Marsha Friedman

News & Experts Are Back and Marsha Shares WHY a Media Pitch Needs To Be Well Planned To Be Successful …

Catherine Lyon - Expert Marketing & Media PR Consultant A Writer's Thoughts, Book Promotion Tips For Authors, Featured Guest, Marketing and More, News Around The Web, Posts, Updates and More , , , , , ,

4 Tips For Creating Successful
Media Pitches
 by | Feb 19, 2019

….

Anyone who’s tried their hand at promoting a brand through PR can tell you that grabbing the media’s attention isn’t always easy.

Each day, newspaper journalists, as well as hosts and producers of TV and radio talk shows, scroll through a never-ending barrage of email messages, many of which they no doubt delete without reading.

Let’s face it, they couldn’t write about or report on all those topics even if they wanted to. Time just doesn’t allow it. So, with competition for the media’s attention so fierce, is it even possible to separate yourself from the pack and land an interview that will help build your credibility as a go-to expert in your field?

I’m here to tell you that, yes, it is possible, though a challenge if you have no experience playing the media’s game, which is why so many people turn to professionals. Still, if you’re determined to do it on your own, let me share a few things you need to keep in mind that can help you achieve success.

First, remember that while your goal is to promote your personal or company brands, that’s not the media’s goal. If your pitch sounds like a commercial, the media will suggest you contact their advertising departments.

As I point out in my upcoming bookGaining the Publicity Edge: An Entrepreneur’s Guide to Growing Your Brand Through National Media Coverage, what the media actually do want is useful and interesting information they can share with their readers, viewers, and listeners.

So, with that in mind, here are four tips to help make your pitches more successful:

  • Keep it short. You no doubt have a lot to say about your topic, but don’t say it all in your pitch. Print journalists and TV and radio show hosts don’t have time to read a thesis, no matter how remarkable your insights are, so keep it succinct. Think of those pitches as more like a movie preview, not the feature presentation. Certainly, include enough information for them to get the gist of what you can talk about, but leave all those extraordinary details you are tempted to cram into the pitch for the actual interview.
    ….
  • Solve a problem. The best ideas for articles and talk show interviews are those that help solve a problem the readers or audiences face. People perk up when your message means something to them personally, such as providing them tips on how to stick with a diet or save more for retirement. Ask yourself this: What are some of the problems my clients or customers are trying to solve? Those problems—and the solutions you can offer—can be the inspiration for a pitch.
    …..
  • Playoff what’s happening in the news. You increase your chances of engaging the media’s interest if your pitch aligns with something they are already writing and talking about. What’s going on that fits into your area of expertise? Are you a surgeon who can explain a new breakthrough involving your specialty, and what it will mean to patients? Are you a divorce lawyer who can comment on the latest celebrity split? One of our clients was a scientist who could talk about an eclipse that was in the news. We kept him busy with radio interviews leading up to that astronomical event!
    ……
  • Highlight your credentials. Why should the media—and the media’s audience—listen to you? Don’t dump your entire resume in the media’s laps, but you do want to include a short summary of relevant information about your background and expertise. For example, if you are a financial professional, let them know what licenses and certifications you have, and that you’ve been a partner in your firm for 10 years.

Finally, understand that pitching the media can take patience. Your first pitch might not get any takers. Your second and third might not either.

Don’t despair. At the end of your pitches, let the media know that if they have no interest in this particular idea, you’re available to talk about other topics related to your expertise as well.

“In the publicity game, persistence pays off.”

Diligently yours!

Marsha Friedman,  PR Expert

>>>>>

 

 

Marsha From PR Insider Is Back Sharing Why Publicity Is Important If You Are Online Like Cat …A Lot!

Catherine Lyon - Expert Marketing & Media PR Consultant A Writer's Thoughts, Featured Guest, Marketing and More, News Around The Web, Posts, Updates and More , , , , , , ,

How smart ‘influencers’ are benefiting from publicity!

…

Why Publicity is the Next Step for Online Influencers

….

Marsha Friedman
…

Practically all of us are on social media these days, but some of us have found ways to make a bigger splash than others.

These are the people who have become known as social media influencers. They have established credibility in a specific industry, drawn a ton of followers, and each day manage to use that credibility and reach to persuade others.

A couple of the more extreme examples are Zoe Sugg, a fashion and beauty blogger with nearly 40 million online fans; and Mark Fischbach, a video-gaming guru with more than 20 million subscribers on YouTube as well as millions of followers on other social media platforms.

