radio

Which News Media Should You Use To Gain Maximum Exposure?

by Paul Joseph August 12, 2011 Featured

Not every piece of news you come up with will be suitable for every news medium, and in many cases, the success of your pitch to media will be dependent on whether the story suits the type of outlet you are pitching it to. Obviously, it goes without saying that your story needs to be relevant to the journalist, publication or section you pitch it to. This goes for location and for area of interest. For example, a news story about a new store opening in Chicago won’t be immediately relevant to a newspaper in California. And it makes sense that you would not pitch it to a Californian newspaper anyway, because the target audience (ie, potential customers for the store) will be local to it, and not living in California, therefore it makes sense you would pitch it to a local newspaper. Similarly, if your beauty business has found a new revolutionary anti-aging solution, the motoring reporter for your local newspaper is not likely to find this story relevant and neither will its readers. The Exception To The Rule With most things in life, there is always going to be an exception to the rule. It may be important that you appeal to an audience interstate for your new store in Chicago, for example, to demonstrate the expanse of your brand across the country, or because you plan to open in California shortly. Here are some tips to help offer some relevance to mediums that are outside of the immediate geographical or topical area of relevance . If the issue is geographical , firstly examine your reasons for pitching the story to a news outlet that is a physical distance away from you or your business. You must be convinced that you have a genuine audience in these locations (and you have done some research into this – not just pulled that locality out of a hat). In order to pitch successfully, you must come up with an angle that is directly relevant to that locality . Perhaps you were born or grew up there, or maybe a key member in your team did? Maybe your business is going to directly solve a problem that is key to that locality and it is easily accessible to them? Do you already have a presence in that location or do you have concrete plans to set up one in the future? If the issue is not directly relevant from a topical basis, you will need to find a way to convert your story to the outlet’s style and/or areas of interest .For example, you would create a story around your business success (maybe make it relevant to surviving the GFC ) for a business-oriented outlet or section. If the section is more human interest , you might use a case study of a happy client to pitch the story – how your product or service changed their life. If the section or outlet is information based , then create a how-to list that will be directly relevant to the audience. Again, make sure you have a reason for pitching to an outlet or section that is outside of your direct relevancy . Just because it is there and people access it is not a good enough reason. If the audience is not likely to buy from you or be interested, you are simply wasting your time, and that of the journalist, who has to sift through reams of useless information sent to him/her on a daily basis. The Visual and Audio Mediums There is nothing more exhilarating than seeing yourself on TV or achieving an interview on radio . Imagine being offered a spot on a morning TV show or talk-back radio! While seemingly obvious, it’s amazing how many people are tripped up by this next fact: TV requires visuals and radio is going to require audio . Unless you are a well known personality already, it is very seldom you will be able to get away with a mention by the presenter without making some sort of appearance yourself, either directly or indirectly. If you are determined you do not want to appear on TV or speak on radio (and there is no other relevant senior member of your business who can), then you are wasting your time pitching to these sort of outlets. Before approaching radio and TV, consider what news you have to share very carefully. The relevancy rules above still apply, but because we have the added audio/visual components, other factors come into play. For TV: Does your story have a visual aspect, or could you create one? An event or demonstration is perfect, as is an interesting interview with yourself or someone else relevant to the story that you could offer as talent. Are you within reasonable proximity to the program/station or a supplier to them so that they can capture footage? Can you attend an interview in a studio at the other side of the country on a specified day and time? For radio: Does your story translate to radio? If it is very visual, for example, a physical demonstration, it may not be appropriate, or you may need to be creative to allow it to be. Are you going to be available to be interviewed in a quiet place over the phone on the subject? Bear in mind that breakfast radio and news will require a very early morning wake-up call that you need to be ready for at the specified time. If required, are you able to attend a radio studio for the interview, with any other talent as required? If you are serious about obtaining exposure via any news medium, the reality is that you are going to need to comply to their terms and conditions . You will need to make yourself available at the time and location the journalist specifies, for photos and interviews, and be prepared to talk on any topic around the news angle ( be prepared for curve balls! ). If they ask for photos and/or additional information, provide it without hesitation or do your best to obtain it. Remember, they are working to tight deadlines and will need your full co-operation . But the rewards can be very handsome, so it’s all definitely worth the effort! Kerry McDuling Get your bonus copy of my book “How To Start An Internet Business & Make Your First $1,000 Online” Download Here

