Low-Cost, High-Impact Publicity Tips – Part Two

By admin · January 1, 2009 · Filed in Newsletter Archive

This Month’s Issue
1. Pam Lontos Column: Low-Cost, High-Impact Publicity Tips – Part Two
2. Inspirational Quote
3. Calendar of Events/Publicity Opportunities
4. This Month Our Clients Have Appeared In…
5. Guest Column: Brian Jud on Performing on TV
6. Guest Column: Dan Poynter on No More Autograph Parties
7. Have a Need for Publicity?

1. Pam Lontos Column: Low-Cost, High-Impact Publicity Tips – Part Two,

Continued from November’s newsletter

*Based on a radio interview with Pam Lontos and Brian Bartes of the JWC Group, WorkLessMakeMore.com

Q. We were just talking about the differences between publicity and advertising, and you mentioned the term, hook. Can you explain that concept?

Pam: The hook is kind of like what you use when you go fishing. You’re out there and all the fish are swimming by. Then, all of a sudden one them bites because you’ve got a

good hook. And it’s the same thing with the media. You’re out there dangling your

story and you know the creative, unique hook is the one that’s going to get attention. A good hook is figuring out what’s in the news. A great example of a hook of that worked is from our client, Paul Kowal. Paul works with telephone systems and voice recognition systems. At the time, we were looking for different hooks to pitch because it’s not necessarily a topic that’s going to be in all the newspapers. This happened to be around the same time as American Idol’s final vote between Clay Aiken and Ruben Studdard, and there was a controversy that many people’s votes didn’t get counted due to problems with the phone system. We called up USA Today and told them that we had an expert, Paul Kowal, who could talk about phone line scamming and phone systems. They called back immediately to interview him and he ended up on the front of USA Today with a story that featured a picture of everybody from American Idol.

If you just call the media and give your expertise, they won’t care and that’s the main mistake most people make. They call up a reporter and say “I did this, I did that,” and they don’t think about what’s in it for the media. Every time you talk to the media, you should think of them saying, “Who cares?” Basically, the “who cares” part means, are their readers going to like it and will it increase subscriptions? Will their audience enjoy the show and tune in?

One of the ways to create your own hook is to tie your expertise into the news. There’s a good publication to get, called “Chase’s Calendar of Events.” It has all the different days and holidays listed. For example there’s “Get Organized Month,” and “Clean off Your Desk Day.” When we promoted Barbara Hemphill, author of “Taming the Paper Tiger,” we would send out press releases to hundreds of newspapers. The release would talk about how Barbara could give different tips and advice on how to keep your desk clean for “Clean off Your Desk Day.” Our goal was to get them interested so that they would interview Barbara – all because of a unique, timely hook.

Q. So, a hook is something dynamic, right? If you were a divorce attorney, you would want to create a special hook … depending on the situation or maybe what’s going on in the news, like a special event that’s coming up.

Pam: That’s right. Especially if something happens in the news. If suddenly, two huge movie stars get divorced, that’s when you want to reach out to the media, and make sure it’s within 24 hours. You can send a press release to radio, television and newspapers and let them know you can comment. Even if it’s a special holiday like “National Marriage Day” you can put something different in your release and say how to keep your marriage from ending up in a divorce.

Q. Now, it seems like you see a lot of the same people in the media, whether you’re talking about national media or even local media. For example, a friend of mine in Las Vegas is a criminal defense attorney and whenever there’s a trial in Las Vegas, he’s on TV and he’s in the newspapers with his take. I’m sure that it helps his law practice to be doing these things. Does this work for other businesses as well, and if it does, how do we position ourselves to be the go-to source for media stories?

Pam: Well the more media interviews and placements you do, the more your name gets out there. People see your name everywhere then you become the celebrity. And that’s when you’re really in demand because everybody wants to have a celebrity guest! It’s not to say even if you’re not the celebrity you can’t get on. But that’s why you have to get your name out there, over and over and over.

Celebrity status is all about frequency and repetition. You don’t want to say something like Time Magazine is too big and you can’t get it because you can do it! The biggest magazines in the country are looking for experts like you. But also remember the importance of doing interviews with small magazines as well. One of the best examples is our client Pam Ammondson who had a book about the importance of taking sabbaticals. A very small magazine wanted to interview her. Well, after she was featured in this magazine, a reporter from Time Magazine called and wanted to interview her. It turns out that journalist was writing a story on sabbaticals! When Time Magazine came out, Tom Brokaw and the NBC news called her and sent a film crew to her business. So, imagine if she had said, “Oh, that magazine is too small!” She would have missed out being on the national news with Tom Brokaw AND Time magazine.

