I have lost track of how many times an author has told me, "If I could just get on Oprah..." In the past this has been a good way to gain exposure for their book and their platform. Times have changed, but one thing that has not changed is the role the media can play in your success or your lack there of.
Nick Nanton has also heard the same media-driven goals from his clients and so I decided to reach out to him to commiserate and collaborate. Nick is a best selling author and consultant who helps entrepreneurs as well as small- to medium-sized businesses expand their brand through strategic marketing techniques.
Arielle: Nick, what misconceptions do you hear from your clients about why they want to get media exposure?
Nick: Arielle, it begins with the initial meeting. Inevitably, one of the first questions I get asked by new clients, or even just casual acquaintances, is, "how do I get on TV?" And I'm usually met with a blank stare or a really generic answer when I follow up their question, with my own, "why do you want to get on TV?"
Their answer is almost always one of the following:
1.I just want to get out there more
2.I need some exposure for our product/service
3.I've always just thought that if we got on TV, our business would explode
Arielle: They are the right track for exposure, but how do you explain the larger picture to them?
Nick: I reaffirm to them that getting on TV can do all of these things, but most people miss out on the fact that getting on TV, by itself, isn't a very sound marketing strategy. Here's how I explain the two major forms of media:
1.Mass Media -- Television, Radio, Newspaper
2.Targeted/Direct Media -- Brochures, email newsletters, web sites, sales letters, CDs, DVDs or any media that you create and send directly to an audience that cares what you have to say (usually an audience you've pinpointed as good prospects or a list of people who have indicated that they'd like to learn more about what you do)
Mass media is great for building two things, credibility and awareness. Both of these things are great, but they usually don't directly drive revenue.
Targeted/direct media is great because you can control how much money you want to spend on it and you can control when and where it goes. The downfall of direct media is you have to get beyond the skeptical viewer/reader because it doesn't have the credibility of a message that's been seen in a mass media format. Consumers and business owners assume that the information they see in the mass media is credible, they aren't sure about direct media because it usually comes across as a marketing piece.
Arielle: So how do you recommend they use both types of media to their full advantage?
Nick: This is the million dollar secret that everyone misses.
Get as much mass media as you can get, then promote your mass media appearances and content through direct media to your core audience of prospects and clients.
Mass media is an amazing thing for your career, but if you don't use the media and convert it into a marketing piece that you can use over and over again, it's really just an expensive exercise in getting your message heard once. And I'm sure by now you know what happens when people hear your message once -- nothing.
And that's the mistake that kills most businesses. They pay a fortune to try to get good PR, if they end up getting it, they wait for the phone to start ringing off the hook and the orders to start pouring in, but rarely does that ever happen. No one ever told them that getting the mass media was the first step and using the mass media to create credibility and marketing through direct media was the step that generates all the revenue. And similar to a boat that runs out of gas half way across the lake, the business with media and PR that doesn't have enough sales to stay in business, doesn't do much good for anyone!
Just remember the two-step formula for success with media and you'll be miles ahead of your competition.
Arielle: Thank you Nick, this is great. For all of you authors, entrepreneurs and small businesses, remember that mass media allows you to be seen once, what you do with it before, during and after will determine its longevity.
If you want to be on NBC, CBS, ABC and FOX with me, GUARANTEED! Listen to this call that will tell you how!
JW Dicks (@jwdicks) & Nick Nanton (@nicknanton) are best-selling authors that consult for small- and medium-sized businesses on how to build their business through Personality Driven Marketing, Personal Brand Positioning, Guaranteed Media, and Mining Hidden Business Assets. They offer free articles, white papers, and case studies at their Web site www.CelebrityBrandingAgency.com. Jack and Nick have been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Newsweek, FastCompany.com, and many more media outlets.
Arielle Ford has launched the careers of many NY Times bestselling authors including Deepak Chopra, Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Neale Donald Walsch& Debbie Ford. She is a former book publicist, literary agent and the author of seven books. To learn how to get started writing a book please visit: www.HowToWriteMyBook.com