Find this blog at its new home

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Thanks!

Authors and public speaking: 5 reasons to be an author who speaks

When my humor book, WHY CAN’T A MAN BE MORE LIKE A WOMAN?, was released, I learned about the power of a book when people with budgets are looking for speakers. I heard from Fortune 500 corporations that included Corning, Kraft, and Xerox, and from organizations that needed a light-hearted, upbeat keynote speaker. I was happy to oblige and accept flattering fees for my presentations around the country at sales meetings, networking sessions, and women’s events.

So . . . when Publicity for Nonprofits: Generating Media Exposure That Leads to Awareness, Growth, and Contributions was published, my book marketing plan included securing paid speaking engagements that would allow me to:

• Provide nonprofits with information they could use immediately to generate publicity
• Sell books
• Leverage the book to earn more through speaking fees

In addition to meeting all three goals, I was paid as much to speak about the book’s topic as I was to write the book! Clearly, the time it took to pursue paid speaking opportunities was well worth it for me.

Is it worth it for you? Here are five reasons to consider becoming an author who speaks:  

1. You can share your message with more people. You have something to say, right? That’s why you wrote the book. Speaking lets you present your core messages in person.
2. It can lead to more paying work. Many consultants speak to generate leads. If you’ve got a book and you consult on your book’s topic, public speaking can not only generate more speaking invitations, it can also fill your inbox with requests for information about your professional services.
3. It supports your expert positioning. Whether you acknowledge it or not, you’re considered an expert on your book’s topic. This applies to all types of authors – from nonfiction writers to novelists to memoirists. When you add “speaker” to your list of credentials, you further underscore that expert status.
4. Your admirers want to hear from you. Whether they deserve it or not, authors are admired by non-authors. For reasons that are hard to understand, many think authors are “cool.” People like to hear what cool people have to say. 
5. You can earn more money from your book. Sure, you can – and should – accept unpaid speaking gigs offered by local groups or association conferences. But why limit yourself to unpaid opportunities? Why not take that experience to organizations that have money to pay speakers?

I realize that many authors are introverts who find the whole concept of speaking in public too stressful to even consider. But I know from the messages I receive in my e-mail inbox, from the questions my Book Publicity 101 students ask, and from the inquiries I read on writers’ forums that many, many authors are pursuing this option. They ask:

• “How do I respond when a meeting planner asks, ‘How much do you charge?’ ”
• “How do speakers’ bureaus work?”
• “What topics are in greatest demand?”
• “How do I find paying opportunities?”

I’ll be asking these and other questions when I interview speaking industry expert Mary McKay during a Build Book Buzz teleseminar on March 29, 2011. During From Author to Speaker: How to Get Paid to Speak, we’ll tap into Mary’s three decades of experience booking more than 2,200 paid speaking engagements to learn how to find and secure these opportunities. To learn more, please visit http://bit.ly/dQVzJS.
 
If you speak about your book's topic, tell us why.

Is your blog quotable?

Journalists are quoting from blogs more often. Is yours quote ready?

My local newspaper recently quoted from a college president's blog when it needed information for an article. If my newspaper is doing it, yours probably is, too.

As somebody who interviews others and is interviewed herself, this is a bit alarming. First, bloggers in general are more casual about their writing than journalists are, which means their "facts" might not actually be "facts." There's more heresay, less fact checking for accuracy. If journalists are using them for information, are they also using some kind of vetting process to make sure the source is reliable and responsible? Second, I'm thoughtful about what I say to the media when I'm interviewed. If a "quote" is pulled from my blog, I'm deprived of the opportunity to make sure what I say is appropriate for the situation or the audience.

I realize my opinion doesn't matter so to make up for that, here are suggestions for anyone who might or wants to be quoted from their blog:

• Get it right. Think of the harm you could cause if your facts weren't really facts.
• Choose your words carefully. Take any chunk of your content -- especially a rant or something inflammatory -- and picture your mother reading that in her newspaper or hearing it read by a broadcaster. How does it sound now? Is that what you really want to say -- or the tone you want to use?
• Monitor your emotions. If you don't want to be quoted, don't get all emotional on us. If you do want to be quoted, tell us how you really feel.
• Pick your topics carefully. To get quoted, blog on big news current events and do so with a unique perspective. If there's a possibility you'll be quoted whether you want to be or not, stick with the topics you know well to minimize the chance that your shared commentary will be attacked by those who might know more.
• Add appropriate "about me" information to the blog. You want to be identified appropriately.

This trend will only grow as media outlets continue to cut budgets and ask staffers or freelancers to do more with (or for) less. Quoting from existing material -- whether it's a blog, a book, or an interview elsewhere -- takes less time than securing a personal interview.

Has content from your blog been lifted and quoted by the media? How did you feel about it?

Top elements to include in your online news room

TEKgroup International, Inc., an organization that helps companies create online news rooms, offers a list of the top 20 elements to include. A large corporation should consider including all of them; a small business can get away with incorporating about half of them. Here's TEKgroup's list followed by my recommendations for smaller operations in order of importance.

TEKgroup's top 20 elements in their order of importance:

1. Searchable archives
2. PR contacts
3. News releases
4. Background information
5. Product info/press kits
6. Photographs
7. Help/FAQ
8. Crisis communications
9. Events calendar
10. Executive biographies
11. Media credentials registration
12. Financial information
13. Info/interview request form
14. News coverage
15. Video
16. Social media page
17. RSS feeds
18. Audio
19. Blog
20. Twitter feed

Here are mine for smaller organizations, including nonprofits, in order of importance, based on the information I look for when looking for article and interview sources: 

1. PR contacts
2. News releases
3. Background information
4. Product info/press kits
5. Photographs
6. Searchable archives
7. Executive biographies
8. Social media links (not page)
9. Blog
10. News coverage

Why did I select "PR contacts" as the top item? Because more often than not, I'm at a company's online  news room because I need to schedule an interview and I'm looking for somebody to help make that happen. And yet, surprisingly enough, this information can be hard to find (and some companies make it impossible to find by not offering it at all). If it takes too long to find a media contact, I'll move on to your competitor.