Q. So that’s really what causes the ball to start rolling! Let’s go back to what we were talking about before, which was being proactive and calling newspapers or magazines with your hook. Does that eventually change [with name recognition] to the point where people start calling you?

Pam: Absolutely! The more you’re out there, the more the media will notice. Reporters need good story sources all the time. It doesn’t matter if they have a TV show to put on each day, or a daily newspaper to run – they need you! So when you’re out there a lot, that’s how you start to gain expert or celebrity status. All of us see celebrities that in our own field and you may think, “I’m better than him” but why is he the one making more money? Why is he the one they feature in the news?

When you start out, you’re not going to be famous in any one thing. But if you’re in the newspaper, say every month, and people pick up Entrepreneur magazine or Forbes or Cosmopolitan and there you are, again, you will start to create top-of-mind awareness. After people see you in these publications and on TV, month after month, you become a celebrity. You know, there are people out there who are famous for being famous. They haven’t even done anything! They’re just in the news a lot. They’re making this huge amount of money just because they’ve been on TV or they’re quoted all the time as the expert.

Q. Now that you’ve mentioned they make huge amounts of money, let’s jump into that! I think there are a couple of things that are attractive about being that go-to person in the media and one is just the celebrity status. But really what we’re talking about is not to become famous, although that might happen, but it’s really how do we use publicity to increase our business. To either get more clients or to do more business with our existing clients. So how does that happen through publicity?

Pam: When people know your name, they immediately perceive you as the best. Let’s take a plastic surgeon, Dr. Smith, for example. He is on TV, giving advice about the latest celebrity’s facelift. Now, when somebody wants facework, they will think of him as that “well-known plastic surgeon” and go to him. They want the best, after all. Even if the price is higher, they’re going to expect it because Dr. Smith is so well known.

Often, the difference between a speaker who makes $1,000 a speech and one who makes $25,000 a speech is publicity. The one who charges more is the one who has been quoted in the media all the time. People are willing to pay for the best, and the best is always perceived as a person who is an expert featured in the media.

It’s not only about getting higher fees, but also having people come into your business, or call you because suddenly they need your services. Rather than you having to mine for new leads or cold call, people will start calling you after seeing you in the media.

If the public doesn’t even know your name, they don’t know what you do, so you’re not going to get the calls. Is your phone ringing? Are people calling you? Are your fees or rates going up? That’s what you want to happen. And, you can do less work but make more money, and that’s the whole key, isn’t it?

For additional publicity tips and articles now, visit: www.prpr.net.

Pam Lontos is the president of PR/PR, a public relations firm that specializes in professional speakers, authors and experts. An author, speaker and former VP of Disney’s Shamrock Broadcasting, Pam knows the ropes of getting you good publicity and how to use it to boost your bookings or book sales. She is also author of the new book, “I See Your Name Everywhere!” Call for a free consultation: 407-299-6128 or visit: www.prpr.net.

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Use the Media to Get Your Career to the Next Level in this New Year 2009

Order Pam Lontos’ New Book Now!

“I See Your Name Everywhere: Leverage the Power of the Media to Grow Your Fame, Wealth and Success”

“If you only choose one PR manual, make it I See Your Name Everywhere.”

-Bob Danzig, Former CEO Hearst Newspapers, Author and Speaker

“I love the title … it describes the results of a well-executed publicity campaign: I see your name everywhere. This book is a must-read.”

- John Kremer, author of “1001 Ways to Market Your Books”

“This book tells you how to improve your image, credibility and market – faster and cheaper.”

- Brian Tracy, author of “The Psychology of Selling”

Want to See Your Name Everywhere?

Check out the in-depth publicity advice in Pam Lontos’ new book, “I See Your Name Everywhere” published by Morgan James. Order now for $12.95 plus shipping! Pam’s first book, “Don’t Tell Me It’s Impossible Until After I’ve Already Done it!” is available at $12.95 or you can order both for the combination price of $19.95 plus shipping.

Order yours today at: pam@prpr.net or call: 407-299-6128.

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2. Inspirational Quote for the Month:

“Only those who risk going too far will ever know how far they can go.”

