What you will learn: How to turn media attention into sales Transcript: Welcome to the Get Media Smart podcast. Never struggle to get attention again. I’m your host, Cheryl Tan Want to learn how to get noticed by the media? What if the media came to you, and right behind them….clients and customers? How do you leverage that publicity to grow your company? This is the Get Media Smart podcast, where you will hear real-life stories of publicity gone right. You will learn actionable steps to get your name in front of the people who matter. Hi, everyone! I’m Cheryl Tan. Welcome to the Get Media Smart podcast. Episode #14. You did it! Congratulations! You have completed the 2-week Become a Media Magnet Challenge. How did you do? How do you feel? Do you have any success stories? I would love to share them. If you’re just hearing this, you can still take the free email challenge at CherylTanMedia.com/podcast and for two full weeks, you will get action items straight to your inbox - action items that will help you attract attention for you and your business. Today, I'll address a very important question: How do you turn media attention into SALES? Publicity is important in getting your name "out there," but you still have to create a relationship with a potential client. You need to give a reason for them to stay in touch. To me, it’s a media waste if you don’t have a plan to turn those viewers into potential customers or clients. Let's say you knock it out of the park on an interview. You looked great, you sounded great, and the response was phenomenal to your segment. Your potential client goes to Google to learn more about you, finds your website, and then what? Remember, you likely won’t be able to talk about your specific business - you’ll likely be sharing your expertise - so you won’t be able to leave a phone number or an email. But, if you did a good job, then potential clients will want to know more, and so will turn to Google to get the information they need. You'll want a way to stay in touch with that potential client. Collect an email address. Encourage them to call you. One of the easiest ways to stay in touch is through an email newsletter. You can offer that newspaper reader or TV viewer a guide with information they are interested in. In exchange, they give you an email address - and the permission to keep contacting them with your message. For email collection, I use Aweber. People go to my website and sign up for my emailed blog posts and updates. You did just that when you signed up for this challenge. There are are plenty of others on the market. Whatever you decide to use, make that email sign-up a prominent part of your website. Give away information or a sample or something in exchange for that email address. And then you can continue a relationship with a potential client. In this way, you have turned the media attention into something much more valuable. I know this can be overwhelming, and sometimes you need a helping hand. That's why I have created a wonderful membership community at GetMediaSmart.com that will provide you with step-by-step trainings (more in-depth than what I was able to provide in emails and on this podcast), live calls, as well as a fantastic online forum so you can get support in your efforts to get the media attention for your business. I would love it if you were a part of my membership community, where we are helping entrepreneurs get their message to the world. You can learn more about the Get Media Smart Membership community at cheryltanmedia.com/podcast. So what happens with the “Get Media Smart” podcast now? Now it’s time for valuable interviews from successful entrepreneurs who have grown their companies through smart marketing & media strategy. I can’t wait for the interviews to begin. We will all be learning a lot. Stay tuned, and thanks for joining me.

Get Media Smart with Cheryl Tan

How to turn media attention into sales

What you will learn: How to follow up on your media pitch. Transcript: Welcome to the Get Media Smart podcast. Never struggle to get attention again. I’m your host, Cheryl Tan Want to learn how to get noticed by the media? What if the media came to you, and right behind them….clients and customers? How do you leverage that publicity to grow your company? This is the Get Media Smart podcast, where you will hear real-life stories of publicity gone right. You will learn actionable steps to get your name in front of the people who matter. Hi, everyone! I’m Cheryl Tan. Welcome to the Get Media Smart podcast. Episode #13. It’s down to the wire. You’re almost done. Day 13 of the 2-week Become a Media Magnet Challenge. You can still join us by signing up for this free email challenge at CherylTanMedia.com/podcast and for two full weeks, you will get action items straight to your inbox - action items that will help you attract attention for you and your business. I will outline the challenges in the first 14 episodes of this podcast. They are short, to the point, and you can always join us in our Facebook community to talk about your results. Today, you will learn how to follow up after you have sent a news release or an email or made a phone call to a reporter, a producer, or an editor at a media outlet. First, congratulations! That is a rather large step. And it means you have done quite a bit of work so far. Don't give up. One of three things happens when that call or email is received. *#1. It sparks interest RIGHT NOW, and you get a phone call or email in return, as in minutes later. That also means the reporter needs to set up an interview RIGHT AWAY. *#2. It goes into a file, to be looked at later. *#3. It gets deleted. Unless you get a response right away, you have no idea where that idea falls in the grand scheme of things. So, here's my suggestion: Wait two to three days, and follow up. If you called, send an email. If you sent an email, then call. There are a lot of theories floating around out there about the best way to follow up, but here’s the thing. We’re all people. If you have a worthy story - one that doesn’t try to sell a product or service outright, but has a newsworthy hook or a lesson attached to it - then it’s in the best interest of the reporter or producer to hear about it. When you reach out, be succinct and let that reporter or producer know you wanted to make sure he/she received the information about your upcoming event or story idea. And this is key. Ask the person on the other end of the line or in the body of the email, "Does this story interest you?" If you're on the phone, you will most likely get an honest response. At this point, you want a yes or a no. A yes means you can follow up if they don't choose to do the story that day. If it's a no, you can start a conversation, ask that person what story would be of interest. It's all about relationships, as we have been discussing since the beginning of our two-week challenge. Today's challenge is to take a look at any previous pitches you have made, any emails you have sent that received no response. Now is the time to revisit them and follow-up in the way I mentioned above. It's the only way to find out what kinds of stories these media outlets really want to tell. Here’s what I find when I talk to clients. They don’t follow up. They simply don’t reach out again. I get it, you have no idea whether the news outlet wants to hear from you. You don’t want to be the pest. You don’t want to be blackballed. But in the case of media attention, timing truly is everything. Lead stories fall through all the time. All the time. Let’s say you have pitched a story about a new type of pet therapy sweeping your community. It might be a story a producer puts on the backburner, for a slower news day. You don’t know that, though.

