Episode 17

Mini-Course on Strategic Pitching with Veronica

I share some great tips and strategies from my rich courses and programs available on my website at www.veronicavsopher.com. Be sure to check them out and be ready to learn and grow. Your visibility strategy deserves your full attention!

Transcript

Hello. Hello and welcome to Saturday soundbites. Thank you everyone for joining us. I'm so thrilled that you have checked in with us and you are ready to do some more learning. Uh, we had some technical difficulties and our amazing guests, Ms. Doc, uh, Dr. Jackie Lynn bees. Won't be able to join us today. So we are sending her, uh, lots of good light and energy.

[00:00:25] Uh, we're going to get her rescheduled. Don't you worry about that. So today I'm just hopping on to go live and share with you a little bit of some of the things we were planning on, talk talking about today, um, because we want to make sure that every Saturday you are learning and growing and getting what you need so that you can grow your visibility strategy and learning to leverage, um, expertise that we bring to you.

[00:00:47] So thank you so much for joining us. Um, I will be happy to take questions as we are going through the show. It's probably going to be shorter to show today, but that's okay. We are going to talk all things, visibility strategy, which include advertising, branding, marketing visibility strategy. And of course my jam public relations.

[00:01:07] So, as you know, I've brought to you some amazing guests. Um, we've got some reporters lined up, some producers lined up in the next couple of weeks. Cause at the end of the day, we want you to be able to know how to craft a pitch. And that's really what I wanted to talk about today. So you're basically getting a little.

[00:01:22] Snippet of a mastermind. So how lucky are you? Right. We're going to wake up Saturday morning, do some learning. If you're watching on Facebook, make sure you give me some comments, hashtag replay. If you're watching on the replay so I can go back and address. And if you're listening on the podcast, make sure you hit the subscribe button.

[00:01:39] So we know. That you're listening and you get notifications next time we come on. So, uh, those of you, a little bit of housekeeping and who haven't had a chance to log in yet and check out our Facebook group, make sure you do. It's magnifying your message with media on Facebook. It's a private Facebook group.

[00:01:57] We've got about 500 people in there. We talk all things, visibility strategy, and you're going to learn some great tips, copywriting tips, tips on how to write press releases, tips on how to write posts, posts that are going to generate content and revenue for you. And we're also going to be bringing in guests periodically to go live inside that group.

[00:02:17] So this is a really great way for you to learn how to grow your visibility strategy. Learn from experts. People who've been doing this for 20, 30 years and who are super successful. So if you're not in our Facebook group, make sure you go to magnifying your message with media on Facebook, and we will be sure to connect there as well.

[00:02:35] And if you have not yet checked out the website, go to Veronica V sofer.com. There's some fantastic courses in there, some workshops, um, that really give you step-by-step instruction on how to craft the perfect message, how to better understand who your target audiences, how to go through that exercise of identifying your target audience and knowing exactly how they're getting their information, their preferred way of getting it.

[00:03:02] To them so that they can process in a way that's going to help you make connections, because that's what it's all about. When you are connecting with your target audience or in some spaces, we call it your ideal client. Then you're able to craft messages that are really going to resonate with them and help them identify how you can come along and support them.

[00:03:21] So if you haven't done that yet, make sure you do that. All right. So. Let's get back to the topic at hand. And for those of you just checking in, um, Dr. Jackie Lambie, won't be able to join us today. She did have, um, something pop up and we're going to reschedule her. Don't you worry about it because I had some great feedback and people who are very interested in learning from her, she has.

[00:03:42] 20 plus years in the academic communication space. Um, and she and her team have done phenomenal work on understanding campaigns, messaging, and more importantly strategy because strategy what it is, what it's really all about. So today I'm going to just hop on here for a few minutes, chat with you about some of the things that I actually learned from her.

