Know Who You Are, Know What You Want & Sing Your Praises Often

Jill and Harvey Mackay

Master showman PT Barnum said, “A terrible thing happens without publicity …NOTHING!” Whether you’re a one-person road show or a major corporation, you need people to know about you. Publicity is your best friend if used well and is a terrible waste if ignored. Publicity is the most overlooked marketing tool and also the least expensive and least risky.

Your starting point to build guerrilla publicity is to know who you are, know what you want & sing your praises often.

Know who you are.

You are the product regardless of what product or service you provide. People trust the familiar and if they are familiar with you, they will be more likely to purchase your product or service. For this to happen, you must know and believe in yourself, your products, or your services.

Position yourself as an expert by persistently selling yourself. This is most easily accomplished with a ten to fifteen second sound bite that proclaims precisely who you are, what you do, and why you make a difference. Succinct statements make a powerful impression and gets people’s attention. Be ready to explain exactly how your product or service will benefit your listener.

Know what you want.

Opportunities won’t just come knocking on your door; you have to make them happen! Luck is made by having a clear purpose, achievable goals, and by taking consistent and persistent action. Publicity starts from within. Clearly identify your purpose and objectives and lay out a precise plan on how you will achieve those objectives. Capitalize on your strengths to meet precisely the right people at the right time.

Sing your praises often

The most obvious signs of your expertise are that your customers keep coming back, pay what you charge, and recommend you to others. Ask for a written or verbal testimonials then broadcast that testimonial everywhere you can. If you’re doing a seminar or workshop, ask people who’ve heard you before to share their experiences publicly. If you’re good, you’ll get good publicity.

However, that’s where self-promotion can be tricky. One bad experience can ruin your reputation, so you’d better consistently deliver on your promises. Self-promotion based on assumptions, exaggerations, or lies will bury you at the speed of the Internet.
How do you position yourself as an expert?

Jill Lublin is an internationally acclaimed speaker and best selling author of the books, Guerrilla Publicity, Networking Magic and Get Noticed…Get Referrals (McGraw-Hill, June 2008) . She is the CEO of the strategic consulting firm Promising Promotion and founder of GoodNews Media, Inc. Jill hosts the nationally syndicated radio show Do the Dream and hosts the TV program called Messages of Home. She can be reached by phone at 415-883-5455 or by email at info (at) promisingpromotion.com.