How to follow up on your media pitch

What you will learn: How to put together the perfect press release. Transcript: Welcome to the Get Media Smart podcast. Never struggle to get attention again. I’m your host, Cheryl Tan Want to learn how to get noticed by the media? What if the media came to you, and right behind them….clients and customers? How do you leverage that publicity to grow your company? This is the Get Media Smart podcast, where you will hear real-life stories of publicity gone right. You will learn actionable steps to get your name in front of the people who matter. Hi, everyone! I’m Cheryl Tan. Welcome to the Get Media Smart podcast. Episode #12. You have made it to Day 12 of the 2-week Become a Media Magnet Challenge. What do you think of this challenge so far? You have come a long way. Today, we’re talking about putting together the perfect press release. By the way, you can still join us by signing up for this free email challenge at CherylTanMedia.com/podcast and for two full weeks, you will get action items straight to your inbox - action items that will help you attract attention for you and your business. I will outline the challenges in the first 14 episodes of this podcast. They are short, to the point, and you can always join us in our Facebook community to talk about your results. Onto Challenge #12. Today, we are creating the perfect press release. Let me say first, I am not a huge fan of press releases as a way to reach a reporter. It’s mostly because they are often mis-used. Too many people create a press release, mass send them to every single employee of a news station and wonder why they don’t get a return call. But I do believe it's important to go through the steps of crafting one when you have a story to pitch - simply because it helps you organize your information in a clear and concise way. And for big events, press releases can definitely work. When putting together a press release, simplicity, brevity, and providing clear information are so very important. Just the other day, I was talking with an assignment editor at a TV station and he told me to repeat this many times to business owners. A press release, also known as a news release or a media release is simply a document you send to news organizations--television stations, newspapers, radio stations, magazines--to let them know about a newsworthy event they can include in their broadcasts or publications. First things first, think about your headline. You want something that will grab the attention of the person who is reading it. The person who receives the press releases is extremely busy, and has a long list of other press releases screaming for attention, so when you create your headline, think about what kind of event or update will make an impact on his or her audience. We talked about this specifically in Episode #3 of the Get Media Smart podcast. I talked about the things you need to think about in creating your story pitch. If hundreds of business owners are pulling together for a fundraiser for the homeless, for example, say so in the headline. No need to bury the lead. The first paragraph is probably the most important paragraph, after the headline. It may be the only part that gets read. Your inclination may be to talk about your company right off the top. Save that for paragraph 3 or 4. Stick to the event details and why it’s important for the community in paragraph one. And answer these questions, quickly, in that first paragraph. Who (is putting the event together)? What (is going on)? When (is it taking place)? Where (is it happening)? Why (does it matter)? ​ The paragraphs that follow can include past results from your event or details about your company, but try to keep the entire thing at one page. And copy the release into the body of the email, as opposed to attaching it in a file. It is much easier to read the information in an email versus opening the email an...

How to put together the perfect press release

What you will learn: HARO is a free service that can connect you with journalists from around the country. Learn my tips for success with HARO. Transcript: Welcome to the Get Media Smart podcast. Never struggle to get attention again. I’m your host, Cheryl Tan Want to learn how to get noticed by the media? What if the media came to you, and right behind them….clients and customers? How do you leverage that publicity to grow your company? This is the Get Media Smart podcast, where you will hear real-life stories of publicity gone right. You will learn actionable steps to get your name in front of the people who matter. Hi, everyone! I’m Cheryl Tan. Welcome to the Get Media Smart podcast. Episode #11. It is Day 11 of the 2-week Become a Media Magnet Challenge. Thank you for taking part in this. Today’s challenge is something I have started to do every day for myself, and my clients. And it pays off. By the way, you can still join us by signing up for this free email challenge at CherylTanMedia.com/podcast and for two full weeks, you will get action items straight to your inbox - action items that will help you attract attention for you and your business. I will outline the challenges in the first 14 episodes of this podcast. They are short, to the point, and you can always join us in our Facebook community to talk about your results. At this point in the challenge, if you have been following through with the lessons and homework, you are well on your way to success. Your name is searchable in Google, your business is, too (if not, go back and listen to Episode #1). You have created a social media posting plan (Episode #7) and a set time each week to create content (Episode #10). You have made some relationships with reporters in your town (Learn how to do that in Episode #6). Now, you are going outside of your community to find reporters who might be interested in your story. These reporters can take your expertise to a national level. Have you heard of HARO? It stands for Help a Reporter Out. Since Peter Shankman created this service in 2007, countless entrepreneurs and experts have been able to connect with journalists. Many times, these journalists work for national publications and media outlets. They also work for association journals, community publications and media outlets you wouldn’t think to pitch because you didn’t know they existed. And those readers could be perfect potential customers. You can sign up for free daily emails from HARO. The reporters who submit their story ideas are on a deadline and they're looking for real people to talk with on a particular subject ranging from business to health to parenting. The competition is pretty stiff, though, as HARO is well known in the business and marketing worlds. Many people feel like their pitches go into a wasteland. But it doesn't have to be this way. Here are my tips for success on HARO: 1) Sign up for the HARO list and check it first thing in the morning. These reporters are on a deadline and they needed to get the interview yesterday. Once they find an appropriate interviewee or story subject, they are likely not going to keep looking, at least not that day. So be prompt with your pitch. The other pitches, even if they are a good fit, are probably going to get ignored. 2) You have to fit the bill. You need to be an expert in the topic you are pitching. If you're a financial planner, you shouldn't weigh in on medical issues. But there are plenty of reporters looking for financial experts, so focus on the queries that suit your exact expertise. It's a good idea to have a description of your specialties in a Word document on your computer or in Evernote so you can copy and paste the information for a pitch. You won't have a lot of time to craft something, so anything you can do to speed up the process will help you get your email to the reporter quicker.