[00:04:03] And, um, and honestly, um, she was a part of the team that helped me develop those skills. She was one of my very first professors at the university of North Texas, which is why I was so super excited. And can't wait to have a back on Saturday soundbites. So, uh, for those of you who really liked the academic perspective, that's what she's going to bring to us.

[00:04:22] And we will definitely get that rescheduled and be sure. To talk about all those things that, um, a lot of folks don't know to ask and don't know the why behind why we're doing what we're doing in communications. So she was, she was part of that team that helped me grow and helped me learn what it was I wanted to do so that I could be the strongest communicator I can.

[00:04:43] All right. So let's talk about identifying your ideal client. Again, some fantastic tools out there on the internet. For those of you who participate in a lot of Facebook groups and a lot of Instagram groups, some of the, you really get involved in mastermind groups. That is a wonderful way to help you identify your target audience.

[00:05:02] Especially if those people are aligned to the same types of. Connections that you're trying to make. First thing you need to know who they are. Is it a man? Is it a woman? What are their ages? Some of the basics, the demographics are there some cultural connections, then we start getting into some of those deeper layers as you're peeling back the onion.

[00:05:20] What about their economics? What kind of degrees do they have? What kind of education do they have? Where do they shop? Where do they consume their information? Where are they, uh, participating online? Are they even online? Because there's going to be some businesses that really don't have that target audience that are engaging online.

[00:05:39] Are they newspaper readers? Are they the type of people who will pick up a newspaper and read it, cover to cover? There are still some of those out there. How many of you are out there still subscribing to a daily newspaper and pick it up and read it, cover to cover. That is still part of our target audience.

[00:05:54] And some of the things we talk about is not just ignoring our traditional media. So you don't want to ignore your newspapers, your, your weekly publications, your radio, your radio and television shows. I've got a couple of great guests coming up in the next few weeks that are really going to touch on the value of radio and why it's still relevant.

[00:06:15] Terrestrial radio is still a thing. A lot of us still, um, listened to the eighties on eight and the nineties on nine on our satellite radio. But terrestrial radio is still very important. There's still a market for it. And there is a way for you to tap into that using your visibility strategy. So we're going to talk about that in the coming weeks.

[00:06:34] And of course, newspapers, we've already had the amazing Melissa to vote on our show. We've got a couple of other great reporters that are going to come in and I've got a phenomenal gas coming for you soon too in may. Uh, Carrie. And Carrie's going to come in and talk about how to pitch to TV. To those schedulers who really work on those broadcasts that bring in lifestyle.

[00:06:55] So if you're a book author, if you're a coach, if you are in the digital media space and you've got some great new content and strategy, you want to share lifestyle pitches are a really important way that you can kind of get in and be seen and share that content. And I'll share with you too. Another tip about, um, television.

[00:07:15] That's really important and radio too. They will on their channels, provide back links and give copy just like a podcast. Does, if you think about how podcasts notes work, they'll provide copy and back links to all of your resources. So when you're featured, maybe on the morning, drive time on your local NBC affiliate, chances are, they're going to provide a bio of who you are on the online version and a back link.

[00:07:42] And that's just going to serve you. So well, and that search engine optimization conversation that you're trying to have with your digital team. So don't forget traditional media. It is still very, very important. And for those of us who are still in that nine to five space and were maybe in corporate or nonprofit or in government space, we work with those media outlets every single day.

[00:08:03] And so I challenge you folks to think about how to get out of those traditional media and think about podcasting and. Actually featuring your team or your staff on podcasts. Because again, those backlinks are just a phenomenal way to get people back into your space, whether it's insurance grants or finance or whatever, where it is that you are selling.

[00:08:25] I've got a couple of attorneys that I work with that just do a phenomenal job, sharing their expertise about family law. About estate planning law, and then being featured on podcasts are just another great way to generate leads. So that's really my ass today. So when you're thinking about the target audience that you're working with, and you've identified where they're shopping, where they're consuming their information, how they're consuming their information, then you have the framework of how to craft a message.

