Home
>
Small Business
>
How To Get Slightly Famous in Print

How To Get Slightly Famous in Print

Early in my career, I wrote an article for a small business magazine about self-publishing as a marketing tool for businesses. Because I specialize in helping businesses get into print, the article only took a few hours to write. A few months later it was published. Almost immediately, my phone began to ring and my email box filled up with inquires.

As a result of "Be An Expert, Get More Business" I landed two clients, submitted several proposals, and added dozens of names to my mailing list. Later I used the article in my email newsletter, made glossy reprints for my marketing materials, and arranged to reprint the article in other magazines targeted at potential clients.

Years later, the benefits continue to roll in as prospects read my article on the Internet, recommend it to associates, and hire my firm because I'm an expert in Slightly Famous marketing strategies.

In one instance, a reader became a client even though her company had almost finalized a decision to hire a competitor. "We came across your article, and it made all the difference," she said. "We knew from your article that you could help us."

You might be thinking that success came easily to me because I am a writer. But you don't have to be a professional writer or seasoned journalist to get your name in print. Whether you're a management consultant or a masseuse, you can learn how to pursue print media exposure and succeed. And with more than 10,000 publications in print today, opportunities are virtually unlimited.

Visibility + Competence + Word of Mouth = REPUTATION

Getting Slightly Famous in print media means reaching a larger audience, rather than relying entirely on human contact. After all, there is only one physical you. No matter how much you network, get around, or attend meetings, YOU can only go so far.

Appearing in the media is the equivalent of expanded networking. You reach a targeted audience of people who might buy from you, and you build a relationship with your target market that can lead to sales. Even if you have a small local business, media exposure helps you establish a regional or national presence without leaving your desk.

Media exposure works because it associates your name with the authority of the media. When you read about a business in the newspaper or hear about it on the radio, chances are you immediately elevate that business above its competitors. It has solidity and credibility.

Appearing in media that reach your target market establishes a bond of trust upon which future sales are possible. Ultimately, your Slightly Famous media strategy will develop your reputation as a business of choice in your market niche. As more prospects run across your name in publications targeted at them, you will acquire an aura of expertise that will get you more business with less effort.

Publishing Articles & Columns

Bylined, contributed articles are a mainstay in many trade and special interest publications because most cannot afford full-time writers. From fillers to features, these magazines rely on freelance writers and contributors like you for at least some of their content. Often written for a small fee-or given freely in exchange for an author bio designed to elicit business-these articles show off the expertise of the businessperson or consultant who authored it.

Besides exposing your business to thousands of prospects, it's possible to get feature articles devoted entirely to your business. As a bonus, article reprints make excellent, low cost sales literature.

The key to publishing expert articles is to package your ideas in a benefit-oriented fashion. Tell prospects how to think about or apply your business solution. Give readers real information they can use, regardless of whether they will buy from you. If you don't, and use a thinly veiled sales pitch instead, editors will see through it and reject the article.

Articles are usually a one-shot deal. Columns, on the other hand, are regular engagements that allow a writer to build relationships with readers. Columns appear on a weekly or monthly basis in newspapers, magazines, and Web sites. They can brand an author not just as an expert, but also as a friend, confidante, and mentor.

You don't have to achieve "Dear Abby" status to be a successful column writer. As with any Slightly Famous marketing strategy, your column only needs to reach the right people in your target market to position you as a resource.

Be A Media Resource

Bylined articles are not the only way to see your name in print. Read any newspaper or magazine article. You will see a handful of experts quoted within stories as diverse as international business, stock market forecasts or the latest fashion trends.

Reporters are not experts. That's why they need experts from the business world to create their stories. The secret is to position yourself as a media resource.

The media rely on you, the industry expert, to give substance and credibility to their stories. Experts can be book authors, speakers, consultants, managers and professionals. If you have knowledge about a specific subject-and that subject can be your business-you qualify too.

People who get quoted in the media pursue a strategy to be on journalists' radar screens when journalists write stories about their industries. They make themselves available as expert interview sources so that journalists will think of them when they are writing relevant stories.

