How to Matter to the MediaOver the years, I have worked with some great publicists, among them the late media powerhouse Paige Ebersole McMahon, Katherine Hutt of Nautilus Communications, Michelle Tenant and Drew Gerber of Wasabi Publicity and Marla Russo of Bella PR. These professionals understand the media, do great work and are devoted to helping their clients' businesses succeed. I have learned so much from the over the years.
But they can be pricey, so they don't work for all Indies all the time. Since Indie Beauty Network members often struggle to meet the demands of growing business while also wearing their own publicist hat, I launched the Media Leads Program to train Indies on how to develop solid media leads and contacts in a cost effective and efficient manner.Here's what Michele Kepier, owner of Flower Peddler and a new Media Leads client, shared with me about her experience in the program, followed by some valuable tips to help you reach out the media with style and flair.dM: Is the Media Leads Program benefiting the Flower Peddler?Michele: Yes. I joined a few months ago and I'm so glad I did!I love that the leads are targeted specifically to the health, beauty, and lifestyle industries. I’ve subscribed to other services and found very few leads that were a match for what we do.Another thing I really like about the program is the help you get in refining your pitch to media inquiries. It can be daunting to figure out exactly the right approach and wording to use to make your pitch interesting enough to avoid the trashcan, and your editing services help keep that from happening.dM: What are you getting out of the media leads program?Michele: So far I’ve pitched five solid leads, received 3 positive responses and gotten one media placement! I am thrilled with that and definitely recommend the program to anyone considering it.dM: What do you think of the price of $25 a month?Michele: I think the price for the program is extremely reasonable, especially considering that it includes media training to help you with your pitches.dM: Tell me a little about Flower Peddler?Michele: We started out as a floral design business, and over the years, developed an interest in scented bath and bodycare products. After meeting a soapmaker with a contagious love for all things herbal and natural, we turned our attention to natural body care.dM: What are some of your most popular products?Michele:Our Caribbean Blue - Pacific Salt Glow, a creamy body scrub with Pacific Sea salt, shea butter, organic sunflower oil, and seaweed extract.Also, our Rabbit's Revenge Soap, which everyone loves in the summertime. It's ultra cool, sweet and refreshing with a delicious combination of crisp garden lettuce blended with just the right amount of cucumber and a touch of melon for the ultimate fresh summer fragrance. It even has real cucumber puree, along with olive, rice bran and sweet almond oils.The Media Leads Program is open to any Indie, but IBN members get a discount (of course!) You can learn more and register here. Meanwhile, here are some tips to help you conduct your own media outreach.* Pitch Ideas, Not Products Or ServicesYes, your products and services are great, but the media doesn't care. What they do care about is stories. If you tie your product or service to an identifiable holiday, current event, common problem or popular topic, then do that.For example, if you make natural insect repellent and there's news of a government agency crackdown on harmful ingredients in insect repellent, then tie that current event and common problem to your product with a pitch about how your product solves the dilemma.There's a problem. You have a solution.If you're Indie, you also have a story, so when you tie together the problem, the solution and your story and you end up with a great pitch.Remember that, on the whole, people don't care about your insect repellent. Why? Because there's no shortage of insect repellent and there's nothing inherently special about it to start with.What people (and the media outlets that serve them) care about is keeping their families safe. That's the connection the media is looking for.* Seek to Serve, Not to Be ServedDon't you hate it when someone tries to sell you something, and all they care about is what's in it for them? Yes, well, the media hates that too.I recently received an email from an author looking to appear on Indie Business Radio. Her book was a fictional story of single life in the big city. If you're familiar with my radio show, you know that that topic makes as much sense as polar bears in Bora Bora. It makes no sense.It was clear to me that the author was looking to hock her book (and for free!) without any regard for my listeners and what they care about. I'm all about providing useful content to a specific type of listener and it's pretty clear from my website that a "sex in the city" type theme would not go over well.I deleted her message.When pitching the media, connect your idea to how you can help the people who will read about it, see it or listen to it.If you don't seek to serve, you're being selfish and irrelevant, and that's a waste of everyone's time.* Share Your SuccessYes, toot your own horn. Beep! Beep!If after weeks or months of working with an editor or show producer to perfect a story about you (or one that includes you), when it hits the stands, tell the entire world. Use your website, newsletter, brochures, postcards, Youtube, Myspace, Blog, Twitter and everything else you can think of to share your success.When others see that an objective member of the media thinks you're worth space in their magazine or whatever, your credibility increases. This means better and more qualified sales leads come your way. This ultimately means more sales.To learn more about my media leads program, click here.To find out about the services of some top notch publicists, visit these service providers, each of whom I highly recommend.* Nautilus Communications: Katherine Hutt is award winning and top notch. Her focus is on serving non-profits.* Wasabi Publicity: Knowledgeable people who run a well-oiled media machine. Ask for Michelle or Drew and tell them dM sent you. You can enjoy my interview with Drew on Indie Business Radio here.* Bella PR: Best for beauty and lifestyle products, Marla Russo is the kind of pretty, energetic beauty you want to cozy up with the editors of major New York print magazines. You can enjoy my interview with Marla on Indie Business Radio here.Related PostsBecome the News You Want to BeBranding, Buzz and BusinessUsing a Publicist to Get Media AttentionFor more Indie Business PR tips, subscribe to Indie Business Blog today.
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