Enjoy the TD

Telephone calls and Emails from newspaper and magazine editors can be feast or famine for a solo marketer.

You either get a healthy number of media connections because of consistent marketing, or you get very few due to a lack of self promotion.

When your marketing starts paying off with interview requests, you may think that you have no control over time or content. That’s far from the truth. Writers and editors sometimes command lots of your time, which makes you think that you’ll see a full-page spread about your company.

When you see only one or two lines from an hour-long interview, you think, “Why did the reporter talk to me all that time?” The answer: because you didn’t take control the moment he contacted you.

The bottom line is that you do have control when interview requests arrive, and a few preliminary questions to the reporter will guide you as to how much or little time you give them, as well as how you can capitalize on being in print far beyond quotes.

Here are five questions to ask to prepare for free publicity.

1. “What’s the main topic for this story?”
You may be so happy to finally get an interview that you neglect to understand the article’s central idea. Such a briefing allows you to form answers that not only educate but also sell more products or services.

2. “How many people do you plan to interview?”
Will your competitors be contacted? What about buyers/end users, which may turn this seemingly-positive article into a negative rant? You have the right to ask who else will be featured. Reporters always tell me.

So far they’ve seen no reason not to. If the writer is still looking for others to interview (ask about this, too), recommend industry allies who will remember you for reciprocal interviews.

3. “Is it possible to send me your questions by Email?”
I usually don’t recommend a question answered with a simple “yes” or “no;” however, this is the one question where “yes” will get you off the phone so you can continue your work and respond to questions during down time.

This option also helps you to create new content, articles, and white papers because you have the information in Q&A format and can expand it as needed.

4. “Do you need photographs?”
Photos enhance the story to visually show readers your facility, products, expertise, popularity, and any other benefit that convinces people/businesses to develop a relationship with you.

This is another “yes/no” answer that if “yes,” has the potential to increase your visibility.

5. “In which issue will this appear?”
This is good to know so that you can prepare: a) your Web site with a custom welcome message for the publication’s readers; b) a special download to capture sales from new visitors, or c) a monthly sales event.

Also, offer 3, 5, or 10 beneficial tips already printed in your literature or on your Web site. Reporters often add sidebar tip boxes, and readers’ eyes often shift to the tip box faster than to the article. Be sure that your name, business name, and Web site address will appear below the tips.

The more you’re in control of the interview, through a series of questions you’re ready to ask, the more likely you’ll see more than one or two quotes for your invested time.

© 2008 Shirley George Frazier. All rights reserved. Shirley George Frazier is an excavator who uncovers smart marketing solutions for small and solo business owners. She’s also a professional speaker and author of Marketing Strategies for the Home-Based Business: Solutions You Can Use Today. Visit the SoloBusinessMarketing.com Web site and blog for tips, videos, and more.