Today I want to share with you how to be a Media Darling – A celebrity who is especially popular and who receives frequent and very favorable attention in the news media. It’s easier than you think! Done right, it can have the media seeking you out on a regular basis!
There are two keys to being a Media Darling. Mindset is the first aspect.
Be a go giver and help other people get what they want [journalists] so that you can then get what you want [publicity]
Give journalists what they need. A great story, all the information in a neat package they can just cut and paste from, as well as showing them support and love on their work – not just the stories that feature you.
A recent study by MuckRack revealed:
- 76% of journalists feel more pressure now to think about their story’s potential to get shared on social platforms (which can be measured with our Who Shared My Link tool).
- 75% of journalists use Twitter to build their own brand. (And 86% of them check Twitter several times per day.)
- 82% of journalists said incorporating an image is the #1 important ingredient for content share ability.
So more than ever before, Journalists feel more pressure to get their stories shared. You can show them the love by Retweeting, liking, commenting on and sharing their stories.
This works because it helps the journalist get social proof and positive feedback on their work. It also helps put you on their radar. When they see your comments, likes and re tweets, they view you as a friend, an ally, and a familiar name. When you go pitch them, they recognize your name, associate it with your support and social love, and will give your pitch more attention than other pitches they get. In other words, they are predisposed to want to like your pitch!
Now the Second Part are your media assets. The tools journalists expect you to have. These are an online media room and a press kit.
87% of journalists surveyed in the Tek Newsroom survey 2014, expect companies of all sizes to have an online newsroom.
An online newsroom and media or press kit are great because they make it easier for journalists to write about you. It may be 3 am… they are on a deadline… They are looking for information they can grab to complete their article. They don’t have the time to call you, trade messages and finally get to speak to you. Your newsroom gives them everything they need to write about you – 24/7, even if you are playing golf or sleeping. Its a win-win. They get their story. You get media coverage. Sweet.
The newsroom is also a place to showcase your media coverage. Over time, you will build up an impressive list of media mentions and self-generated news. Your prospects, clients and partners will also use it to learn more about you. The newsroom gives you additional expert status and credibility – as media mentions are perceived like endorsements from the media or a 5 star review on Yelp. Additionally, while your competition may have media coverage, chances are they aren’t showcasing it. If you don’t let people know about it, its like it doesn’t even exist…… If a tree falls in the forest….
Your newsroom can simply be a page on your website that you add content to regularly.
No newsroom would be complete without a press kit. This is a downloadable folder of information about you and your company. It can simply be a PDF containing key information about your company, as well as a high-resolution headshot and high-resolution book cover or product shot [as appropriate].
As many of you know, my passion is creating DIY [do it yourself ] tools that make it easier to do your own marketing and promotion.
One of these tools is my Magnetic Media Kits for Authors. They come with the standard Jane design – elegant, simple, and no technical skills are required.
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