One of the things I love most about my life is talking to potential clients, and what I have found is they all pretty much want the same thing: national media coverage with recognizable high level venues such as CNN, Fast Company, O The Oprah Magazine, Dr. Oz, etc. Nothing establishes credibility and increases awareness like those placements.

Those big fish are worth a lot!

A single placement in a glossy national magazine is worth tens of thousands of dollars, sometimes a lot more, and not just in the value of ad space. If you add in credibility, prestige and buzz, that placement is priceless.

Despite the enormous value of national publicity, many business owners and entrepreneurs don’t understand how to attract the media’s attention. For those who like to think in an orderly and step-by-step fashion, I’ve broken PR down into 6 simple steps.

  1. Brand your message. Be crystal clear about who you are, what makes you unique and why the media should care. Assure you have a consistent message by having all your press materials ready before the press calls.
  2. Develop your pitch. Pretend you are in an elevator with Oprah, or your favorite media peep, and you have 30 seconds to tell her/him why you are the bee’s knees. Your pitch should be concise, reflect your passion and stress what makes you unique. Hot tip: At Wasabi we find short pitches are often more effective than long press releases to get the media’s attention.
  3. Find the media. There is NO excuse these days for not knowing who you’re pitching and what floats their boat. The Internet provides countless ways to research journalists and producers that might be interested in you. This should go without saying, don’t pitch the automotive editor if you are a parenting expert.
  4. Respond immediately. When the media calls, get back to them immediately! Reporters usually work on very tight deadlines therefore the sources that respond fastest with the most concise and useful information are most likely to get the coveted prize.
  5. Be prepared. Thoroughly prepare for your interview. Decide what you want to say and practice saying it in short, concise sound bites. Practice makes perfect.
  6. Keep it simple. Practice what you plan to say in front of an 8-year-old. Really! Not because they are smart like adults, but because they keep it real. If they get it and  can repeat it back to you, you’re on the right track.

So, remember: brand your message, create your short pitch that pops, find the media interested in what you have to say and give them what they want, when they want it. If you follow these steps you will be a media rockstar, and who knows? You might even beat our record.

What’s our record?

We distributed a pitch that landed author Dr. Jill Murray on Dr. Phil’s TV show less than eight hours after she became our client. Within one week, that same pitch also got her coverage with CNN Weekend News, 20/20, syndicated radio shows and several magazines. Dr. Jill’s newest book But He Never Hit Me shot up to number 16 on Amazon.com and number 23 at Barnes & Noble within hours of her Dr. Phil appearance.

While we consistently land these prized placements, we haven’t been able to beat this record… but you can. I’d love to know when you do!