How to use HARO to get media attention

What you will learn: Consistency is key in creating content. In this episode, I'll talk about how to create consistent content that will make your brand stand out. Transcript: Welcome to the Get Media Smart podcast. Never struggle to get attention again. I’m your host, Cheryl Tan Want to learn how to get noticed by the media? What if the media came to you, and right behind them….clients and customers? How do you leverage that publicity to grow your company? This is the Get Media Smart podcast, where you will hear real-life stories of publicity gone right. You will learn actionable steps to get your name in front of the people who matter. Hi, everyone! I’m Cheryl Tan. Welcome to the Get Media Smart podcast. Episode #10. It is Day 10 of the 2-week Become a Media Magnet Challenge. How are you feeling about the challenge? Today, I feel, will be challenging, because it’s easy to say, very hard to carry out. We’re talking about consistency. By the way, you can still join us by signing up for this free email challenge at CherylTanMedia.com/podcast and for two full weeks, you will get action items straight to your inbox - action items that will help you attract attention for you and your business. I will outline the challenges in the first 14 episodes of this podcast. They are short, to the point, and you can always join us in our Facebook community to talk about your results. Today's challenge, #10, is a big one. It's so important. It is the importance of consistency. It's so simple to understand, yet so hard to follow through. Consistent content on your blogs, your social media channels, even your media mentions are critical to your success. You've heard of those "one-hit" wonders, musical artists who have one great song, and then they disappear. That could easily happen for those who find success with a blog post that gets many shares, to a business that is able to get an interview for the 6 pm. news. If they don't continue to try to add value to their customers, if they aren’t consistency being seen in the media, people won't remember them. It's the same thing with a paid ad for your business. One commercial won't typically do much for your bottom line. It's the consistency that makes big brands with big budgets so powerful. Find a time every day to write or pick one week out of the month for your media outreach. Or decide to put together videos three times a week, once a week, monthly. Whatever you choose, put it in the calendar. But block off that time to create. You will be thankful you did this in the end. I also wrote a blog post that gives you step by step instructions on how to create consistent content for your business. I’ll put the link to the article in the show notes for the episode, which you can get at cheryltanmedia.com/podcast. What will you do today to create consistent content? That is your challenge for today. This consistency - whether it's creating content, seeking out media relationships, or finding new customers - is critical for the success of your business. How do you create consistency in your company? Let's talk about it in the online community. Join "Get Media Smart” on Facebook. You can find a link to the Facebook group, show notes, transcripts, and a link to the Become a Media Magnet challenge at CherylTanMedia.com/podcast. What do you think of this show? Please leave me a review in iTunes and if it’s the right fit, I’d love it if you subscribed to the “Get Media Smart” podcast at the same time. I thank you for choosing to spend some time with me. Tomorrow, we’re talking about one thing you can do every day to get your name in front of journalists around the world. That’s for Challenge #11 tomorrow. Talk to you then.

Why consistency is important in building your media strategy

What you will learn: There are plenty of places where you can share your message. But there is one way to be certain your story is told the way you want it to be. Create your own. Transcript: Welcome to the Get Media Smart podcast. Never struggle to get attention again. I’m your host, Cheryl Tan Want to learn how to get noticed by the media? What if the media came to you, and right behind them….clients and customers? How do you leverage that publicity to grow your company? This is the Get Media Smart podcast, where you will hear real-life stories of publicity gone right. You will learn actionable steps to get your name in front of the people who matter. Hi, everyone! I’m Cheryl Tan. Welcome to the Get Media Smart podcast. Episode #9. It is Day 9 of the 2-week Become a Media Magnet Challenge. How is it going so far? You can still join us by signing up for this free email challenge at CherylTanMedia.com/podcast and for two full weeks, you will get action items straight to your inbox - action items that will help you attract attention for you and your business. I will outline the challenges in the first 14 episodes of this podcast. They are short, to the point, and you can always join us in our Facebook community to talk about your results. If you have an independent streak, like I do, then you will love today's challenge. Challenge #9 is turns you into the media creator. I don't especially like to depend on the media, entirely, for publicity. I like to create it myself. And here's why I think you should do the same. According to Dictionary.com, the definition of publicity is this: extensive mention in the news media or by word of mouth or other means of communication. If you start creating your own content, several things can happen. First, the media can find you. They're looking for stories to tell, remember? Second, the more content you create, the more confidence you will have. And who can't benefit from more confidence? Third, the media won't be the only people reading, watching or listening. You may attract more clients and customers, who will start talking about you. Today, in Become a Media Magnet Challenge #9, you are focused on creating content: a weekly newsletter, a blog, a podcast, video tips. What makes great content? That's the million-dollar question, isn't it? Think about your audience, your customers. What kind of content would they enjoy? How can you position yourself as an expert in your field? It is critical in your content you add massive value and share real information. So, take a look at this list of content subject types you can put together that will highlight your expertise: 1) Articles/videos/podcasts related to the price of something. For example, How much house can I buy this year? or How much will a hybrid car cost in 2016? 2) Articles/videos/podcasts that focus on problems. For example, 3 reasons you won't be able to afford to buy a home this month and how you can turn that around. 3) Comparison-based articles/videos/podcasts. For example, Home buying versus renting. Which is better for you right now? or Hybrid or Humvee? How much will you pay in gas? 4) Review-based content. For example, A review of the best car dealers in Virginia Beach. 5) "Best of" content. For example, Which company makes the best hybrid car? Use your expertise to a shine a light on these issues. Do so consistently and your readers (and potential customers) as well as the media may find you. Are you creating content for your business? How is it working? Feel free to share your ideas in the Facebook group, "Get Media Smart." You can find a link to the Facebook group, show notes, transcripts, and a link to the Become a Media Magnet challenge at CherylTanMedia.com/podcast. What do you think of this show? Please leave me a review in iTunes and if it’s the right fit,

