DEVELOP COMPELLING COPY

A 2014 study titled “The Growth in Digital Reporting” confirmed what publicists already knew: digital outlets were, and still are, frantically working to fill the gaps in their online coverage and offerings. From niche topics to international news, these tightly staffed, agile organizations have an unlimited amount of space to fill with quality material. The door of opportunity is open wide to anyone with the ability to create timely, newsworthy, and credible content. While we would strongly advise you to steer clear of self-promotional blather, we firmly advocate that you consider offering your material to an outlet that your first audience consumes. Don’t be afraid to think outside the box. Video, for instance, is offered far less often than print content, so be bold and create something in a format that might capture the attention of a budget-conscious editor.

While strident self-promotional material will be shunned, that content you create yourself carries with it the enormous benefit of being positive coverage. Rather than being at the mercy of a reviewer, interviewer, or editor, who could possibly spin your comments in a way you didn’t intend, contributing material to publications means the information about you will always be correct and will portray you in a positive light. Consider that payment for the time-consuming effort required to produce highly coveted, credible content.

Finally, view contribution as an opportunity not only to be heard by the audience of a single outlet, but to take that audience along with you. Persuade those readers, viewers, and listeners to follow you from the original forum to your own space. Include a compelling call to action to entice them to make the journey. A free chapter, a quiz, a look at photos, or a video is solid bait for converting that one-time consumer into a devout fan.