by Eileen Ystheim
Business owners like yourself know just what you need to do to market your business online successfully, and you’re already on top of the latest market trends:
When it comes to blogging, you’ve got it covered.
When it comes to doing social media, you’re busy turning new followers into raving fans.
When it comes to podcasting, you’ve become a voice your market listens to.
When it comes to marketing, business professionals like yourself know what it takes to make income and impact – for a while.
But then the magic suddenly stops. Traffic to your website (both paid and organic) seems to have reached its peak. Your mailing list is no longer growing, and your income has plateaued.
When this happens, it’s time to get some outside help to ignite your traffic and help you get the attention that you need. Yes, it may be time to hire a PR expert and get some attention from radio shows, newspapers, magazines, and TV – both locally and nationally.
Have swipe files on hand
If CNN wanted to get your take on what’s going on concerning a current event, would you be able to respond quickly with a written bio and photo?
If you can’t respond in 5 minutes or less, then you need to reboot your swipe files before you start any PR work. A successful PR campaign is one that has ready-made media files on hand that you can use in case a producer or journalist needs your bio or headshot quickly.
Until you have these types of files at hand, hiring PR professionals at this point would be a waste of their time.
Narrow your focus
Being a jack of all trades sounds nice, but experts specialize in one area. Success is achieved in business when you dig “an inch wide and a mile deep.” That means success in business is best achieved when you focus on one area of your industry. A specialized focus allows you to provide better services to your chosen market.
Therefore, you need to target a particular client and only go outside your selected audience on rare occasions. When you adopt the three suggestions listed above, then you’ll be ready to do media outreach successfully.
No outlet is unworthy
Get your feet wet and start with local media outlets first. You can get exposure through local newspapers, magazines, and news channels that need to interview or quote an expert in your field.
Take advantage of local and regional outlets because they will most likely not be able to get interviews with national figures. For example, let’s say you’re a wellness coach with a lot of expertise worth sharing.
A local morning show in your hometown won’t be able to get wellness coach, David Kirsch, but you’re available. An advantage of starting small allows you to get your brand out there and establish your credibility as an expert in your niche.
Also, smaller media outlets give you practice that will help you be prepared for the bigger outlets.
Ways to show off your expertise
You can be one of the best wellness consultants or freelance writers around, but how will others know this about you? Do you share tips on healthier eating or writing tips on your social media pages? Do you blog about special diets or different types of content?
I’m sure you do, but you’re going to need to do more than this to get recognized as an expert in your niche. You have to put yourself out there further if you want to attract the attention of larger media outlets.
In other words, you’re going to have to look like an expert. No, you don’t have to go around buying expensive headshots, but you do need to establish your brand. Professional brand traits will let the media know that you’re the one they’ve been looking for.
Update your brand
It’s going to take more than just creating a logo and choosing your brand color to establish your brand. Remember, your brand represents your voice. It speaks to the people who will become your customers, and it tells your target audiences what makes you different compared to your competitors.
Your branding sets the tone for how people remember you, and it lets your target audiences know that you’re the one that can meet their needs successfully. Remember to cover the following areas when updating your brand:
• Facebook profile, business page, and groups
• LinkedIn profile
• Pinterest boards
• Podcast artwork and messaging
• Training/coaching programs
• Website and blog
• YouTube channel
Invest in Your Content
Expert advice that’s poorly written and filled with grammatical errors will scream unprofessional in a heartbeat! If you want your content to look professional and you need help, you must hire a content writer or editor.
They will lend your content a professional feel, and others— including media outlets—will see you as the expert you are. When your goal is to gain more brand recognition, you must take an objective look at how your business is operating.
Is your message in sync with your brand? Are you looking like a professional on your website, blogs, and social media profiles? When you address these issues, the media will start looking for you instead of you trying to get their attention.
I’m Eileen Ystheim, a vision-aligned SEO copywriter. I have over 13 years of writing experience as a journalist and press officer for a non-profit.
Now I run my own copywriting business where I offer compelling web articles, guest posting + SEO content for purpose-driven brands on a mission.
My secret sauce is compelling brand storytelling that makes your customers the heroes of your story, toppled with an extra spice of organic SEO traffic.
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