Why content creation should be part of your media strategy

What you will learn: You are starting to get noticed by the media. You are beginning to look for bigger media opportunities. Help journalists out by creating a media tab so they can get a feel of what topics you share and where you have been featured before. Transcript: Welcome to the Get Media Smart podcast. Never struggle to get attention again. I’m your host, Cheryl Tan Want to learn how to get noticed by the media? What if the media came to you, and right behind them….clients and customers? How do you leverage that publicity to grow your company? This is the Get Media Smart podcast, where you will hear real-life stories of publicity gone right. You will learn actionable steps to get your name in front of the people who matter. Hi, everyone! I’m Cheryl Tan. Welcome to the Get Media Smart podcast. Episode #8. It is Day 8 of the Become a Media Magnet Challenge. How is it going so far? We are more than halfway through. Today we’re talking about the media tab on your website and why I think it can do work for you while you sleep in getting great public relations for your company. You can still join us by signing up for this free email challenge at CherylTanMedia.com/podcast and for two full weeks, you will get action items straight to your inbox - action items that will help you attract attention for you and your business. I will outline the challenges in the first 14 episodes of this podcast. They are short, to the point, and you can always join us in our Facebook community to talk about your results. Challenge #8 takes a little bit of website know-how. We discussed in Episode #2 the importance of having a website tied to your name or your company name. Here is just one example of why it’s so important. A few years ago, I was hosting a start-up lifestyle television show and the producer and l were looking for experts to feature regularly on the program. This was about 7 years ago, so much has changed since then. But so many things are the same. We were looking for lifestyle experts who would come on the show every other week to talk about decorating and organizing. We knew it would be a great opportunity for someone. We needed an expert. We asked around the TV station. No one knew anyone who could help us. So what did I do? I went to Google and typed in "Virginia Beach organizing expert." There were a number of people's websites that came up. But only one had a video clip I could look at. Only one. We loved her style, her delivery, everything. We invited that expert on the show. Ironically, I left the station last year, and she is STILL featured as an expert on that show. The reason I share this with you is proof of performance is pretty important in the media. It is important if you're a journalist looking for featured experts. It's important if you are a journalist trying to see if a particular company or expert is the right fit for a story. The reporter needs to see what you offer. Make it easy for them. If you get media mentions, put them in one place on your website. Journalists likely won’t look to hard for them, so put them all on a media tab, a press tab, a contact me page. Make it easy for them. It doesn’t matter what you call it, but make it clear that your past media mentions are right there. Your assignment today is to create a "Media" tab on your website. If you don't have a website, I would put videos of yourself talking about your product or service on your Facebook business page. In this day and age, though, a website is pretty important for your business and your brand. Fill that page with 1) Your contact information. 2) Your past media mentions, whether in print or on TV. Use links, take screenshots. Make it easy to read. 3) If you don't have media mentions, share where your expertise lies. This is a simple yet important step. Having the tab ready on your website shows you are open to talking t...

Why you need to create a website media tab

What you will learn: Social media gets attention. In today's lesson, you'll learn how to use social media to get the traditional media to pay attention. Transcript: Welcome to the Get Media Smart podcast. Never struggle to get attention again. I’m your host, Cheryl Tan Want to learn how to get noticed by the media? What if the media came to you, and right behind them….clients and customers? How do you leverage that publicity to grow your company? This is the Get Media Smart podcast, where you will hear real-life stories of publicity gone right. You will learn actionable steps to get your name in front of the people who matter. Hi, everyone! I’m Cheryl Tan. Welcome to the Get Media Smart podcast. Episode #7. It is Day 7 of the Become a Media Magnet Challenge. And we’re talking about creating a consistent social media strategy - and how the effort can pay off in traditional media mentions. You can still join us by signing up for this free email challenge at CherylTanMedia.com/podcast and for two full weeks, you will get action items straight to your inbox - action items that will help you attract attention for you and your business. I will outline the challenges in the first 14 episodes of this podcast. They are short, to the point, and you can always join us in our Facebook community for more insight. We really can't talk about achieving media mastery and becoming a media magnet without addressing social media. I remember reporting the news BEFORE YouTube, Facebook, and Google. We never anticipated then the impact social media would have on our future newscast rundowns. Turn on the nightly news now and it is quite possible you'll see a story that begins, "Watch this amazing video. It already has 3 million views on Youtube." Whether you agree with it or not, success on social media gets media attention, every single day. Media outlets share news of the day, of course, but there are sometimes segments focused solely on what people are talking about. And 3 million views is a metric they look at. I will say not all journalists are thrilled that something that "goes viral" on social media has the power to be a part of the national nightly news, but it does happen. And it will continue to do so. Your goal is likely *not* to be featured on the 6 p.m. news for a viral video, it's to be seen as an expert in your field. And you can definitely do that with social media. When trying to grow an audience on a social media platform, consider this: *#1 What is your message? We talked about this in Episode #3, but straight up selling to a reporter doesn't work. It doesn't work on social media, either. Adding value does. So if you can educate your fans and followers, they are more likely to turn to you for guidance. And don't forget. Reporters are ALWAYS on social media. They are looking for sources and interviews, too. Anytime you can show your expertise on social, do it. *#2 Where is your audience? This is so important. If your audience is older, Google plus, LinkedIn or Facebook may work, or an email newsletter. Younger, try Instagram or Snapchat. Do you have beautiful pictures as part of your product or service? Pinterest and Instagram work well. Are you a writer? Twitter is a great tool. Show up where your audience does. *#3 Is your product or service conducive to videos or a podcast? Many businesses have found success by sharing their expertise in video or audio. Visually-appealing content gets attention. Making that content on-demand or instantly accessible is valuable. Journalists watch and listen, too. If you don't need sleep, you could focus on all of these platforms and get nowhere fast. My advice is to pick one platform and do it REALLY well. Listen, connect and engage with your target market. People will take notice when you start doing this. If you do work with any millennials, you know they (and anyone younger than them) check...

