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Build a powerful presence easily by knowing what the media want

My guest blogger today, Shannon Cherry, is one of the many wonderful people helping me celebrate Too Much On Her Plate Week, by generously offering you a gift to help you get rid of some of those things that are overwhelming you.

Let us know what you think!  For more information on Too Much On Her Plate Week – go here.

Creating a powerful presence on a budget can be a challenge. That’s why you should use publicity avenues to get media coverage for your business or cause.

Getting the media to cover you can be the boost your organization or cause needs. Here’s why: your target market is seven times more likely to read or watch a news story than an advertisement.

However, the more influential the media, the more difficult it is to get their attention. If you want to get past the media’s defenses, you have to understand what they need.

Journalists tend to cover certain types of stories more often than not. They are always interested in topics such as sex and relationships, saving money, education and violence, corruption, sexual harassment, health and fitness, Hollywood and celebrities, sports, money making or saving, and travel.

Here are some examples to help you take full advantage of every opportunity presented to publicize you, your business or your cause:

1. Human-interest stories. These are those stories that evoke emotion, whether it’s about a person or a project. One effective approach is to tell a rags-to-riches tale, a success story.

2. Tie soft news with a big current event. This is called ‘piggybacking’ in the news business and is a great way to take a recent national headline and tie it in with your business, product or service. For example, if you are a wellness coach, you can establish yourself as an expert concerning obesity in children. You can comment on recent statistics on overweight children and how to reduce it. You are taking a headline that has already captured the attention of the audience and is providing a helpful solution.

3. The result of a customer survey or research. The media is always interested in findings of a research or a survey. Be sure that the topics are suitable for your area of expertise and also to include controversial questions that will surely capture the media’s attention.

4. A top 10 list. The simplicity of a top 10 list is fun to read and sure to attract attention. Use your area of expertise to create lists that will attract your media of choice’s target audience. If you are a lawyer, you can target those going through foreclosure through the Home and Living sections of the newspaper with such lists as “The Top Ways to Fix Your Credit” or “10 Ways to Budget Effectively to Prevent Foreclosures”.

5. Prove a popular belief wrong. Take a general assumption and put a controversial perspective to it. If you are trying to gain publicity for a credit card company, you can grab attention with headlines such as “If you think your credit card company will protect you against identity theft, think again!” However, do not turn this into an advertisement. Simply talk about the statistics of identity theft and the helplessness that accompanies it. Later in the article, provide the edge that the credit card company you represent has over its competitors in protecting its customers against the slightest possibility of being victimized by identity fraud.

6. Cash in for being the first. If your business is the first to have a free insurance protection plan or a 150% satisfaction guarantee policy, take advantage ofit! The media will want to cover this story because the audience will be attracted to how they can benefit.

©2009. Shannon Cherry/Be Heard Solutions.

Shannon Cherry is known as The Power Publicist. She helps business owners, solo professionals and entrepreneurs create a powerful presence online and offline using publicity. For more information and to receive your free Be Heard! publicity power pack visit http://www.BeHeardSolutions.com