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Why You May Not Be Ready for the “Big Time” Publicity You Think You Deserve

Posted by Pam Perry on August 9, 2011 at 6:53pm


 

As a publicist (and producer) with 20 years experience, I know when someone is ready for the “big time” and when they are not.

 

The major media “gatekeepers” are very particular. They can spot an amateur in a split second (and you only get one chance to pitch).

 

Surprisingly though, most people (especially authors) think they are ready for Jay Leno, Steve Harvey, CNN, USA Today, Good Morning America, Fox News, Essence, Today show, etc. But they are not.  What’s so funny is that the shows or publications they want to be on or in – they don’t even watch, listen or read!

 

There are so many variables to getting major publicity. It does not happen because you have a good book, a new product or a friend who works for the station or publication. Major publicity doesn’t even happen if you have a good publicist with connections.

 

It takes a strategy, a strong brand and information that make the media’s job REALLY easy. (Because they are so busy!!!)

 

Here are some things you must have if you want to be considered to play in the big league with the big boys:

 

  1. A track record. Most authors think that if they could just be interviewed on a major network when their book is released – they would set them up for major sales. Listen, a new book is not news.  A good TV producer is not looking for the “new kid on the block” to present to their viewers, they want to score a guest that has some STAR power. A guest that has some juice; some awards; someone who has a following and people want to watch.  So, this means you must start small, start local and then you can progress to regional and national.  This takes TIME.
  2. A good internet presence. If you think just having a website is enough – think again. Everyone has a website. You must prove to the media that you have an online following and dominate the search engines in regards to your expertise.  If you say you are an “expert” – the media’s proof is to see whether you show up on page one of Google when they put in that query about the topic. If you don’t show up at all. NEXT. So you must know SEO, have a blog, some Facebook fans, Twitter followers and so on.
  3. A concise, professional media kit. This is the hub of your information. But wait, don’t just throw together a press release, bio and some jpeg photos and call it a day. Think this through. Make this a tool that the make the media go “wow.” Meaning, there is no searching for answers, or searching for photos, or searching for video clips, or searching for current key facts or links.  This is a living document that you keep on your website under a tab called “Media Kit” or “Press Kit.” But make it stand out and make sure your contact info is there and you are available 24/7 for the media. So, yes you must put a mobile there or your publicist’s mobile number there.

 

A good media kit should have –

a. A long and a short bio (in third person not first person please). How are they going to introduce you if they have to rewrite your bio because you wrote it in first person? Make it an exciting bio too. Have a one sheet too. This is info about you in a snapshot. Hire some to help you if you need it. Read bios of the experts in your field for samples.

b. Interview questions the media can ask you (because they probably won’t have time to read the whole book or do all the research on the topic you’re an expert in – so help them out!) Prepare at least 10 to 15 questions. Also good to have is a FAQ sheet and pitch letter.

c. Photos. Have an assortment of PROFESSIONAL head shots, speaking shots, full body shots and if an author, the book cover. Please have high-resolution photos available on the site for magazines too.

d. Previous media hits with links to video and audio interviews. Media begets media Also if you have endorsements – include those in the kit as well. They want to see what others are saying about you. So the more you show how you were featured in other media and seen by other people (preferably other experts), the more comfortable they will feel about booking you.

e. Radio and TV Interview Ideas. Think like a journalist or producer.  Write out a show description or have a list of topics with bullet points you can speak about on the air.

f. Articles. Have some articles ready for the media to use for the prep of their story or to post on a blog for further info after the interview. They can be published or unpublished articles or even blog posts. But you want to provide them with background research from you about the topic you’re being interviewed about. A link to old newsletters are good to have included as well.

g. PDF of your book for the media to access in a hurry.

 

 

  1. An intro video of you speaking at events. Showing you speaking in front of an audience with some audience reaction. This is extremely important if you want to get book on a major network.
  2. A calendar of events. Media want to know that you’re busy – and have an active itinerary. Remember the media wants to book and interview those who are in high demand and have a strong brand.
  3. Lists. Media love lists. Become a valuable resource for the media. Create Top Ten lists for your industry. These are good for sidebars for articles they are writing. Or the list could be used as a “teaser” when promoting a show.
  4. A tight brand. Professional graphics. Professional photos. Professional website and blog. Professional newsletter. Keyword here: PROFESSIONAL. Not homemade. If you have a “DIY” look, it screams amateur.  Pay a professional. If you want to roll with the big dogs – don’t be cheap with your brand.  You have to pay to play.

 

Finally, timing is everything – but equally important is being prepared. There is nothing worst than having an opportunity to get major publicity and goof it up because you were not prepared. (The media is very quick to say “no go” – and it takes time for them to give “yes, it’s a go.”)   

 

Learn to stay prep (become a student of the media) and continue to market and grow your brand.  Strong SEO, a polished brand, networking and consistency will yield great results.

