I am really not sure what is funnier … when people say they want to be on the Today show tomorrow or they want to invest in a public relations campaign when they do not even have a website. You need to have your marketing ducks in a row before you begin any type of PR campaign. Here are a couple of items to check off your list.
1. Written Press Release. Yes, you need one of these and it needs to be in the proper format. I have people argue with me from time to time debating whether this is necessary and even though I am on a text message basis with many reporters, guess what, they still ask for this. All of the time. This not only needs to be in the proper format, but you need to make sure that you have a newsworthy angle (not new book out) and it has to be free of grammatical errors. You are pitching to journalists after all. Oh, and boo-boo’s mean zero pick up.
2. Have a stellar website. Here is how this goes down, media will read my release check you out and then give me a call. If you decided to do your own website or pay 1.99 for a piece of crap (for lack of a better word), you are going to miss out on many media opportunities. This is especially funny if you are trying to sell a 20K program from a landing page. Go professional or go home. The media will go away, I promise.
3. Have back up material. If you get a bite and the media wants extra info … have a media kit ready to go. This is pretty easy, and I will give you an example of one for a book. The front page is the book cover, then add an about the book page. Next, have a bio about the about the author section followed by a F.A.Q. page (where to buy the book, ISBN number, etc.). Last, have a sample chapter and ta-da you have a book media kit. Most media outlets want a copy of your book before they book you, however most do not read the whole thing or any of it. The media kit is a handy tool for you.
