Publicity: Connect the Dots for Successful Marketing

You're an author or entrepreneur and you go to sleep with this one dream in your head every night:

"If only I can get the media to cover my book/company/product, then I'd be rich."

As a PR person, I share that dream. But I realize one point that they fail to realize: PR is only the beginning, not the end. It is one dot in a series of action steps that fuel your marketing plan.

What do I mean my this?

PR is important. PR gives you credibility. PR gives you exposure. PR gives you reach. But that's today's news. By tomorrow, your newspaper article is lining a bird cage.

You see, once you get your publicity, you have to market your publicity. In fact, publicity can be the spark plug that ignites your marketing program. But you have to take the steps to make that happen.

Why?

No one opens the newspaper to find an article about your subject, whether it be how to save money on taxes or how to raise happier children. When newspapers write about those topics and the reader is interested, that's great. Maybe they'll buy your book or services.

But more likely, they won't get to read page 17 of the Wall Street Journal, which features your service. After all, did you read page 17 of the Wall Street Journal today? Then why should you expect your target audience to?

Your goal is to first get the publicity, then tell everyone in your marketing world that you got publicity.

Publicity is part of a giant canvass of connect the dots that begins with creating the product and ends with the sale. Other dots along the marketing chart could include advertising, direct mail, online marketing, direct sales, and even more publicity. If you don't get publicity, your job will be that much harder. But if you get publicity and don't use it to fire up your marketing engine, then you won't connect the dots to make money.

Dan Janal
Your Fearless PR LEADER
PR LEADS
www.prleads.com