Who doesn’t want to achieve rockstar celebrity status? Just because you’re in the morgage industry or the title insurance business doesn’t mean that you can’t be a celebrity in your industry. After all, popularity and success go hand in hand. To become really successful means being well-known in your circle.Becoming the industry expert is something that’s taken, not given. With persistence and confidence you can claim your spot as the expert in your industry. Your goal should be to get people to contact you when they have a question in your area of expertise. In order to do that, you need to get your name out there, define your niche, and establish your worth.
Radio Interviews
Hundreds of radio shows seek knowledgeable and interesting guests to satisfy their listening audiences. With the onset of satellite radio, internet radio and podcasting, the number of hosts seeking guests grows daily. You need not be a celebrity to secure a radio interview. Plenty of opportunities exist for individuals with knowledge in specialized areas.
Pitching yourself for radio is simple when you have a plan. Before you pick up the phone, make a list of all of examples that qualify you as an expert in your industry. Reference titles of articles and books that you’ve authored, names of awards that you have won, and testimonials from satisfied clients and reputable associations. Design a short pitch for yourself using some of the things you listed.
When you call the radio show, start by introducing yourself immediately. A fter your introduction, present a solid reason why the person at the other end of the phone should continue to listen by speaking in terms of how your knowledge can benefit their show.
Consider the goal of your first phone call to a radio station to introduce yourself and gain the producer’s contact information. You may not book a show with your first phone call, but you can now send your press kit to the show’s producer and place yourself on their radar for the next time they cover a topic in your arena.
Resources:
Podcasting News.com: A directory of Podcasts
Live 365.com: A directory of internet radio station
Radio-Locator.com: A directory of every radio station on the planet.
Press Releases
A press release is an informative document written to alert the media of a timely event about your company. Your event doesn’t need to be a showstopper – thousands of press releases are written every day on topics such as a company name change or the introduction of a new product.
A press release, however, does need to be written to appeal to a general audience. The more unique the topic, the more likely your release is to get noticed. Newspaper and magazine editors depend on content for the success of their publications and often simply repackage well-written press releases as articles or blurbs.
Try adding a unique spin to the topic and devising a way to involve the public. For example, if your restaurant has introduced a new sandwich, develop a contest for the community to name the sandwich. While you’ve managed to alert the public of the sandwich’s peppery corned beef, savory mushroom sauce, and plump focaccia bread, the public gets a chance to win a free meal, and have their name credited on the menu.
Build your own list of newspaper and television contact names and fax numbers or hire a professional public relations company to distribute your article to the a large number of media outlets. Don’t gloss over small local papers as a recipient for your press releases. These are often a great place to begin building your publication portfolio.
Resources:
PRWeb Free Press release distribution with lots of exposure
PR Zoom Another high quality, free PR distribution site
Distribute Free Content
Tens of thousands of website owners face the daunting challenge of stocking their websites with the fresh, informational content their visitors seek. To meet this growing need, numerous free content sites have emerged, offering publishing rights to thousands of articles on a variety of topics. In exchange for the article’s publishing rights, the author has a chance to promote themselves with a short bio and link to their website at the conclusion of the article.
Resources:
eZine Articles - Serving 110,229 Quality eZine Articles Written By 16,687 Expert Authors
Find Articles.com - Search millions of articles from leading academic, industry and general interest publications.
Be sure to include mentions and links to all of your articles, radio interviews, and press releases on your website and in the literature you use to attract new clients. This type of credibility goes a long, long way in terms of building trust and customer confidence. Before long, you won’t just be establishing yourself as an industry expert, you’ll be the expert!