[00:08:52] And that's something else I was going to share with you too. The importance of crafting a message that resonates with your target audience. And it doesn't just need to be a connection like, Hmm. That sounds interesting. Any needs to be a connection like, wow, that's what I need. That's the solution to my problem.

[00:09:12] Yes. I am a mindset coach and I am talking to people in a way that's providing them information, but are you talking to them in a way that resonates with them? That helps them see how you have a solution to a problem that they need help with. And if you're doing that, then you're going to be able to drive the traffic.

[00:09:32] Good. Same thing. You're a realtor, lots of realtors out in your market. Are you really resonating with them? Are you connecting? So I've used the word connecting a couple of different times because that's what I want you to get from this conversation. When you are working on identifying your target audience, you are making a connection and authentic connection with someone.

[00:09:50] The second thing you're doing is you're helping them understand how the service that you provide or the product you provide solves a problem. Right? So when we're all working on social media posts, we're trying to use a formula. A lot of us have gone through some of that training. There's a formula to how to write a post.

[00:10:08] And, and that's great, but you're also doing the same thing. When you are connecting to media, you're helping them identify how you can connect to their target audience. So as you're writing a press release or some sort of promotion, then you want to make sure that that is, um, that that's part of your formula as well.

[00:10:24] So, if you haven't had a chance to really dig deep into how you're doing your messaging and using your strategy, then that's the thing that I want you to focus on. For those of you that are just tuning in. I'm seeing lots of people hopping on our guests, Dr. Jackie llambias, wasn't able to join us today.

[00:10:38] She had a last minute conflict, but we are getting her rescheduled. We are so excited about her coming on, sharing her expertise, sharing her academic background and the experiences that she has had. Um, and really helping us grow so that we can frame our messages in a way that's going to connect with folks and really bring value.

[00:10:58] So today I'm doing it solo, but, um, we've been talking about. Target audiences we've been talking about how do identify your target audience. And now I want to touch on a few things that really, um, are going to help you in taking that next step and that's executing and that's reaching out. People ask me all the time you've been doing public relations for more than 20 years.

[00:11:18] You talk to reporters every single day in your job. How do you really connect? And I'm going to give you the secret. And that is to be authentic. That is to be genuine and to bring a value, a reporter just like Melissa shared with us when she was on the show. A few weeks ago, reporters are running 90 miles an hour.

[00:11:36] They've got deadlines. Newsrooms are being cut for those of you who are in media. And you're watching how many of you know that your teams were just cut in half over the last 10 years, but newsrooms are still expected to produce content. So people like us who are pitching need to be able to have content that is camera ready.

[00:11:54] That's a term we use and probably a term that I learned in, um, Jackie's classes when she was my professor at the university of North Texas. Uh, for those of you that don't know, she's now the department chair of Texas Christian university, just down the road from university of North, Texas. And I know we have a lot of, for her former students tuning and she's going to join us in a few weeks when we reschedule her.

[00:12:16] But one of the things we talked about was really making genuine connections, being camera ready? Your content, no grammar errors, no spelling errors. The lead is at the top. The. Point that you want people to understand needs to be the first thing that you send out either in a text, in a tweet, because I often tweet reporters.

[00:12:35] I pitch reporters via Twitter. I do. I absolutely do. Or a traditional press release. That's maybe going to an assignments editor or maybe the intern is picking all those press releases. I'm off the pile and sorting through them and then moving them on to somebody you want that lead to be super strong.

[00:12:50] The who, what, when, where right at the top. Great templates out there on social media. Just Google it that you can use. Just remember when you are sending out a press release, no one wants to click more than once. Don't turn it into a PDF and email it and make it an attachment. As our reporters have shared with us, who've been on the show before.

[00:13:10] No one wants to do that. You need to be able to provide them the content. Super fast, super ready. If they're scrolling on their phone, they're going to scroll right past it. If it's not something they can't copy and paste. So keep that in mind and then make sure you've got links, links that work and that are connected.

