Techniques for Creatives to Stay Visible

By Jill Lublin

You write to help people, but you won’t help anyone if they don’t know about you. In order to get traction, you need to know how to reach people. Providing value is the fastest path to marketing momentum.

Your audience will only get value if your message is clear. Once you know your message, you will be ready for any media opportunity, whether that’s a TV show, podcast, or article. You won’t need to spend hours preparing because you’ll already know how to engage your audience.

Crafting a message is easy; it’s only two components. The first is to let people know what problem you’re addressing—you will matter to your audience if they’re convinced you identify with their problem and have a solution. The second component is providing three great “how to” tips that speak to whatever problem you’re trying to address. Don’t worry about giving away too much information, since the average TV segment is only four minutes and twenty seconds, and articles are too short to capture the breadth of your expertise. When you help people in short doses, they will return for more.

Now that you have your message, it’s time to get the word out. You do that in three steps:

1. Create your “ooh-ahh” factor—the thing that makes you stand out. The way you deliver your message, your personality, your background, and special subjects you’re knowledgeable about all help people recognize and identify with you.

2. Create the “I’ve heard of you” factor—believe that your message is important and work consistently to get it out there in any way you can. People usually need to hear about your work a few times before they engage with your platform.

3. Show up in your community at least twice a month—this keeps you on track to accomplish #2, and helps you leverage your community connections and make new ones. People always want to hear about folks from their own community doing inspiring things.

With your message, your three “how to” tips, your ooh-ahh factor, and two appearances in your community per month, you will be well on your way to visibility. But there are still a few things to keep in mind:

-       Be quick, be effective, and use five-year-old language. A simple message is often more profound than one that takes your audience twenty minutes to decipher. Respect their time.

-       Always promote your message. Promote it at work. Promote it in a newsletter or blog. Talk about your message with your friends and family. Put your message in new spaces where people need to hear it.

-       Work the title of your book (or whatever you’re promoting) into your appearances. The repetition will help others find you later.

-       Don’t get nervous about your message and change it. People want to hear it. Consistency is key. You will get sick of the message, but that just means you need to find new ways to promote it.

-       Sometimes you will get into media with subjects that you’ve never written about. Your answer should always be YES! Remember that media is always just your own opinion. Find a way to tie current events back to your message, so long as it gives people a useful perspective.

-       Look for opportunities in advance. The lead time for TV and radio is usually 3-4 months, and for podcasts and articles, it’s 6-8 weeks. Search some of the keywords relevant to your book and note the programs and media outlets that pop up first.

-       Always bring your book or product that you’re trying to promote. Leave one with the news outlet or host and keep one for yourself to hold and reference.

-       One good press release and one current headshot is all you need in your media kit. The rest is about consistency in your message.

-       As you continue to get opportunities, leverage the logos of the most visible media outlets on your website.

Writing a book is a business. Being a creative person is a business. It’s easy to get lost in the details when you’re trying to build your platform. Remember, all you need to do is focus on your message—the story you have to tell and the problem you’re trying to solve. From there, it’s about tenacity, research, and outreach.

To connect with me for further coaching on publicity, visit www.publicitycrashcourse.com. I’ve helped tons of authors and creatives get publicity for their platforms to grow their businesses, and I’ve loved watching them succeed.

Jill Lublin is a master publicity strategist, consultant, and bestselling author. To learn more about her work and her most recent book, The Profit of Kindness, visit www.jilllublin.com.