 

TEKgroup also recently released results of its survey on how journalists are using digital media, online newsrooms, and social media to write, researchn and report on news stories. Not surprisingly, the 1,500 journalists surveyed want access to helpful information at a company's website. Download the report here.  

Be your own book publicist

When it comes to book promotion, most authors are either paralyzed because they don't know what to do or where to begin, or they're throwing money at the latest tactic because they've heard that's what everyone else is doing. I understand both, but neither is good.

The chronic, widespread paralysis is caused either by a lack of information or information overload -- either you're clueless about what you should be doing, or you've read so much about book promotion that you can't sort out what does and doesn't apply to you. The "tactic of the month" approach comes from a lack of information about the best strategy to use -- and every book deserves its own strategy.

Here are a few questions to ask yourself when starting the book publicity and promotion process:

• Who did I write the book for?
• Where do I need to be to reach them? What do they read, watch, or listen to? Are they online, offline, or both? 
• What's the best strategy for reaching them? Should I leverage my networks, tap into the research I did for the book, or focus on a specific tactic?
• How much time do I have for book promotion?
• What are the most cost-effective tactics, and will they help me get my book title in front of my target audience?
• What promotional activities do I enjoy the most, and are they the types of things that will help me reach the right people for this book?
• Is there anything I should outsource to someone who's better suited for the task?
• What are the one or two things I have time for that will have an impact?

If you want to sell copies of your book, you have to promote it yourself -- there's just no way around it. And you've got to answer these questions if you're going to make progress. Learn what will make a difference with your book -- not anyone else's -- when you register for "Book Publicity 101: How to Build Book Buzz," the popular e-course running from January 31-February 25, 2011. You'll learn more about what works and what doesn't, the best options for your title, and, best of all, how to do it! We've got a few more openings for the course, so join us and enjoy the benefits of personal coaching in a group forum environment. 

The press release isn't dead yet

I'm sure that Heather Whaling's Ragan.com column, "10 alternatives to sending a press release," caused many people to breathe a sigh of relief. For whatever reason, non-publicists are often intimidated by press releases. I sometimes get the impression in my workshops that people would rather give a speech than write a press release. For those who don't like them, you'll find a couple of different options on Heather's list that are a good fit for your communication style and ability, so give it a read.

I'd like to take her column a step further and offer reasons why you still want to use press releases, though. There's a lot of chatter about whether these tools are still effective now that we've got Twitter, Facebook pages, websites, and so many other ways to get our information in front of our target audiences. They are. And here are five reasons why:

1. A well-written press release will still get used. This is especially true when you're sending it to weekly newspapers, smaller dailies, trade magazines, e-zines, and other outlets that are looking for the information you're offering because it's relevant or important to their readers, viewers, etc. And by "well-written," I don't mean award-winning. Just get to the point quickly and include the facts. (If you're an author writing a book announcement press release, read my tips on how to do that. If you want a fill-in-the-blanks template, you might like this resource.)
2. A distributed press release is an aggressive alternative to the more passive options on Heather's list. Oh yeah, sure, you can put a YouTube video up there or write a blog posting about whatever you've got going on, but people -- including journalists -- have to come looking for it. When you send a press release, you're shouting, "Hey! Look at me!" (And oh-by-the-way, make sure that any press release service you use actually sends the thing out. Some of the free sites don't -- your release only sits on their site waiting to be found.)
3. When your press release gets picked up, you're reaching people who aren't on your e-newsletter list or missed out on your blog tour interviews, etc. You're expanding your audience and building your business.
4. A press release posted in your website's press room is a two-fer: (1) It helps search engines find your site and all your organization has to offer while (b) it provides journalists searching for information about your topic with helpful or relevant content presented in a format that works for them.
5. When you become known as someone who provides good information in press releases, you get added to journalists' contact databases. They'll start calling you for interviews without you reaching out to them because they trust and respect you. And that's when your publicity program shifts to automatic pilot.

Why do you think press releases are still effective?

Doing good? Tell somebody about it

Waste Management’s High Acres Landfill in Perinton, N.Y. seems to be an ongoing source of community controversy. Most recently, the landfill’s expansion proposal was opposed by residents concerned about air quality and other issues. I haven't seen or heard much positive publicity for this site in the local news -- outside of its cameo appearance in an early episode of "Undercover Boss" on CBS -- until recently. An article in our weekly community newspaper announcing that High Acres received national recognition for its "green" community relations activities seemed like a nice change -- but it also made me wonder why I didn't know more about what the company does right.

I learned through the article that High Acres was recently honored as the Wildlife Habitat Council's Corporate Lands for Learning Rookie of the Year. The award recognizes the company’s work to be a good neighbor by creating a more than 400-acre wildlife habitat for community-based activities. These include Eagle Scout projects, bio-diversity and college field studies, migratory bird reviews, habitat enhancements, removing invasive species, public trails, and presentations to local groups.

There’s no doubt that High Acres management is trying to counter negative perceptions of the landfill and its environmental impact by transforming some of its acreage into an impressive community resource. But I live in Perinton, I'm an outdoorsy-walking/biking/hiking-kind-of-gal, and I'm a media consumer, so how is it that I'm not more aware of High Acres' contributions to my community? I suspect it's possible that the company's communications resources are focused on responding to criticism and complaints about the proposed expansion or other negative issues and don't have enough time for positive community outreach. Or maybe they're doing it and I'm not in the target demographic. (But as a taxpayer, how can I not be?)
 