Other social media influencers may not have nearly as much reach, but all of them have established themselves as trusted sources of information for their followers – and, yes, can influence those followers when it comes to making decisions.

But here’s what I believe: Even an online influencer can benefit from a publicity effort that targets the more traditional media, such as print, radio, and TV.

In fact, I’ve seen that play out just recently with one of our clients, who has a YouTube channel with more than 13 million total views, and a large following of more than 1.5 million fans – and counting – across his social media pages.

Yet, despite that success, he also recognized that some old-fashioned publicity could spotlight him before an audience he hadn’t previously been reaching. He came to us to arrange interviews with the press, and TV and radio shows–connecting his digital presence with the traditional media.

And let’s face it. If even influencers need the credibility that publicity in traditional media gives them, then certainly you do, too.

So, here are a few reasons influencers – and you – should make use of print and broadcast media to gain publicity:

  • Diversify your audience. Yes, if you’re an influencer on Instagram, for instance, you have high-name recognition among your followers – and that’s wonderful. But how does that name recognition hold up when you stray away from those followers? If you want to establish yourself as a widely recognized authority in your field, it’s important to diversify your audience. A proven way to reach that broader audience is through interviews with the print media, with TV  appearances and with radio talk-show interviews.

    …..
    Image result for free images of social media
    …..

  • Elevate your sphere of influence. Those media and social media interviews do more than just get your name floating around. They also add to your credibility. Whenever you appear in print, on TV or on talk radio, you are in essence receiving an implicit endorsement from the media, which decided you had something worthwhile to say to their audiences. You stand out from your competitors, and now have an edge over them. In short, elevating your sphere of influence also elevates you.
  • Grow your audience even more. As you get that publicity in the mainstream media, many more people will learn about you and some of them are likely to become followers on your social media platforms. Your success builds on itself.
  • Grow your business. If you are a social media influencer who derives income from advertising sponsors, then you can leverage your influencer publicity to attract even more sponsors. In addition, all the new eyes that find you, as a result, are potential customers or clients for your product or service.

    ….

In all these ways, publicity for influencers is like publicity for anyone who wants to raise the profile for a business or personal brand. As you build your credibility through your success with the media, you can set yourself apart and gain an edge over your competitors.
Influentially yours,

Marsha

….

Happy 2019 PR Message From My Dear Friend Marsha of News & Experts. New Year and a New Branding For Authors!

Catherine Lyon - Expert Marketing & Media PR Consultant A Writer's Thoughts, Author News, Book Promotion Tips For Authors, Featured Guest, Marketing and More, News Around The Web, Posts , , , , ,

2019 Offers A Fresh Start To Re-Ignite Your Personal Brand – BY Marsha Friedman

 

It’s that exciting time of year when we look with eager anticipation to the future, plotting out how we can make the coming 365 days even better than the previous ones.

Maybe you want to expand your business. Perhaps you hope to add a few percentage points to your sales goals.

As you set all those wonderful goals for 2019, make sure you don’t neglect to include a few resolutions for continuing to build your personal brand. These days, with the ever-changing media landscape, the opportunities to ramp up your publicity are more plentiful than ever, yet I don’t think people are always aware of that – or realize how to take advantage of those opportunities when they are aware.

For example, nearly all print publications have an online presence that helps them reach a potentially larger audience than when they depended on delivering to homes and newsstands within a limited geographic area. And it’s easier than ever for you to share with others any articles you are quoted in, either by posting links on your website or by making use of social media.

Meanwhile, new online publications continue to pop up, so the digital realm is creating additional print real estate – and additional opportunities for you.
So, as you toast the arrival of the New Year and prepare to take advantage of the digital domain’s publicity possibilities in 2019, here are a few things you should be doing:

Maintain a strong social media presence.
One of your best weapons in the quest for publicity is social media, which can help you make connections both with the media and with your target audience. Jay York, our senior digital marketing strategist, says it’s important to know which platforms are best for what you do. For example, let’s say you are a restaurant owner.

Instagram provides a platform for foodies photographing their meals, as well as an avenue to browse hashtags related to new and interesting cuisines. Facebook offers broad appeal and features such as event creation, which provides additional value to restaurants. If you’re a financial professional, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn all are good. LinkedIn is a great place to build your network and authority with higher-end clients.

…
Image result for copy free images of social media

,,,

Facebook’s ad network provides powerful tools for targeting the right audience. Twitter, like LinkedIn, also provides an opportunity to focus on building authority and networking with other industry and business influencers.