Tagged as: branding and publicity, kerry mcduling, media exposure, news story ideas, newspaper, radio, relevance of news medium, small-business, young

0 comments Read the full article →

5 Effective Reading Strategies For The Busy Entrepreneur

by Paul Joseph July 13, 2011 Featured

Entrepreneurs are often curious, passionate workaholics. Yes, that’s a generalization – but often true. We want to learn more about things – our business, our world, our customers, our industry, our marketplace, our technology and other stuff. And we each have our preferred ways of staying up to date. Watching TV. Listening to the radio. Reading books. Subscribing to magazines. Surfing the Web. Even getting an assistant or professional service to summarize the most relevant information for you. One thing you cannot afford to do is fall behind. Information is indeed power , especially in today’s “knowledge economy”. And that’s why the staggering fact that the average American reads ONE book per year is so shocking. (I don’t know how different this figure is for other countries, but it’s probably representative). I average between 2 and 5 books every week , and my bookshelf is loaded with reading material, both professional and entertainment. Indeed, my taste in books ranges widely, with spiritual guides and business reviews rubbing covers with medical texts, the latest pulp fiction or copywriting tutorials in my bookshelf. And this isn’t all that I read. Online, I browse forums, blogs, news sources, article collections and social networks to stay on top of things. Studying so much material has given me a serious competitive edge over others in my market. And many entrepreneurs would agree that “ applied information ” is one of the secrets of their success too. Why Does Reading Matter? There are many benefits to studying new material regularly: Course correction – Learning something new helps you measure your progress against benchmarks and allows you to make changes that will power you ahead more surely and steadily. Keeping up with trends – Shifts and changes have devastated some industries. The unwary and uninformed were those crushed in those turbulent times. Being aware of trends helps your business adapt and stay competitive. In-depth knowledge – Expertise takes time to acquire. Study any subject for 10,000 hours and you’ll become one of the world’s leading experts. And there are some areas where detailed knowledge sets you apart from competition. 1. Read Longer I recently polled my contacts on social networks to ask how much time they spend reading every week. Not surprisingly, the answers were all over the place. The most frequent response was 2 hours a day . Maybe you’re surprised at that. Maybe you think there’s no way you can find two hours every day to read. Well, if you are serious about keeping up with your business world and remaining competitive, it’s time you started trying. Despite a hectic schedule, I manage to squeeze in 3 to 4 hours of reading every day , often early in the morning or late at night. It may not always be ‘easy’ and you might have to make small sacrifices – but the pay-off is rich and well worth the struggle. Here are some ideas to find reading time: Give up (or cut down) watching TV Wake up a half hour earlier Go to bed a half hour later Carry around a book and make use of ‘down time’ (waiting for a meeting, flight or client) 2. Read Faster I’ve been an avid and voracious reader since childhood. And a key factor in reading so much has been my reading speed. As I wrote this, I tested my reading speed using an online test and it says my speed is “504 words per minute” . For material that I enjoy reading, my actual speed could be double. When you consider that the average full-length book is between 50,000 and 300,000 words, I can zoom through it in 1.6 to 10 hours of reading time. And by reading faster, I’ll save 10 hours in comparison to another reader who can only read half as fast! When it comes to speed reading, practice indeed makes perfect. Concentration impacts your reading speed, as does the absence of external distractions. If you’re serious about improving your reading speed, you can try: Attending a speed reading seminar or course Buying a speed reading book and studying the techniques Using speed reading software to train yourself to go faster No matter which learning method you follow, the improvement in your reading speed will benefit you massively – for the rest of your life. 3. Read Smart What type of books (or other material) you read impacts your overall benefit from reading in a very significant way. A powerful mental image that I use frequently to highlight similar concepts