Create a consistent social media strategy for traditional media success

What you will learn: The past five challenges have been focused on gathering information and setting the stage for media attention. After today's episode, you will be ready to send your first media pitch. Transcript: Welcome to the Get Media Smart podcast. Never struggle to get attention again. I’m your host, Cheryl Tan Want to learn how to get noticed by the media? What if the media came to you, and right behind them….clients and customers? How do you leverage that publicity to grow your company? This is the Get Media Smart podcast, where you will hear real-life stories of publicity gone right. You will learn actionable steps to get your name in front of the people who matter. Hi, everyone! I’m Cheryl Tan. Welcome to the Get Media Smart podcast. Episode #6. It is Day 6 of the Become a Media Magnet Challenge. You can still join us by signing up for this free email challenge at CherylTanMedia.com/podcast and for two full weeks, you will get action items straight to your inbox - action items that will help you attract attention for you and your business. I will outline the challenges in the first 14 episodes of this podcast. They are short, to the point, and you can always join us in our Facebook community for more insight. Yesterday, I told you about the importance of getting on social media and finding news influencers. And you’ve done it. You've found new people to follow who live in your community--personalities in news and entertainment, newspaper writers, radio reporters, DJs. That was yesterday's homework assignment, to find and connect with on social media the anchors, reporters, or personalities in your area. Now what? Remember our goal? It’s to become a media magnet. The first step is to know who the players are. You’ve done that. Now it is important to know what topics they cover. If they anchor, do they also report on health stories or consumer issues? Is there a particular reporter who handles crime stories or military news? If that's your niche, know which reporter would be interested in your issue. Remember, going back to Challenge #3, which you can check out in Episode #3 of the Get Media Smart podcast, you want to make sure your story resonates with their audience. Today's homework assignment is to find the specific reporters (newspaper, TV, radio, online) who would be interested in writing about your field, and then reach out to them. If you are an entrepreneur, the chances are very good you want to be very familiar with the consumer and business reporters in your area. You just want to know what they are looking for in terms of stories. And that means reading their stories, watching their reports and following them on social media. But it also means connecting with them personally. Remember they are always looking for great story ideas. Interact with them about the stories they have written. Compliment them on something they have put together (be genuine about it), or ask questions for clarification. By doing this, you are creating the beginning of a relationship. You can do this on social media. You can do this via email. I always appreciated getting emails from viewers. I always remembered the notes of appreciation for stories I had done. And I always responded when someone asked with genuine sincerity what kinds of stories I covered. We talked about your crafting the story you will share in Episode #3, so take a listen to that for review, and reach out to a reporter to ask their thoughts on your story idea. They are always looking for great stories to tell. By the way, there is a fine line between stalking and connecting, so let's be clear what this is, and what it is not. Connecting with a public figure is a great way to get your message out there, but going too far and asking personal questions or leaving inappropriate comments will get you banned from their profiles, or even a visit from the police.

