Remember those New Year’s Resolutions you made months ago about keeping in closer touch with the media?
If you’v forgotten them, get back into the saddle and jump-start your own publicity campaign, or your client’s.
–Vow to make one new media contact each month. That could mean asking areporter to lunch, or sending an article to a reporter who you want to get to know, so it will help her better cover her beat. Then follow up with a phone call.
–Start keeping a database of media contacts that includes personal information, such as the names of the reporter’s spouse and children, the reporter’s hobbies, likes and dislikes, etc. The very best sales people do this. You should, too.
–Contact every media person who covered you this year and pitch another story idea. It will be easier to catch their attention the second time around because they already know who you are. In some cases, you might want to pitch a “follow up” story to the original one. Use the phrase “follow up.” It’s media lingo and it will immediately catch their attention.
–If you work in PR, promise to never write a boring news release just because the boss or your client thinks it’s a good idea. Either find a better news angle, or a creative way to pitch the story. Your reputation with the media is at stake.
–Do a thorough review of your website, or your client’s website. Remove outdated information and update links to other sites. Post new articles. Get rid of anything that flashes, moves, darts from one side of the screen to the other, and audio that turns on automatically without prompting from the visitor.
–Update your professional business photo and the photos of others in your company. Make the photos available at your web site, and be sure they are scanned at at least 300 dots per inch and are available in JPEG and TIFF formats.
All those resolutions are made–and kept–by the very best Publicity Hounds. Learn what else they do in my 306-page ebook “How to be a Kick-Butt Publicity Hound.” You can download it and be reading it in a few minutes.