 

 

http://www.socialmediaprsolutions.com

 

 

 

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JOBLESSNESS STRIKES U.S.A. MILLION LOSE JOBS, IS THERE A SOLUTION? YES!! READ ON

Posted by Rickey on July 15, 2010 at 8:35am
JOBLESSNESS STRIKES U.S.A. MILLION LOSE JOBS, IS THERE A SOLUTION? YES!! READ ONThe news media screams these headlines. Yes, million upon million words written about the problem. This information just adds to anxiety.The problem , too well known! Let put forth this idea and actionStart your on business, employ yourself, use your talent,gifts, and skilll to start making your own income.Check out a service, that people are putting to use by the thousands, that you can benefit from info at www.juniques.wsAmazing what $10 a month can do!!!!These are real people have real financial problem, yet, they are stuck with one answer to a problem.Get another job!!!! Go through this again!!!Enough I say!!!!You can not rise from your problem with the same level of thinking, that got you there!!!!Make a change.Join thousands of others who are making a change for the better.Check out www.juniques.wsFears grow as millions lose U.S. jobless benefitsOn Wednesday July 14, 2010, 1:35 am EDTBy Nick CareyCINCINNATI (Reuters) - Deborah Coleman lost her unemployment benefits in April, and now fears for millions of others if the Senate does not extend aid for the jobless."It's too late for me now," she said, fighting back tears at the Freestore Foodbank in the low-income Over-the-Rhine district near downtown Cincinnati. "But it will be terrible for the people who'll lose their benefits if Congress does nothing."For nearly two years, Coleman says she has filed an average of 30 job applications a day, but remains jobless."People keep telling me there are jobs out there, but I haven't been able to find them."Coleman, 58, a former manager at a telecommunications firm, said the only jobs she found were over the Ohio state line in Kentucky, but she cannot reach them because her car has been repossessed and there is no bus service to those areas.After her $300 a week benefits ran out, Freestore Foodbank brokered emergency 90-day support in June for rent. Once that runs out, her future is uncertain."I've lost everything and I don't know what will happen to me," she said.my comment:The Jobless Problem is not Destined, There is a $10 monthly option to change these stats. go to www.juniques.wsThe recession -- the worst U.S. downturn since the 1930s -- has left some 8 million people like Coleman out of work.Unemployment has remained stubbornly high at around 9.5 percent. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in June 6.8 million people or 45.5 percent of the total are long-term unemployed, or jobless for 27 weeks or more.Before the recession began in late 2007, the unemployed received benefits, usually a few hundred dollars a week, for 26 weeks or around six months after losing their jobs.Under the federal/state programs, which are administered by state governments and partly funded by taxes on business, only full-time workers are eligible for benefits. Within federal guidelines, benefits and eligibility vary from state to state.As the downturn left more Americans out of work for longer periods, Congress voted to provide funding to extend benefits to as long as 99 weeks in some areas.Some critics say this adds to the country's large fiscal deficit, and may even discourage job-seeking.my comment:The Jobless Problem is not Destined, There is a $10 monthly option to change these stats. go to www.juniques.wsFOOD BANKS FEAR STRAINAn attempt to pass another extension has become bogged down in partisan political bickering in the Senate. Relief agencies fear that failure to extend benefits will strain their resources and may worsen the U.S. housing crisis."This will put a great deal of stress and strain on our organization, which has already been working hard," said Vicki Escarra, chief executive of Feeding America, which has a network of more than 200 food banks. In the year ended June 30, Feeding America distributed 3 billion pounds (1.36 billion kg) of food, a 50 percent increase over the past two years.my comment:The Jobless Problem is not Destined, There is a $10 monthly option to change these stats. go to www.juniques.wsThe benefits debate has pitted the majority of Democrats against most Republicans and some conservative Democrats.When the House of Representatives passed a $34 billion benefit extension on July 1, 11 fiscally conservative Democrats voted against it.The Senate may take up the issue again in mid-July, but Republicans like Senator Tom Coburn have argued any extension must be paid for with cuts elsewhere."Even then he (Coburn) is not sure if that's a good idea," said John Hart, a spokesman for the Oklahoma senator. "The longer the unemployed have benefits, the less incentive there is to find a job."Most economists argue that cutting benefits could slow recovery, describing benefits as direct economic stimulus because almost every penny of it gets spent. In a June 28 client note, Goldman Sachs said if all additional U.S. stimulus spending expires, it could slow the economy up to 1.5 percentage points from the fourth quarter 2010 to the second quarter of 2011.The note added that extending unemployment benefits and a $400 tax credit would "substantially mitigate" that impact.my comment:The Jobless Problem is not Destined, There is a $10 monthly option to change these stats. go to www.juniques.ws3 MILLION CUT OFF IN TWO MONTHSDuring the Senate impasse, from the week ended June 5 to the week ended July 10, more than 2.1 million Americans lost their benefits. Another million will join them by July 31.In Ohio alone, where unemployment stood at 10.7 percent in May, more than 83,000 people lost their benefits in June.Sister Barbara Busch, executive director of non-profit housing group Working in Neighborhoods in Cincinnati, 65 percent of the people who come seeking help with their mortgages are unemployed or underemployed."I fear once the benefits run out, I suspect we'll see a new wave of foreclosures," she said. "I just hope I'm wrong."Ohio is a bellwether U.S. state in elections. The state's Democratic attorney general Richard Cordray said blocking extending jobless benefits was politically motivated ahead of the midterm elections in November."If people lose their benefits they will blame the congressional majority and the administration," he said. "As unappetizing as it is, that would appear to be the strategy."Senator Coburn's spokesman Hart said suggestions the Republicans were playing partisan politics were "ludicrous.""The Democrats say that because they want to avoid making the hard decisions," he said.Alonzo Allen, 55, a former aid agency worker in Cincinnati whose benefits will run out in September, spends two days a week volunteering at the food bank in Over-the-Rhine and the other three looking for work. He said he worries about the one-bedroom apartment he rents and how he will feed his dog Ginger, who is the "only family I have.""If the benefits stop, I'll be out on the street and I'll lose all my furniture," he said. "That's going to be tough."my comment:The Jobless Problem is not Destined, There is a $10 monthly option to change these stats. go to www.juniques.ws(Editing by Eric Walsh)
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Roadblocks in Your Way? Here's 3 Easy Steps to Get Your Business Moving Again.

