Andrew O’Brien, a modern man breaking PR boundaries, shares what works in reaching influential media and growing exposure.
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In this digital age, effective ways to do business are changing daily. You simply can’t apply old techniques to grow your media reach and expect to make an impact.
It’s important to reach out to each media outlet INDIVIDUALLY in your niche. Make sure not to send a bulk copy and paste email, which will just aggravate your contact instead of enticing them to have you on their show/write for their site.
In each individual outlet you are going to want to reference a show that you listened to/watched/or an article that you read. When you take this approach, your media prospect knows that you have actually listened to their show and that you’re not just some random entrepreneur looking for more exposure without fully understanding what their show is about. They want to feel as though what they are producing is valuable to you.
And no matter how many times business best practices change, one thing will remain the same…increasing the bottom line.
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Along with this, you are also going to want to mention a free gift that you would love to offer their audience (whatever you decide that to be). Explain to your contact how the offer works. Doing this will also motivate or persuade them to have you on their show/write for their site, etc. If their audience gets something free out of it, this is good for their business. And no matter how many times business best practices change, one thing will remain the same…increasing the bottom line.
Action Step
You can start by using this email as a template when reaching out to your media outlets. Just replace the areas needed.
Hey [Show Host First Name],
I actually just finished [listening/reading/watching] your [blog/podcast/YouTube channel]. My favorite [episode/article/show] is the one you titled [insert title here]. My favorite part is when [insert a favorite part of the article/podcast/show… Explain in detail whats someone said or did and why or how it affected you].
So, the reason I’m reaching out [other than to praise your good work] is because I feel what I do matches your message perfectly. I realized that while [watching/reading/listening] to your [blog/podcast/YouTube], and I was hoping we could discuss the possibility of me coming onto your show as a guest.
What I do is help [type of person] do [type of action] by providing [type of service, e.g. coaching consulting courses etc.] I am very passionate about my work because [ONE sentence from your “Why” that’s most powerful].
Just so you know, if you have me on your show I would also love to offer your audience a free gift. I’ll even take it a step further and offer them an ADDITIONAL free gift if they take action right after [watching your show/listening to your podcast/reading your blog].
I would love to talk more about it with you. Here’s my website info detailing who I am, what I do and why I do it:
[Insert Website]
Hope to hear back from you soon.
[Your Name]
**NOTE: Do not tell them what your gift(s) are during the first email. It’s an additional way to get them to follow up with you and draw the show host in. The biggest purpose of this step is to start the conversation. If you get invited to the show that’s great, but the first step is getting them involved so they respond to you.
You stand out from the crowd when you take the time to do your research.
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Why do we do things this way? Because you are customizing your approach to every single person you attempt to reach and because in this digital age, people are well aware of how vast social (or any) media is and they know that sending an invite to like their page, or an email to a mass group doesn’t take effort and may have nothing to do with them! You stand out from the crowd when you take the time to do your research. You make yourself and your business memorable when you go the extra mile.
That said, make sure to personalize the above template. It’s just a start. You don’t want to sound wooden in your communication. Add your own individual style (just keep it professional).
Yes, this manner of increasing your media exposure takes a little more time, but the results are much more favorable and your base will grow at a faster pace than if you deliver a message that is not personal or relevant to your contact.
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Original article appeared at Patefactus. Reprinted with permission.
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Photo credit: Getty Images