The Power of Influence, Credibility and Conversion

Insider tips to creating media coverage for your expertise

One of my clients recently asked me for tips on how to distribute a press release in the most effective way. She wanted a time saving, proactive solution given the multitude of options. She’s a smart, savvy, driven woman entrepreneur like many of you. Enjoy the advice I gave her…

One of the many powerful ways to build your credibility, influence and then conversion using your compelling personal brand is via 3^rd party validation or what is commonly known as media coverage and media relationships.

During my 22 years in entertainment PR, I used simple systems to tackle what seemed like an overwhelming project of securing media coverage for my celebrities, visual and performing artists and creative professionals. Traditional media coverage is TV, radio, newspapers, and magazines. Today we have the LUXURY of Social Media, blogs, websites and more online resources to add to the pot of media coverage.

Amazing opportunities, but overwhelming, right?

As a small business owner, you have dozens of online tools and sites to connect with media and the option to distribute hundreds of your press releases. There’s the popular http://www.helpareporter.com/ where journalists list their needs for stories and resources. There’s PRweb.com that will help you distribute your press release to very specific media, regions, and industries. Publicityinsider.com is a helpful resource for PR tips and tools. The list goes on. That’s the “broad stroking” way of reaching media and that’s all helpful.

However, what I found in my experience, the most effective strategy to catch the attention of a feature writer, TV or radio producer is to do your homework. Here are my helpful insider tips:

1. Pick the mediums your target market profile reads or listens to (newspapers, websites, magazines, radio shows, interview TV shows -- GMA, CNN, Today Show etc). Know where they go for their entertainment, news, resources and solutions to their problems.

HOT TIP: you can use keywordspy.com to search for your topic and measure the reach of that topic with this tool. It uses Google to aggregate content for the site.

2. Know what topics a particular Journalist or producer covers. Read their columns and articles or listen to the radio show host and watch the TV show that takes guests. Jot down the name of these journalists and begin to build a list of media for your own target market.

3. Then here’s the secret to making this media coverage task doable and more proactive: choose in batches of “Top 10” media contacts to approach via phone and email. Do a total of 30 contacts over a 3 month period where you approach them in batches of 10. Complete each follow up until you receive a yes or no. Give them news angle ideas that will be of interest to their audience. It’s not about your product or service or event. It’s about how your expertise will serve their audience. You are helping them with their job! Yes, if you want to use PRweb.com to distribute a general press release to a specific market and media - go ahead as a support to your campaign. But focus on going directly to the Journalist and “pitch” them your story/news idea.

Pitch them via phone and do it quickly! They have very little time. If you can’t get them on the phone - leave a quick to the point message and tell them you are emailing them your press release and story ideas. Tell them your email address so they can watch for it. Now, keep in mind, they are pitched all day long by hundreds of people, so FOLLOW UP is critical. Keep approaching each of the 10 till you have exhausted your 10 list and then move onto the next 10.

4. Be a resource for media in two ways. Build a collaborative relationship with media. Be known as a top expert with excellent, efficient, and factual content for them. Secondly, recommend experts in your circles of influence to your media contact and they will eventually come to you for other suggestions. They will be one of your BEST sources for building credibility, influence and conversion.

When I was doing PR for my clients, I was hired based on my creative news angle talents, knowing how to talk to the media and WHO was in my media rolodex. The relationships with media were crucial to my success as a publicist. You can build these too! Just be consistent with posting your expertise on your blog, Twitter and Facebook fan page.

HOT TIP: Journalists typically use Twitter and blogs to find resources for their stories. Show up consistently!

By the way…a professionally done journalistic ready press release acts like an intro for media to consider your topic or person for coverage. It’s like bait. It’s not the end all be all. It’s not an article. It’s factual, compelling, and of interest to the audience the Journalist serves (which is YOUR audience).

So, go out and be the brilliant personal brand you know you can be by serving your immediate audience with your expertise in the most authentic way and expand your credibility and influence by making media relationships for media coverage; then watch your conversion INCREASE!

Helpful article? Please post a comment here or go to my fan page and let me know how this helped you! I want to make this a two-way conversation - let’s connect!

With gratitude

Chief Inspiration Officer

eCreativebiz.com 

 

Personal Branding, Business Innovation,

and Social Media Savvy Expert

Why is storytelling so important to your brand?

By Marla Dennis
Personal Branding, Business Innovation

and Social Media Savvy Expert

www.ecreativebiz.com

Why is storytelling a key strategy to your compelling brand as a value driven business owner?

People connect to stories. They are humanizing. People can relate to brands through stories. We are looking to tell your story, your life via your brand that inspires others to take an action. Then, all the tech tools make sense and become easy.

Your personal brand is your mark in the world as an authentic, natural, organic, expression of who you are. The content of your personal brand creates a strong emotional connection to the heart, mind, spirit, and soul of your market.

This is where conversion happens.

Here’s what you must do first…define the compelling YOU. (More in a bit how)

Ok, now I know you may be saying, “Does my life really need to be told? Are the every day personal and business struggles, successes, and challenges really making a difference for others?

Yes. More than you’ll ever know.

