If you are a book author, expert or wish to brand yourself to the media and are in pursuit of media placements Annie Jennings PR recommends you develop a media site, or author/expert showcase site developed especially for the media.

NAMING YOUR AUTHOR EXPERT MEDIA WEBSITE

Choose a name for your author expert media site that is easy to type and does not have any unusual spelling in it.  You want to keep the name of your author site simple and easy to use plus limit or eliminate any challenges the media might have so the first step is the name the site in a way that makes it easy and obvious.

A great example of the name of your media site is www.YourName.com or www.YourNameCredentials.com  (www.yournamePHD.com)

Or if www.yourname.com is not available by the .TV extension meaning you would buy the www.yourname.tv

By naming your author expert media website after yourself the media assumes they are going to the site to find out about you, the expert or book author, and of course, they are right.

It is certainly OK to have more than one website in fact, I recommend it. Each one of your websites should have a specific strategy that is, what do you want the visitor to do? This is also called a conversion strategy. Book author create a media website so the media can find out all about the author and their book.

With an author expert media website, you want the media to be able to get all the info they need to book you for the media opportunity. Appearing on the media offers the book author a tremendous advantage and ability to build a powerful platform.

With a business website, you want the visitor to find out all about your business and hire your business.

And with an e-commerce site you want the visitor to find out all about your products or services and buy them. Your media website should not be a heavy sales site for product or services as the media is looking for high quality information about you - the book author or expert.

So you see, all three types of sites have a unique strategy and the media website should not be combined with any other type of site especially with an e-commerce or sales site as it seems odd that you would want the media to buy your products or services, right?

CONTACT INFO

Each page of your book author expert media website should have a header area containing the essential info about you.  This should include a short list of topics or a broad category name such as "Relationships" and your contact info.

I advise against using email as the only way to get in touch with you.  Why?  It is not instant and does not leave the media with certainty that you will respond.  How do they know you will even get the email?

So they must continue their search for the perfect expert and you will most likely lose the media placement.

Certainly, never use info@ as that seems like it goes to an unmanned inbox but you can use your real email address as that might sound a little more convincing and be sure the email goes directly to your blackberry.  You can even let the media know that the email goes directly to your blackberry and you will respond shortly.

But ALWAYS give out a telephone number if you want media placements.  You can use a cell phone or even an answering service that contacts you the second the media calls them.  The best choice is the most direct route to you!

YOUR BIO PAGE

If you have credentials let the media know right away.  The more credentials and accomplishments you have in your area of expertise the better your chances are of being chosen by the media for the placement.

Also include all of the topics you can discuss as well.

Be sure to lead with a great color picture of you – one that is engaging, well-groomed and offers the viewers a glimpse of your personality.

Do not use your driver's license picture!

Your bio page should be conversational in nature and not a copy and paste of your C.V. or resume.  The idea is that you want you bio to tell a story about you, your expertise, who you are and in the end, answer the one question the media has,which is, are you the perfect expert for them?

YOUR MEDIA APPEARANCES PAGE

A Demo:  Short video of previous author or expert media appearances.  Sending your demo DVD overnight just takes too long!  No kidding.   Create a short DVD as a starter demo with clips of your BEST MOMENTS.  Don't have the long version of each segment as the first demo the media sees.  They can always look at the rest if they like the first starter demo enough to want to know more about you.

An Audio Clip:  Let the media hear you in action but first be sure to map out what they are going to hear.  Start fast, engage fast and deliver some awesome talking points.

 I highly recommend hiring a pro to help you develop and record a high-powered, blockbuster short audio especially for the media packed with what they need to hear to choose you from a great engaging personality to an action-packed pace to lots of great information.

Your Print And Online Placements:  Include a list of your most prestigious placements including the month and issue date of the article.  If the original article is online then by all means link to the article.

Your Topics & Areas Of Expertise Page

Your topic page should include a list of the topics you can discuss along with titles of tips sheets or links to tips sheets or articles you have written.

The reason why you want to actually link to tips sheets and articles (such as Ten Smart Career Moves or Why You Should Never Ask Your Boss For A Raise On A Business Trip) is because this gives you the chance to showcase your knowledge in a variety of areas.

The idea is to present yourself and your experience in the most powerful way possible creating certainty for the media that they are making an excellent choice in choosing you!

Book Author Testimonial:

"As a seasoned veteran of television and radio, I didn't think there was much that any PR firm could do for me that I haven't been able to do with my own contacts. Boy was I wrong! Not only did Annie Jennings PR book me a national appearance on The CBS Early Show, but the same appearance was broadcast on CBS news radio! Talk about killing two birds with one stone!"

-- Dr. Jeff Gardere, Media Psychologist

"Annie Jennings PR helped launch my television career as a money expert four years ago. If it hadn't been for Annie, I may never have gotten booked on CNBC, MSNBC, the Other Half, and other national television shows. Miss Jennings is a powerhouse PR lady that can make your television career go-go-go!"

-- Juliette Fairley, Author of Cash in the City

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