[00:13:27] I don't know how many times people have sent information to a reporter or a newsroom and the links are broken or there's no art to accompany it. Well, guys, here's how newsrooms are working right now. Not only are they filling their television shows and their radio shows, but they're also. Launching if they haven't already they're digital packaging, so on their websites and on their social media content, they've got people solely devoted to filling it with content.

[00:13:53] So if you've got a story to put out there, make sure you've got back links, make sure you've got art, they're all connected. And you're sending it in a way that they can easily copy and paste. And it works. The key is guys. It has to work. If it doesn't work. As soon as they figure that out, they're going to dump it.

[00:14:09] They're going to move you on. They're not going to send you an email and say, please resend it. They don't have time for that. They are moving. They're shaking news is really on a six hour cycle. If you think about it, we used to talk about the 24 hour cycle, uh, when we were hitting the morning broadcasts and the drive drive time broadcast in the afternoon.

[00:14:29] And then the 10 o'clock news. That is not how news works anymore. So for those of you who took some marketing and. Classes in college, 25 years ago. That is not how it works anymore. We are on a hour by hour. Uh, switching of news news is updated every in real time. Thanks to social media. So that's actually one of the reasons why I like to pitch media, uh, view, view using their social media channels.

[00:14:54] I actually reach out to reporters on Instagram, on LinkedIn and Twitter. Why? Because they're not in their email. They don't have time to log into their email. But email is the last thing they're checking. They are watching social media. They're looking for story ideas. They're looking to connect. And find, um, people that they can interview leads.

[00:15:14] They're looking for stories are looking for the latest and greatest so that they can repurpose that content. So if I know that's where the reporters and the decision makers are, that's where I'm pitching my company. That's where I'm pitching my clients. That's where I'm pitching the stories that I want to get out there.

[00:15:29] So if you not doing that, make sure that you start following reporters. Look at w look at your favorite places to get news again, depending on your, depending on your niche, it's going to look a little bit different. Some of you are really regional because you have brick and mortar businesses. Some of you are on the online space, so you're really global and you're checking lifestyle content out, or maybe real estate or finance, if that's what you're in.

[00:15:55] And I'm actually working with someone in the healthcare field who. Is trying to help other healthcare workers support themselves, do wellness checks. And, and I asked, where do you consume your information? Where are nurses getting their daily news? That was a question that she hadn't really thought about.

[00:16:14] So I'm going to pose those questions to you, depending on who your target audience is now that you've identified it and your ideal client, do you know where they're getting their information? Do you know where they're going? Do you know, what are the blogs that they're reading? Because if you do, then that's where you need to go.

[00:16:30] And that's where you need to share your information. So I've got tons of great content content like that in my Facebook group. Magnifying your message with media. Be sure to check that out, make sure that you are sharing resources and tips that you're finding that are successful, especially those of you in the entrepreneurship space, because we're all learning and growing together.

[00:16:49] And that's what it's all about. You can also check out my website. It's right there. Veronica VSO for there's some great resources, some free content. There's also some fantastic workshops and courses that I highly recommend that you check out if you are launching a new book or looking to launch a new program.

[00:17:06] So I'm so sorry. We weren't able to have Dr. Jackie Lambie AIDS on today, but don't worry. We are going to. Schedule, I'm super excited that we've got some phenomenal guests lined up for the next few weeks. And I hope that you were able to get a little bit of content and support today and helping you grow your visibility.

[00:17:22] Because at Saturday soundbites we talked visibility, strategy, public relations, advertising, marketing, branding, you name it. That's what it's all about. So I'm going to go ahead and wrap up today's show. Thank you so much for joining us. I we've got some. I see. We've got some great viewers today. Make sure you check out, um, the rescheduled program that we've got on hand in the next few weeks.

[00:17:41] And with that, I am sending you lots of positive energy and light. Have a great one.