Develop a content-rich website.
Your website, among other things, provides you with a chance to be your own publisher. Are you miffed that no one else will publish your thoughtful op-ed article? Don’t pout! Instead, create a blog, providing those who visit your website valuable information based on your insight in your area of expertise. Update the blog at least every week or two so people will keep coming back to read your newest thoughts and advice for them.

Create a digital-media footprint.
Vow that in 2019 you are going to redouble your efforts to pitch story ideas to the media. Reach out to publications and let them know how their readers would benefit from what you have to say. (Remember your blog? You can share that with journalists as well, giving them an even better taste of the topics you can speak about.)

If you find success reaching top-tier media, great! But don’t neglect the seemingly smaller players, including trade publications and your local small daily and weekly newspapers. The articles that small publications write are sometimes picked up by larger publications, and all of it can be linked to on your website, helping to impress clients and potential clients that you are someone the media turn to when they need a voice of authority.

As you do all these things and the months of 2019 fly by, who knows how one great publicity success might lead to another. We once had a social media strategist who was asked to discuss a topic on a local TV station. The appearance worked out so well that for a while he became a regular on the show.

Those opportunities can build and build, and build some more!

Just maybe, 2019 will be your best year for publicity ever!

Let the fireworks begin!

Marsha!

~Please visit Marsha and her team of PR Experts at “Experts & News Today”
I am taking her Rich Website Advice Into the New Year and expanding from not only Literary services but also Social Media and Media Branding and Promoting Events too on my coming soon new website beginning in JAN 2019 here “Lyon Media Services!”

…

News & Experts

Social Media War and Blunders! How Do You Handle a Rude Person on Social Media? Be Careful …

Catherine Lyon - Expert Marketing & Media PR Consultant A Writer's Thoughts, Featured Guest, Marketing and More, News Around The Web, Posts , , , , , , , , , ,

My dear friend Marsha is back from “News & Experts” and her PR Insider post with some real solid advice on how to handle “rude” people on social media while keeping your Professionalism intact …

.

Image result for copy free images quotes about rude people on social media

How To Respond When The Social Media World Gets Unpleasant 

 

Most of you are fully aware by now that social media plays a significant role in building your authority as a thought leader and expert in your field.

One of social media’s great advantages over traditional media is that you get to control your message to an extent you can’t when you’re being interviewed by a print journalist, a talk radio host or a TV show host. With social media, there is no media “gatekeeper” standing between you and your audience.

That’s the good news!

But, as wonderful as social media is for promoting your brand, it does present its own treacherous pitfalls. A particularly onerous drawback is that your social media followers can post responses to your posts that are, shall we say, less than ideal!

That happened just this week to one of our clients when one of her Twitter followers suggested quite publicly and forcefully that she quit posting about one subject (business culture) and write about a different subject (blockchain) he cared about instead! (This is the polite version. I will refrain from injuring your ears with the sailor’s language he actually used.)

It was, to say the least, quite an aggressive response to a fairly innocuous post.

Luckily for all of us, there are lessons to be learned from how this situation played out. Jay York, our senior social media strategist who manages our client’s social media platforms, says there were a few options he considered.

On behalf of the client, Jay could have directly challenged the person’s comment. He could have also tagged the blockchain community, who likely would have brought down their wrath on the errant poster.

But the option Jay chose was to send a private message to the poster, politely requesting that the comment please be removed because it didn’t help a mutual objective they both had of bridging the gap between business and blockchain people.

A few hours later, the very contrite poster replied, apologizing and removing the post.

.

Image result for copy free images quotes about rude people on social media

.

So, in case you ever find yourself in a similar distasteful situation with one of your social media accounts, let’s break down how you can try to duplicate what Jay did:

