The use of publicity and getting into the media are some of the best (and cheapest) ways to build your business, especially as our world has trended to online publishing and information sharing. The variety of places that you are able to gain positive brand exposure continues to grow making the possibilities endless. This is really exciting for business owners looking to get out there and grow their businesses with ease, but there are definitely some publicity myths that may prevent you from showing up with the most authentic version of yourself (or showing up at all!). Through my work with entrepreneurs looking to build their online portfolio and get media coverage, I have heard repeating themes in regards to the perception of what getting into the media really means. I will be sharing the top 3 myths as well as the truths!
Myth 1: You have to be an extrovert or enjoy attention to be seen in the media.
Ok, let’s de-bunk this one right away. While it may appear online as though those who have super loud voices and seem to relish the spotlight are often seen in the media, the reality is that there are so many other ways for you and your business to be seen. Getting quoted in an online publication can be a great way to be seen without feeling as though you are front and center as you would be in a video. You can still have a quiet presence while making a powerful statement, adding to your business credibility. There is never a one size fits all approach to media and publicity, rather, your goals, style, strengths and preferences can be accounted for, and you get to decide on what types of media and publicity will work for you in a comfortable way.
It is also important to note that your past experiences and family history can contribute to the story line we may tell ourselves about being seen or engaging in what we may deem as ‘attention-seeking’ behavior, such as publicity and online sharing. We may have been a part of a system where we were told to be humble always, and as such, bringing attention to accomplishments or things we have done were frowned upon. It may be helpful to do a quick self-reflection to examine if some of these self-beliefs exist, and if so, how they might be influencing our willingness to engage in media and publicity. If it feels like your story line sounds like the one I mentioned above (“being humble is important and if you boldly share about yourself or your business, you are being arrogant”), it may be helpful to do some re framing of intentions so we can freely and beautifully share our gifts to have intentional and greater impact!
Myth 2: Only being in a well known magazine or media story qualifies as legitimate PR.
When I work with entrepreneurs in getting into the media, one of the first things we discuss are publicity goals. I LOVE when people dream big and share their biggest and most ultimate aspirations. And, there also needs to be some education about how publicity works. A major magazine or news organization is not going to simply pluck out someone without any examples of work or online repertoire as a guest expert for their segment or column. Instead, they are going to want to hear about this person from a variety of sources, including pieces that they have done in the past to show what they are capable of. What this means is that there needs to be a solid publicity foundation. That is, there needs to be an intentional building of media exposure that show the depth of work, knowledge, and expertise.
What this means for my clients is that there is no media project too small, and often, this is where we need to start. Examples of starting points might include guest blogging, being a guest on a podcast, being a source or contributor to a magazine, or serving as a free guest speaker at a lunch and learn. These are ALL very important activities that are needed to build depth and breadth of media coverage. And interestingly, these are all things that an entrepreneur is capable of doing ON THEIR OWN without the need of a publicist (in fact, this is exactly what I teach in my Master the Media Live Masterclass!)!!! All of these foundational activities will help lend greater credibility to bigger things, including being a paid guest speaking at a Live Event, gaining sponsorship on a blog, getting a featured article or column in a magazine, or even speaking on the news or on camera. Media begets more media, and everyone needs to start somewhere! Hopefully this elicits hope that you are completely capable of getting into the media and provides a landscape for what it might look like when you get started!
Myth 3: I need to hire a publicity or media person to help me get more business exposure.
This is probably one of the biggest myths I hear about when I speak with entrepreneurs. They think they need to hire someone (usually $$$) to help them be seen in bigger and bolder ways. And while YES, a PR person can be vital, I often think the baseline foundational activities needs to be met first. Translation: If you are a beginning entrepreneur or just beginning to understand how media can help you and want to get into the media, you are capable of doing this on your own! If you have no idea where to start, I would recommend my Master the Media Live Training to help you understand what you can do for yourself (there are so many ways to leverage the media for your business!), but overall, know that you absolutely do not need to hire a PR whiz to help you gain publicity.
We would love to have you join us for our Master The Media Training where you will learn EXACTLY the tools you need to start being seen in ways that fit your goals and style without spending extra $ on this aspect of your business!
We have amazing and special tools + bonuses you can use to skyrocket your visibility + gain comfort in getting out there in the media including a recorded interview with a writer from Self Magazine and Glamour, who shares the bones of a good pitch and what you need to do to have your pitch stand out to writers. I also include an Aspiration Journal and Swipe Files for pitching, so you don’t have to second guess yourself or spend excessive time worry about what to say in a pitch!
I GOT YOU and CAN’T WAIT FOR YOU TO SUCCEED!!!
