Dairy Queen did it. So did Krispy Kreme. People love to get things for free so when celebrating anniversaries and store openings, think about giving away ice cream and donuts. Well, that is if you sell those sweet things. If you sell something else, think about giving that away or some other way to get your audience participating with you. That’s what media do. They love to give things away. Oprah did it. You can too. But instead of giving away all your goods to your direct customers, what can you give away to the media?
Whether it’s advice, free chapters of your book, or a quiz for their readers, many media people are looking for ways to engage their audience. Try to tie these into breaking news of the day. For example, today, there are many topics to wrap around something you can give away to the media. Let’s look at a few examples.
A shocking study comes out today citing 1 out of 5 U.S. teen girls are physically or sexually abused while dating. Are you in a profession to help parents and these teens? Perhaps a doctor, psychologist, social worker or dating expert? Parenting advice, quizzes and other interactive ways to involve teen girls on how to stay safe while dating can really make a difference. Same goes for eating disorders, which was nationally honored last week. You can see how USA Today covered the story and how they used experts, real people and others to publicly discuss the topic and bring about awareness.
Speaking of girls learning to stay safe, Ronda Rousey has no trouble in that category and I bet if you asked her, she’d be all for teen girls learning Jiu Jitsu, one of my hobbies. Here’s one girl in a video demonstrating why women need to learn Jiu Jitsu, one or my favorite shared videos. If you’re an expert in UFC, martial arts or the progression of the sports to include women and attract women to use it for their own safety or career advancement, this week media contacts will want to talk to you. If you do martial arts in your local community – even as a hobby – the local media might want to learn about your insights. Wasabi Publicity, Inc. secured interviews for Hollis Coquhoun who combined her financial know-how with her self-defense expertise to create “financial self-defense” for women about to go through divorce. How can you combine your expertise, hobby and current news tie-ins to usher your good-news message, tips and advice to the public?
Think about what you can give away for free that will make a difference for someone else. It will come back ten-fold. Give, and it will be given to you.
Filed under: Topics Tagged: 1 out of 5 U.S. teen girls physically sexually abused, Dairy Queen, Hollis Colquhoun, Jiu Jitsu, Krispy Kreme, Ronda Rousey 
