Build Your Brand With Media Attention

As the owner of a service-based business I’m sure you’re aware of the importance of building your reputation as a specialist in your field.When you’re seen as an expert, you increase the number of people on your newsletter list and social media networks as they want to learn more about you and the information you provide.And, more importantly, you increase the likelihood that they will want to invest in your product and services through their desire to achieve the same results other people are experiencing through working with you.One of the ways you can increase exposure and build your reputation as a specialist is to gain media attention. This could be through radio, television or print and more recently through internet radio and podcasts and online magazines/blogs etc.I am the host of two podcasts  – Business Success Podcast and The Ambitious Entrepreneur. Both shows bring inspiring topics to the airwaves to help solopreneurs take their business to the next level and I am always on the look out for guest experts.One of the ways I source guests is to scour my social network.With the opportunity to get their message in front of thousands of potential customers – I’m surprised how many businesses do not have a solid media-friendly system in place.In fact, in the last week there have been a few people I would have loved to have on the show, however I just couldn’t locate their contact information. Or further research led me to question whether or not they would be suitable.So, if you want to attract media attention there are things you should be doing and other things that you should avoid.Firstly, let’s start with the things you should avoid:Tip One: If you’ve written an interesting Tweet and piqued my interest, one of the first things I’ll do is to check out your bio and website link.Whoops – don’t have these details uploaded? I’ve just closed your profile and moved on.Action step: Make sure you have a clear bio that tells me who you are and what you do, as well as a link to your primary website where I can find out more about you.Tip Two: If I’ve clicked through to your website, make sure there is content (i.e. articles) that continues to showcase your knowledge and expertise.If your website is hard to navigate or you have provided a link to a website that has no relevance to you or what you do, then again I have moved on. You’ve missed this opportunity.Action step: Make sure your website navigation is user friendly and showcases your knowledge through providing interesting and relevant content.Tip Three: Now that you’ve shown me that you know your stuff and would be a great guest on the show, my next step is to reach out to you.If your contact page is hard to find or if I have to jump through hoops to get in contact with you, I’ve probably lost interest and moved on.[Note: Personally, I prefer to email people directly rather than having to fill in a form. I like to send people more information about the show (including demographics and logistical details) and having to paste all of this information into a form can be difficult.]Media representatives are often on tight deadlines and haven’t got the time to search for your information.Action Step: Make sure your contact details are easy to locate and that the process of reaching out to you is as streamlined as possible.Here are a few other things you shouldn’t do. • Don’t tag me with a request to come on my show on an open forum at the same time you send out other invitations to other show hosts.To me this is spamming and indicates that you haven’t taken the time to find out about my program, nor considered whether your material is relevant to my audience.• Don’t contact me with a request to come on my show if you haven’t listened to a few of my shows and don’t really have an understanding of my audience and their interests.When I am looking for a guest, my goal is to find someone who has information that is interesting and relevant and will inspire my audience.I’m not looking for a guest who sounds like an infomercial as they are only interested in promoting their products/services and not in sharing some tips and strategies that my audience can benefit from.Here are some things that you should be doing.• Do connect with me on my social media platforms and join in the conversations.• Do go and listen to previous shows and start commenting.What did you like about the show? What has inspired you? Can you add additional thoughts to the topic we discussed? Doing this is certainly going to get my attention AND by leaving a comments you are linking back to your website, so I’ll probably follow your link to find out more about you.• Do contribute tips and advice when I reach out to my community on Facebook and Twitter to share their ideas. This is a great way to showcase your knowledge and experience and a great way to get my attention.Gaining media exposure, whether through podcasts, radio, television, print, online blogs etc is a great way to build your reputation as an expert and is certainly a strategy you should include in your marketing plan.