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What can small practices do to get big marketing deals? Do you want to go big with your media coverage? What marketing mistakes should you avoid when you’re trying to boost your media presence?
In this podcast episode, Joe Sanok speaks about getting big media attention with Megan Bennett.
Podcast Sponsor: Gusto
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Meet Megan Bennett
Megan started working at Light Years Ahead just a year after college and fell so in love with public relations that she stayed on and helped build the company into what it is today. Her expertise focuses on managing clients, engaging with top national media daily, and securing meaningful media placements. She has spearheaded and implemented countless successful PR campaigns for numerous brands. She is proud of the positive, lasting relationships she cultivates with the media on an ongoing basis.
Visit Light Years Ahead and connect on LinkedIn.
- How what the media wants has changed
- What small practices can do to get big media deals
- How to find your specialty for media marketing
- Going big
- What to avoid doing when marketing yourself
- Megan’s advice to private practitioners
How what the media wants has changed
In the past, the media was mostly print, TV, and radio. Now, it’s mostly digital and online. Blogs, online magazines, and websites are where it’s at these days, and during the last decade.
Because of that, they’ve been laying off a lot of editors that worked at the big magazines and these editors have now become freelancers … So they’re working for multiple different outlets. So that I’ve noticed is one thing, that there are so many more freelancers. (Megan Bennett)
Megan has noticed a huge boom in freelance work becoming more popular, and people advertising their skills on a project-to-project basis for different clients instead of working for one company. Additionally, Megan has also noticed how many websites have started affiliate marketing programs in order not to lose money.
What small practices can do to get big media deals
If you are a local, small practice and you don’t have any media coverage, Megan recommends aiming for national connections.
Submit yourself as an expert for different articles on things that you find relevant or that are topical … Pitching those top media outlets, or getting a publicist to do it for you, which is what we do. When we start [working] with a small practice, we would recommend doing it two-fold; national and local [because] the national is what helps get the local. (Megan Bennett)
Use the coverage that you get on national media to pitch to local media as a doorway to your closest, best-fit clients because you now have the credibility of national media. Of course, this process can work both ways. For example, pitch an article to Thrive Global to get an article published and use that as a link to market yourself to higher-up media outlets.
Additionally, offer yourself as a resource for other people’s articles.
We start pitching someone as an expert on different topics and every week we come up with a new hook to pitch them on, and then you start getting those quotes, and then those editors start coming back and asking you to be an expert on other things in similar topics! That’s kind of how it happens, and then it trickles down. (Megan Bennett)
If you are doing this work on your own, consider subscribing to Muck Rack to find the contact details of prominent and useful publicists and media editors.
How to find your specialty for media marketing
- How do you think people should work with you and not someone else?
- What do you offer that is different from the rest of the other providers?
- What is your unique selling proposition?
You have to find something that’s catchy [and] that will make you sound different, even if you are just a regular therapist that does what other people do. There’s gotta be something about your service that’s a little bit different, and if you don’t offer it, you’ve gotta think something up because that’s what’s going to make you stand out. (Megan Bennett)
Going big
If you have the budget and you want to rocket out into the stratosphere of success, then you need to work with a publicist to get a good PR campaign going that’s partnered with a strong social media marketing strategy.
If you have a smaller budget, then public relations is your strongest bet for now. From Megan’s experience, she recommends budgeting to work with a PR company for at least three months so that you can start to see positive changes and six months for a strong and noticeable change.
What to avoid doing when marketing yourself
- Don’t send lengthy pitches when you want to publish articles, keep it short, sweet, and to the point
- Going overboard with your descriptions. Be humble while firm in your abilities. There is a balance to selling yourself and being down to earth, so don’t over-promise on delivery because it hurts your credibility
- Stopping at the first no. You will get rejected a lot, but that’s part of the process. Learn not to stop at the first no and keep sending out your material to different outlets
- Not marketing to the right (or enough) people. Don’t pigeonhole yourself by only sticking to one niche. Send your material to a variety of media outlets to increase your chances of getting published
- Focusing only on sales. PR campaigns are drivers of awareness which can ultimately boost sales in the long run
You have to mentally tell yourself [that] this is not about driving sales, this is about driving brand awareness which in turn can then drive sales. Once people know who [you are], then you use those other tactics to help build the sales. (Megan Bennett)
Megan’s advice to private practitioners
You are your best advocate! No one can sell yourself or your practice better than you can. A PR company can get you through the door, but then it’s up to you to do the talking, so you have to find a way to execute your messaging to the media that will compel them.
Sponsors Mentioned in this episode:
- Head on over to gusto.com/joe to learn all about their payroll solutions.
- Level Up Your Business!
Books mentioned in this episode:
Joe Sanok – Thursday is the New Friday: How to Work Fewer Hours, Make More Money, and Spend Time Doing What You Want
Useful links mentioned in this episode:
- Visit Light Years Ahead and connect on LinkedIn.
- See also Muck Rack and Thrive Global.
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Email Joe at [email protected] to suggest guests for the show
Check out these additional resources:
The New Rental Economy With Iggy Fanlo | POP 963
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Meet Joe Sanok
Joe Sanok helps counselors to create thriving practices that are the envy of other counselors. He has helped counselors to grow their businesses by 50-500% and is proud of all the private practice owners who are growing their income, influence, and impact on the world. Click here to explore consulting with Joe.
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