is one that I first read in a book by Stephen Covey called “7 Habits of Highly Effective People” . It was about a man who scrambled quickly up a very tall tree, reached the top, and looked around… only to discover that he was in the wrong jungle! Doing things fast is not always more effective. Doing them right matters more . And that applies to reading as well. When you focus on the right kind of things to read, you get greater advantage from every minute invested into the activity than if the greater part of your reading time is spent weeding through junk. That’s what makes ‘Top 10′ lists and ‘expert recommendations’ so powerful and valuable. Some tips that may help you read smart: Look at ‘best-seller’ or ‘recommended’ lists (if many others thought it was good, it probably is) Seek peer group suggestions about the best sources of reading material Keep a critical watch on what you read, and be quick to abandon wasteful drivel (How often have you plugged on with a book just because you started reading it? Stop doing that – it’s not worthwhile!) Skim the highlights and dig deeper only where you feel you need more detail Make it convenient to access quality material (buy or borrow books to keep by you for whenever you are free to read, bookmark favorite online resources, subscribe to great blogs in your RSS feed). If you click here you’ll see one of my 4 bookshelves – with titles I’ve bought so that I’ll be able to refer to them quickly whenever needed! 4. Read More Everything else being equal, the entrepreneur who reads more (and applies the information effectively) will steal a march over another who doesn’t. As the reading habit grows on you, keep exercising it like a muscle . You’ll be amazed at how much more information you’re able to consume, process and apply in a relatively short time. In biographies of business icons like Donald Trump , Bill Gates , Richard Branson and many others, one common theme is the prodigious volume of information they have access to, and stay updated about, on a regular basis. At his busiest, Gates is said to have personally overseen the progress of almost 900 different projects – on a weekly basis! (And you thought it was EASY being the world’s richest man, huh?!) That sounds impossible – until you start pushing yourself as you gain facility at consuming and applying new information in your business and life. When you find a helpful resource, you’ll often come across references in it to other related information and material that will enhance your understanding about the topic that it covers. Following these links to explore new content sources will broaden and deepen your level of expertise. Before you know it, you’ll be a widely regarded subject specialist – and it all comes from reading more. 5. Read With Purpose Simply reading more books without doing anything purposeful with the knowledge you have acquired is as wasteful as not reading at all! Knowing what you hope to get from reading is the best way to maximize your time. In very broad terms, you may be reading for: Information – This comes from studying how-to guides, news updates, technical manuals, polls, surveys, research reports and similar content. Inspiration – When you study success stories, case reports, biographies and histories of famous companies, you feel energized and excited about replicating their models and successes. Insight – Editorial commentary, opinion pieces, guest columns and special reports or whitepapers can sometimes spark a breakthrough idea, fuel innovation or provide a flash of illumination that creates revolutionary impact. No matter what you’re reading for, be sure that you get value from your time and effort – by having a plan . Record the big (or small) lessons you gained from what you read Jot down ideas you intend trying out in your business or life Highlight passages that you liked very much – and scrapbook them for later Share relevant books and magazines with others in your team or mastermind group for discussion and debate Set deadlines and targets for any actionable steps you plan to implement based on whatever you read All of this will enhance the value you get from reading – and act as a positive feedback loop to encourage you to read even more. Then apply that learning towards further growth. So get passionate about reading more. Start today. Find some time to read. Learn and practice reading faster. Read as much as you can. Do it the smart way. And have a purpose to your reading. Oh, and let me know if you read any great books that I should look at too! Dr. Mani Get your bonus copy of my book “How To Start An Internet Business & Make Your First $1,000 Online” Download Here