  • Find common ground. “In marketing, sometimes you can turn threats into opportunities,” Jay says. Let’s face it, social media has plenty of trolls who post objectionable things just to be jerks, and there’s no reasoning with people like that. But Jay says he surmised this wasn’t the case in this situation. After all, this person chose to follow our client on Twitter and seemed to respect her. By finding common ground (their shared interest in blockchain) they were able to come to a mutual understanding.
  • Be respectful. When someone is rude to you (and this post was exceptionally rude with foul language to match) there’s a natural temptation to respond in kind. You want to just let them have it! Resist that temptation. Maybe you’ve heard the old saying “you catch more flies with honey than vinegar.” I think Jay proved that saying has merit because the disagreeable person became agreeable in the end, doing exactly what Jay wanted to happen for our client. A hostile response might have escalated the situation rather than resolved it.
  • Look beyond the face of what’s occurring. Everything isn’t black and white, and sometimes you have to dive below the surface and explore what’s really going on. Yes, this person had come off as critical to an almost irrational degree, but he also had raised a point about the kind of social media content he was looking for from our client. Once you worked your way through the vitriol, his post really was a request for her to share more content about a subject he cared about.
What’s interesting here, I think, is that while social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and others are largely a product of the 21st century, the human beings who use them are still fundamentally the same way human beings always have been.
Just like in face-to-face business dealings, good manners are still important and can help smooth the way through those less-than-desirable situations.
Respectfully yours,

Marsha

My Friend Marsha Is Back of ‘News & Experts’ PR Firm. She Knows Mainstream Media!

Catherine Lyon - Expert Marketing & Media PR Consultant A Writer's Thoughts, Author News, Book Promotion Tips For Authors, Featured Guest, Marketing and More, News Around The Web, Posts , , , , , , , , ,

How Small Publications Can Play A Big Role In Your Publicity Efforts …

 

I don’t believe I’m going out on a limb (well, at least not too far out) when I say that nearly everyone recognizes the giants of journalism. Such venerated (and at times vilified) publications as the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post and USA Today are hard to ignore, even if you’re not a regular reader or subscriber.

But as wonderful as they are, these behemoths of the reporting world aren’t the only option for those who long to see their names in traditional and online print.

Small towns throughout the country also are blessed with daily or weekly newspapers that keep their communities informed about who’s engaged, who died, whose child made honor roll and what the city commission and school board are up to these days.

These more obscure practitioners of journalism still serve a significant role in our information age, but admittedly without the luster and renown that those top-tier publications enjoy.

That’s why if you’re seeking to promote your brand, you could be thinking that it’s OK to ignore these lesser lights of the print and online media world in your quest for publicity.

Stop right there!

 

Let me tell you why that would be a mistake. These smaller venues, whether they appear online or in old-fashioned ink on paper, can be more important than you realize as you build your reputation as an authority in your field.

How so?

 

  • People read those local publications. Weekly newspapers and small dailies still attract a loyal readership for one simple reason: They provide readers with articles that have a direct impact on their lives and keep them apprised of what’s happening with people they know. If you want to promote your brand, it never hurts to start with your hometown newspaper. It can be a stepping stone to bigger things, plus as a bonus, you get to hone your interview skills in preparation for that day when the New York Times calls!
  • Smaller publications can have a bigger reach than you think. What happens in lesser-known media venues doesn’t necessarily stay in lesser-known media venues. Story ideas that bubble up on the local level can get noticed at the national level. Many smaller newspapers also are owned by large newspaper chains, and the publications within that chain share articles with each other. That means your interview with a small weekly in Wisconsin could be printed in sister publications far and wide. The fact is that not everything that grabs widespread attention begins life on the front page of the New York Times.
  • The media follow the media. There is little doubt that your friends (and potential clients and customers) are going to be impressed if you’re quoted in the Wall Street Journal or USA Today. How could they not be? But many of the authoritative voices that journalists at large publications seek out didn’t take a direct route from anonymity to the media spotlight. Instead, they built a media presence at smaller publications, establishing a trackable online presence. If you offer yourself as a source to top-tier media, those reporters are almost certain to Google your name. If they that see that other publications – even smaller ones – quoted you, they are more likely to view you as a credible source..

One final point worth noting. A Pew Research Center study in 2017 showed that Americans place greater trust in local news media than they do in national news media. The study showed that 25 percent of those surveyed said they trust their hometown news organizations “a lot” and 60 percent said they trust the local media “some.” That compares to 20 percent who said they trust national news organizations a lot and 52 percent who said they trust national media some.

Perhaps some of that trust in local media can rub off on you! After all, if the local media trust you enough to seek your insight about your area of expertise, potential customers or clients will be more inclined to trust you as well!
Locally yours,

Marsha

P.S. If you’d like professional help getting coverage in the press, and being interviewed on radio and TV, give us a call. We’ve been providing this service to clients for 28 years. We also offer a comprehensive social media marketing program for select clients, where we do it all for you.

########

 

So friends, If you’re interested in Marsha’s help, please call here at 727-443-7115 Ext. 231, She’d love to hear from you! Let her know Catherine Lyon Sent YOU!

