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4 Ways To Make The Most Out Of Media Coverage

As solopreneurs, we all dream about the big hit, the media coverage "home run" that will open all the right doors once and for all.

Photo: Michael Katz, founder and Chief Penguin of Blue Penguin Development; Source: Courtesy Photo

It was looking like just another Tuesday morning, until an e-mail arrived from a Forbes blogger.

“Michael, just wanted to let you know the Forbes post is live. Thanks for letting me interview you.”

Well, you know, I do what I can to help the media out.

Actually, I had met her a few weeks earlier for the first time over coffee, both of us friends of a friend. I have to admit, I had no idea at the time how big a deal she is. I just like meeting people and drinking coffee.

And so it was a nice surprise when she asked for an interview, and an even nicer one when I saw how it came out. But here’s the key question: Now what?

 

Make the most out of your media coverage

As ego-boosting and run-home-and-tell-your-dog wonderful as it is to see your name in a major publication, the fact is, it’s not all that valuable as a marketing tool, in and of itself. And why would it be?

After all, most people who read the article don’t know me. And most people who know me, didn’t see the article. So if all you do when this kind of big hit occurs is sit back and wait for the phone to ring, about the only people you’ll be talking with are dialing-for-dollars real estate brokers who hope to “move you into something more appropriate.”

Here’s what I recommend, instead:

 

1. Share your media coverage with people you already know

It’s great for strangers to read about you; it’s just not that productive. The real traction comes from those with whom you already have a connection.
 
If you’ve got a newsletter – and you can think of a slightly subtle way to draw attention to the article without making it all about you (sort of like what I’m doing right now) – mention it there.

 

Media coverage for small business owners
Photo: © Viacheslav Iakobchuk, YFS Magazine

Elaborate on some of the lessons learned or points made. If you don’t have a newsletter (shame on you), send some emails to clients and other important colleagues with a, “in case you missed it, thought you’d be interested” note. If you’ve been in touch with these people on a regular basis, it won’t feel obnoxiously self-serving. (If you haven’t, shame on you again.)

 

2. Post new media coverage on your website

I’m thrilled to have been interviewed. But tomorrow, someone else will be interviewed and I’ll fade into the background like a middle-aged bald guy at a high school parents night.

If you post the new media coverage on your own website, however, it’s there – as a credential – forever. For example, I have a press page on my site, from which I link to things like this.

 

3. Update your bio

From a marketing perspective, the best part about being quoted in Forbes is being able to say you’ve been quoted in Forbes. People (i.e., clients, prospects, your father-in-law who still doesn’t understand why you left that “secure” job) are impressed.

And, with the notable exception of having been accused of a felony, it doesn’t matter what the article was about or what you said – it’s a feather in your cap and one you want to capture.

 

4. Frame it and hang it in your office

This one doesn’t have a lot of marketing value, but it’s important, nonetheless. As solopreneurs we’re so busy chasing the work or doing the work that we forget to celebrate the victories.

The thing is, when you look back years from now, most of the day-to-day will have evaporated. So capture the big wins and display them — for yourself. They come in handy — particularly on those days when you wonder if maybe your father-in-law was right. (He wasn’t.)

 

Here’s the bottom line. Solopreneurs dream about the big hit, the media home run that will open all the doors once and for all. Unfortunately, it’s mostly illusion – a winning lottery ticket that’s somehow been misinterpreted as a marketing strategy.

 

This article has been edited.

Michael Katz is the founder and Chief Penguin of Blue Penguin Development. He specializes in developing email newsletters for professional service firms. Sign up for his free newsletter, The Likeable Expert Gazette, here. Connect with @MichaelJKatz on Twitter.

 

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