It's not enough to be a good corporate citizen -- people have to know about it, too. National recognition for facilities like the High Acres Nature Area is validating, but that doesn't help much if the local community is unaware. Companies of all sizes need to find a way to spread the word about what they're doing right so it helps diminish the impact of perceived wrongs. And if you can't share news of positive activities or accomplishments through the media (because, well, they like controversy more than they like stories about class field trips to a corporate-owned wildlife habitat adjacent to a landfill), then go straight to the people:

• Invite local groups on guided tours.
• Develop environmental educational programs for schools.
• Staff a booth at local festivals and engage passerbys not with brochures but with wildlife or other tangibles that will entice them to visit or learn more about the habitat.
• Present a wildlife slide show at the library.
• Teach a class at the recreation center.
• Host technology recycling events.
• Lead guided birding tours.
• Identify the community's key influencers and invite them to volunteer or serve on advisory committees.

It's possible that High Acres does all this and more and yet isn't on my radar screen. Regardless, High Acres obviously understands that when a business has any potential for controversy, it's important to counter that by giving back to the community, as it does. But you have to also tell the community what you're doing, too. The old Nike slogan -- "Just do it" -- isn't enough. 

How to plan and execute a virtual book tour

My guest column today over at the Savvy Book Marketer blog addresses how to plan and execute a virtual book tour. I've provided step-by-step information along with a fill-in-the-blanks "pitch" form you can use and a sample pitch.

The information on how to plan a blog tour isn't limited to authors, though. It's relevant to anyone promoting a product, service, mission, cause, or organization. Check out the blog post and tell us there, or here, what you think and how we might be able to help you even more.

How to sell more books on Amazon

Book marketing coach Dana Lynn Smith has just introduced another helpful short book in her "The Savvy Book Marketer" series of how-to guides. How to Sell More Books on Amazon*, a 38-page resource available in PDF or Kindle formats, answers a lot of the common questions I receive from authors on this topic, from how to secure "five-star" reviews to the best ways to increase your book's visibility in Amazon's search results page.

Dana explains that the best way to sell more books on this popular (but mystifying) retail site is to make it as easy as possible for people to purchase. Tell them what they need to know before buying, show them what they'll get, and deliver it in the format they want it in. What I like the most about this and the other books in the series, though, is that she takes you through the process step-by-step so there's no question about what you need to do. I can't underestimate the importance of this. Her instructions are clear and specific, and she includes screen shots to help you find what you're looking for on the page in front of you on your computer. This book tells me what I need to know, then holds my hand through the process.

Whether you're working with a traditional publisher or self-publishing, you'll benefit from this quick read. How to Sell More Books on Amazon helps authors discover how to:

• Increase the sales appeal of your book page on Amazon.
• Help shoppers find your book amid the millions of competing books.
• Give customers a real bookstore experience by letting them sample your book's content.
• Use reviews to draw customers to your book and persuade them to buy.
• Profit by selling your content in alternative formats.
• Enhance your personal profile and author page.
• Boost your profits with Amazon's affiliate program.

Take the mystery out of getting the most from your Amazon sales page. Get more information here.

What are your tips for selling more books on Amazon.com?

*Affiliate link

Marcia Yudkin talks about Publicity Tactics

I liked marketer Marcia Yudkin's new book, Publicity Tactics: Insights on Creating Lucrative Media Buzz, so much that I provided a back cover blurb and asked her to do a Q&A here. The book distills Marcia's wisdom and years of publicity experience into short chunks of information that are easy to understand, read, and act upon. I think what I like most about it is that Marcia really gets you thinking about how to apply specific publicity tactics to your own business -- whether you're a solo, a small nonprofit, an author, or a small business.

Here's our Q&A. I hope you find it helpful. Feel free to ask questions -- I'm sure Marcia would be happy to answer them.

For those who don't know her, Marcia Yudkin is the author of 6 Steps to Free Publicity, now in its third edition, and 13 other books. She has a knack for engineering public attention for clever ideas. Her publicity clients run the gamut from a urologist selling guaranteed vasectomy reversals to entrepreneurs releasing ingenious new mobile phone apps.

Your new book, Publicity Tactics, helps small businesses, nonprofits, authors, sole practitioners, and others discover the things they can be doing to generate priceless publicity for their endeavors. What's the best starting point for all of them - where should they begin when they start thinking about how to secure publicity?

Start with the word “who” – whose attention are you trying to attract? If you have a local business, the answer might be “people within a 10 mile radius of my bakery.” If you’ve written a romance novel, it would be “people who love reading romance novels.” If you’re an architect, you’d answer “people within 100 miles who want a new or renovated house.” Rarely is the correct answer “everyone.” Once you’re clear on the target market for your publicity, you can identify the media that reach that group. And then you’re on to thinking up a publicity angle.

From your experience, what's the hardest thing for people to do when they're trying to generate publicity? By this I mean, what do they struggle with the most? Why?

Coming up with the publicity angle tends to be hardest for people. They tend to feel, “Who, me? Us? Who would ever pay attention to us?” The truth is that people featured in the media are not necessarily extraordinary. It’s more like this: When light is shined on them in a certain way, they appear interesting. If you know how to step into the light in the proper way, you’ll come off as interesting also. There are so many kinds of light possible to step into, you’re bound to find several of them feasible. That’s actually a major emphasis of my book.

What advice would you offer small businesses and others about identifying what's newsworthy in their businesses?

