Women have trouble viewing themselves as experts.  But if you don’t view yourself as an expert — and declare your expertise — you can’t generate media coverage to grow your business. The brilliant Sarah Evans (www.prsarahevans) talked about GETTING SOURCED at Spark & Hustle Chicago.   Some nuggets of her great advice on getting media coverage for your business:  Have the basic fundamentals down: What are the key messages of your organizations? What’s your 30 second soundbite? Have supporting statements around that to back it up.  This is an ideal way to be media-ready.Think of yourself as a news producer.  Have an updated headshot.  Have stock photos that could be used to make the story more robust. Be familiar with all of the platforms.  Web, TV, print — all very different. Befriend someone who’s in PR.  If you can’t afford a PR firm, ask a PR friend to help you get media-ready. Five ways to use traditional and social media to identify story opportunities: 1) Create a media list. Cover three categories: traditional media, bloggers, online influencers. List is about quality not quantity.  Build the list — it takes time.  Who would you likely pitch? Who covers what you do?  Organize it and get to know the work of the people you’re targeting.  Aim for 20 people in each of the 3 categories. 2) Leave a digital trail.  You have to be searchable and findable online.  Journalists have expanded the way they find sources and many times it’s online.  That’s a great reason to be active in social media or to write a blog.  (It’s NOT just about sending out a press release.) 3) Produce interesting content. Centralize it such as here on Tumblr or a blog.  The more my clients blog, the more they see media interest in their stories.  Create an editorial calendar for your own content around holidays, topics, news events, anniversaries, etc. You’re creating this content to build your expertise — and then you must share it through social media.  People love LISTS, so create some content in list form. 4) Ask yourself some key questions.  Is it new? Is it timely? If the event is tomorrow, you should have pitched it a week ago.  Who will the story impact? Local, national?  Is it unique? Is there a trend? Trend stories are huge.   5) Don’t let stories die.  Use links in your email signature.  Put the links in other stuff you do so the stories have a long shelf life. Some valuable resources: —Reporters check TweetDeck when they’re looking for sources.   —PitchEngine.com is a valuable resource for sharing your materials for media. —HARO — HelpaReporter.com  Learn more at www.prsarahevans.com and follow her at @prsarahevans. 

Women have trouble viewing themselves as experts.  But if you don’t view yourself as an expert — and declare your expertise — you can’t generate media coverage to grow your business. 

The brilliant Sarah Evans (www.prsarahevans) talked about GETTING SOURCED at Spark & Hustle Chicago.  

Some nuggets of her great advice on getting media coverage for your business: 

Have the basic fundamentals down: What are the key messages of your organizations? What’s your 30 second soundbite? Have supporting statements around that to back it up.  This is an ideal way to be media-ready.

Think of yourself as a news producer.  Have an updated headshot.  Have stock photos that could be used to make the story more robust. 

Be familiar with all of the platforms.  Web, TV, print — all very different. Befriend someone who’s in PR.  If you can’t afford a PR firm, ask a PR friend to help you get media-ready. 

Five ways to use traditional and social media to identify story opportunities:

1) Create a media list. Cover three categories: traditional media, bloggers, online influencers. List is about quality not quantity.  Build the list — it takes time.  Who would you likely pitch? Who covers what you do?  Organize it and get to know the work of the people you’re targeting.  Aim for 20 people in each of the 3 categories. 

2) Leave a digital trail.  You have to be searchable and findable online.  Journalists have expanded the way they find sources and many times it’s online.  That’s a great reason to be active in social media or to write a blog.  (It’s NOT just about sending out a press release.)

3) Produce interesting content. Centralize it such as here on Tumblr or a blog.  The more my clients blog, the more they see media interest in their stories.  Create an editorial calendar for your own content around holidays, topics, news events, anniversaries, etc. You’re creating this content to build your expertise — and then you must share it through social media.  People love LISTS, so create some content in list form.

4) Ask yourself some key questions.  Is it new? Is it timely? If the event is tomorrow, you should have pitched it a week ago.  Who will the story impact? Local, national?  Is it unique? Is there a trend? Trend stories are huge.  

5) Don’t let stories die.  Use links in your email signature.  Put the links in other stuff you do so the stories have a long shelf life.

Some valuable resources:

—Reporters check TweetDeck when they’re looking for sources.  

—PitchEngine.com is a valuable resource for sharing your materials for media.

—HARO — HelpaReporter.com 

Learn more at www.prsarahevans.com and follow her at @prsarahevans.