Being in the media talking about your stuff is one of the most effective ways to boost your personal brand. We'll help you make yourself more attractive to content publishers and take the first steps to getting some attention. When you do, we want you to take full advantage of it.
Try to get out there
Your content distribution channels will be limited at the beginning, and the only way to reach a sizable audience for the time being may be by publishing an article on someone else's website or blog, or by coming to their podcast to be interviewed. With reaching new people comes name recognition. Ideally, you want to get to a state where everybody in your industry is aware of you - opportunities to be published or invited to more prestigious publications will come as you grow. It's most difficult at the beginning, and it only gets easier. If you're not already a well-known name in the industry, don't be surprised that it will take a lot of work to get published or invited somewhere - that's natural. Unless the publication is sketchy and could potentially damage your reputation, no place is too small for you - write and talk where they will have you, and good things will happen.
Having a few articles published and some podcast interviews is also a huge advantage when a potential client is researching you. What will he find after Googling your name? Will there be just random results about a couple of your namesakes, or will there be some articles and interviews with you mixed in?
Research and write, write, write
Before you build a name and publishers will be reaching out to you by themselves, you have to be the one who takes the initiative. Research all websites, blogs, influencers, podcasters, and YouTubers who talk and write about your industry, may be interested in what you do and preferably have many of your potential clients in their audience. Also try to look for various Joe Rogans who will talk to anyone interesting. Don't forget about local publications that are hungry for good content and are a great stepping stone to the big leagues. Many popular outlets have local spin-offs - even if you can "only" get on them, you will still be able to use the logo of their more popular parent on your website if they don't have a separate brand identity. When you have a list ready, start reaching out to them. If they don't reply, follow up. With bigger publications, try to get in touch directly with a writer or reporter who covers what you do. There's no guarantee your offer will get to the right people if you message their general email.
Have something to offer in exchange
Getting published is much easier if you have some platform of your own (we'll teach you how to build it in the next Modules) that you can offer to provide in exchange - of course, this doesn't apply to the big corporate publishers. In the podcasting world, it's nothing unusual for podcasters to do I-invite-you-and-you-invite-me deals. When you do this, agree on the approximate publishing dates with the other publisher that will be at least a couple of weeks apart - you don't want to cannibalize each other's views.
Have an opinion
It can be difficult to get a space to write or talk if you don't stand for something in particular and don't have an interesting point of view to share. It's possible to give neutral-themed contributions, too, but they don't get many clicks, so publishers prefer people who can take a stand, provide valid arguments for it, and ideally start a discussion - in short, something that people will read, watch, and share.
Follow the news and trends
One trick you can use to get some attention is to follow the news in your industry. If something significant happens, dive deep into it and get in touch with publishers, offering them insights about the topic. Don't be afraid to be very specific in the email to demonstrate that you really understand it. They know there will be many people looking for information about it, and you will give them a way to capitalize on it.
If your industry doesn't have a closely followed or active news cycle, you can still offer publishers to write or come to talk about what's currently trending or starting to get attention. Again, be concrete, and don't be afraid to demonstrate your knowledge, even if it's just in the email. The publisher will be able to at least think about what you offer. If your email reads only something like "Hey, don't you want to interview me?" the only thing the publisher will think about is the delete button.
💡 Keep in mind
When reaching out to publishers, you don't want to look like you seek self-promotion. Don't request any over-the-top mentions of what you do. Your only goal should be to provide value to the audience. The host will introduce you, and if the readers, viewers, or listeners like you, they can Google your name anytime and find out more about you.
Get permission to publish the clips
When you get a podcast or any video appearance, ask the host to permit you to use clips from the interview on your social media profiles. This is a common practice that publishers even often desire - you'll be posting their content of yourself talking, which will help them reach your audience. This is most effective with video podcasts. If you were on an audio-only podcast, you can clip it too, but to make it at least a bit more captivating and to be able to share it as a video, add your photo as a static background along with the subtitles transcribing what you're saying. For the most popular languages, there are very accurate online tools that can generate subtitles automatically in a few seconds. If you can add a soundwave effect, too, that would be even better!
Shout it out on your website
When you'll have a couple of appearances under your belt, create an "As seen in" or "In the media" section on your website and list there all the logos of the publications or podcasts you appeared on. Link these logos to your guest posts or appearances in a given publication so the visitors can check it all out. This is always a huge credibility boost.
Remember
👉 Take any publicity that you can get.
👉 Big publishers probably won't be interested in you, but their local spin-offs might.
👉 Being able to offer a post or interview on your channels in return can help.
👉 Have an opinion and offer your knowledge to analyze the news.
👉 Ask the publisher to allow you to use clips from your interview.
👉 When you get somewhere, use their logo and put it on your website.
Homework
1️⃣ Make a list of all relevant websites, magazines, and blogs that cover your industry.
2️⃣ Do the same for YouTubers, podcasters, and influencers.
3️⃣ Research also those who don't cover your industry specifically but are after exciting people and interesting content.
4️⃣ See whether big publishers in your country don't have local spin-offs or affiliated publications.
5️⃣ Find a reliable and fast source of news that will enable you to quickly find out about anything newsworthy that you can offer your analysis and comments on to the publishers.
👏 Bravo!
Next lesson
Case studies →
There's so much work that goes into our Academy. To ensure that everyone has an opportunity to learn, we'll always keep it free. Can you help us to spread the word?