Think small. Rather than try to imagine what the media would find interesting about your business as a whole, look for little things you are doing or that you know that are new and different or unusual and useful.

For example, I live out in the country, and yesterday I got my hair cut at a new salon in the next town that is struggling to build its clientele to the point that it doesn’t even have a business phone listing yet. We were talking about a problem I’ve been having with my hair that the salon owner said may be attributable to minerals in our well water, and she said she knew a product that specifically counteracted the well water. That was news to me, and I’m certain it would be news to lots of people in my area who get their water from wells. All she has to do is email a local reporter that she can provide information for a story on the effect of well water on hair, and I’m pretty sure that would prompt a story.

If you wrote down the content of every conversation you had with customers in the course of a day, I guarantee there would be at least three or four topics amongst them that have the makings of newsworthy media angles.

What are people not doing to get publicity that they should be doing?

The main thing they’re not doing is simply not trying. Every few years I do a round of my colleagues asking them for new press releases and publicity success stories, and I’m always amazed that even those who have experienced the power of publicity in the past just let things ride for years before trying again. Publicity can cost little or nothing, and the payoff can boost your credibility and visibility for years.

What are some common mistakes organizations or individuals make when it comes to publicity?

One common mistake is turning away publicity by not leaping to take advantage of opportunities. Recently I wanted to feature an artist who’d won a certain kind of grant in my Marketing Minute newsletter, which goes to nearly 12,000 people every week. When I wrote to the email address on his web site, I received a canned reply saying that he was way too busy to reply to every email personally. I wrote again and was simply ignored. Talk to any journalist or broadcast producer and you’ll hear the same experience – a shocking number of people simply don’t understand and take advantage of their good fortune when a chance to get publicity shows up on their doorstep.

Another common mistake is trying to bully the media person into doing things your way. That rarely works and only alienates someone who may move around from one media job to another and never give you another chance.

For example, I’ve seen advice on the Internet that when someone asks you for an interview, you should agree to it only on the condition that the media outlet gives out your contact information during the interview. That’s terrible advice. You shouldn’t set conditions when a media opportunity comes your way. Instead, you can provide an incentive for them to give out your contact information, such as by offering a free report or video especially for the audience of that interview. This works most of the time.

What do you think is the easiest publicity tactic in your book to execute, and why?

If you’re opinionated and like to write, you should write letters to the editor of publications read by your target market. Each one, just two or three paragraphs, takes you half an hour or so to write when you’re fired up about something you’ve read. When I had a letter to the editor published in Inc. magazine, I got one new client immediately and nice notes from several clients who’d seen it.

Interestingly, when I published a column in my newsletter with tips on writing letters to the editor, I received a couple of replies asking me how that counted or worked as publicity. You see, whatever puts you positively into the public eye boosts your credibility and visibility and often brings opportunities that you might never have thought up on your own.

For example, there was once a little piece in the Boston Globe about a book I’d just published. It may or may not have influenced people to buy the book, but more interestingly, it prompted a talent scout from a TV production company south of Boston to contact me about a corporate video opportunity that a few years later turned into a chance to create a demo program for a public TV show.

What's the most important tool in the publicist's toolbox?

Creativity. Think up an angle no one has used before, and it can get people stampeding to give you publicity. Sometimes it’s just a matter of new words. For example, in the days when people thought of car rental companies as having only new cars for customers, a business owner changed his outfit’s name from Bundy Very Used Cars to Rent-a-Wreck, and within days CBS News was there doing a feature on the company.

How can businesses use social media to get publicity?

Whether it’s blogs, online videos, Twitter or Facebook, social media are a form of publicity in and of themselves, taking you directly to the public without the intervention of the media.

Be mindful of the persona you use in social media – if you engage in name-calling, sarcasm, vindictiveness or any kind of outright dishonesty, this can work to your detriment. I once landed on a blog where a consultant was not only bitingly critical of companies he did not agree with but also nasty to people commenting on his blog who had a different point of view. How in the world was that supposed to help him get clients?

One way to use social media to get traditional publicity is to follow reporters, newscasters or talk show hosts whom you like on Twitter, Facebook or their blogs and to post interesting replies there. This can get you into a follow-up story or into a personal exchange with the media person that leads to a seemingly unrelated publicity opportunity.

Would you like to add anything else?

Just thanks, Sandy, for the chance to talk to your readers! May you each have your 17 ½ minutes (or more) in the spotlight.

Have you got a question for Marcia? Please use "comment" to share it.

Study reveals how journalists gather information

A new study from TEKgroup International and Bulldog Reporter reveals trends in how journalists use the Internet and other resources to research, follow and report news and feature material. (TEKgroup creates online newsrooms for companies, but doesn't offer a news release about the survey results in its own newsroom. How ironic.)

It's important reading for anyone who works with the media to generate publicity. Here are a few highlights (which I could have copied and pasted from a press release if one existed ...):

• Nearly half of all journalists report visiting a corporate website or online newsroom at least once a week and more than 84% report visiting a corporate website or online newsroom at least once a month. Yet more than half of journalists agree that when they visit organizations’ websites, it’s often difficult to find media contact information or press materials that address their interests.
• Nearly 3/4 report they read blogs to keep up with the subject they cover.
• The number of journalists using social media sites to do their job has risen dramatically. (Unfortunately, it doesn't tell us how they use them.)
• 79% prefer to receive news and information via e-mail.

Read or download a copy of the survey after completing a form at this link.

How can "content" help you promote your business?

"Content marketing" (also known as "information marketing") involves using editorial material -- articles, podcasts, videos, white papers, newsletters, etc. -- to deliver high-quality, relevant, and valuable information to your target audience. It's a common marketing practice. According to Junta42's 2010 Content Marketing Spending Report, 59% of marketers planned to spend more on this strategy in 2010. Junta42 also reports that the average business marketer spends 33 percent of its marketing budget on creating content and getting it out there to customers and prospects.

Why are they spending money on making useful, helpful information available online and elsewhere for free? Here are a few reasons:

1. It helps position them as the experts in their fields.
2. Prospects discover that the information source is the best resource for the product or service they're researching (and customers are reminded of this).
3. It generates Web site traffic because of the impact information has on search engine rankings -- and Web site traffic can lead to sales.
4. It helps educate.
5. The online exposure generates publicity when journalists discover that an individual or business shows up consistently in search engine queries

The U.S. Postal Service's free marketing magazine, Deliver, is a great example of how a large organization embraces and implements content marketing (disclaimer: I'm a regular contributor to the magazine and its companion Web site). Deliver educates marketers about the various USPS products and how to use them wisely while providing best practices, case studies, and ideas about how to create successful direct mail campaigns. Wells Fargo does the same thing for small businesses (I've contributed to their content marketing as a writer, too), providing free how-to information designed to encourage trust.

Content marketing is simple and easy. All you do is share what you know. It's a smart strategy that can be easily impletmented by organizations of all sizes. In fact, it's easier for entrepreneurs and others in smaller organizations to do this because there's less of a distance between the person with the information that has to be shared and the person who turns it into shareable content. (In many cases, they're the same!) And with fewer layers and less bureaucracy, it takes less time to approve and share the content, whether it's an article, video, audio interview, booklet, or special report.

Here are a few examples of how I use content marketing for my small business:

• Free e-newsletter loaded with tips and advice, and a free special report for those who subscribe: http://www.buildbookbuzz.com/
• How-to articles on my Web sites: http://www.buildbookbuzz.com/articles/book-news-release.htm, http://www.sandrabeckwith.com/articles/index.htm, http://www.nonprofitpublicity.com/articles/index.htm
• Articles on sites that feed content to newsletters and blogs: http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=2757490 and http://www.articlealley.com/article_197176_64.html

There's a lot more I need to know about this topic . . . and when I need to learn something, I find someone to teach me. In this case, you get to learn, too! On November 15, I'm hosting a teleseminar with content marketing expert Stephanie Chandler. She's going to be talking about how this topic relates to book marketing, but her information and concepts can be applied to any type of organization, product, or service. (Learn more here.) I'm looking forward to asking her the questions that will get you the information you need to begin using content marketing. Look online for more information, too -- the companies that provide content marketing services are, of course, good about providing free information about this strategy!

How do you use content or information marketing in your business?

Chilean miners get media training...should you?

I love that the Chilean miners received media training while still in the mine. We should all be this prepared before we face the press, right? Anyone who hopes to be interviewed by the media -- whether it's because of a crisis or a whizbang new product launch or the next best-seller -- should get some practice in front of a microphone before heading into the media glare.

How much training you get and who provides it depends on your budget and location. Business people, authors, and nonprofit leaders in major metropolitan areas can work with a local consultant who specializes in preparing people for media interviews. Google "media training" and your city for a list of consultants.

Those in smaller markets usually don't have access to these specialists, but can still do well working with a local public relations (not advertising) firm. Make sure you ask who and how many they've trained before and check references. Also consider hiring a local TV newscaster to moonlight for you. Veteran broadcasters know what questions you'll get asked, how they'll be asked, and what a good answer sounds like. Like consultants, local broadcasters can coach you in how to react and respond, how to speak in sound bites that will make sure your interview gets used, and what to avoid saying.

The miners were smart enough to get help. Learn from their experiences and line up your trainer now.

Have you received professional media training? How did it help you?

5 common Facebook faux pas

Do you make any of these social networking mistakes? We're all guilty of Facebook faux pas from time to time. It's only when we repeat them continually that we run the risk of being unfriended. Here are some of the mistakes I see regularly and why they're a problem:

• Being ridiculously self-promotional. Several colleagues at a recent meeting said this was their biggest Facebook pet peeve.  I can relate. A few weeks ago, I received a Facebook invitation from someone who included a promotional message with her friend request. I thought that was odd, but gave her the benefit of the doubt and accepted the request. This was followed by a similar advertising message from her on my wall: "I'm glad we're friends. I think you'll be interested in my product X and my service Y." It's not the best way to start a relationship -- in social networks or in face-to-face networks. 
• Writing "happy birthday!" to someone on your own wall. OK, this is funny when my Mom does it, but when the rest of us do it, it's kind of silly. Here's how to avoid this: Go to your home page. Under "Events" in the upper right, you'll see the names of any Facebook friends with birthdays today. Click on the name; that will take you to the birthday girl's page. Write your message on her wall.
• Saying something mean on a wall that you wouldn't say to someone's face. AWKward. This gives us too much insight into your true character. Ick.
• Writing private messages on your friend's Facebook wall. These messages make the rest of us uncomfortable. It's like we're eavesdropping. Use the Facebook e-mail system instead. Here's how: Go to your friend's profile page. Under his picture, you'll see "Send (name) a message." Click on that and you'll get an e-mail window.
• Sending "you should 'like' this page" messages to all of your friends rather than sending it only to people who might actually be interested in the business or product. If you're in Michigan and the page you "like" is for a local business, don't send the "I like this page and I think you will too" message to your friends in other parts of the country. Keep it local. (This applies even if you're paid to do this for clients.) Most people don't mind occasional irrelevant messages, but when you do it a lot, you're going to lose friends. (And maybe that's not a bad thing.)

I like how Facebook lets us be our own forum moderators. Let's help these people out by taking advantage of our ability to be in control of our own content. When someone writes something on your wall that's better suited to a private conversation, delete it. (Move your mouse to the end of the first sentence. The word "REMOVE" appears. Click it.). Then respond to the question or comment through your Facebook e-mail inbox -- it's a quiet way to suggest the right way to handle sensitive or private topics. Similarly, when someone writes something on your wall that makes you uncomfortable, delete it, because if it bothers you, it will bother someone else, too.

What's the most common Facebook faux pas you've seen? Tell us!

Author explains how to create sound bites that resonate

resonate: Present Visual Stories that Transform AudiencesThe following information is excerpted from a press release I received today. The tips for creating memorable sound bites apply to media interviews, presentations, and written communications materials. This is a topic we've covered here before (see this posting on how to create compelling sound bites) because it's important. Talking to the press is a waste of your time -- and theirs -- if what you say doesn't get used. Here are Nancy Duarte's tips for making sure you offer memorable sound bites:

At a time when people are tweeting, blogging, e-mailing, and more 24/7, the best way to genuinely connect and create change, says author and CEO Nancy Duarte, is via truly human, in-person presentations. She stresses that everyone in every company should know how to present and communicate that company's messages with clarity and passion.

"Great presentations are like magic," says Duarte, CEO of Duarte Design, author of the new book Resonate: Present Visual Stories That Transform Audiences.

 

"It takes a lot of work to breathe life into an idea. Spending energy to understand the audience and carefully crafting a message that resonates with them means committing time and discipline to the process. Think about it this way: You likely spend countless hours collaborating and innovating to put forth really good ideas. You should spend just as much energy ensuring they are delivered in a way that is impactful. The payoff is that learning how to present in a captivating way—be it at a formal event or to a client across the conference room table—can be your competitive edge in a business environment where too many companies are confusing communication with noise."

Just as Duarte's first book, Slide:ology, helped presenters become visual communicators, Resonate helps presenters make a strong connection with their audiences and lead them to purposeful action. The book is simultaneously an explanation, a how-to guide, and a business justification for story-based messaging. It will take you on a journey to a level of presentation literacy that very few have mastered.

So how can you make sure you present information in a way that truly resonates?

"If people can easily recall, repeat, and transfer your message, you did a great job conveying it," says Duarte. "To achieve this, you should have a handful of succinct, clear, and repeatable sound bites planted in your presentation that people can effortlessly remember. A thoroughly considered sound bite can create a 'Something They'll Always Remember (S.T.A.R.)' moment—not only for the people present in the audience but also for the ones who will encounter your presentation through broadcast or social media channels."

To help you get started creating presentations that really stick with your audiences, here are a few tips on how you can incorporate repeatable sound bites: 

• Create crisp messages. Picture each person you speak to as a little radio tower empowered to repeat your key concepts over and over. "Some of the most innocent-looking people have fifty thousand followers in their social networks," says Duarte. "When one sound bite is sent to their followers, it can get re-sent hundreds of thousands of times."
• Craft a rally cry. Your rally cry will be a small, repeatable phrase that can become the slogan and rallying cry of the masses trying to promote your idea. President Obama's campaign slogan, "Yes We Can," originated from a speech during the primary elections.
• Coordinate key phrases with the same language in your press materials. For presentations where the press is present, be sure to repeat critical messages verbatim from your press materials. "Doing so ensures that the press will pick up the right sound bites," explains Duarte. "The same is true for any camera crews who might be filming your presentation. Make sure you have at least a fifteen- to thirty-second message that is so salient it will be obvious to reporters that it should be featured in the broadcasts."
• Use catchy words. Take time to carefully craft a few messages with catchy words. "For example, Neil Armstrong used the six hours and forty minutes between his moon landing and first step to craft his historic statement," says Duarte. "Phrases that have historical significance or become headlines don't just magically appear in the moment. They are mindfully planned."
• Make them remember. Once you've crafted the message, there are three ways to ensure the audience remembers it: First, repeating the phrase more than once. Second, punctuating it with a pause that gives the audience time to write down exactly what you said. And finally, projecting the words on a slide so they receive the message visually as well as aurally.
• Imitate a famous phrase. "Everyone knows the Golden Rule," says Duarte. "'Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.' Well, an imitation of that famous phrase might be 'Never give a presentation you wouldn't want to sit through yourself.'"

 To learn more about the author's work, visit http://www.duarte.com/.

Message development: 6 steps to creating messages that make a difference

Message development is an essential step in your publicity planning process and yet, many of us forget to spend any time being thoughtful and strategic about what we want to say when we're interviewed by the press. You've heard the cliche: "Failing to plan is planning to fail." That's especially true with media interviews. How will you make sure you communicate the key points about your project, mission, product, service, book, organization, whatever if you haven't given careful thought about what you really need to get across in your precious time with that journalist?

If you aren't clear about your messages each time you communicate with the media, your publicity will be less effective. Message development for all types of businesses and organizations involves six steps:

1. Define the issue. Take into account what your audience knows about the topic and what you bring to the discussion. What makes you different, special, better with regards to the issue or topic? Gather any relevant statistics, too -- you might need them to help make your point.
2. Create draft messages. Brainstorm possible messages, but remember: You want messages that resonate with your audience, not your staff. That's why knowing your audience -- and what they do and don't know about the topic -- is important.
3. Test draft messages. Don't test them in the workplace. Try them out on people you want to influence. Listen carefully to their responses and take their input seriously.
4. Refine the messages. What language seemed to resonate with the people in your test or focus group? What language confused them? Where did they get confused? Take all of this into account...and try again.
5. Test again. The repeat testing is important because you want to be certain that your key messages are appropriate and can influence the behavior you're looking for.
6. Adjust again. Keep making changes -- and testing -- until you're confident that you're using language that will generate the reaction you want.

As you work on your messages, make sure they:

• Contribute to your goals.
• Resonate with the people you want to influence -- even if this means they don't resonate with you.
• Get used in interviews in some form. If they don't, work on them some more.

Once your messages are final and you're confident they communicate what you want them to, work them into media interviews, press releases, Web site text, social media communications, marketing materials, etc. You might need to massage them to meet the needs of these different communication vehicles, but stay as true as you can to the language because you know it works.

What's the best message you've seen?

Word of mouse: 10 ways to master nonprofit guerrilla social media

My guest blogger today is colleague Chris Forbes, co-author of Guerrilla Marketing for Nonprofits. Chris and I met in the virtual world several years ago when he reviewed my two publicity books on his blog. I'm now happy to reciprocate, putting a spotlight on his book (I like it so much that I provided a "blurb" that appears on the inside).

Chris writes here about social media for nonprofits, but his ideas can apply to small businesses, solo-preneurs, authors, and others. Here's what he has to say:

Guerrilla marketers know a good deal when they see one. And social media is a very good deal for guerrillas because they focus on reaching individuals instead merely selling their ideas to markets. With a little time, energy, and imagination, nonprofit guerrillas deepen their relationships with their clients and supporters and increase the frequency of exposure of their message to the people they want to reach by using social media. To get the most out of social media, it is important to make strategic use with a plan. Below are 10 ways your organization can master the use of social media.

1. Message: In order for your message to have any impact for your cause, it has to contain your message. A funny or interesting video, even if it becomes a very popular online phenomenon, is useless to your nonprofit if it doesn’t get people to take action.
2. Meme: The message of your viral outreach needs to be easy to grasp without explanation and easy to pass on to others.
3. Meeting: Find the media that your target audience likes to use and go where the people are. Media researchers estimate 60 percent of adults belong to a social network, but most only belong to one. Spread your virus in a variety of networks.
4. Manage: Funnel the contacts you make in social media toward your Web site or blog. Make your Web site the second tier of your social media strategy. The third tier is when people register with your site. Mobilize the people who sign up on your site to take action and help spread the message.
5. Material: Give people the content they need to pass along your viral marketing. Provide assets for your audience to make their own videos, allow them to put their picture in an e-card, do anything that helps to put themselves into the story line and send to their contacts.
6. Mobilize: Make it easy to pass your content through word-of-mouse. Choose the video tools that allow you to embed your videos directly into Facebook, blogs, etc. Social bookmark tabs need to post you link and teaser copy into other sites.
7. Medium: Make your content a good match for the medium. Long videos will not be watched as much as shorter ones. Break up paragraphs in articles and write lead sentences remembering they may also serve as the teaser copy for the links when they are visible on other sites.
8. Marketing: Your content needs to have links back to your sites and copy that promotes your organization. Don’t leave the “More Info” section blank; include good copy using your key words and links.
9. Metrics: Watch the statistics. Check not only how many people view, forward, or tweet your content, but track how many click through and take the next step with your message, too.
10. Momentum: Start the ball rolling by forwarding your content to the networks of your intended target. Leave room in tweets for people to “re-tweet” (RT). Prime the commenting by starting the first comment on links and posts you put in other networks. Push your virus into new networks until it takes off on its own.

What's the most effective social media tactic you've used? Why do you think it worked?

How to announce your book with an e-mail blast

What’s the best way to announce your book via e-mail?

I’ve received quite a few book announcement e-mails lately, including some that were trying to achieve “Amazon best-seller” status. Sadly, most of the messages were not very compelling. More often than not, they were self-congratulatory (“I’ve achieved my dream!”) or self-serving (“If you buy my book on Amazon at 11 a.m. tomorrow morning, my book might become a best-seller!”). Some were brief: “My new book is out. Here’s a link where you can buy it.” Others were rambling. None of them told me why I’d want to buy the book – what was in it for me, the reader.

I don’t want you to repeat the mistakes I keep seeing in my inbox, so I’m sharing seven tips that will help authors with any level of marketing experience write a book announcement e-mail message that isn’t obnoxious, annoying, offensive, or downright sad :

1. Start with the text from your back book cover. It should tell us why we will want to buy your book, right? You might need to massage it to make it more personal, since e-mail is such an informal means of communicating.
2. It’s not about you. It’s about the person you’re writing to. Tell me what your book will do for me. Will it educate, inform, entertain, enlighten? What’s in it for me? How will your book improve my world, help me improve someone else’s world, or help me forget about my world?
3. Include a link where we can purchase the book. Seriously – you’d be surprised at how many messages omit this.
4. Forget the “help me make my book an Amazon best-seller” plea. Unless you are my total BFF, I don’t care if your book is a best-seller. All I want to know is whether I’ll like or need your book or whether I know someone else who would like it. If you feel compelled to be focused on that best-seller-for-five-minutes-on-Amazon plan (and my newsletter readers know how I feel about these campaigns), at least share information about your book, too.
5. Don’t come on too strong. You might suggest that it makes a nice gift, but don’t tell me that I “should” buy it for everybody on my holiday gift list. 
6. Ask me to share your news with my networks. If I know people who will want to know about your book, I’ll help spread the word. But sometimes I need to be reminded.
7. Remember that the quality of your announcement reflects the quality of your book, so make it as high-quality as you can. I received one this week that looked like a ransom note, with multiple fonts and sizes. And I know this wasn't what the author intended. You don't need to have a professionally designed, all-HTML'd-up message, but you do want something that reflects the quality of your book.

Send your announcement to as large a list as you can assemble, remembering that some people will be more interested in this news than others. And some are just naturally better at sharing and forwarding. And whatever you do, make this just the starting point for your book launch. There's lots more you could -- and "should" -- be doing.

Have you ever purchased a book based on an e-mail blast announcement? Why?

"Be your own book publicist" course for authors runs September 6-October 1, 2010

I teach an e-course called "Book Publicity 101: How to Build Book Buzz" that helps authors learn how to be their own book publicists. It addresses the biggest challenges most authors encounter when they realize they have to handle their own book publicity and promotion. They are often overwhelmed by the prospect of getting the word out because they don't know where to begin and would rather be writing than promoting.

The typical author:

• Struggles to figure out what to do first to promote or publicize the book.
• Is uncomfortable with promoting and would rather remain in the background.
• Doesn't know which activities will have the greatest impact on the book’s visibility.
• Hesitates to use social networking tactics because they're not sure how to.
• Doesn't quite understand why and how to schedule a virtual book tour.
• Isn't sure how to approach and pitch traditional media outlets in the most appropriate way.
• Might not be clear about the book's target audience or how to reach it through the media.
• Wants to do as much as possible to publicize a book without spending thousands on a publicist.
• Hears that getting on radio helps sells books but doesn't know how to do it -- or if it's a good idea for the book.

If any of this describes you, I can help you get over, under, or around all of your obstacles in this interactive and engaging four-week online course running September 6-October 1, 2010. It's taught in an easy-to-use forum where you will learn, practice, implement, and grow. Because you can come and go according to your own schedule -- whenever it's convenient for you, not me -- this option offers you maximum flexibility and learning potential.

Learn more about this very affordable and interactive course here (you can see testimonials from happy students there too); send me a note with questions.

 

Don't confuse NewsBasis with ProfNet or HARO

I recently learned about a new service that links journalists with sources. It's in Beta mode now, which allows test users to provide suggestions for making it more useful. I signed up as a journalist to use this service, NewsBasis, because I wanted to see how it worked and how it might differ from other services that are currently available, including ProfNet, a paid service, and HARO, a free one. I was intrigued enough by the site to invite founder Darryl Siry to do a Q&A here and he obliged. Here's our conversation.

What, exactly, is NewsBasis?

NewsBasis is a communications platform for journalists and companies to enable for effective and efficient media relations.

What is your goal for the service?

I'd like to be the standard technology platform for media relations, whether you are a journalist or on the other side of the table. We have a ways to go and lots of features to develop before we get there, but we are off to a good start.

How does a journalist use it?

Journalists can use our service in several ways:

1. They can search our database for expert sources and company points of view, to find sources or story angles
2. They can post specific requests to engage users. Users are notified based on their saved keywords or based on how the request matches their profile.
3. They can use the platform for researching articles using the real time media notification and annotation functionality.

How does a publicist or corporate communicator use the service?

PR folks and company folks can use the service in the following ways:

1. Embed their points of view in articles so that journalists can discover them when they search
2. Respond to specific requests from journalists that match their interests or where they can be valuable
3. Fill out their profiles so that Journalists find them in searches and NewsBasis can automatically route relevant requests to them.
4. Discover relevant news articles in real time using our media notification service (in the "news" tab)
5. Use the private annotation and sharing capabilities to collaborate within their teams.

Clearly, this service has more features than others. Why do you offer them – did you survey journalists about their needs, and did they request them?

It's a combination of my personal experiences and feedback from journalists, corporate comms folks and PR agency folks.

Do sources (companies, PR firms, etc.) pay a fee to access the journalist requests and if so, how much?

The service is free during the Beta. Eventually we will announce pricing for corporate and PR users but we expect the price to be very reasonable.

From what I can tell by clicking around the site, it uses a passive system. By that I mean that sources need to come to the site and search for opportunities they can contribute to. In contrast, other journalist-source matching services like ProfNet, HARO, and ReporterConnection push the queries out to the sources through e-mail messages. Tell me more about why you don’t connect your journalist and source users by e-mail. 

We want to focus on relevance above all. If you are a corporate user of NewsBasis, you can set up saved keywords so that any requests that match your saved keywords are routed to you by email. You can scan all requests on the site if you'd like but I think a better approach is to set up various keywords and make sure your profile is complete and very descriptive so you will be notified when something relevant is posted.

The site requires users to install Google Chrome. Why? Are you concerned that requiring that extra step will discourage some users who won’t want to install the software?

It doesn't require that you install Google Chrome - what it was doing was recommending to Internet Explorer users that they install a small program provided by Google called "Chrome Frame" to allow our application to work better in IE. Admittedly, this has caused some confusion for users and we are working right now to make this step unnecessary. Still, we think that everybody should use Chrome or Firefox, since they are far superior to IE and operate on open standards.

What’s the most important thing that publicity seekers need to know about NewsBasis?

That NewsBasis is not HARO or Profnet. It is a very different service that allows you to embed you or your client's point of view directly in articles. This is a powerful way to promote your thought leadership program or get your messages out.

Similarly, what’s the most important thing that journalists should know about it?

That NewsBasis is a resource that will make it easier for them to get their jobs done more easily and effectively.

+++++++++++++++

I can't offer an opinion of the service because I haven't used it yet to find sources, but I'll note that it's more complicated and has far more "layers" than ProfNet, HARO, or ReporterConnection. I think those layers and features will be more appealing initially to very tech-savvy users. Those who are uncomfortable with technology might find the options intimidating and not take advantage of them. To sign up as either a journalist or a communicator hoping to connect with reporters, visit http://www.newsbasis.com/.