Send your first media pitch

What you will learn: Reporters are always looking for great stories to tell. Always. In today's episode, we talk about how to connect with news influencers on social media. Transcript: Welcome to the Get Media Smart podcast. Never struggle to get attention again. I’m your host, Cheryl Tan Want to learn how to get noticed by the media? What if the media came to you, and right behind them….clients and customers? How do you leverage that publicity to grow your company? This is the Get Media Smart podcast, where you will hear real-life stories of publicity gone right. You will learn actionable steps to get your name in front of the people who matter. Hi, everyone! I’m Cheryl Tan. Welcome to the Get Media Smart podcast. Episode #5. We are on Day 5 of the Become a Media Magnet Challenge. It’s not too late to join us. You can sign up for this free email challenge at CherylTanMedia.com/podcast and for two full weeks, you will get action items straight to your inbox - action items that will help you attract attention for you and your business. I will outline the challenges in the first 14 episodes of this podcast. They are short, to the point, and you can always join us in our Facebook community for more insight. I would love it if you subscribed to the “Get Media Smart” podcast, where I will take you through the entire two-week challenge verbally. Onto today. The last four challenges have had you gathering intel - seeing how you show up in Google, determining the story you’ll pitch, finding out which local news outlets are available in your area. You've been digging deep, you've been pooling together information. You have been setting the stage. In today's Challenge (Challenge #5), I want you to take some action. Remember the local media outlets you wrote down in yesterday’s challenge? Go one step further and consider the actual people who work there. Who is the morning reporter at your favorite news station? How about the reporter who covers politics? Or who is the afternoon drive time DJ you love to listen to? How about the meteorologist who gets you through the bad storms? You tune in to the shows to get information, but you may watch because of the news personalities themselves. I guarantee each and every one of those personalities has either a Facebook page or a Twitter feed, likely both. LinkedIn is a good option as well. On LinkedIn, you can type in the media outlet’s name and search and see who works there. Follow them through the social media site you use the most. That's all you need to do right now. Follow and read what they post. If you want to respond to any questions they ask, that's great. But, right now, you're simply following, friending, adding. And you are reading, too. You'll notice some of them come right out and ask for story ideas. I host a business TV show near where I live in Virginia Beach. It’s called Hampton Roads Business Weekly. On social media, I am always talking about the businesses we have featured and also asking for recommendations to highlight for future episodes. Other reporters and anchors will do the same thing. They’ll put out a call for specific information. If the topic applies to you, respond. They're asking for a reason. You can't respond if you don't realize they're asking for information. And you won't know about those calls to action unless you are right there with them. So for now, be in the know by following them. And while you're at it, follow the news organizations as well. Your homework for today is go GET ON SOCIAL MEDIA and notice the news people around you. Tomorrow, we'll talk about ways to engage with the new people in your news feed. I want to inspire you to take action. So take this homework assignment, hop into Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn and see how many local reporters and influencers you can find. You can find the show notes, transcripts,

How to connect with influencers on social media

What you will learn: Business owners say getting attention from the media feels like an unattainable goal. Like any goal, though, you work step by step to reach it. Start with getting media attention locally. In today's episode, we'll talk about Why local news outlets wants to do a story on YOU. Transcript: Welcome to the Get Media Smart podcast. Never struggle to get attention again. I’m your host, Cheryl Tan Want to learn how to get noticed by the media? What if the media came to you, and right behind them….clients and customers? How do you leverage that publicity to grow your company? This is the Get Media Smart podcast, where you will hear real-life stories of publicity gone right. You will learn actionable steps to get your name in front of the people who matter. Hi, everyone! I’m Cheryl Tan. Thanks for joining me. Welcome to the Get Media Smart podcast. Episode #4. How is the challenge going? I would love to hear about it. You can share your thoughts in the “Get Media Smart” community on Facebook. I find that a community creates a great environment for getting things done. I have already seen some impressive progress in our group. You can sign up for this free email challenge at CherylTanMedia.com/podcast and for two full weeks, you will get action items straight to your inbox - action items that will help you attract attention for you and your business. I will outline the challenges in the first 14 episodes of this podcast. I would love it if you subscribed to the “Get Media Smart” podcast, where I will take you through the entire two-week challenge verbally. The goal of all of this, of course, is to attract attention and then GET MORE CUSTOMERS. To me, publicity and media attention are a great way to get in front of the right people. But you have to lay the groundwork. Laying the groundwork for success can be such a pain. But I have learned it's the only way to achieve it. When talking about becoming a media magnet, it is critical to have a plan of attack. And it starts with knowing who is on the field. Welcome to Become a Media Magnet Challenge #4. It's critically important to do your homework before you start pitching the media. So many people want to start at the top, like "The Today Show" and "Shark Tank." That's great. But if you've ever seen the shows before, you know you'll have to have massive sales, an incredible fan base or big-time connections to be featured there first. You'll get there. Just give it some time. And do other work first. Start with the low-hanging fruit. Start with the local media, whose job it is to cover the local community. First, how do you get your local news? Is it through the newspaper, the radio, morning TV? Is it Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, or a daily email from USA Today? I'm not judging here. I just want you to take a look at the spaces you inhabit to get more information about our world. Are any of them local? I ask that because local media outlets are focused on just that, local people. While you may be more interested in a global view, your local news wants to do stories on people who live in their communities. That means YOU. For that reason, it is important to know what media outlets have news departments in your area. Typically, they'll be the television stations, radio stations and there may be several newspapers. But don't forget, there could be bloggers who are typing away from their kitchen tables in the town next door to yours. For entrepreneurs, business journals and business shows are so important. There are also monthly magazines and weekly publications to consider. Find out where reporters are working and how those publications/programs might be a perfect fit for your story (which was the topic of yesterday's lesson. Check it out in the Get Media Smart Podcast episode #3). That's it for today. Compile a list of who's who in news in your area.

