The Time to Blow Your Own Horn

We are taught fairly early that humility is a great trait. And it is.

Except for when it comes to your bio ...on your website...that you send reporters to in your quest to establish yourself as a knowledgeable source. You want to be the source they can call when they need an amazing quote about some issue in your industry.

So, about the four doctorates you have? Post that. The 17 rare studies you led? Mention those. The Nobel Peace Prize you earned? Tell 'em all about it.

Remember, what establishes you as a credible expert is your experience coupled with your education. These accomplishments shouldn't be buried at the bottom of your webpage; you may even want to consider a separate page just listing everything you've done.

Though you're not always encouraged to blow your own horn, in this case: toot, toot.

Bridgette Outten is a journalist and media consultant with The Write Vision Group, Inc. With a background in print media, she has written thousands of articles for newspapers and online publications. At The Write Vision Group, Bridgette consults with nonprofits and small businesses about how their programs and efforts in the news. Meanwhile, she blogs on all things journalism.

Keep a Record of All News Appearances

Before I just started asking my clients outright, sometimes I would have worked with a client for several weeks before I find out they have appeared in a news publication or on a program before.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

This question is typically met with a shrug. Or a blank look as if to say, "What, that matters?"

In a word, yes.

Remember when we talked about why you want publicity and how you can benefit -- and one reason is that it gives your organization credibility.

So if you have already had a reporter verify who you are and what you do, make sure you share it on your website under a link marked "In the News" or "Press."

And one last word to the wise: if your last media appearance was six years ago, you should be looking for fresh ways to get publicity.

Bridgette Outten is a journalist and media consultant with The Write Vision Group, Inc. With a background in print media, she has written thousands of articles for newspapers and online publications. At The Write Vision Group, Bridgette consults with nonprofits and small businesses about how their programs and efforts in the news. Meanwhile, she blogs on all things journalism.

Is Any Publicity Really Good Publicity?

When it comes to seeing your name in the news, is all news good news?

I reflected on this question after watching the escapades of Kim Kardashian and the woes of Herman Cain parade across the news over recent weeks.

It led to do a little research on the subject and a Business Insider article gave an interesting assessment:

"All publicity is good publicity -- if no one has ever heard of you.

Alan Sorensen ...determined that, even when reviews were negative, previously unknown authors saw a one-third bump in sales. Sorensen believes his findings can be applied beyond authors to all small businesses fighting to make names for themselves.

Negative PR is only helpful for small shops though. Big brands can be harmed by bad news, he says."

So, as it turns out, small businesses or organizations may actually be able to benefit from negative press. However, it would seem that even the bump in sales may only be temporary and is a risk because those new clients or customers may not come back. Meanwhile, your reputation is still damaged.

The verdict? Let's try for good publicity...then good publicity can just be -- good.

And as for how Kim K. and Herman Cain will fare? Only time will tell.

Bridgette Outten is a journalist and media consultant with The Write Vision Group, Inc. With a background in print media, she has written thousands of articles for newspapers and online publications. At The Write Vision Group, Bridgette consults with nonprofits and small businesses about how their programs and efforts in the news. Meanwhile, she blogs on all things journalism.

Can A Reporter Contact You?

I needed to find an expert to comment on a story.
Thanks to the power of the Internet, I found a person who appeared to be knowledgeable, concise and would have no problem getting back to a reporter on deadline.

Except for one thing. Her website had zero contact information. No phone number, no email and I can't remember if she even had one of those forms that go through the site to what I perceived as no man's land. Oh, well. I clicked away to find someone else; I didn't have time to do any deep digging to find out where I could send a smoke signal.

No contact information is a no-no because most reporters want to get you right then. They don't want to complete your contact form to hear from you in 48 hours. They don't want to go to your Facebook page to leave a message on your wall and they probably don't want to @ you on Twitter. They want to call you and get a person for their story or at least be able to reach you via email.

It's always a good idea to have a phone number where reporters who would like your expertise can at least leave a message for you to call them back. (Are you even listed in the phone book? Believe it or not, some newsrooms still have those.) Then you can share about your impeccable research, your amazing product, your wonderful book, etc. because you've established yourself as someone people should hear from.

But all your expert positioning does you no good if the reporter can't get in touch with you.

Bridgette Outten is a journalist and media consultant with The Write Vision Group, Inc. With a background in print media, she has written thousands of articles for newspapers and online publications. At The Write Vision Group, Bridgette consults with nonprofits and small businesses about how their programs and efforts in the news. Meanwhile, she blogs on all things journalism.