When you learn how the media works, and mold your expertise into a carefully-crafted media attracting strategy, you actually help the media do its job in exchange for valuable exposure for your company.

With a little effort, you can become the first person on a reporter's list when a story about your business area comes up. But it won't happen if you don't let the media know you exist!

Time, Commitment, and Consistency

You wouldn't expect a massive return on a monetary investment overnight. The same goes with getting Slightly Famous in print, where huge dividends come to those who persist.

Like all marketing activities, print media exposure is a long-term commitment that will yield long-term rewards. Is it worth the time? Yes. Landing just a few clients can pay for all your marketing costs for the next year.

If you don't give print media exposure a chance, you'll never know what it can do for you. Establishing your reputation in print takes time. But if you are committed, an inevitable "snowball effect" will take place and can bring you all the business you can handle!

About The Author

Steven Van Yoder is the author of Get Slightly Famous. He's helped dozens of business owners get "slightly" famous in print and become mini-celebrities in their fields. Visit his online community at http://www.getslightlyfamous.com where you'll find free resources and programs to help you attract more business with less effort by positioning yourself as a media resource.

recurring cleaning service Mundelein ..

In The News:

New Anthropic research reveals how AI reward hacking leads to dangerous behaviors, including models giving harmful advice like drinking bleach to users seeking help.

The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.

Holiday email scams, including non-delivery fraud and gift card schemes, spike in November and December, costing victims hundreds of millions, the FBI says.

Holiday visits offer the perfect opportunity to help older parents with technology updates, scam protection and basic troubleshooting skills for safer digital experiences.

Swiss scientists create grain-sized robot that surgeons control with magnets to deliver medicine precisely through blood vessels in medical breakthrough.

Researchers exploited WhatsApp's API vulnerability to scrape 3.5 billion phone numbers. Learn how this massive data breach happened and protect yourself.

Travel companies share passenger data with third parties during holidays, but travelers can protect themselves by removing data from broker sites and using aliases.

Xpeng's humanoid robot moves so realistically that crowds believed it was fake, marking a major advancement in robotics technology ahead of 2026 commercial launch.

Researchers discover phishing scam using invisible characters to evade email security, with protection tips including password managers and two-factor authentication.

iPhone and Android users can reduce battery drain and data usage by restricting Background App Refresh to Wi-Fi connections instead of mobile networks.

Scammers nearly stole an Apple account by exploiting the support system with authentic-looking tickets and phone calls, users can protect themselves with safety steps.

FoloToy restored sales of its AI teddy bear Kumma after a weeklong suspension following safety group findings of risky and inappropriate responses to children.

Threat intelligence firm Synthient uncovers one of the largest password exposures ever, prompting immediate security recommendations.

Viral video shared by Elon Musk shows Tesla's Optimus humanoid robots performing tasks from cooking to construction, garnering over 58.5 million views on social media.

Chinese hackers used Anthropic's Claude AI to launch autonomous cyberattacks on 30 organizations worldwide, marking a major shift in cybersecurity threats.

Apple's new Sleep Score feature gives you a rating for your nightly rest quality. Learn how to set it up on your Apple Watch and iPhone today.

Essential phone settings to enable before losing your device, including Find My network, location services and security features for iPhone and Android.

The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.

Cybersecurity research shows weak passwords remain a major threat, with simple patterns and number sequences putting millions of accounts at risk.

New Android malware BankBot YNRK silences phones, steals banking data and drains crypto wallets automatically. Learn how this advanced threat works.

FDA approves first human trial for Paradromics' brain-computer interface that could restore speech for paralyzed patients through neural technology.

New phishing platform QRR targets Microsoft 365 users across 1,000 domains in 90 countries. Learn how to spot fake login pages and protect your accounts.

OpenTable now uses AI to track your dining habits and share insights with restaurants. Learn what data they collect and how to protect your privacy.

Google's discontinued Nest thermostats still secretly upload home data to company servers despite losing smart features, raising serious privacy concerns.

New Android malware NGate steals NFC payment codes in real-time, allowing criminals to withdraw cash from ATMs without your card. Learn protection tips.

How To Get Slightly Famous in Print

Small Business