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4 Ways to Sabotage Getting Media Coverage You Want (and Need!)

“4 Ways to Sabotage Getting Media Coverage You Want (and Need!)” by Lisa Orrell, The Promote U Guru

I recently wrote an article entitled “How to Write a Killer Press Release & Where to Deploy It Online”. And a recent consulting session with a client prompted me to write this new article…I’m going to share 4 very valuable reasons why you may be sabotaging getting the media coverage YOU want (and not even know it).

My client is a (new) book author, so we wrote and distributed her first ever Press Release. We deployed it online, and it was also sent to a targeted list of specific media we identified (newspapers, magazines, radio/tv shows and blogs). Fast forward to a week later…she was very unhappy that her phone hadn’t been ringing off the hook with interview requests.

I clearly explained that if it were “that easy” we’d all be featured in the Wall Street Journal or on The Today Show whenever we wanted. Bottom line? It takes effort! Here are the key tips and strategies I told her to do right after the Press Release went out…and 2 weeks later she had NOT done any of them…hence her “not getting much media attention” issue.

And, by the way, this is where most speakers, authors, small business owners and entrepreneurs drop the ball when it comes to getting media coverage through their PR efforts (so, trust me, it’s not just her):

  1. They Don’t Follow Up: When you send a Press Release to a targeted list of media, you have to follow up with them. And sometimes you have to follow up quite a few times. The media is bombarded daily with news, so you have to be the “squeaky wheel” to get their attention. Yes, it’s like doing sales calls, and it’s not the most fun thing to do in the world, but unless you have a Publicist to do it for you, it’s a task you must take on. It is critical!!!!
  2. They Don’t Share With Their Social Media Communities: Once your Press Release is done, share the link to it on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc. First of all, you don’t know who may see it and share it. Secondly, you have no idea who are all the followers your followers have. For example, on Twitter, I had someone retweet a tweet of mine about a Press Release. One of her followers is the host of a very popular BlogTalk Radio show, that reaches my target audience, and that person contacted me for an interview. I also was contacted by a reporter from the NY Times, and have been interviewed by her several times, because of a retweet.
  3. They Don’t Post On Their Website: When you write a Press Release, create a page for it, optimize it with keywords and phrases, and upload it. Not only can it get found in search results for on-going traffic generation, but it’s important to share the news on your website. And even when the Press Release becomes “old” it can still drive traffic to you and attract media interviews for you.
  4. They Don’t Post It On Their Blog: Use your Press Release as a blog post. It’s okay to occasionally promote news about yourself there. And if you’re on WordPress, and have added the All in One SEO Pack plug-in, this will also help get your news found online.

So, there is your crash course in what to do AFTER your Press Release has been written and distributed. It takes EFFORT to get media interviews (unless you have truly earth-shattering news or you’re fairly well-known). But, the media is always looking for news, they have a lot of air time or pages to fill, so you can get your share of coverage if you’re consistent and persistent!

Copyright 2010 by Lisa Orrell.

Author Bio: Lisa Orrell, The Promote U Guru, is a 20-year Branding Expert, Marketing Consultant and Certified Business Coach. She is also a professional speaker and book author. Lisa helps small business owners, entrepreneurs, entertainers, industry experts, speakers and authors build their brand platforms, improve their marketing & PR efforts, develop social media strategies, and increase sales. For more info about Lisa and her in-demand services, visit: http://www.PromoteUGuru.com


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