One question I got asked was…
…”can you get media exposure if I don’t have a huge budget to invest in building my brand?”
So today I want to outline 4 Ways for you to Get Publicity on a Budget
Having a media presence helps your company stand out from competitors, along with attracting potential customers. But because the health and fitness market is a crowded one, it can be challenging to generate buzz.
However, it can be done. Here are some tips…
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MAKE AN ALL-OUT GRAB FOR ATTENTION.
There’s no magic formula for becoming an attention magnet. It all comes down to your personal style and relationship with reporters. The trick is to think creatively about what you’re willing to do for attention.
Let’s take an example I remember reading about outside of the fitness industry.
[SIDENOTE: it is always a good plan to look outside of the industry from time to time to see what is working in other industries and then see how you can adapt things and make them work for you]
Ok, back to the story…
Up until a few years ago, Lady Gaga was a rather ordinary struggling singer-songwriter. However, she had a huge amount of personal drive and was brave enough to create an outrageous public image that defined her.
Within the fitness industry, Mark Fisher from Mark Fisher Fitness has used his love of theatre and acting, mixed it with his unique personality and created the perfect storm for his business.
He now regularly pops up as one of the Top 100 Most Influential People in Fitness –
https://greatist.com/…/most-influential-health-fitness-peop…
Now, if you’re not an inherently theatrical person, that method of getting attention won’t work.
It certainly wouldn’t work for me but there are some on our list who it would work for – you know who you are 😜
That said if you have the stomach for it, one of the most effective ways to get the attention that follows this philosophy is to throw mud on an established icon.
Pick a bone with someone famous, do it loudly and colourfully, and if you’ve got a legitimate beef with what they say, stand for or make, you’ll get a lot of attention.
The bigger the target, the more attention you will get.
When I was in Oz, I remember one of our members Julian Gaylor generating attention by calling out “The Biggest Loser” – does that program still run??
On a similar vein, others have had significant success in generating awareness by calling out the likes of Gillian Michaels, Ashy Bines, and Tracy Anderson.
Now, when I say “pick a bone”, don’t go out and character assassin someone! That will land you in some hot water! 😱
But if you disagree with their training system or ideally some news item they release and you can give an argument against them (or for them if you actually agree with them) and back it up with research and fact, then you will get noticed.
Why do you think you celebrities get into Twitter “slanging” matches and then “makeup”?
And yes I might catch bits of Entertainment Tonight (for research purposes of course 🙄
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BECOME AN INCREDIBLE SOURCE.
I started to build my media relationships by offering support to journalists I respected in my area. This was a little more challenging at home on the Isle of Man – the pond of talent is smaller BUT it works!
I’d do my homework (remember planning and research is key) and would read through the target publication or listen to the radio show to see whose writing and reporting seemed closest in interest to what mine were.
Then, I’d send them ideas, content, and support.
The important lesson I’ve learned is to avoid outright self-promotion.
Instead, I focused on helping journalists find background information, identify trends or provide a new take on something they’ve already produced.
I also reached out to ask for advice and more information about things they have already written.
As long as you’re authentic and genuinely interested, it’s very flattering to a reporter to know they’re making an impression on a reader.
Once you establish a relationship, you can come back with a pitch to them along with feedback on the help they provided.
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WRITE YOUR OWN STORY.
This article is a perfect example of how you can develop content for media partners, as it helps position yourself as an expert in an area.
If you’re successful in getting your company’s story out to the media, you’ll eventually run out of things to discuss.
After all, the Grand Opening of your studio is only relevant right when it’s happening!!
Inevitably, you’ll have to start creating content that doesn’t directly focus on your service or company.
Try to come up with a catchy phrase for what you do and then push out story after story with anecdotes of how you’ve accomplished interesting things.
Try to become a storyteller for your audience, drawing on analogies that they already know.
If you are stuck, look at what is current in the news, what prominent events are coming up, and what famous historical events or figures are.
Storylines that people can recognize right away have the power of allowing them to follow where you’re leading them and reporters can easily pick up on that.
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BE RELENTLESS AND CONSISTENT.
This is by far the most important tip I have to offer today.
I can guarantee you that, especially when you’re starting out, you’re going to experience a lot of rejection. Get used to the standard response of “thanks, but I’ll pass.”
This is a numbers game.
Don’t give up.
Be patient, polite, listen to their responses and criticisms, and try to answer those – and always try to help them see that they need what you’ve got.
The more you can figure out from their writings and comments what they “need,” the better you can tailor it to solve that need.
Just remember that it’s not one size fits all.
Each writer has a distinctive voice and an editor or boss with clearly defined priorities, and those needs and priorities are constantly shifting.
Recognize that a news event can change the game in a flash.
If you can trim your sails to catch those changes in the news cycle and avoid the slow spots that inevitably develop in that same cycle, you can keep coming back until you hit the mark.
Think of yourself as a missionary, with a message that needs to be heard, that you can change people’s lives.
Regardless of how firmly you believe that you must approach the media with that sense of messianic mission, the passion will come through.
I promise 🙂
