10 Secrets for Free Media Placement

Why pay a high priced PR agent when you can get free media placement to promote your product, service, or book?

Follow these top ten tips for 2005 and it willbe your most profitable year yet!

1. Write an attention grabbing headline.

Realize that your headline must immediately"hook" a busy producer or editor at first glance. If your headline doesn't hook them, they won't read further.

2. Be certain that your book is appropriate for the target audience.

Do not send a media release about your romance novel to a radio show that interviews only nonfiction authors. Wishful thinking is well and good, but realize that shows KNOW their target market.

3. Realize that there is a difference in format when sending a release by email and by fax.

A faxed release and release sent by mail can beidentical. However, an email release requires carefulcrafting to get right and is an art onto itself. The keyconcept to remember is twofold. First, the subject line spells the difference between the release being opened or deleted. Second, you must target delivery of the email release carefully, or you risk being banned forever to the recipient's "bozo" file.

4. Be certain to include key information in a bookrelease such as your ISBN number, publicationdate, page count and binding, and if you likea small .jpeg of the cover.

5. You can increase your chances of being booked on a radio station if you offerto give away books on the show in yourrelease.

6. For media releases aimed at reviewers,include information on how they canget a book to review by email or fax.

7. Do not follow up to see if the recipientreceived the release. If this is a show orpublication you are keenly interested in,call them with "new information" designed to create more excitementin featuring you.

8. Keep a notebook with you and jot down names of appropriate mediacontacts as you read publications andhear radio interviews.

9. Journalists and producers need you and your news, but will lose respect ifyou hammer them with releases thatdon't apply to their market or beat.Discriminate.

10. Keep a "swipe file" of clever advertisements or headlinesyou can refer to when you needa creative boost.

---

Publishing Guidelines: You can publish this article in your print or electronic ezine as long as you include the resource box/signature line below. If you are using this for your web based ezine, please hyperlink to http://www.BuildingBuzz.com and send a courtesy link to mailto:mdvari@deg.com

Marisa D'Vari is author of the new book Building Buzz: How to Reach and Impress Your Target Audience (Career Press, 2005 . Access a complimentary 76 page reports on free media placement, as well as additional articles, at http://www.BuildingBuzz.com and can be reached at mdvari@deg.com

More Resources

Unable to open RSS Feed $XMLfilename with error HTTP ERROR: 404, exiting

More Branding Information:

Related Articles

Brand Awareness - Brand Identity
About once a month a few of us at the office get together during lunch for what has become known as a SWAP meeting. We share thoughts, stories and sometimes play Pictionary.
Brand Love, Part 2
Last issue, I talked about increasing your Brand Love-- meaning to increase the affection that prospects and customers feel toward your business.Why?Because increasing "affection" will build relationships.
Your Identity Speaks Loudly...What Are You Saying?
Your corporate identity is a graphic expression of who you are as an organization. It plays a major role in what sells your company and its products.
Too Dull? Too Sharp?
You work hard getting the right cover message and words for your brochure. Now, you want to give it a look, an image.
Branding Services - Brand Identity Guru
Branding Services is a tactic that marketing executives and managers should not only understand, but also employ. Branding services helps your company clearly position your company over your competition by branding your product/service in the minds of your target markets.
How Much Is A Great Business Logo Really Worth?
A great logo can help a business project a positive image while a bad logo can bring a negative impression about a company. For many companies, a logo is the only identifiable mark a potential customer may ever see, so it needs to be memorable, descriptive and easily recognizable.
Branding: What Not to Do
Here's a little story about what not to do as you carve out a name for yourself in the world of internet business.Don't use a miscellaneous email account as your primary web contact address.
Into The Limelight
To stand out in a cluttered world, become a recognized expertThere are millions of small businesses vying for our attention. Yet, because the marketplace is more discriminating and skeptical, it's hard to get noticed.
Good Logos Make Great Sales Tools
Every day, the average person is exposed to millions of visual stimuli including hundreds of company logos.A logo is a unique visual image that represents a company or its products.
Articles: The Perfect Branding Tool
If you own a web-based business, you're probably aware of the need for things like link exchanges, lead-purchasing, SEO copy, banner ads and all of the "traditional" ways to get exposure on the World Wide Web.But did you know that article marketing is by far the best way to build your brand while at the same time increasing your exposure?Web articles.
Company Vehicles Have Advertising on Them; Tips on Driving in Parking Lots
Try to avoid backing up whenever possible. Occasionally some one in a small car will park directly behind you at a gas station or stop sign.
The Big Uneasy: Clearing the Clouds of Guess
People often come to me to assist them with developing their brand because they are unable to accomplish the business success they desire. They're experiencing what we call the Big Uneasy--the state of being when things are hard.
Don't Get Caught In the Trap: The BIG Difference Between Personal and Business Branding
When you're all alone in the privacy of your home office, surrounded by your computer, your phone and your business idea, have you ever asked yourself, "Where's the line between me in my business and the business in me"?With hundreds of thousands of home-based businesses starting every year, and few ever flourishing, the topic of branding has become hot, hot, hot. And thanks to experts touting the need for a personal brand in sole proprietor businesses the confusion is growing.
Tips for Creating Brilliant Business Names
Imagine if Yahoo! had been named TheInternetDirectoy. Or StarBucks was christened "Premier Coffees".
Speech on Branding from a Franchisor Founder
I was asked today by a group of students; What do you feel is the best way to build brand name and why? And what significance do you feel are relevant to a strong corporate identity?Well obviously this is a group of marketing students. And it almost sounded as if I was being tested on an essay question.
What Make Us Unique and Different
Starting a business can take a lot of time, money, and energy. And because we don't want to completely re-invent the wheel, we often want to copy (legally) other techniques, strategies or processes used by others.
Business Case Study Automotive Detailing Franchise Company
How do automotive detailing companies start? What makes them work and how do they grow? How do they choose which services they will offer? This is an interesting case study about a test market of a franchise company in the cleaning business and how they went about setting up Auto Detailing Shops. It maybe of interest to your business study and research; I am familiar with this story because it is one of the companies that I founded.
10 Secrets for Free Media Placement
Why pay a high priced PR agent when you can get free media placement to promote your product, service, or book?Follow these top ten tips for 2005 and it willbe your most profitable year yet!1. Write an attention grabbing headline.
Brand Strategy - Brand Value - Brand Identity Guru
Developing brand strategy is extremely critical. The most important asset your company has is its brand.
Three Brand Identity Myths That Will Bring Your Business Down
To begin, let's define "Brand Identity," which is the combination of consistent visual elements that are used in your marketing materials. A basic Brand Identity Kit consists of a logo, business card, letterhead, and envelope.