Got Publicity Questions?
National publicist, Annie Jennings, whose highly acclaimed PR firm has booked clients on over 25,000 media placements and has achieved tremendous success for clients. In this special questions and answers contribution to the industry Annie reveals the top intellectual thoughts related to your publicity, branding, marketing and PR questions. In this crowded publicity world, there are many people who will offer different answers for the same questions.
The reason is that they answer according to their own personal experience. For example, what works and doesn’t work in various areas of PR such as marketing, branding, name recognition is only that person’s perspective. They may not possess the experience, knowledge and wisdom to understand the industry as a whole and how it all works together.
With Annie Jennings PR, you get the entire perspective based on her tremendous contributions that have transformed and led the forward movement publicity industry over the years. Annie invented many of the strategies used in the industry today including Performance Publicity, Guaranteed Deliverable PR and of course, the famous PLATFORM STRATEGY. As the creator of these numerous contributions, she knows why they were created and what role they play in your overall growth and development strategy.
Annie discusses what you need to know about hiring a publicist to creating your author website or author/expert website, to implementing the Annie Jennings PR Ladder Strategy™.
Does a book author need to hire a publicist to get exposure?
Great question as many publicists offer strategies that may not be right for each client. The answer begins with one question and it is this – what does the author, expert, speaker or CEO (referred to as “clients”) wish to accomplish. There are some goals that the clients are not generally able to accomplish on their own and some desired outcomes that require the skill set of an established PR professional. With that said there are many things an author can accomplish themselves if they have the time and desire to learn and implement strategy.
Does an author, speaker, consultant or expert need a website?
Yes, and this is an important question. A website is a snapshot of the author (speaker, professional), their business and their accomplishments. This includes their professional BIO, media bio (also known as media assets), services, speaking events, articles, blogs, contact information , book information and lots more.
A website can help visitors such as prospective clients or members of the media such as journalists or TV, radio talk show or podcast producers and associations that would like to hire you. They may wish to hire you as a speaker for their organization of or a business that would like consultant services. Your fully developed website should be designed to offer all visitors the information they came to your website to discover.
What pages are included in an author website?
Authors should build a comprehensive website that serves the interests of multiple types of visitors. The website should be tailored to your goals and the goals of your visitor. Keep in mind, various types of visitors will mostly likely have different end goals. The basics of any good website for authors, experts, speakers and consultants generally contain the following pages or sections on the website’s navigation bar: Home, About, Books, Speaking, Media, Media Kit, Testimonials, Podcast, Blog, Contact and Social Media Links.
Each of these pages will contact comprehensive information in its entirety. These pages should be consistently updated to reflect current and new developments. For example, if you have a new speaking event to add to your list of previous speaking events, add it at the top of the list (not the bottom).
What is one of the most common mistakes people make in their website design?
There are several mistakes people make with their websites with one of the most important mistakes leading to the loss of business. What is that mistake? Websites underestimate the desire of the visitor to get in touch with the author, expert, speaker or business. In turn, their contact page is just a form. Visitors have no certainty in these contact forms that anyone will even see it or respond quickly. So why waste time. Visitors that want to hire you want to get in touch with you NOW. Include your linked email as well as your phone number. Visitors often conclude that you don’t want their business by hiding relevant contact information such as phone number and email. Why would you take the risk of a potential client or opportunity abandoning your site because they could not easily or immediately get in touch with you.
About the author/expert’s website navigation bar
For example, the navigation button called “Media Kit” could be a main element in your navigation bar with a drop-down for additional resources. These resources would include the exact name of your book with sub-title, a high-quality photo of your book, a professional headshot, publisher, publication date, a summary of your book’s topic and key takeaways from your book. Also include how readers can buy a copy of your book (online retailers, traditional book stores) and provide links to the book.
Include the phonetic pronunciation of your name
SUCCESS TIP: Include the phonetic pronunciation or your name in your media kit and media bio.
Another area that you may not have considered to include is the phonetic pronunciation of your name if it is unclear or your name can be pronounced in more than one way. Your website visitors will truly appreciate information. Visitors do not wish to call anyone using wrong pronunciation of your name. This is especially important to the media as they have a responsibility to pronounce your name correctly. Include the phonetic pronunciation of your name in several pages such as your BIO, media bio and media kit.
Author/expert website sections
Each section on your author, expert, speaker of consultant business is designed to give the visitor all the information they need to either buy your book, sample your book or hire you for a speaking, consulting or media opportunity. Each navigation button should have a drop down menu to organize the information and keep your author/expert/speaker/consultant website well-designed, uncluttered and easy to navigate. Pages to consider including on your website if appropriate for your goals.
Home Page
Author BIO
Book or Books
Services or Consulting
Speaking Topics
Media, News, Events
Media Kit
Resources
Blog
Contact Page
Example: As mentioned, each navigation button can be built out to provide additional information. Another example is your Contact Page. Be sure the visitor can get in touch with you quickly. A contact form is one strategy to reach you, however always provide a direct phone number and email to contact you. Not only is this a courtesy to your interested visitor but it also reduces the chances that your visitor will leave your website and find someone else before you respond to a contact form.
When should an author start their publicity for a non-fiction book?
