Great article

I read this great article in Mompreneur magazine and wanted to share it with you.

Feed the Media to Get Buzz For Your Business
I watched a DVD of the movie The Soloist recently. It is based on a book by a real-life columnist for the Los Angeles Times, Steve Lopez. The story is about how he met and befriended a homeless man who is blessed with a passion and gift for music and cursed with mental illness. I've been an admirer of Lopez's columns since he wrote for the Philadelphia Inquirer.

What struck me about the film, beyond the touching story itself, was the depiction of Lopez as always on the hunt for a topic for his next column. You don't see him writing the columns (long stretches sitting in front of a computer would be visually boring). but you do see him scribbling notes, interviewing people, observing the scene and just thinking about the deadlines he's up against and the need to find something to write about...NOW!

I tell you this, because as a publicity-seeker, it's useful to put yourself in the reporter's shoes. They need you. Picture him/her constantly under pressure to find a worthy topic right away, wading through hundreds of phone calls and emails from people clamoring for media coverage who mostly don't fit the bill, always searching for the gem of an idea to run with.

Is the pitch timely and unique? Is there change or conflict or danger involved? Perhaps there's a human drama unfolding. Who are the people in your story? News is about people.

When you're crafting a pitch, it helps to think like a reporter AND like their viewers, readers or listeners. Be clear about the audience you're trying to reach and what news organizations, columnists and reporters speak to them. Find out what they care about. What are they talking about? How can your story fit their interests and entertain, inform or inspire them?

As a publicist friend said the other day, the researcher thinks his new study about two molecules is fascinating, but it's her job to ask, "Why should that matter to the rest of us?" Would YOU care if his finding could lead to a new and better treatment for cancer? Now you're on your way to a story.

Media Momentum Coach Janet Vasil uses her more than 25 years experience in news and information programming as a radio/TV Anchor, Reporter and Producer to empower Women Solo Entrepreneurs, Independent Professionals, Authors, Coaches, Speakers and Trainers to reach out to the media and profit from free publicity.

For more information about how Janet's coaching, workshops and communications services can help you Get Seen, Get Heard and Get Results, visit her blog at http://www.yourmediamoment.com/