Tagged as: business, countries, life, people, process, radio, time, young

0 comments Read the full article →

Why Even Entrepreneurs Need One Of These…

by Paul Joseph June 30, 2011 Featured

When you hear the term “ Mission Statement “, what comes to mind? For many of us, Mission Statements are synonymous with corporate entities and impersonal HR departments (did someone say TPS reports?). Yet Mission Statements aren’t just for the Kodaks and Coca Colas of the world – they can be effective tools for entrepreneurs to not only keep their focus and drive, but also lead the development of a cohesive entrepreneurial brand. Understanding The Mission Mission Statements are meant to inform , inspire , and justify . In just a few sentences, they can tell a suspect, prospect, or loyal customer volumes about an organization’s personality and standards. At their most basic, most mission statements are made up of a combination of three key elements: Purpose, People, and Passion. Purpose : What an organization does People : Who an organization serves Passion : Why an organization exists Mission Statements are used internally at organizations to share a message with associates and customers, as well as provide a touchstone and reference point for the brand identity . In good times, the Mission Statement becomes a victory call, a celebration of how success was won. In lean times, the Mission Statement can serve as a guide for winning new business and maintaining a cohesive brand identity while trying different strategies. At their best, Mission Statements can lead an organization to that next level of esteem among both internal and external customers. It becomes something that people want to be associated with and thus attracts top talent and top tier clients. At their worst, Mission Statements sound like pretentious, corporate BS that just evoke images of “suits”. Let’s take a look at two great, but different, Mission Statements: Dell and Twitter . First, let us look at the Mission Statement of Dell Computers. On their website, Dell states that: “[our] mission is to be the most successful computer company in the world at delivering the best customer experience in the markets we serve.” This Mission Statement contains all three basic elements and sends a clear message to both the consumer and employee about what Dell is all about and where the bar for success is set. No matter what your thoughts on Dell (some love their products, others not so much…), you are likely inspired by the positive and uncompromising language used in this statement: “most successful,” “in the world,” “the best,” “customer experience”, to visit their website, consider one of their products, or start talking about the company to a friend. Twitter just released a similarly effective yet different Mission Statement: “We want to instantly connect people everywhere to what is most important to them.” There is less specifics in this Mission Statement – if you’re reading it without knowing the company it’s attached to, you would have no idea how they would be connecting people, for example – however, it still mixes elements of Purpose, People, and Passion into a clear and powerful message. I don’t know about you, but both of these Mission Statements make me want to think about doing business with these companies. They showcase an element of vision, thought, and aspirations that inspire action on my end to associate myself with these brands, whether that action is through a business partnership or purchasing of products and services. The ability to inspire such actions in others is key to an entrepreneur’s success, which is why a Mission Statement isn’t just for corporations. The Entrepreneur’s Mission Let’s consider the three elements of a Mission Statement again, although this time let’s do so through the lens of an entrepreneur: Purpose : What an entrepreneur does People : Who an entrepreneur serves Passion : Why an entrepreneur does what they do When you think about your own entrepreneurial endeavors, can you speak to each of these elements – what you do, who you do it for, and why you do it? If you can’t, I’m willing to bet you are struggling getting that product off the ground or building your client base. Just think about it – would you spend money on a product or service that didn’t have its “what,” “who,” and “why” figured out? Probably not. What is compelling your market to buy without these specifics? The truth about Mission Statements is that, at their core, they are just dressier versions of basic brand value propositions. “What are you offering, and why should I care?” Mission Statements are especially valuable for entrepreneurs who have multiple projects and want to create a cohesive brand among them. Think about Tim Ferriss – he published a career book and a fitness book, two totally unique endeavors, and successfully marketed them under one, common Mission Statement: work smart – not hard – for maximum results. Building A Results-Focused Mission When thinking about your own entrepreneur’s Mission Statement, there are a few things to keep in mind: If you are looking for a place to start, list out all the Whats, Whos, and Whys of your business and start condensing the elements Keep it simple, short, and easy to repeat, so it can be shared easily Use language that is authentic to you and your industry – nothing makes a Mission Statement more empty than obviously pretentious language Make it motivational – the purpose is to communicate with potential associates and customers AND inspire them to an action Include it on all marketing materials, from your blog to your business card to your radio commercial Don’t be afraid to experiment – I’ve seen some Mission Statements that were fully formed sentences, and others that were just phrases or words listed out together. As long as you can intelligently and quickly explain it to someone else, feel free to express your Mission in whatever way feels “right” Finally: listen to your intuition , not your sales brain. Building a results-focused Mission Statement isn’t about writing the perfect hard sale, it’s about capturing an intangible element in those around you and within yourself. You want it to be a meaningful document you can be proud of, not just another piece of short-form sales copy. Have you established an entrepreneur’s Mission Statement? How has it helped the growth and development of your business and brand? Here’s to your Entrepreneur’s Journey, Nacie Get your bonus copy of my book “How To Start An Internet Business & Make Your First $1,000 Online” Download Here

Tagged as: book, industry, online, radio, sales, time

0 comments Read the full article →