served by building your
entire marketing plan around publicity. Begin your campaign months
in advance of the introduction of your product or service and
blitz the media with persistence.
All your relationships are
built on trust.
Say what you mean and mean what you say. You must truly believe
in whatever you publicize. Believe with all your heart that:
What you're
promoting will change the world
Your promoting
it will make a difference
You know
more about it than virtually anyone else
- Play the numbers game, and
play it well
The relationships you build with the media are mutually beneficial.
The media constantly needs fresh information and they look for
people like you to provide it. Expect, but don't be discouraged
by disappointment and rejection. The media sees thousands of press
releases and notes every day. Here's a few ways you can make the
numbers game work for you:
Press releases: the best part about free publicity.
The media wants and expects press releases. Send them hot relevant
stories and they'll love you. They can publish your press release
in part or whole. Radio and TV producers are reached through your
headline, while print publishers may actually read your press
release. Compose lively, one-line headlines that will make them
continue reading. Use subheadings or bulleted items to provide
snapshot information at a glance.
Media lists: your gateway to
the stars.
Media lists are databases containing information about the people
and organizations that can help promote you. Start your own media
list manually including the names of every person who is even
remotely associated with the media. Gather media information from
online services (more reliable than print) and keep them up-to-date.
Follow up, follow up, follow up.
Contact your media list — often and consistently. Take initiative
by striking early and often. Be a persistent- but in a warm, friendly
way. The key is to always follow up and capitalize on any news
developments, keeping your name on top.
Media kits: when less is more.
Media kits are ideal as a way to follow a press release.
Once you've generated some interest have a kit ready to go. Include
everything they want to know: your company history, personal biography,
a list of suggested questions, articles, brochures, a quality
photo, endorsements and testimonials, and even a few giveaways.
- Be prepared for anything
Identify your and your business' uniqueness and find some special
slant that will get the media's attention. Whatever it is, it
must be relevant to the media's audience; otherwise they'll ignore
it and you.
Once you have your unique slant and several variations, promote
yourself and your message early, forcefully, and fast. Convey
enthusiasm in every facet of your message. Assume you've got no
more than ten seconds to convince the media. Then, be prepared
for anything. The slant you took may not be the slant they use.
If you know your stuff, you can wing it, and the media will appreciate
your flexibility. Practice your interviews from every angle and
when the time comes, take command of the interview and stay relaxed.
- Get yourself out there
The best publicity often happens in the most unexpected places.
Guerrilla publicity is a multi-faceted approach. It's not just
about press releases or media contacts. Get yourself out there
by:
Conduct
live or teleconference seminars
Get published
(articles or your own book)
Create a
web site
Have an
e-mail newsletter
Join Internet
communities
Use online
publicity forums
Create joint
ventures
Summing it up
Now is the time to take action. You can plan all year, but as
Einstein said, "Nothing happens until something moves.Ó Make publicity
a mindset in your life. Always look for ways to publicize yourself
and opportunities will appear. Take the time to establish your
credibility and build for the long run. Finally, make the most
of every chance encounter and every media contact. Your preparedness
will pay off with free publicity and more customers at your little
lemonade stand than you ever imagined.
Jill Lublin is an internationally acclaimed speaker and best selling
author of the books, Guerrilla Publicity and Networking
Magic. She is the CEO of the strategic consulting firm Promising
Promotion and founder of GoodNews Media, Inc. Jill hosts the nationally
syndicated radio show Do the Dream, has a TV show called
The Connecting Minute, and is working on her third book to
be published by McGraw-Hill in 2008. She can be reached by phone
at 415-883-5455 or by email at info@promisingpromotion.com.
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