How do I know I am ready for publicity?
You’re looking for more visibility and/or credibility for your business, book, event or thought leadership. But are you ready for publicity? The tricky thing about using publicity to your advantage is that you can’t wait until you need it. You can’t wait until you need clients, you can’t wait until you feel ready, you can’t wait until you need your business to grow. Publicity is a preemptive process. A precursor to success! You have to set the stage in advance and look at the bigger picture to use publicity to your advantage.
Is my message ready?
The truth is you will never feel truly ready. The moment where you say- “Yup, I’m ready now!” doesn’t exist! So it’s important to not expect that to happen. Sure, there are things that need to be in place first, but the process of publicity and getting media placement is PART of getting ready for success. Whatever your particular success looks like. It is a good idea to take a step back and look at all of your future goals. Plan out how you would like to utilize publicity and media exposure to gain potential leads and new customers into your pipeline. Diving into the world of publicity may seem scary, but it will help you gain clarity.
What do I need to make the most of publicity?
Here’s where I will walk you through the things to keep in mind in order to feel more prepared to utilize publicity to the fullest. And again, these are just suggestions, not musts! We also can work on these as we go!
- A well-thought-out and consistent message. Having a consistent and well-thought-out message will make any exposure you have in the media stand out. Knowing and representing your message will make it easier for potential leads to identify with you and your offering or ideas; it will also make it easier for these potential leads to find you and recognize you later.
- A path to clear goals. To work with a public relations agency or seek publicity opportunities, having a clear set of goals will make it easier to move forward without wasting time or money on ideas that are too vague. A few questions to ask yourself are:
- What problem do I solve for my customers/clients?
- What sets me apart from my competitors?
- What are my goals for the next quarter, year, two years?
Having at least an idea as to answers to these questions will put you ahead of the game and get you media placements more quickly.
- Time. This is a critical aspect of utilizing publicity and why you have to start before you need it. You have to set aside time to work with a publicist, answer questions, and approve materials, and do interviews.
Ensuring that you have a consistent brand, goals, and time to dedicate to getting media placements is vital in utilizing those opportunities effectively and leveraging them to increase your leads.
Establishing your credibility
Having people in your space and interested in your product or service means that you need to prove to them that you have been doing this long enough to be credible. Having proof of prior publicity and evidence of previous success will give them the confidence they need to move forward with a purchase. Being able to prove your visibility and positive history will help members of your audience who need extra convincing that you’re the right choice!
Moving your potential leads through your funnel successfully is difficult yet rewarding work. Having a proven track record and utilizing publicity throughout various stages of your business will give your customer base proof that you are someone that they need to buy from.
Working with a publicist
Having a publicist available to help you and your business is invaluable. A publicist will help you gain media exposure and help you curate content that will help you establish the authority you need to put forth your message. If you’re considering working with a publicist, be sure that you have adequate time to devote to communication and that you’re ready to work hard! You won’t be as successful without it!