Why local news wants to do a story on you

What you will learn: Trying to figure out how to create a media pitch? Focus on your story first. What kind of story does the media want? Transcript: Welcome to the Get Media Smart podcast. Never struggle to get attention again. I’m your host, Cheryl Tan Want to learn how to get noticed by the media? What if the media came to you, and right behind them….clients and customers? How do you leverage that publicity to grow your company? This is the Get Media Smart podcast, where you will hear real-life stories of publicity gone right. You will learn actionable steps to get your name in front of the people who matter. Hi, everyone! I’m Cheryl Tan. Thanks for joining me. Welcome to the Get Media Smart podcast. Episode #3. How are you today? What struggles do you face in marketing your business? What challenges? Feel free to share them in our Facebook community. You can search for “Get Media Smart” in Facebook or goto CherylTanMedia.com/podcast and you can get the link there. How does the media play a role in your marketing plans? I want to help you become a media magnet. I invite you to take part in the 2-week Become a Media Magnet challenge. Today is Challenge #3. You can still catch up. Sign up for this free email challenge at CherylTanMedia.com/podcast and for two full weeks, you will get action items straight to your inbox - action items that will help you attract attention for you and your business. I will outline the challenges in the first 14 episodes of this podcast. I would love it if you subscribed to the “Get Media Smart” podcast, where I will take you through the entire two-week challenge verbally. The goal of all of this, of course, is to attract attention and then GET MORE CUSTOMERS. Let's move onto Challenge #3. In Challenges #1 and #2, we talked about using Google to figure out how you show up in search engines - how you are seen by potential clients and the media online - and what you can do to raise your profile. If you missed them, check out the “Get Media Smart” podcast episodes 1 and 2. Today, we are talking about your story - and probably one of the most difficult things people say they have trouble with when pitching the media. When figuring out how you will approach a reporter for media attention, you must first offer them a story they want to tell. How do you do that? We’ll dig deeper into that, but a word of warning - Don't sell them on anything because if you do, you'll be sent to the sales department. Consider these questions: *What is your personal story and how would it inspire others? *What results have you achieved in your business that would be a positive lesson for someone else? *What do you teach your customers? And what part of that would be an important lesson for others? What does the reporter's audience need to know (related to your product or service) in order to live a better life? Remember, you are the expert in your industry, so go one step further. What trends are you seeing in your industry or your business that could affect the reporter's audience? How can you tie it to news of the day? As you figure out what kind of story you want to pitch, ask yourself these questions before you hit send on your email. *#1 WHO are you? Journalists tell stories about people, so if you have a story to pitch, make sure there is a human angle. It could be your own story you’re trying to share, maybe it’s one of your client’s success stories. *#2 WHY would their audience care? A health reporter is going to have a different audience than a business reporter. Think about the people they are writing to, and you will have greater success. *#3 Why would their audience care RIGHT NOW? Facts are facts, you care more about your taxes in April and you probably only buy book covers and backpacks in August or September for back to school. Focus on the calendar, tie your pitch to that,

What kind of story does the media want?

What you will learn: Now you know how you or your company appear in Google. You may want to do things to change what people see about you and your brand. How do you raise your profile in Google? Transcript: Welcome to the Get Media Smart podcast. Never struggle to get attention again. I’m your host, Cheryl Tan Want to learn how to get noticed by the media? What if the media came to you, and right behind them….clients and customers? How do you leverage that publicity to grow your company? This is the Get Media Smart podcast, where you will hear real-life stories of publicity gone right. You will learn actionable steps to get your name in front of the people who matter. Hi, everyone! I’m Cheryl Tan. Thanks for joining me. Welcome to the Get Media Smart podcast. Episode #2. Today is Day #2 of the 2-week Become a Media Magnet challenge. You can sign up for this free email challenge at CherylTanMedia.com/podcast and for two full weeks, you will get action items straight to your inbox - action items that will help you attract attention for you and your business. I will outline the challenges in the first 14 episodes of this podcast. I would love it if you subscribed to the “Get Media Smart” podcast, where I will take you through the entire two-week challenge verbally. The goal of all of this, of course, is to attract attention and then GET MORE CUSTOMERS. Yesterday, I mentioned Google. You typed in your name or your business name and what did you find? Maybe that you have some work to do to get your name closer to the top. I am no SEO expert, by any stretch, and depending on the uniqueness of your name, it could be more or less challenging for you to move up in the ranks. In any case, the best way I know how to raise your profile, literally, is through content. I list three ways, from most difficult...all the way to an option that is much, much simpler. You are the brand. You run your business. In my opinion, your personal website (or your business website) is the number one way to get ranked in Google. So if you type in your name, or your business name, you are close to the top. In terms of degree of difficulty, yes, it can be high up on the list. Getting hosting, buying a domain name, putting together content, consistently adding new content...all of those things take work and they absolutely pay off. But they take time and commitment. We’ll dig deeper into that in another episode. Not ready for that? No worries. Being quoted in an article or being featured in a news story is the #2 way to get your name higher in Google, especially if your name or your business name is in the headline of the story itself. If there's a way you can get your business some media attention, you will probably see the effects in Google. We'll talk specifically about how to reach a reporter in an upcoming challenge, but that's a sure fire way to be seen in search engines because media outlets' websites have a much greater reach than most. If that is not possible, then try social media. Posts on Google+ are indexed in Google, which means if you post on Google+, they'll show up in Google when someone searches your name. Your profiles on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn will as well. So...the homework for today is to establish those profiles if you haven't already. You do not have to be everywhere, but social media is here to stay. Being seen in at least one of those places is a smart business strategy. Establish, at the very least, a LinkedIn profile. Google+ is a good idea, too. Then perhaps, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, depending on what kind of business you own. If you already have the profiles, then start posting consistently. What do you post? Take your readers on a journey. Whether it's taxes, computer repair, or sewing, help your readers/followers/fans learn something about your industry. It takes work, but it works.

