Fern Reisss PublishingGame.com: Achieve Media Attention for Your Business

Do you want to be quoted by the national press on a daily basis? (How much would that be worth to your business?)

In the past six months, I've been quoted in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The International Herald Tribune, Entrepreneur, The Associated Press, PBS, Voice of America, Family Circle, Glamour, Redbook, Self, Health, Prevention, Parents, Parenting, Women's World, First for Women, Newsday, Newsweek, Salon, In Touch Weekly--and even The National Enquirer.

In fact, I've been quoted in over 100 prestigious U.S. publications. I call this "Expertizing," and it's good for business, regardless of the business you're in. Anyone can learn to get this kind of media attention, for any book or any business; my Expertizing workshop attendees are achieving this same level of media recognition. Here's how:

First, syndicate. This column is syndicated; hundreds of thousands of people read it. Syndicating a newspaper column doesn't pay very well anymore (you'll probably make only $5 or $10 per column) but it gets your name out. And syndicating online is even easier. My next title, "The Publishing Game: Syndicate a Column in 30 Days" will cover the topic more thoroughly, but you can get started just by doing a google search for "[Keyword] article submit."

Start a national association. A national association will get you media attention automatically, regardless of your other credentials. The National Pediculosis Association in Needham, Massachusetts, is a great example. (That's lice, for those of you without small children.)

Create a holiday. Anyone can create a national holiday, and it's free. Register at Chases.com, and on a slow news day, journalists will come looking for more information on your holiday--the more interesting, funny, or quirky, the better. I just helped an Expertizing client set up a holiday for her very technical company that would otherwise have been paid little press attention--but next year, she's going to be inundated with press attention when National Geek Day rolls around.

If you're going to do a flyer for your business, put something useful on the back so people don't throw it away. The back of my Publishing Game book flyer has a useful hot contact list, with contact information for major magazines, talk show hosts, wholesalers and distributors, book reviewers, and more. (You can get a complimentary copy at http://www.PublishingGame.com) My new Expertizing flyer has information on my Expertizing workshops on one side, but the other side has suggestions of how to write Killer Soundbites that the media will quote. (You can get a free copy of that one at http://www.Expertizing.com) If you include something useful, people will hang onto your flyers forever.

Talk to the press. Press kits mostly get tossed or buried. But today there are services you can subscribe to that will keep you up to date on what journalists are working on, so that you can respond in time to be quoted in their articles. I respond to health journalists with quotes about my Infertility Diet book; I respond to business journalists with information about my Publishing Game and Expertizing products. But I also respond about lifestyle issues--entrepreneurship, marriage, kids, home business. One of the things I do in my all-day Expertizing workshops is train authors and executives to develop the soundbites that will propel them into these articles. Even without training, you can generate plenty of press.

Don't forget speaking. If you enjoy public speaking, do as much of it as you can. Speaking can pay--even public libraries pay for talks--and even without pay, it's worth it for the publicity. If you speak at the Learning Annex, for example, thousands of people see your information. When it comes to speaking, this is one of the few times you shouldn't focus just on your niche. Cast your net more widely, and see if you don't have something to say to others. For example, this year I'm speaking at Media Relations, at SPAN, and at Book Expo America, all of which are in my target audience. But I'm also speaking to over 200 CEOs at an executive transition firm event--and that's probably going to generate more business for me, because writers and publishers have heard of me already, but these executives may have not. So look for new audiences and groups that might be interested, as well as your target markets.

And then forget what I'm telling you, about how you have to do this or that sort of PR. Do the publicity you love. What you love doing will be most effective for you, because you'll enjoy it. So if you like to speak, go out and do that, but if you'd prefer to sit home in your bathrobe and do it all by email, do that instead. Live the dream the way you want to.

Fern Reiss is the CEO of http://www.Expertizing.com and http://www.PublishingGame.com. More information on Fern's books ("The Publishing Game: Find an Agent in 30 Days," (literary agents) "The Publishing Game: Publish a Book in 30 Days," (self publishing) and "The Publishing Game: Bestseller in 30 Days" (book promotion) and all-day Publishing Game workshops can be found at PublishingGame.com. More information on positioning yourself as an expert and being quoted by the media, along with Fern's Expertizing Workshops at the Ritz Carlton in Boston (September 19) and Manhattan (October 4) can be found at http://www.Expertizing.com.



Customer Lifetime Value - The Key To Maximizing Your Profits!

The greatest asset to your business is your Customer, specifically,... Read More

Trade Show Promotional Products ? Boosting Booth Traffic

I was about seven or eight years old when I... Read More

How to Protect Yourself Against the Hidden Cost of Shipping to Trade Shows

Trade Shows are lots of work, but they can generate... Read More

Have You Captured Me Today?

There are many Web sites I visit every day and... Read More

Work Backward And Make More Sales!

It goes against the grain, especially for those of us... Read More

Loyalty Cards Systems ? Beware, Some Should Be Avoided

Recently, I discussed a loyalty card system with a vendor... Read More

How Nearly Going Broke Taught Me The Value Of Niche Marketing

If you want to learn how effective Niche Marketing can... Read More

Determining Marketing Effectiveness Even If You Didnt Track

What if you've done a variety of marketing activities over... Read More

Trade Show Videos Need to be Planned

A few months ago, we attended the recent Austech 2005... Read More

A Different Perspective On The No-Call List

The other day I received an e-mail from an internet... Read More

Data Map Charting for Mobile Businesses

As we study the demographic regional variations for small service... Read More

10 Simple Ways to Boost Your Sales IMMIDIATELY!

Alright you've got yourself a nice website with a great... Read More

Do You Get Attention With Your 30-Second Introduction?

I went to a networking event the other day where... Read More

Ten Tips for Creating a Winning Proposal ? Part 1

If you want your business to grow and attract new... Read More

Your REALTORŪ Marketing Plan

The steps to creating an effective marketing plan begin with... Read More

Developing a Contact List- Part One

One of the most essential things to successful networking is... Read More

Tricks of the Trade: Design your Booth for Maximum Impact

The fight for your customer's attention at a tradeshow has... Read More

Do You Make These 5 Common Marketing Mistakes?

The famous P.T Barnum once said, "Without promotion, something terrible... Read More

Profitable Marketing Programs Part 2: Figuring Break Even Point

In Part 1 -- http://www.websitemarketingplan.com/online/profit.htm -- I discussed how to... Read More

Ready, Fire, Aim!

You probably read my headline and thought, wait a minute,... Read More

5 High-Impact Marketing Tips

Here are 5 high-impact marketing tips you can use to... Read More

Five Steps to Partnering with Companies to Build Your Client Base

Wouldn't you love a simple formula for easily growing your... Read More

How To Perfect Your Marketing Message!

When it comes to your marketing message, the little things... Read More

Hermey Wants To Be A Dentist

December marked the 40th anniversary of the original broadcast of... Read More

Is CRM Technology Living Up To the Hype?

Over the last few years the buzz about CRM (Customer... Read More

If you'd like to keep up-to-date,
please complete the form below and we'll put you on the mailing list
to receive our twice-yearly newsletter for supporters

* Your email address:
* choes your language: