Media Exposure is Marketing Gold – If You Know How to Use It

At a glance:

  • Implicit media endorsements make you stand out from the competition.
  • It’s not advertising; it’s building credibility.
  • Maximize your exposure by posting it on your Web site and sharing it via social media.

A colleague of mine, who’s a former newspaper reporter, tells a story about a savvy attorney she knew. He’d tip her off whenever he had a particularly juicy case if she promised to include his name alongside that of his client in her story. Whether he won the case or lost it, people remembered his name and associated him with high-profile cases.  He’d figured out that having his name in the paper bought him something no amount of advertising could: credibility.

Read more on media exposure is marketing gold. →

Radio Stations – They’re Now Web Sites That Also Happen to Broadcast – Part 2

Article highlights:

  1. How radio stations have married social media and traditional media into entertainment powerhouses.
  2. Why social media is important if you wish to be a guest.

Yesterday I introduced you to Alex Hinojosa, former full-time radio personality and current Senior Campaign Manager at EMSI. Alex was working as a talk show host/executive producer in a major market, Atlanta, when I lured him away in September of last year, so he has an up-to-the-minute understanding of the changes radio has undergone.

I asked him to explain those, and how they affect people who use radio appearances as a core part of their marketing strategy. Here’s the rest of our interview.

Read more on Radio Stations – They’re Now Web Sites That Also Happen to Broadcast – Part 2 →

No Shock – Talk Radio’s a New Game! Part 1

Article at a glance:

  • Why radio interviews have gone from one hour to today’s norm of 7 to 10 minutes.
  • How radio stations are rated and what this means to you.

Last week I introduced you to our new Creative Director, Penny Carnathan, an award-winning former newspaper editor who shared tips for getting press coverage in this era of changing media. I got such great feedback, I thought I’d introduce you to some of the other members of our team who can share similar insights about the media.

I’ll start with Alex (“Dro”) Hinojosa, who spent 15 years as a talk radio host, as he’s got some excellent insights into this industry, for those looking to use radio to get their message out. As with newspapers, it’s a new age in the world of talk radio.

Read more on No Shock – Talk Radio’s a New Game! Part 1 →

Decking the Halls Doesn’t Mean Slowing Down

While Your Competitors Guzzle the Eggnog, You Can Be Getting the Media

And now, the season begins.

In the office, everyone is hanging around the coffee machine longer and enjoying holiday deserts.  Outside the office, people are caught up in the holiday parties, shopping, food, family gatherings, and enough reruns of holiday programs that they are replaying the Grinch song in their head. They spend a little more time online surfing eBay for gifts and writing emails to associates hoping to put any real work off until January 2.

Read more on The media works every day of the year. They need fresh content every single day of the week. Their crews may change and shift, their lead people take vacations while second stringers fill in for them. But every day, they broadcast, print, publish and distribute the news. →

How Small is Too Small?

Why Small Radio Station Interviews Can Be Just as Good – If Not Better – Than the Big Ones

There is no question that the activity of public relations is primarily a numbers game.

The predominant viewpoint is that a campaign that reaches a large audience is typically a successful campaign. But when you delve beyond the surface, you may be surprised to discover that there are still instances in which smaller can actually be better.

In radio, that is very much the case these days.

So much has changed in the world of talk radio, where the power of the station isn’t as relevant as it used to be, primarily because of three key elements: ratings, formats and the Internet.

Read more

Christmas in August?

You Need to Start Now To Be in Your Customers’ Holiday Plans

Oh, the weather outside is frightful

But the shopping’s so delightful

So since we’ve got cash to blow

Let it go, let it go, let it go.

Okay, so I’m no Burt Bacharach, but you get the idea.

The fourth quarter – that holiday spending season between October and December – is still a month and a half away, so I’m sure you’re wondering why I’m riffing on a holiday classic. My point is that the holidays is when consumers and businesses make a disproportionate amount of purchases compared to the rest of the year, but just because they spend the money in Q4 doesn’t mean that’s when they also make the decisions on what to spend it on. Read more

So, You Want to Be The Next Big Talk Show Star?

There Are Two Ways In The Door, Depending On Your Resources

Get your own talk radio show and promote your message directly to the public.We’ve all said it at least once in our lives.

It usually happens when we’re watching TV and a talk show host is stumbling over their words or simply not being articulate, and we say either out loud or to ourselves, “I could do better than that.”

In my business, I get a lot of people who are of that belief, and many of them genuinely can do better than that. The disconnect is they believe that because they can be good on the air, it automatically means if they hire a PR agency to attract attention, they’ll have their own talk show and be a national celebrity. Read more on so, you want to be the next big talk show star? →

WGN Coming Up on 90th Anniversary: Flagship Chicago Radio Station’s Longevity Confirms Medium’s Vitality

In a media landscape that is growing and changing nearly every day, most of the players are relatively new. CNN is barely 30 years old and Fox News is a teenager at age 15. Even New York’s WABC-AM radio station is only 60 years old. So when Chicago flagship radio station WGN-AM announces that 2012 will be its 90th birthday, it’s cause for celebration.

