If you receive an email out of the blue from someone who wants to interview you, with the promise that the sender has connections that will feature an article about your business on the websites of NBC, Fox or other major media, beware.
An alert Publicity Hound received an offer like that recently. It didn’t smell right. She contacted me and asked how she should respond. I told her the vague email probably wasn't from a journalist. Before she agreed to anything, she should ask these questions:
--"What is your article about and what angle are you taking?"
--"Do you write for either NBC or Fox currently? Or are you a freelancer trying to sell the article?"
--"Can you send me links to a few other articles you've written?"
She received a reply.
But instead of answering her questions, the sender included a link to a three-minute video that explains how she can get "exposure" with his "media partners." The page includes a questionnaire asking for details so he can get to know her business better. Once he has that info, he’ll be back in touch to discuss how he will create a "high-end media package" that includes content tied to her
topic--content that Google loves.
But he has to make sure her business is a perfect fit. The page also includes a survey that asks for a mandatory mobile number and website address, or she can't submit her answers.
This isn't free publicity. It's known as sponsored content or paid media. If you have to pay for it, that's called advertising. No legitimate journalist or media outlet will make you pay for news articles about your business.
Many companies use paid content as part of their marketing strategy, sometimes with good results. My beef is with the initial email that makes it sound like free publicity, and the questionnaire that asks for information you must provide before going any further.
This week, I received a similar offer from another marketer:
"I am looking for entrepreneurs I can feature in our network for Forbes, Entrepreneur, USA Today, and a dozen other publications to help them become more dominant in their niche."
Anything that sounds too good to be true most likely is.
Your friend,
Joan
P. S.
I can help you generate story ideas about you or your book or business, identify the best media outlets for coverage, and create the pitch so you get free publicity. Read more about the 30-minute or 60-minute Rent My Brain sessions at https://publicityhound.com/need-immediate-one-on-one-help-rent-my-brain