Media Releases…Defining Your Audience

Having a story printed about you and your business is the best form of FREE advertising there is. Why you ask? Because it’s believable.

A news story in a local or national publication can give more details about your business in a way that allows your expertise to shine. People skim through the advertisement sections but are more apt to read informative articles.

Think about the last time you opened your newspaper and saw a story about a local business. Perhaps you read about a trendy new restaurant or martini bar that piqued your interest. Or maybe a neighbourhood book store was bringing in a famous author to promote her new book. Did the story grab your attention? Were you enticed to take action and check it out? Chances are if this topic was of interest to you, it did. And that brings us to finding the right market for your story.

Sending a media release to every editor of every newspaper and magazine will get you no where quickly. You will soon make a name for yourself – and not a good one at that. You already know (or you should know) how to find your ideal customer – your target market. It’s the same process to find your ideal publicity vehicle.

The first step in figuring out who to send your well-written media release to is to look at your own target market.

• What newspapers and magazines do they read?
• What television shows are they watching?
• What radio stations are they listening to?

Next, research the editors, journalists, freelance writers, and producers inside those publications and programs that work on stories relating to your industry. But always keep in mind that it is their job to publish their newspaper or magazine or to air their television or radio program. They entice people to subscribe, watch or listen, and encourage advertisers to pay money for ads. Their job is not to promote you.

Editors have their audience’s interests top of mind. To be effective, consider the journalist’s perspective. An editor will be reading your media release to see if it is of interest to his or her defined audience.

It does take time to create a targeted media list but the effort is worth it. Names are usually posted on Web sites and newspaper mastheads. It may take an enquiring phone call to see the best source for your story. As you grow your list of targeted contacts, you are developing a reference guide not just for sending your media releases, but also for article writing that can help to boost your business exposure.

Keep in mind that publicity is not about you – it’s about giving editors what they need to create a strong story. In other words, you’re making their job easier by giving them exactly what they need to create a compelling piece…and getting free publicity for your business as a bonus.

Networking Masters International Welcomes Josh Hinds, Get Motivated to Network Expert to the Resident Experts Team

We are thrilled to welcome Josh Hinds, Get Motivated to Network Expert to our team of Resident Experts here at Networking Masters International.

Josh Hinds, speaker, author, and coach is the founder of GetMotivation.com which has been visited by millions of people world-wide – as well as a growing network of personal and professional development related web sites which include:
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• BusinessNetworkingAdvice.com
• BusinessLeadershipAdvice.com
• SalesTrainingAdvice.com
• GoalsSuccess.com

Josh is the author of “Why Perfect Timing is a Myth: Tips for Staying Inspired and Motivated Day in and Day out!” and, Publisher of the Let’s Talk Motivation Newsletter which provides a source of ongoing motivation to his readers.

Josh practices the simple belief that opportunities open themselves up when you lead with a sincere willingness to help others.

We invite you to learn more about Josh through his websites and future posts to The Networking Masters blog.

Smart Networking to the Rescue!

“Help! My Networking’s Not Working!” they cried…

Plagued by misconceptions, fear and procrastination… business professionals around the globe are wondering how to get their networking… working.

Now, there’s no need to fret or fear… The Networking Masters are here and… we’ve got back up!

“Smart Networking” to the Rescue!

If you’re not sure how to leverage networking in a way that works for you, this brand new book “Smart Networking” by Liz Lynch is a must-read.

And, today, you can enjoy a sneak peek into Liz’s insights and advice through a special interview that narrows in on some key questions to help you… get your networking working!

Gina: Liz, In your opinion, what is the biggest benefit of networking and why?

Liz: While networking can help people gain enormous tangible benefits in landing a new job or getting new clients, etc. I’ve really come to feel through my own experience that the biggest benefit of all is something more intangible. It’s knowing that you have a support system there for you when you need it, for whatever you want to do, whatever goal you set for yourself. Knowing that you can accomplish anything, in my opinion, is absolutely priceless.

Gina: What are some of the reasons why networking might not be working for someone and how can they flip the results?

Liz: One reason is expecting instant results. You wouldn’t plant grape seeds and expect vintage-quality wine in one week, but some people think that if they don’t meet someone at an event who can hire them or give them business right away, it’s been a waste of time.

