Before you work with anyone, what do you do? It’s very likely that you Google that person or company. The same is true for the media. They are very likely going to check you out on Google before they use you as a source or expert in a story. What happens when you Google you? Do you check out? I encourage you to open a private tab in your browser and put your name in and see what comes up. Do you look credible in your industry?
Here are a few tips to make sure you check out:
1) Do you have a website? Can you tell what you do in 7 seconds or less when you go there?
2) Do you have at least one social media platform that you are active on?
3) Are you using the same colors and fonts on your website and your social media header(s)?
3) Do you regularly provide valuable content related to your industry?
4) Have you guest blogged or written for a high-ranking site?
5) Do you regularly pitch the media?
6) Have you been featured in the media?
7) If yes, do you have a press page and/or links on your website?
8) Is your messaging consistent with your target market?
9) Do you regularly post video content?
10) Is your LinkedIn profile optimized and up-to-date?
These ten tips will help you check out when the media (or even a potential client researches you). Don’t discount the power of Google’s search engine and how it can benefit you and your business. Also remember that media begets media. Once you’ve been in one media outlet it’s like you’ve been vetted by the media so another journalist feels more comfortable using you.
When someone in the media Googles you and several media outlets appear, it gives you instant credibility. Check yourself out online and make sure you check out. This week’s publicity tip can be watched above or read the transcript below. Learn more by joining our no-cost PR Challenge.
TRANSCRIPT
Hi everybody. It’s Christina Daves with this weeks free publicity Friday PR tip. This week I want to ask you a question. Do you check out? Do you check out when the media checks you out? Do you check out when a potential client or customer checks you out? Think about what you do before you work with anybody. You Google them, right? So that’s what the media is going to do before they use you as a source or an expert, so test it.
Open a private window in one of your browsers and type your name in and see what comes up because that’s what they’re going to see. What does your website look like? What does your LinkedIn profile look like? Very often that’s the first thing that comes up because of the “Google juice” of LinkedIn. So really take some time and get yourself checking out so that when the media checks you out and they think about using you as an expert or source, it’s a no-brainer and they’re just going to say “yes” because you look so good online.
So that is this week’s PR Tip. If you like this and you’d like to learn more I welcome you to join our PR challenge at yourPRhallenge.com. It’s 10 days. It’s 10 minutes a day. Even if you’ve already gone through the Challenge in the past, do it again. It’s a great refresher. It will help you establish yourself as an expert and it will help you land media exposure which is transformational for a business. So I will see you in our Challenge and then I’ll see you in the media.