"Proactive Publicity - It's Almost Heaven"

What do heaven and publicity have in common? More then you might guess. 1. Both are free, 2. Both give you a halo, and 3. Both have a lot of gold.

Let me explain more carefully so the comparison becomes clear.

In the same way you can't buy your way into heaven, publicity cannot be bought. Like faith, the golden key to heaven, newsworthiness is the key to publicity. People want stories of interest and valuable information. There are thousands of news people who are desperately in need of newsworthy items to fill up vast amounts of printed pages and airtime each day.

Saints are selfless, earning trust. Publicity has this halo effect too. Unlike paid advertising, which leaves people skeptical, your name mentioned in an editorial gives you instant credibility and an elevated status in other people's eyes. You receive an endorsement, even if your product is only mentioned.

A full-page ad in a major publication can cost $50,000 and up. If your story is worthy of being released to a wire service, it might be printed in hundreds of newspapers. And, because of the halo effect, the article is worth 10 times more than an ad. When you do the math - that's enough gold to pave a street with!

Getting publicity doesn't happen automatically, it requires initiative. The following 3 proactive tips will show you how to get publicity so you can enjoy its rich rewards.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Tip 1 - Make Your Business Newsworthy ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You cannot write a press release on just anything about your business and expect media interest; it has to be news. People love news, and editors are paid to give it to them. They will welcome you with open arms if you give them what they want.

Think of ways to relate your service or product to a current local or national story. If you can offer it a new twist, refute it, enhance it, or disprove it, you can be picked up as news. Changing seasons and holidays always make the news, so count on relating part of your business in a newsworthy way.

You can also do things that create news. P.T. Barnum, one of the greatest publicity masters of all times, created intriguing news events with contests and curiosities. His legacy lives on because of it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Tip 2 - Make It Easy For Reporters and Editors ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In general, reporters are overworked and underpaid. If you make it easy for them to get a good story they will love you for it and gladly put in a plug for your business. Reporters are people too and if you establish a relationship that is fun and interesting they are likely to tell you what their editors are most interested in, so you can plan ahead.

Radio interviews usually require a little bit of controversy, so if you have an aspect that causes ears to perk up and listeners to stay tuned in, you stand a better chance of receiving live interviews. Unlike TV, radio hosts will almost always allow you to give out your contact information and phone order number.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Tip 3 - Find Out What Works And Use It ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The secret to success in any field is to use what works. Dr. Paul Hartunian, a leading publicity expert, says that you must fit into one of three categories: be controversial, have a "pet rock," or solve a problem. He said that there is a fourth, but it is not recommended unless you know exactly what you're doing. It's called "being a nut."

There is a particular format that press releases must follow. They must also have the right information or they will be discarded without consideration. If you don't know what the format is, email me and I will send it to you, plus a recommended outline that has been successful for me. The SOLE purpose of a press release is to get an interview, so you don't want to give too much information either.

Submitting a complete article is also a form of publicity and this will earn you the right to have your name and contact information included so that people can contact you. Study the publication you want to submit to and fit your article to match their format. If they use short sentences, then you use short sentences.

Some business experts have mastered the art of getting publicity and can boast that they spend zero dollars on advertising. If your desire is to save money, then remember these three proactive tips; make your business newsworthy, make it easy for news people, and use what works. When you get the publicity you deserve, the rich rewards of business success will follow.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Randy (Dr. Proactive) Gilbert, is a motivational speaker and author of "SUCCESS BOUND" - http://www.Success-Bound.com He is also a success coach who helps people double and triple their effectiveness through the "Power of Proactive Thinking" http://www.DrProactive.com/proactive_thinking_secret/ Copyright 2002 Randy Gilbert. All rights reserved. Feel free to pass the above in its entirety to anyone you wish. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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