A related reason for failure is being too focused on one’s own needs. People are willing to help you because they know like and trust you, but also because they know that you’re willing to help them. To be successful with networking, you have to see it as a two-way street, and give the relationship time to develop.

Gina: Networking is a concept that seems to be largely misunderstood. In your opinion, what is the biggest myth or misconception surrounding networking today and how can networking professionals move past it?

Liz: One of the biggest myths is that you don’t need to network unless you need something, which then leads to the approach of networking ONLY when you need something. This thinking gets in the way of effective networking because you’re too focused on your own needs.

If you take a broader view of networking so that when you meet people you aren’t asking “What can they do for me?” but rather “What can they do?” you begin to see how much value every single person has to offer. People become more interesting to you, you see how you’re able to connect them with others in your network, and networking becomes so much more fun. And believe me, when I started, I didn’t like networking at all. So this mental shift has been critical for my own networking and business success.

Gina: For some people, the thought of networking with “strangers” is very scary, what advice do you have to help alleviate networking jitters?

Liz: I faced the exact same thing when I started my business! The first networking event I attended I lasted 5 minutes! It was very overwhelming. So I changed my strategy to reconnect with people I already knew but hadn’t seen in a while, like former coworkers, bosses, school mates. In fact, almost all of my clients my first two years in business came from those dozen or so meetings. Once I began to see success from those networking efforts, I was able to meet strangers with a great deal more confidence.

One trick I had was to arrive at events early. It was less intimidating to talk to a few other early birds than to arrive when 200 people were already engrossed in conversation.

Gina: Combining face to face and online networking is proving to be a highly effective combination… why do you think this is?

Liz: Smart networkers do indeed combine both. I think face-to-face is still very important for making an impact, and in particular, for connecting with high-level people who normally have gatekeepers screening their calls and emails. What makes online networking so valuable is the diversity and sheer numbers of people you can reach without leaving your home. For example, Gina, you and I would never have met since you live in Canada and I live in New York, but through online networking we connected and are now helping each other. And if we ever do meet in person (which I hope will happen) we’ll have had such a big head start in building our relationship that we can talk about doing bigger things together.

Gina: Liz, thank you so much for sharing your valuable advice and insights! I would love to see a face-to-face meeting in our near future too!

Everyone stay tuned… we’ll bring Liz back soon for a more in-depth audio interview.  If you’d like to be notified when this happens, simply click the big orange subscribe now button to your right… It’s free and you’ll benefit from some other valuable bonuses too.

To learn more about Liz Lynch and her new book “Smart Networking” go to the Smart Networking Blog now.

ABOUT LIZ LYNCH: Liz is the author to “SMART NETWORKING”. Packed with powerful strategies tested by years of experience, as well as real-life stories from the field, Smart Networking describes how to integrate face-to-face techniques with a strong online presence. You’ll get low-cost marketing tools that are designed to expand your professional circle exponentially. Lynch will also help you to:

* Identify the gaps in your network and develop a plan to fill them.
* Tap into existing contacts and master the art of the ask.
* Increase visibility through speaking, e-zine publishing, and blogs.
* Expand your reach with social networking tools.
* Develop a winning mindset to guide all your networking activities.

Liz Lynch is also author to 102 Secrets to Smarter Networking and founder of the Center for Networking Excellence. This company develops products, programs, and seminars that help entrepreneurs and professionals get clients, build their businesses, and accelerate their careers through networking.  http://blog.networkingexcellence.com

Discover “The Power of True Networking” An interview with Steve Bell, co-Founder of The Networking Masters

Friday November 28th Steve Bell, co-Founder of The Networking Masters appeared on The Joan Sotkin Blog Talk Radio Show…

During the interview Steve and Joan discuss:

• The difference between prospecting, brokering and networking.
• The definition of “true” networking.
• Various true-life examples of the benefits of effective networking
• and more!

You can listen to the complete interview here: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/JoanSotkin/2008/11/28/The-Power-of-Networking-with-Steve-Bell

Enjoy! We’d love to hear your comments

Happy Networking!

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