Marsha Friedman

Can You Become an ‘Instant’ or Overnight Media Success Authors?

Catherine Lyon - Expert Marketing & Media PR Consultant A Writer's Thoughts, Book Promotion Tips For Authors, Featured Guest, Marketing and More, News Around The Web, Posts, Updates and More , , , , ,

I just read a great new article by my dear friend and PR expert Marsha Friedman in my newsletter from her PR firm. So, Marsha is back and shares and explains, time matters when it comes to media success. It doesn’t happen overnight and especially for authors and their books. Marketing your brand as an author and marketing your books takes a lot of work! Here is what Marsha says about this topic … Catherine *Cat*

.

Related image


 

The Time And Toil That Lie Behind ‘Instant’ Media Success

 by | May 11, 2018 | General Marketing PR Education 

Have you ever heard actors, singers, or even authors who became “overnight sensations” explain that their success didn’t happen overnight after all?

Instead, it was the result of lots of toil, along with years in which they languished in obscurity before – after much persistence – they rose to prominence and finally achieved “instant” fame.

Building your personal brand works in somewhat the same way. You can’t expect to bolt out of the starting gate one day and end up the next morning on the front page of a major newspaper or on the set of a national TV show.

So, the bad news is that success in the publicity and personal-brand-building world can take time. The good news is, for those willing to put in that time and effort, success does happen – and often in a big way!

Case in point: One of our clients was just featured in an Inc. magazine article that focused entirely on her and her message, along with a mention of her book! That’s not a common occurrence with this publication.

But this was no overnight achievement. She’s been our client for a year, and in that time we steadily helped her build both a stronger social media presence and print media presence. Would Inc. magazine has devoted so much space exclusively to her if she hadn’t built her authority over the last 12 months? Unlikely.

I share her success story for a couple of reasons.

For one thing, this shows what can be accomplished by those who find a message that resonates with the media and who keep at it, realizing that publicity and brand-building must be ongoing.

The second reason I share her story is this: On occasion, we encounter clients who don’t have a strong media presence and yet expect this sort of media attention instantly. They struggle to understand why we don’t just call up journalists or TV producers and explain how great they are or how wonderful their product or service is. They assume the media will be eager to talk with them.

.

The-Brilliant-Game

.

It doesn’t quite work that way. Sorry to say, the media may not be that interested in you – not yet anyway.

But you’re in good company. The top-tier media at one time weren’t into plenty of people who later became household names. No one cared about interviewing Mark Zuckerberg until Facebook started becoming a phenomenon that couldn’t be ignored.

That said, though, there are ways even an “unknown” can start to build a media presence and promote a personal brand, such as:

  • Promote your expertise rather than your product or service. As I mentioned earlier, members of the media likely won’t care about you or what you’re selling. What they do care about is your expertise. Do you have valuable information you can share with their readers, viewers or listeners? If you’re a financial professional, what tips would you offer for retirement planning? If you’re a small business owner, what advice would you give others who want to start a business? The media may not perk up their ears at your name, but they could be swayed by the knowledge you bring to the table.
  • Don’t dismiss the small victories. Everyone wants to be quoted in The Wall Street Journal or USA Today. They want the Today Show to interview them or Entrepreneur magazine to come calling. That’s fine! It’s great to dream big and we help many of our clients enjoy such successes. But don’t fall into the trap of ignoring smaller media opportunities. They help establish your online presence, provide opportunities to hone your message and give the top-tier media greater confidence that you’re a credible and authoritative voice in your industry.
  • Never give up. While a quick dash from anonymity to media darling could happen, it’s not the norm. You may send out pitches and get no response. You might be interviewed for an article, then be left out when it appears in print. Don’t despair. Be persistent. Sometimes it’s a matter of hitting the right journalist with the right pitch at just the right time.

If you’re starting to think this sounds more like a journey than a quick trip, you would be right. And, for those who care about personal brand building over the long haul, it’s a journey that has to be ongoing.

Once your efforts die, so will media interest – and they’ll turn to the next “overnight sensation”!

Instantly yours,

Marsha! (We Help Authors Too! http://newsandexperts.wpengine.com/book-promotion-services-for-marketing-a-book/

 

.

Related image

News & Experts PR Firm
3748 Turman Loop, Suite 101
Wesley Chapel, FL 33544
Toll-Free: 800-881-7342
Local: 727-443-7115