3 Tips To Get Your Own Publicity

This year as I walked down radio row at SEC Media Days (college football event/conference) for the sixth year in a row, I reflected back on how things have changed for me since the first time I attended. I was credentialed by Forbes this year, and I’ve previously been credentialed by ESPN. But not the first year…
Be in the right places
The first year, I paid my own way, because I knew it was THE industry event I needed to be at to grow my blog and network with influential media members. I spent most of the week walking up and introducing myself to people who had no idea who I was.
But they know now. They’re my friends. They’ve been my colleagues. They’ve shared my posts on social media, quoted me in their articles, invited me on their tv, radio and podcast shows and more.
And it all started because I was willing to put myself out there.

Me on Radio Row at SEC Media Days 2016 – with my husband doing an interview at the station behind me!
Learn how to market yourself
At SEC Media Days they have something called “Radio Row.” Dozens of radio stations line both sides of this hallway for four days, broadcasting live all over the Southeast. When I walked down the hallway this year, people called out to me and ask if I could come on with them. But it wasn’t always this way…
Six years ago when I was at SEC Media Days the very first time, I made a one-sheet that had a short bio on me and a bulleted list of things I could talk about on-air. Then I walked up and down “Radio Row” and handed it out. I was nervous. I felt stupid. I worried about what they thought of me.
But I decided that growing my blog and being seen as an expert in this field were more important to me than the fear. I forced myself to do it.
And I went on over a dozen live radio shows that first year!
Create opportunities
I can hear you now. You’re saying, “But Kristi, I don’t ever go to anything where there’s a Radio Row.”
You don’t have to be a conference where radio hosts or podcasters are capturing audio to make this work. I sent that same one-sheet around to radio stations all over the country, and it’s why I’ve been on nearly 100 different radio stations in the past six years.
Recently, a client attended a blogging conference and employed my one-sheet strategy. She has a book coming out in the fall, and we came up with a plan to do a “blog book tour” where she would offer to pop in on sites with guest blogs and giveaway copies of her book in the fall. She handed out the one-sheet to dozens of bloggers at the conference inviting them to contact her about hosting a virtual stop on her blog book tour.
Get creative. The opportunities are out there, but sometimes you have to be create them for yourself! You have to get your own publicity.
If you need some more tips on getting started, check out my free guide on How To Position Yourself For Free Publicity. You’ll get my expert advice on how to position yourself for loads of FREE publicity, including everything from guest blogs and podcast interviews to radio, TV, and speaking gigs. Download it here to get started!
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