How to raise your profile in Google

What you will learn: Media attention is a great way to get the name of your company in front of the public. Before you actively seek it out, though, find out what journalists will see when they search you out. What does Google say about you, and why does it matter? Transcript: Welcome to the Get Media Smart podcast. Never struggle to get attention again. I’m your host, Cheryl Tan Want to learn how to get noticed by the media? How can you stand out in a crowded industry? What if the media came to you, and right behind them….clients and customers? How do you leverage that publicity to grow your company? This is the Get Media Smart podcast, where you will hear real-life stories of publicity gone right. You will learn actionable steps to get your name in front of the people who matter. Hi, everyone! I’m Cheryl Tan. Thanks for joining me. Welcome to the Get Media Smart podcast. Episode 1. Today is the first day of the Become a Media Magnet challenge. You can sign up for this free email challenge at CherylTanMedia.com/podcast and for two full weeks, you will get action items straight to your inbox - action items that will help you attract attention for you and your business. I will outline the challenges in the first 14 episodes of this podcast. I would love it if you subscribed to the “Get Media Smart” podcast, where I will take you through the entire two-week challenge. The goal of all of this, of course, is to attract attention and then GET MORE CUSTOMERS. Are you ready to get started??? Here is Lesson #1. It's an easy one to start with, and if you do it, you will get some valuable intel. It’s designed to let you see how others see you. First things first: how do YOU get your name "out there?" Think about that for a minute. Do you pay for ads, do you create a funnel of loyal customers who refer you to their friends? Do you create content, host events? Really successful business owners tell me they attribute a lot of their success to referrals. They have created raving fans and those fans spread the word. Wouldn’t that be great if we all had that? The beauty of living in this day and age is sometimes those referrals can and often happen online and through the media. In my opinion, publicity is the best referral you don't have to buy. The definition of publicity, by the way, is the attention given to someone or something by the media. What is the media? It is mass communication, so we’re talking television, radio, newspapers, and the Internet - social media. Basically, anyone with an audience talking about you, your products, or your services is a good thing for your business. We can talk about bad publicity another time, but for the purpose of this challenge, any publicity is good publicity. Ok. Back to my question. How do you get our name out there? Waaaay back, businesses would take an ad out in the Yellow Pages. In fact, when I was a young reporter, I would find businesses for news stories in, you guessed it, the Yellow Pages. For example, if I had to do a story on the tax deadline, I would go to my dog-eared copy of the Yellow Pages to look for someone to talk to about filing rules, regulations, and deductions. Just the other day, I was talking with a business owner who told me life used to be so much easier. He told me he used to get 75% of his business from that ad in the Yellow Pages. But times are different. Really different. And you'll be hard-pressed to find a Yellow Pages in plain view now. There is a modern-day version of that service. It's called Google. So let’s say you get a referral for a business from a dear friend. Sometimes you’ll pick up the phone and make an appointment right on the spot. But sometimes you still want to do a little more homework. And you go to Google to see what you can learn. In today’s challenge, I want you to take a minute and find out what Google comes up with when you type your busine...

GMS 001: Become a Media Magnet Challenge #1 – What does Google say about you?

Summary: Welcome to the kick-off of The Get Media Smart Podcast! I am so excited to be starting this program. I am even more excited to be sharing the stories of some incredible entrepreneurs. Transcript: Welcome to the Get Media Smart podcast. Never struggle to get attention again. I’m your host, Cheryl Tan Want to learn how to get noticed by the media? What if the media came to you, and right behind them….clients and customers? How do you leverage that publicity to grow your company? This is the Get Media Smart podcast, where you will hear real-life stories of publicity gone right. You will learn actionable steps to get your name in front of the people who matter. Hi, everyone! I’m Cheryl Tan. Thanks for joining me. Welcome to the Get Media Smart podcast. Episode 0. This podcast is all about you, the entrepreneur who is trying to figure out how to be seen in a crowded marketplace, how to be seen as an expert in your field.. It’s designed to answer the questions I get all the time from entrepreneurs who feel as if they have been ignored by the media, they’re frustrated by the lack of response they’re getting to their pitches, they’re just not sure where to go to get their story heard. Who am I? I am Cheryl Tan of CherylTanMedia.com. I have been a television journalist for 20 years and over time, I have told thousands of stories. I have looked for stories to share with viewers in so many places, from city council meetings to college campuses...our goal was to inform, to educate, and yes, to entertain the people who tuned in. I have been a reporter, a producer, a host - so I have been been actively looking for stories to fill my shows and capture the attention of my audiences - all within the framework of a very stringent deadline. Over the last few years, I have started telling the stories of entrepreneurs, and I realize the struggle many business people have with reaching out and making the most of publicity and media attention. Many don’t know where to begin. In June 2014, I started a media strategy company where I show entrepreneurs how to get the media attention they want. In June 2015, I got back on television, where I host a business TV show, focusing on businesses near where I live in Virginia Beach, Virginia. I love living at the beach. So I am taking what I have learned in the newsroom to help entrepreneurs. Truly, it brings two of the things I love most - telling stories and talking about business - together. I’m kicking this podcast off with a challenge. Do you want to become a media magnet? Do you want to be in a position where the media call you? It can and it will happen. But you have to do a little bit of work first. So, take the challenge I’m offering. You can sign up for it at CherylTanMedia.com. . The first two weeks of this podcast will be the challenge portion, where each day I’ll go over the day’s challenge, share the challenge homework and show how it will help you on the road to becoming a media magnet. After that, I’ll share some real-life case studies from entrepreneurs who have grown their businesses to incredible heights. And they have media attention, publicity, and a lot of hard work to thank for it. I want to learn how they have used media attention and publicity to grow their businesses. So, you’ll learn from me, and we’ll all learn from them. I cannot wait. I want you to be able to take away something, at least one thing, from each podcast episode. Just one. Something you’ll act on. My father always says, The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. I want to inspire you to take action. To start a business. To create a product. To reach out to reporter. To get one step closer to your goal. You will get some real inspiration and some fantastic takeaways from our guests. You can find the show notes, transcripts, and a link to the Become a Media Magnet challenge at CherylTanMedia.com/podcast. Does this resonate with you?

Welcome to the Get Media Smart Podcast

Learn how to get the media attention – and the customers – you want

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Get Media Smart with Cheryl Tan

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