- Anonymous

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3. Calendar of Events/Publicity Opportunities

If your expertise fits any of these topics, take advantage by sending out a press release to newspaper, television and radio stations, or call up the media directly! For example, if you are consultant, author or speaker who specializes in book promotion, you’ll want to let the media know about your expertise for “Book Blitz Month,” which is January. You can share your advice on how to find an agent, how to promote books and how to get your book on the best-seller list.

Use these dates to create your own media opportunities by writing press releases on these topics, contacting radio stations in your area, or becoming a featured expert on television or in print:

January is Book Blitz Month – Created to focus the attention on improving the relationships between authors and the media to establish a best-selling book.

January is International New Year’s Resolution Month for Businesses – Designed to set in motion a successful year by focusing on PR and marketing efforts guaranteed to steer any business into increase profits and success.

January is Financial Wellness Month – Created to help establish financial balance after all the bills from holiday shopping come rolling in, and set new goals for budgeting.

The first week in January is Diet Resolutions week – The purpose for this week is to emphasize the importance of watching one’s weight by paying close attention to the type, not amount, of food eaten.

The second week in January is Thank-Your-Customers Week – This is a week dedicated to thanking those who make business possible.

The fourth week in January is Take Back Your Time Week- Created to establish good time management habits and the importance of prioritizing activities and demands.

January 1 is New Year’s Day

January 19 is Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Birthday (Observed)

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4. This Month Our Clients Have Been Featured In…

Wall Street Journal Dr. Maurice Ramirez on “Associations Skimping ”

The New York Times Lisa Lane Brown on “Navigating a Bad Review”

Woman’s Day Theresa Rose on “Mindfulness”

SellingPower.com Chris Witt on “Taking Your Speech to the Next Level”

Entrepreneur Heather Lutze on “Humor in Marketing”

Entrepreneur Scott Jeffrey on “Humor in Marketing”

WESH TV Dream Balloon Productions on “Red Carpet Film Festival”

First for Women Dr. Nancy O’Reilly on “Finding Focus”

Good Housekeeping Scott Jeffrey on “Why Boredom is Good”

Capitalist Chicks Brenda Bence on “Women Doing Business Overseas”

CRM Management Scott Halford on “Be A Shortcut”

Ragan Communications Chris Witt on “Motivating Your Staff”

Insight Magazine Jay Forte on “Curbing Unnecessary Business Costs”

Success from Home Scott Jeffrey on “Boost Your Creativity”

AOL.com Holly Green on “Lending an Employee Your Car”

Examiner.com Jay Forte on “Surviving Your First Performance Review”

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5. Guest Column: Brian Jud on Performing on TV

Television is the glamour medium in the broadcast industry, making you instantly recognizable to millions of people across the country. But appearing on the air does not guarantee book sales. There are three major elements that control the way you are perceived by the viewers – your physical features, clothes and body language:

1) There’s not much you can do to change your physical features, but you can work with them. Use makeup to hide or accentuate certain physical features. Most women use makeup regularly and feel comfortable wearing it. If you are not familiar or comfortable with makeup, get assistance from a media trainer or from a sales representative at a local theatrical or cosmetic shop.

2) Dress to feel comfortable and create the image you want. Choose clothes that will not distract from your message. People should pay attention to what you say, not what you are wearing.

Choose colors that are best for you, given your hair and skin coloring. In general, dark colors are best for suits, and blue is a safe color. Earth tones and neutral colors work well on television, too. Before you choose your attire for any particular show, watch it or call ahead to find out the background color of the set.

Accessories should be simple, non-distracting and quiet. Use them to complement your intended image. Jewelry should be functional, subtle and not so bright as to cause camera problems. Glasses may be worn if needed to read.

3) There are volumes written about body language and how you project an image through your posture, movements and gestures – intentionally or unintentionally.

Here are a few tips:

Be seated comfortably with your forearms placed on the armrests. Sit toward the front of the chair and lean slightly forward. If you are seated in a large sofa, sit near the front edge so you are not enveloped in it, particularly if you are short.

Use your hands strategically and naturally. Do not use quick, stiff, contrived gestures, but practice making smooth ones that appear spontaneous. Use your hands and arms to reinforce what you are saying. Do not look into the camera as you answer the interviewer’s questions. You are having a discussion with your host, so focus on his or her eyes.