Humans are wired to empathize with other humans. When we read or hear an inspiring story - we can’t help but apply it to our own lives and seize the moment! The heart of your brand is your everyday stories, photos and videos you share on Facebook, your blog, your ezine, your Twitter posts and more. People take an action when they are inspired. You want that post on Facebook or article on your blog to inspire or educate or both to move people to action. When it’s done in first person conversational and catered to your market’s needs and lifestyles, now you have a winning combo.

Today’s media channels make it easy to deliver a personal brand unlike pre-social media time when traditional mediums (newspaper, TV radio and magazines) required a publicist or agency to do the handy work for you and thousands of dollars. Back in the day I had to plan, design, push, sell ideas and deliver content to the media on my client’s behalf to acquire a decent write up or radio interview. Not anymore. You have all the goods at your fingertips with a creative spin and your authenticity.

Connection. The art of storytelling; it's in your DNA.

Your personal brand is your most powerful asset in your business. Why? It speaks to your emotional core. It connects you to your audience on your social networks and offline. It’s the leading edge in marketing today. You can no longer separate your “personal” from your “business” while marketing. It’s one-in-the-same. And we have the extraordinary power of Social Media to thank for that.

See, many still have a challenge transitioning their offline world onto the virtual world. And, rightfully so. It can be hard to wrap your head around this virtual world and expect people to “get” who you are. Today’s marketing requires us to be very authentic and transparent using Social Media because of the nature of this virtual world. 

The secret is by delivering in authentic conversational form 1^st person (all your marketing), we can translate our offline lives onto this virtual platform that offers outstanding networking and relationship building for our businesses. Essentially, I am giving you permission to be YOU in all your marketing! No “business” façade; the real you in savvy style.

Furthermore, it’s the accumulation of your postings on your networks that form your “personality” and your compelling story, which is your brand. Here’s the good news accentuated by Peter Guber in his book, “Tell to Win”

“There’s a treasure to be discovered, and it’s inside you. Built into your DNA are humanity’s ten-thousand-plus years of telling and listening to oral stories. This veneration of story is a force so powerful and enduring that it has shaped cultures, religions, whole civilizations. Now through telling to win, you can harness this force to achieve your most cherished goals.”

Monetize what comes natural to you. Women are fabulous at this! We love to connect and we are savvy story tellers in everyday life. We love to talk. Tell your story and other stories with emotion, drama, compelling twists and turns. Bring the audience in. We are taking people from their head to their hearts as they listen (video) or read your content with the core of your personal brand at play.

When you master the art of storytelling, you can win at most endeavors because you are igniting the common bond: emotion; and that will always move people to action.

Peter continues…“Today everyone, whether they know it or not - is in the emotional transportation business. More and more, success is won by creating compelling stories that have the power to move people to action. Simply put, if you can't tell it, you can't sell it."

To begin forming your personal brand, answer these four questions:

1. What are your five leading personal qualities that define you the most?
2. What are five passions that light you up and magnetize people to you?
3. Five recent successes and gratitudes.
4. What were some of your most challenging times that resulted in a reinvention or upleveling of your life? (transformation)

Speak your truth! Be you. Your mindfully chosen communities will reward you by being loyal and committed to stick around for a while.

And that’s a sign of conversion. That is how you monetize YOU. So go on…get out there and tell your story with dignity and gusto! Connect with your audience and they will be loyal followers and clients for years to come!

With gratitude

Chief Inspiration Officer

eCreativebiz.com

 

Is it time to brighten and re-energize your personal brand? Spiritual gifts I use

Is it time to brighten and re-energize your personal brand? Here’s my recent journey that may help and feel right for you.

It’s been a while since I sent an ezine or written a blog post and connected with you in this way - and I apologize.

I’ve been offering new programs for private clients with great success, promoting new group programs, and delivering new marketing techniques while being in “coachable mode” with my mentors to better serve you.

What I found in the midst of all this, I felt something amiss; a void of sorts. So after a full, beautiful weekend with my honey taking a spontaneous drive along the ocean in Palos Verdes and enjoying each other’s company, I took Monday off to just reconnect with me. I let go of all demands - I found my core again by meditating, journaling, listening to background piano music. This nurture - this centering - feels like a drink of cool, refreshing clean water  - connecting back to my core - to my essence.

It’s times like these you brighten and re-energize your personal brand. When I just allow spirit to guide me and breathe in the delicious air, I always have a shift and inspiring experience just right for my next evolution. 

I found a new spiritual mentor along the way - Reena Desai of Feminine Awakening.com. Her words and essence from her Facebook page and website soothed my soul and heart. As a result, I could write my ezine today with more emotion, more clarity, and I intuitively realized it was time for a photo change on my Facebook page; an evolution of my brand.  

My new branding article (click) will help you along this path and explain the importance of storytelling - the power of your brand.

Now my connection with life and people feels calm, peaceful, organic, and real. Is it time for your spiritual awakening that will lead to a new, refreshed personal brand?  Try taking a step back from all your demands and just BE. Allow the spontaneity of the moment to lead you to your next enlightenment - your next version of who you are to become.

And then give people your best - the new you. 

With gratitude

Chief Inspiration Officer

eCreativebiz