As a national publicist who has worked with thousands of authors, based on my experience, I would advise authors to start thinking about publicity as soon as they start writing their book. The reason is that later, once published, the media will be interested in the contents of your book that are comprehensively written with sources of all statistics includes. Importantly your content should be considered socially relevant. That is, of interest to today’s concerns and society. This enables the media to identify your point of view on various themes presented in your book.
Your publicist and the media can create segment ideas from the information in your book. A non-fiction book can be a highly effective marketing tool for your business. Your book showcases your expertise, credentials, and subject matter mastery. Perhaps it’s best to think of your book not only to educate your reader but as an audition for a speaking, consulting or media opportunity.
What are the publicity goals that many non-fiction authors have?
Many authors, especially authors that have a primary business such as speaking and consulting and their book complements their business, would write a book as a showcases of the scope of their knowledge. Their book also reveals how their experience and expertise is socially relevant to the issues trending in our society. This information can set the author apart from others in their industry and give them a significant competitive advantage.
What is the Annie Jennings PR Ladder Strategy™?
The Annie Jennings PR Ladder Strategy™, created for authors, experts, speakers and consultants is designed to optimize their PR and book marketing potential. Annie Jennings PR Firm is well known for simplifying and organizing PR best practices into easy-to-understand visuals.
Annie Jennings PR is a one of kind PR firm having created book promotion, publicity, marketing and branding strategies that have changed the industry and are in widespread use today. The PR techniques and publicity marketing strategy presented by Annie Jennings PR are aligned with what the media requires to include the author, expert, speaker or consultant in their article, radio talk show, podcast or TV show.
Want to learn more about how experts with books used Annie’s strategies to achieve their highest levels of success? The author/experts discuss, in their own voices, the value that working with Annie has brought to them. Real client publicity stories here.
Annie’s Ladder Strategy consists of rungs – one through ten. Each rung qualifies you for the next rung higher. This is considered a classic Annie Jennings PR media and branding strategy as it was created by observing how the media works – and how attracting opportunity works.
How many authors, experts, speakers and consultants have used the Annie Jennings PR Ladder Strategy™?
Thousands upon thousands of authors, experts and clients have followed the Ladder Strategy™ leading to great success. You can review numerous client and media testimonials as well as real client Publicity success stories.
When is the right time to start publicity services campaign?
It all depends on what you want to accomplish. If you would like to reach out to book review websites or book reviewers the usual time frame is 3 months prior to the publication date. However, to be safe, I would suggest that you to check with the site or reviewer just in case there are any updates. It’s best to add an extra month to be safe. If you are told to submit three months in advance of the publication date, I would suggest that you submit earlier but not too much earlier. It is always best to call ahead to get any specifics they would like submitted with your review copy to avoid delays.
How much does hiring a publicist, marketing or branding professional cost?
There is no industry standard on how much a book publicist and charge for a book promotion media campaign. The pricing can be diverse. Basically, there types of pricing formulas in the publicity industry – Performance Publicity (created by Annie Jennings PR) and the traditional monthly retainer model. Many people prefer Performance Publicity as it allows the client to invest their marketing dollars in actually deliverable that appear in the media.
Monthly paid retainer publicity pricing – what to watch out for with a retainer PR services campaign
A monthly retainer book marketing strategy can fall within a wide range of monthly fees. Some publicist charge as little as $1,000 per month or charge as high as $15,000 per month or even more. Every day I hear more stories from authors who paid a high monthly retainer and told me they got “nothing”. How can that happen? Keep in mind that with a monthly retainer marketing program you are only paying for a PR firm’s time spent in pitching you to the media. Whether or not they secure any media placements for you is more your problem than theirs.
Annie Jennings PR’s contract clearly defines that our firm has to secure media placements according to the terms of our agreement. Annie Jennings PR earns their publicity firm by providing their clients with deliverables – secured media placements. Many authors love this model as their precious PR money is not at risk of loss. Annie absorbs the risk for you. She does not accept any money for “trying” (a forbidden word at our firm). You are allowed to pay us for secured media deliverables. Annie does not accept payment for any media placements that are not earned by her firm. Annie does not charge clients for trying to get media for them. Is this a better model? The PR industry seems to think so as Annie Jennings PR has secured thousands of media placements for their clients.
Annie Jennings PR Performance Publicity Model
Annie Jennings PR is known for its revolutionary and groundbreaking pricing strategy that many authors, expert and speaker prefer. Annie charges reasonable fees, in fact in reality, very low fees for the value provided to the author or client. The Performance Model is where the publicist or PR firm will promote on your behalf but only charge you a fee if they are successful in securing a media placement for you. This is the preferred form of pricing for many authors.
Who created the famous Performance Publicity Model & Guaranteed Deliverable Publicity Model (Annie Jennings PR):
Annie Jennings PR is the creator of the Performance Publicity model and the Guaranteed Deliverable Publicity Model as she wants you to be successful. She wants your publicity dollars to be well spent on media that serves to forward your growth and development strategy.
Annie Jennings PR is the creator of the Guaranteed Deliverable Publicity model for their highly successful Radio Talk Show Campaigns and Podcast Campaigns. A “guaranteed deliverable” PR contract means that the Publicist will secure the media outcomes for you provided in the contract or you are not liable for any fees. Annie Jennings PR’s guaranteed deliverable radio talk show campaign method and has produced thousands of successful top market and nationally syndicated radio campaigns.