Posted by Benita Tyler on June 29, 2010 at 10:15pm

10744045868?profile=originalOne of the best ways that I have learned to overcome obstacles is to face each challenge head on. What I mean by that is not running away from or becoming overwhelmed by issues that seem bigger than life. I realize that many work at home mothers are handling a lot of the day-to-day details of holding up the household and juggling business tasks at the same time. It can be a bit much to handle but here are some of the ways that I have been able to manage it all.

  1. It starts with remembering to take a few deep breaths. Really. Take some time to quiet yourself and breathe. I have what I call a quiet area which is really just a space that I have set aside for focus. This place could be anywhere you feel comfortable. I use a corner of my bedroom that has a nice comfy chair. I sit there and close my eyes a few moments each day to pause and see each challenge for what it really is – an opportunity to learn something new.
  2. Next, I accept that every problem has a solution. That's when I can begin the next phase of working things out. There is a saying used in Step Programs that goes something like this, “You can only begin solving a problem when you admit that you have one.” When you ignore challenges in business they will continue getting bigger. Eliminate the snowball effect by playing an active part in the process. Face the issue by writing it down or speaking it aloud. Then get ready to get in action.
  3. Finally, moving forward requires you to list out what you need and figuring out how best to get there. Some solutions require connecting with others. If you are working from home and unable to get out and about try reaching out to others in business by visiting their blog and participating in forums. I am a big fan of mastermind groups and you might find it useful to join one or start one of your own. This will help you get a fresh point of view from like-minded entrepreneurs who are serious about attaining next level success just like you.

With the abundance of information and resources available on the internet today moving past unstuck quickly is more doable than ever. And if cash flow is one of the challenges that you are facing in your business I invite you to sign up for my newsletter at www.tbsusa.com to get solutions for managing and growing your business.

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(VIDEO) What’s The Web All About? Where can I get answer to my web solutions?

Posted by Lisa S Smith on May 18, 2010 at 5:53pm

WebInterpreter.info is here!

In the midst of the Apples’ iPad and iPhone OS 4, you now can take the web wherever you go.

Now, whats this mean for me?, you say, a lot because you are now scratching your head wondering, how in the heck do I use this new cool gadget. But before you start fooling around with that, this weblog is your one-stop-shop for understanding the web and how to start your web endeavor and put them to successful use.

Welcome to Web Interpreter

“Translating web technology, transforming non-experts to experts.”

Web Interpreter Promo VIDEO

This weblog was created to translate web technology to non-experts and transform them into experts, or at least feel like an expert. Here at WebInterpreter.info you will find useful information such as: how to start/update your web site correctly, how to use HTML/CSS code for your site, picking the right social networks sites to market in, email marketing, creating email campaigns, and discovery of what technology is used on the web. As your Web Interpreter, I can help you create an effective plan and also point you in the right direction of web products and services you will need to make your web endeavors a success and in the process save you a lot of money!


Read more useful info about web technology at: http://webinterpreter.info

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So ask questions, or leave a comment. Let me be your Web Interpreter for your web solutions, whatever the case KNOWING the difference makes a world of a difference.


Lisa Shea Smith
web technology consultant
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Her Style My Way

Posted by CeCe Cole on July 3, 2008 at 4:00pm

Fashion is a revolution, vaguely elusive, and extremely seductive. Fashion has the power to transform any image into a social statement.How Do We Define Fashion1. a prevailing custom or style of dress, etiquette, socializing, etc.:2. conventional usage in dress, manners, is polite of society, or conformity to it:3. manner; way; mode:4. the make or form of anything:Most use fashion as an art form to others it’s a religion or a way of life. It’s an identity, a personality, trademark, and a disguise of one’s true self.Fashion is a statement of many truths accompanied by accessories even down to your cell phone and the car you drive.Show your passion for fashion, submit your articles, images, and websites. Let’s Celebrate Style!Join Our Group: Her Style My Way!Visit www.TrentsSolutions.com
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