I was chatting with a colleague the other day and she asked me if publicity is for people who are already making loads of cash.

My heart instantly sank….but I totally understood why she asked.

I mean, that’s what we see when we turn on the television or pick up a magazine. We tend to see the ‘rich & famous’ or people who did ‘something really great’ in their lives, living it up in the press…but the media is happy talking to us ‘ordinary’ people as we do the extraordinary in our business and in the lives of our clients.

 

If a time-traveler had said to me that Forbes or Entrepreneur would have been in my future, I would’ve looked them dead in the eye and called them a liar. NEVER in my wildest dreams would I ever think that publications such as these would ever reach out to interview ‘little ole me’;

That happens to other people who are MORE…..you know…

MORE established,

MORE famous,

MORE ANYTHING…but guess what……I was soooo wrong!!

 

I was exactly what they needed. My knowledge and expertise was enough; I didn’t have to be more…..I just had to BE ME!!

The fact is, anything can happen once you decide to show up. The media just wants you to be you and share your message with their audience who are craving YOUR knowledge and experience.
It’s literally that simple.

 

The truth is, you don’t need to be making five, six and seven figures in your business to use the press. Don’t think you need to be ‘Kardashian rich’ or ‘Elon Musk’ famous to get the press to take notice…..you just need to be yourself, tell your story and motivate their audience, most of all, you need a plan of action to help turn that fame into fortune.

Just like many of us business owners use social media to build relationships and offer our services, publicity can do the same and it’s free to use. Here are just a few ways you can start incorporating free publicity in your business:

 

1: Guest post or blog: Show up to a whole new audience in an authentic way by showcasing your knowledge and expertise on some else’s platform. Look for online blogs or even see if your colleagues need content for any of their publications and show up there. Don’t like to write? Then see if you can show up on their video or live streams where you can talk more about yourself and what you do. Be sure (with your host’s permission) to include ways their audience can find out more or how they can connect with you.

 

2: Make Twitter your best friend: More than 83% of journalists use Twitter to get their sources and stories. They actually list it as one of their most valuable resources so if you’re itching to get featured you may want to consider joining this platform (or reactivate your existing account). Start by following the accounts of the places you’d like to be featured and begin interacting with other journalists by liking, commenting and retweeting their posts. It will surely help you get noticed.

 

3: Use free tools: There are multiple free tools you can start using to get free press such as Help a Reporter Out, Qwoted and podcastguest.com. Simply google and you’ll find a whole lot more. Once you activate your Twitter account you can search #journorequest to connect with journalists all around the world and respond directly to requests to be featured in their publications.

 

4: Do something great for your community: The media loves ‘feel good’ stories and there is nothing more wholesome than you giving back in some way. It could be volunteering at a local home or donating to charity the media loves to showcase people doing great work. A few years ago, here in Trinidad & Tobago we had major flooding and many persons stepped up to help those who were affected by donating food, providing transport and medical care…the press was able to feature all these people for the good work they did and also to let others who may be in need know who to contact for help.

 

 

Before you roll your eyes or think you don’t want to talk about yourself or sound ‘too braggy’, understand that promoting yourself is not icky or gross or narcissistic, it’s your responsibility. The fact of the matter is every single day that you’re not making yourself visible is another day where your potential client will listen to or buy from someone else…….simply because they can’t find you.

Stop sending your clients away to make other people rich….go get your money!!

Showing up in the media is the quickest and fastest way to get your customers to take notice, and if you’re ready to step up and stand out as the genius you are, I’ve got something super special for you.

 

 

If you’re itching to get your feed wet in the publicity pool, I’ve got something I think you might like. For just for $500, I can get you featured in a top global magazine in just a few weeks….Guaranteed!!! Just send me an email at carla@carlimedia.com with the subject ‘Make Me Famous’ to get the details.

If you’re ready to take your business and your brand further, I’m sure I’ll be hearing from you.