It's true about any profession. The "old pros" somehow always
seem to get everything done much quicker and more effectively.
They've made their mistakes and are sensitive to the pulse rate
of the industry.
Most professions take years of experience or education to master,
getting free publicity doesn't. It's much more an issue of
finding out the little "insider secrets" that work, and learning
how to apply them to your publicity campaigns.
Above all others, there are 4 cardinal rules you can't afford to
ignore if you hope to be successful. Not following them is a sure
fire way to start depending entirely on luck instead of skill for
your progress.
These rules that should be spray painted across the wall in the
front office of every business are:
1. Be Organized.
It's fun and definitely rewarding, but becoming a publicist isn't
a game. You need to have a good idea where you're headed and how
you plan on getting there. Success doesn't come from a single
"flash in the pan" encounter with the press. You become
successful when you start developing a steady flow of income.
This only happens when you're
organized. Carefully plan your campaign before you get started.
Have your press release, bio sheet and Q&A ready to go before you
start any publicity campaign.
2. Be Different.
Remember you're in the news business. By definition, something
isn't news unless it's unique. Being different isn't that bad a
business strategy, either. If you offer the same product
everybody else does, packaged in exactly the same package, then
you really have very little other than price to negotiate. If you
can find ways to fill niches nobody else is, then you start
building loyalty, and developing seeds for a powerful news
stories.
3. Be Consistent.
The old adage about all news being good news is wrong. Just
because your name appeared on the front page of the paper doesn't
mean you've made it. Yes, it offers momentum, but you need to be
sure you're rolling in the right direction. Earning the
reputation of being self seeking and ruthless won't help much if
you then try to open a series of homeless shelters. Chart your
end goals and then move towards them, in a consistent, steady
pace.
4. Be Persistent. Don't give up. It's all a numbers game.
Actors and salesmen understand this. The fact that someone kicks
them out of an office doesn't mean they're failures or "bad
people". It just means that person had some other agenda's going.
You might send out press releases and get absolutely no response.
That's not a reason to give up.
Try tweaking it a bit. Change the headline. Make sure your format
is correct.
You can get plenty of free advice on the exact format to use at
my site, located at http://www.PressReleasesMadeEasy.com.
You might need to frame your story differently. Is it practical?
Would the average person stop in their tracks to take a second
look at your headline? Does the content of your story constitute
a news item or an ad for your product?
It's about hanging in there, not giving up, when others might.
Try averaging your failures. Instead of feeling you've failed 19
times for every victory you've logged in, try thinking of it as a
package. It takes 20 tries to get a victory. If a "victory" means
you make a $100 profit, then every one of those 20 calls makes
you $5, even if the answer is no.
Edison was once asked how he felt about failing more than 10,000
times while trying to find the correct filament to use in the
light bulb. He looked back curiously and answered that he hadn't
failed once. It was just a 10,000+ step process. Hang in there.
The only person in the world who can decide when you've failed it
you.
As long as you're still in the ring, the fight isn't over.
Being prepared before you launch your publicity campaign and
systematically sending out your press releases every week or two
will go a long way toward leaving a lasting impression about you
in the minds of reporters. That, in turn, will increase your
chances of getting call from reporters to do interviews and
promote your business.
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