Relax, enjoy yourself and you will sell more books when you are on the air.

Brian Jud hosts Book Central Station where you can find rated lists of suppliers to help you write, publish and market your books. Post your own reviews and add your favorite suppliers. For a free trial, go to http://www.bookmarketingworks.com/judslist/trial.asp Contact Brian at P. O. Box 715, Avon, CT 06001; (800) 562-4357; brianjud@bookmarketing.com or go to http://www.bookmarketing.com

Need Help Marketing Your Book? Get free book-marketing tips every other week in Brian Jud’s Book Marketing Matters e-newsletter. Go to: www.bookmarketing.com to sign up!

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6. Guest Column: Dan Poynter on No More Autograph Parties

One of the joys of being a published author is being appreciated for your work. Getting a favorable response to your book from a crowd of people is an event most authors look forward to. But many authors and author/publishers misunderstand the purpose of a book signing and they attend unprepared.

Book signings are a form of product promotion not available to producers of other goods or services. But autographings are not a party in your honor – you and your book are not even known yet. Bookstores, both chain and independent, stage events to attract potential customers into their stores. The stores supply the venue; the author supplies the

audience.

“Never do an autographing; always offer a mini seminar. Attract buyers to your autograph parties.”

- Terri Lonier, author, Working Solo

An “autograph party” says, “Come and appreciate me (and buy a book)”; a “seminar” says, “Come on down and I will give you something free (information) that will improve your life.” Always think of the benefit to the potential customer. How can you lure them out of the house and down to the store? Your appearance is a promotional opportunity for you and it will require hard work.

Patricia Bragg (Health-Science) publishes health and fitness books. To promote her mini-seminar at a local bookshop in Santa Barbara, she posted handbills in all the local health food stores. Then she made a postcard mailing to her customer list within a 50-mile (driving) radius. The store was packed and she was on for over four hours – until closing time. The store sold out of many of her titles and gave out rain checks. (www.bragg.com)

Authors are celebrities; they are the draw. People think if you wrote a book, you know something. And, you probably do. Nonfiction books are written from the best research you can do, you direct your material toward a certain type of reader and you further explain your advice with your own experiences. Book writing is a journey. Often we do not know where the process will take us. We learn everything there is to know about our subject and, in effect, we are gaining an advanced degree in our area of interest: we do the research and then we do the paper. So, authors are pretty special, often interesting and do know quite a bit about their subject area.

When my parents taught me not to write in books, they did not know they were raising an author who would autograph them. They turned my last book tour into a guilt trip.

The store might publicize your appearance with a sign in the window for a few days and may place a notice in their event schedule. Attracting the rest of the crowd is up to you.

These mini seminars may lead to longer ones for other groups at other locations—for money. Go for the exposure and go prepared. Your book deserves it.

Unleash Your Inner Author…

RESOURCE FOR BOOK WRITING, PUBLISHING AND PROMOTING

Dan Poynter’s F-R-E-E e-zine: http://parapublishing.com/sites/para/resources/newsletter.cfm

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PR/PR’s Client Quote of the Month:

“Pam Lontos has it right. With PR/PR working for me, my book reached the top two percent of books on Amazon. Every time a new article of mine was published, my book sales soared!”

- Al Auger, President CCVI Real Estate Company, author and speaker

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7. Have a Need for Publicity?

PR/PR can help you with all of your publicity needs, from magazines and newspapers to television, radio and online media. If you want to sell more books, get more speaking engagements and be hired for more consulting jobs, you need publicity.

To receive a FREE consultation, contact Pam Lontos, President of PR/PR:

407-299-6128 or email: pam@prpr.net.

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Permission to reprint: You may reprint any items from “PR/PR Pulse” in your own print or electronic newsletter, but please include the following:

“Reprinted from ‘PR/PR Pulse,’ a free e-zine featuring tips and techniques for gaining publicity. To subscribe, send an e-mail to newsletter@prpr.net with ‘Add Me’ in the subject line.”

If you like any of the advice from this e-zine, please pass this on to your friends, clients and colleagues.

We would love to hear from you! Please e-mail your suggestions and/or questions about publicity to: newsletter@prpr.net.

PR/PR

President: Pam Lontos

775 S. Kirkman Road, Suite 104

Orlando, FL 32811

www.prpr.net

Phone: 407-299-6128

Fax: 407-299-2166

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