Famous From One Hit? Don’t Hold Your Breath!
By: Pam Lontos
You have an article coming out in a national magazine, or you are appearing on a television show. You are all excited and are thinking, “Wow, I better get ready for the flood of calls.” The only problem is you only have one hit. While you might get some calls, it won’t be enough to create name recognition. To really become famous, you need repetition. Your name needs to be in front of decision makers over and over again before it will really make a difference.
How many times do you hear something to actually recognize it?
The first time someone looks at an ad, they do not see it.
The third time they see it, they are conscious of its existence.
The fifth time, they read it.
The seventh time they read it through and say, “Oh wow, that sounds great!”
People need to see things at least seven times to even remember it. When someone reads about you in an article, they may not have a need for your services or products at that particular moment. But by continually having your name out there, they will begin to recognize it and when the time comes for them to need your product or service, they will remember seeing your name.
For example:
Al’s appliance store decides to advertise on the radio. Several thousands of people hear the ad, however many of them don’t need a refrigerator at that time. Several months later, they move into an unfurnished apartment or their fridge breaks. If Al’s has been consistently advertising, they are going to immediately think “Oh I need a new fridge,” and go into Al’s first, instead of the competition.
That’s what you want. When the time comes for meeting planners to hire a speaker and they throw out five or six names, you want them to remember your name. If they suddenly decide to go on a diet, they need a management book, or become interested in self-improvement and they have been seeing your name consistently in the press, they will remember you.
One time is not enough. Repetition of seeing or hearing your name or product over and over will make an imprint on their mind, which is what actually makes you famous.
Here are some steps to get famous:
1. Get your name out everywhere.
Don’t say this magazine is too small, or the subscription rate is too low. If they want an article or interview from you, do it. Many times a larger magazine or newspaper will pick up stories and articles from smaller publications. You could have originally interviewed for your small, local paper and have it picked up by the Wall Street Journal or the USA Today.
Don’t discount a publication because you don’t think it fits your target audience. You never know who is reading what. Maybe one person will have read an article you are quoted in and pass it along to their friend, in another industry, who has a need for your product or service. This is another imprint, another opportunity to get your name in front of the decision makers.
2. Utilize all the different types of media.
For example, someone buys a newsstand magazine, like Entrepreneur or Inc. and there you are quoted as an expert in one of the stories. The article mentions that you are a speaker or consultant and mentions your book. Then later that same person is reading a newspaper article and there you are quoted again. The next month they read their industry journal and there is an article written by you with you name and contact information. This same person types your topic in on the Internet and there is your name yet again. Then they suddenly start to say, “Gee this person must be great. I see their name everywhere!” Now you are becoming famous. You are building what is called top of mind awareness.
3. Don’t just stay in your niche.
If your expertise is in sales, you can be interviewed for stories and articles on a variety of topics, such as motivation, determination, phone skills, presentations kills, dealing with conflict, and more. You can also draw on experiences from your personal life, such as how to avoid afternoon slump. If they are writing an article on dogs in the office and you have a dog in your office, interview for that too. That is another opportunity for your name to be out there.
4. Get your timing down.
Don’t forget that publications have a lead-time, the amount of time that stories need to be submitted to be included in a specific issue. Many major newsstand magazines have a lead-time of six months or more. In order to be included in the May issue of Entrepreneur, the writer will need to have turned in the story by December. This means that you will have to have pitched the reporter approximately one month before that so that they have enough time to write and edit the story before turning it in. If you have a book or new product or service coming out, you will need to time your publicity efforts accordingly.
5. Utilize press releases.
A press release is a great opportunity to get your name in front of multiple newspapers on a topic that is timely. For example, if you were an expert on industrial safety and there was an explosion in a mine, causing 10 miners to be trapped underground, you should send out a press release that positions you as an expert. You can discuss a wide variety of topics: what safety gear the miners should have had, what kind of violations might have been present, what conditions the miners will be facing, what can be done going forward to prevent such accidents and more!
6. Don’t rely on the media to get to your prospects.
Don’t pass up on an opportunity to get your name in front of prospective clients. If you have appeared in their trade journal, create a nice tear sheet of the article and send it to them with a one sheet and some information on what you could offer their company. You should keep a copy of all your hits. Once you have compiled a comprehensive library, you can tailor your tear sheets to the industry you are targeting. For example, if you are sending materials to the financial industry, you can include all your articles from financial trade and association magazines, and even from some of the larger business publications.
It is very rare that a person will become an overnight success from one hit. Usually it is the start of a long road. A building block in the success that you are reaching for. To achieve fame, you need repetition. Your name needs to be in front of decision makers over and over again before it will really begin to make a difference. You never know where someone will see your name and decide to give you a call.
About the Author:
Pam Lontos is owner of PR/PR, a public relations firm that specializes in professional speakers, authors, and experts. Having been an author, speaker, and former VP of Disney’s Shamrock Broadcasting, she knows the ropes of getting you good publicity and how to use it to really boost your business. Call for a free consultation at (407) 299-6128, and sign up for a free publicity tips e-newsletter at www.prpr.net.