But it’s not just about a big birthday or a dazzling history; it’s that WGN is a sterling example of why the medium of radio isn’t going away anytime soon. Over the course of its 90 years, WGN has been with us through some of the key stages of American history and with some of our country’s most beloved broadcasters.

After doing some homework I found that back in 1925, it was the first radio station to broadcast from a courtroom. WGN allowed the nation to listen to the famous Scopes “Monkey” Trial in Dayton, Tennessee, where teacher John Scopes was tried and convicted of teaching the theory of evolution in a public classroom, in violation of a local ordinance. Read more on WGN's 90th anniversary →

Talk Radio’s Industry Insider, Michael Harrison, Shares His Insights and Takes the Tough Questions

I love radio. I always have.

Just the variety of ideas and exchange of communications bouncing back and forth in the air; it’s so simple, so elegant and so vital to a country founded on the principle of free speech. I also love how radio has been a survivor. When TV was first invented, back in the days when people had become accustomed to gathering around the cabinet-sized radio in their living rooms to listen to news programs, The Shadow and The Jack Benny Show, everyone predicted radio’s rapid demise. After people saw these moving pictures on the TV screen, how could radio ever hold their interest again?

But radio persevered. When the Internet was founded, radio was once again thrown into the dead pool, with pundits writing the medium’s obituary in advance. But it didn’t happen, and I doubt it ever will. Read more on Michael Harrison →

When it Comes to Talk Radio, You Can’t Judge by Size Alone

Back in 1962, Avis Rent A Car began using the advertising slogan that is still in use today – “We try harder.”

The slogan was a nod to the fact that Avis was the second largest rental car company behind Hertz, and that as a result, they would always make an extra effort in a desire to overcome the competition. It’s a reasonably universal sentiment, as small corporations around the world employ the same tactic to provide better service or more flexibility than the market leaders. And the same can be said of talk radio. Read more on why you shouldn't judge talk radio shows by station size alone →

You Need Publicity For Your Book…Where Do You Start and What Do You Look For?

It’s an absolute must. If you want to sell your book to the masses, you have to get out there and publicize it. You need to be on the radio, in magazines and newspapers, on the TV and the Internet. The more the public hears about you and your message, the more likely it is your book will stand out from the hundreds of thousands of other books published every year. You probably already know all this, but you may not have any idea how to get started. Read more on how to get publicity for your book →

7 Things to Know Before Marketing Your Consumable Product on Radio and TV

Marketing can be a pretty bewildering subject for most companies, especially when it comes to marketing on radio and TV. First of all, should you even test radio or TV to market your products? Before answering this question, consider these seven points… Read more

8 PR Insider Tips to Build Your Business through Radio and TV Interviews

It is no surprise to hear that media interviews are among the most effective yet least known marketing methods you could ever use to promote your company, products and services.

But as good as these interviews are, they can be made even more effective.

As with most things, there are insider techniques that can help radio and TV interview “first-timers” do a powerful job. Read more

The Changing Face of the Media

In my nearly twenty years in the publicity industry, I have seen a fair bit of evolution in how the media reaches their audience. Some newspapers and magazines have turned into websites or blogs and several television shows have turned into streaming videos on YouTube. Talk radio seems to be the only media outlet that has remained untouched, right? Wrong! Read more

If You Want to Succeed…Start Locally!

Getting your company noticed in this tough economic climate has become harder than ever before for many companies. With mounting competition and shrinking budgets, the question arises: how do I let consumers know that my company exists, on both a national and a local level?!

While national media exposure is ideal, there is great power in local media exposure as well. By focusing on your hometown media outlets you will be able to build a solid base of fame and recognition from which to grow on. Creating as much “buzz” as you can locally will compliment your national campaign to no end and it also gives you invaluable media experience when the national media starts to knock on your door. Read more

Seven PR Secrets for Getting on Talk Radio as a Guest to Promote Your Business

And How to Make Sure Hosts Invite You Back

Successful CEOs know a secret.

They know that when it comes to getting real marketing traction for launching a new product or service, it’s not just about advertising. They know that – unlike the movie Field of Dreams, where all Kevin Costner had to do was build a baseball diamond and the fans magically would come – just putting a new product on the shelf does not guarantee anyone will hear about it, let alone buy it. Read more on 7 PR secrets for getting on talk radio →

Exclusive Interview with Michael Harrison, Founder of Talkers Magazine, Part 1

Referred to as “The Bible of Talk Radio” by Business Week Magazine.

Ok… as you probably know, I’m a big vocal supporter of talk radio, not only for its entertainment and educational value, but, also because of its value for promoting books, products and services.  One person in particular who shares my viewpoint is the founder of Talkers Magazine, Michael Harrison.  And let me tell you, when it comes to someone who has their finger firmly on the pulse of talk radio…this is the man! Read more

Four Tips To Get Talk Radio Hosts Interested in Your Product or Service

Talk radio interviews are one of the bases of a potential sales homerun. In fact, they’re custom-made for companies who want quick, affordable national exposure for their products or services. Read more

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