The topics covered in this post are (1) publicity and (2) baby steps toward implementing social media – continued.
This post will be short but perhaps very useful for you – particularly if you are looking to increase publicity for your book and/or yourself. I learned it from Steve Harrison, the gentleman who was responsible for helping make famous, among others, the authors of the series of books known as “Chicken Soup for the Soul” and “Rich Dad Poor Dad.” Can you imagine that these authors, Jack Canfield and Robert Kiyosaki, respectively, were once unknown just like you and me? Hard to believe, isn’t it?
What I’m about to share with you is called the Reporter Connection. Here is its sign-up page. The best part? It’s free! Topics covered in the Reporter Connection vary from A to Z. You can be a teenager, a mom who is homeschooling children, someone with strong opinions on social issues, an author, a successful business owner, a doctor, a lawyer, or a high-tech nerd. You name it. You will eventually find topics about which you can be interviewed. Once you start receiving the Reporter Connection via e-mail and if you have something to say about a particular topic, you can send in your information. If the reporter likes what you said in your application, you may land an interview.
The daily list is organized in a way that anyone can go through it quickly. In fact, English is my second language and I can do this within a few minutes. I have already found a couple of topics that would apply to me. So I make it a point to quickly glance through the Reporter Connection daily. As of this writing, I have yet to be interviewed but I believe it’s only a matter of time before I will land an interview.
The idea behind the Reporter Connection is this: Paid advertisements cost you a lot of money. When you’re being interviewed, on the other hand, it cost you nothing – except for your time. Furthermore, interviews are a lot more effective than paid advertisements because they help create a word-of-mouth (unpaid) advertisement for your book. You don’t have a book published yet? Don’t worry. It’s more important to get your name out there – to create name recognition for you as an individual.
A couple of common-sense caveats about the Reporter Connection:
First, if you EVER send in information that does not fit exactly what the particular reporter or interviewer is asking, you risk being excluded from future considerations for interviews. It hurts your credibility and wastes everyone’s time. I think this is only fair, don’t you?
Second, Steve Harrison is an astute businessman. He is passionate about his business of helping aspiring authors become successful. By the same token, he is equally committed to running his business profitably – as any responsible business owner should be. So, once you get on his radar screen, you will begin to see other programs that his company, Bradley Communications Corporation, offers. But, of course, you can always opt out of receiving future emails from him if you so choose.
I was introduced to the Reporter Connection because of another program that I had purchased from his company. So far, I am getting much more than my money’s worth of goods and services for which I had signed up.
Footnote: Comments above are strictly my personal opinion. I’m not in the business of endorsing goods and/or services. Nor am I being paid by Bradley Communications for my comments. Before proceeding to do business with this or any other company, please do your own due diligence and check it out thoroughly for yourself. You are responsible for your own actions and consequences.
Baby steps toward implementing social media – continued
Since the last post, one of the most important baby steps I took toward eventually implementing social media in an effective manner was that I posted a video on YouTube. Steve Harrison personally taught his Publicity Workshop in Philadelphia on July 17 & 18, 2012. During the workshop, he helped put into sharp focus WHY it was important for me to write my book. As a result, this video was created – to reach out to one of the most important target audiences for my book. It is called, “Thank you, WWII veterans, from Reiko McKendry.” My biggest dream is to reach as many of the World War II veterans (and their families) as possible by August 14, 2015. That is when the world will be celebrating the 70th anniversary since the end of the war. Eventually, I will be creating a headline – an irresistible hook – that goes with this video when I’m ready. For now, perhaps you know someone whose family member fought in the Pacific. I would appreciate it very much if you would help spread the word for me to those veterans. Thank you.
Coming up next month
“Making connections with my target audience” will be the topic to be covered in September.
