BUILD YOUR WEBSITE TO ATTRACT MEDIA INTEREST
How would you like to wake up, write one email to hundreds of people at once? Or better yet, wake up and have people calling YOU for your expertise? You can attract business, orders, AND calls from the media IF you set up the right steps.
The key to attract media and customer business is in how you run your website. Here are some questions to see if you are ready to get going on this, followed by the 10 steps to Build Your Website to Capture Media Interest."
Are You Ready?
To decide if you want to move from a "website presence/online brochure" to a "dynamic, interactive and lead generating website" to reach current clientele, develop new customers, and attract media, ask yourself these three questions:
- Do I want more from my website than I am getting, and am I willing to spend time to improve it?
- Do I have the interest and ability to handle more publicity and business?
- Do I like people and want to expand my contacts to those who want my services?
10 Steps to Build Your Website and Capture Media Interest
If you answered Yes to the above questions, then you are ready to follow the 10 steps below. Perhaps you have already done some of them. What do you need to do yet?
- Include the four Basic Ingredients of a viable working Website:
a. Offer FREE information on your topic to keep visitors interested.
b. Have a spot for visitors to signup before they click away forever.
c. Write a regular (and valuable) newsletter to this growing database.
d. Setup a merchant account for on-line product or service sales.
- Choose your Contact Management System:
Make it a goal to capture 1,000, 5,000, 10,000 names in a system that will be "seamless" to capture email names on your site and put them automatically into your data base. It will also handle your sales and put those customer names into your data base.
Here are two examples you or your web designer can include:
www.OrganizingPro.com/KickStartCart.htm
www.ConstantContact.com
- Place "Name and Email" Signup boxes in the first screen on your Home Page, and pages thereafter. After all, your goal is to continue to offer quality tips and contact to impact them.
- Figure out what products or services you can offer on-line.
You could sell books, audio products, coaching sessions, or a FR*EE consultation. Think of what your website customer would be willing to pay for on-line. Packages of products are great sales for your topic.
- Calculate the website sales you need to cover website costs. Or just consider it as an advertising expense to be perceived as a professional high quality company or individual. Everyone who is "Someone" has a site to send people to, especially the media.
* The expense for the wide range of exposure may just be worth it without selling anything.
- Write articles around KEY WORDS that will bring traffic to your site. Once you have your site, focus your words on articles that will bring you traffic.
- Make your site fun and interesting - with pictures of you, what your product and services do for people, articles and tips they can apply right now, and the benefits of using your services to enrich their lives.
- Put your website name prominently on everything. That's often how a reporter will find you.
- Keep in touch monthly or bimonthly with something of value in a newsletter. The audience will appreciate your regular communication and tips to help them grow.
- Set your goals for the next 3, 6, and 12 months for your website expansion and determine what expertise is needed to get you there. Then go for it! Sooner is definitely better than later.
What Media Will Visit Your Website?
Print Media - Feature article writers and editors for newspapers, magazines, and newsletters will come to your site and determine whether you are 1) an expert and 2) whether you have information or quotable quotes they are seeking. Offer email and phone contact information.
Radio Media - Radio interviewers will hear about you and click on your site to see what you have to offer their listeners. A list of "10 Tips of Something on Your Topic" makes a great radio interview. List all the media places you have been on and keep building to the largest places.
TV Media - You and your topic need to convince them your topic has broad appeal to their
audience (often your local area) and be timely for the season. Keep your website "timeless"
but send email press releases for news events, holidays, or the season of the year for your
product and services.
An easy to understand website, full of information, and email newsletter numbering upwards of 1,000 names or more make you attractive to the media. The media knows that if you have a growing following with your newsletter, you have something going that they want to report.
A site simply done well with an ezine (i.e. electronic newsletter), products and services, and a merchant account for immediate sales is a great way to attract media. The bigger your following the more expertise you will have acquired and the more interested they will be.
Marcia Ramsland is well known as "The Organizing Pro" for her practical skills and tips to manage busy lives. She is a speaker, author, and media guest expert appearing on TV, radio, and in national magazines for her popular books Simplify Your Life, Simplify Your Time, and Simplify Your Holidays (Thomas Nelson). Visit her website, www.organizingpro.com for free tips.
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