5 Ways to Get Publicity without hiring a Publicist
The way people interact on the internet has changed the way marketers promote and the way publicists pitch.
The web 2.0 has been the game changer for every industry. Some industries have survived and thrived. Some industries have died. But without a doubt, social media have put the power of personal branding into the hands of millions online.
That’s why the term “building a platform” is so common now. Everyone understands, especially authors, that you need a platform to stand out and be heard.
At one time, it was the publicist’s job to get the message disseminated to the media – and the media would broadcast that message to the masses.
Today with the mushrooming social media platforms and the simple mobile technology, anyone can get the message out to the masses. People can get their message straight to their audiences. Anyone with a computer and the internet can be the media.
With a click of a few buttons, authors, biz owners and other experts can directly find producers, reporters and send them direct links of their press kits, podcasts or videos. The gatekeepers are gone.
Here are five ways to get publicity using the internet:
1. Monitor the services that journalists subscribe to for sources. 
These are the ones we recommend: PitchRate, HARO and Reporter Connection.
2. Have a press room on your website. This is beyond have a press release there and a few photos. You really need to have a full scale press kit online. The more prepared you look the more media you’ll garner. Build your online press kit using a service and put that link on your blog or website. We use PressKit247 , GoKit or InstantPress kit.
Pam Perry’s GoKit
3. Send out regular SEO press releases. Press releases aren’t dead – they’ve change out we write and disseminate them. See an example here of how we do our press releases now.
4. Connect with reporters/journalists online via Twitter. Join their weekly Tweet Chats. See #journchat. This is weekly tweetchat on Twitter between journalists, bloggers and PR folks. You can talk to journalists right where they are. See the Muck Rack Daily, here is where they are hanging out.
5. Have an authority blog. This is the best way to get found by the media. Have a blog in your area of expertise and optimize by key words. If you don’t know how to do this, there are plenty of companies that can help you. For our clients, we use Virtual Marketing Media.
Now, as a career public relations professional, I am not trying to talk my way out of work. I just realize that you must change with the times and stay relevant. My main focus today is Social Media PR and PR Coaching.
Yet, there is always a need for the publicist’s skills – writing press releases, having real relationships with media personnel, crafting a Social Media PR campaign, creating hooks and crafting solid pitches – but the real time PR 2.0 is the way it’s done now.
Keep up with the changes, learn leverage your online brand, and get the media exposure consistently. Thanks to social media, this is the era of DYI publicity.
Pam
YOUR Public Relations Coach and Social Media Strategist. CEO of Ministry Marketing Solutions and Founder of Social Media PR Solutions, LLC.
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Hey Pam this was a great article. I am familiar with all of these sites but 2. Good to see that I am on the right track with the PR side of things but helped to see it compiled in such a streamlined way.
Katrina, thanks and YES, you are on the WRITE track.
Does your book have it’s own site? If so, always use that in your signature or when commenting on blogs. 
Pam Perry
http://www.pamperry.org
What a great post! PR today is completely different from what it was when I worked in newspapers or when I became an author. These days, it’s all about your social media presence and the platform. I’ve only recently begun focusing on Twitter and Google Plus in earnest, as I find both of these excellent places to connect. These are exciting — if a bit overwhelming — times.
Great post! Like anything worth having, getting publicity is work, isn’t it? #sigh
Thanks Monica and Tracey! Yes, social media is the game changer. See how quickly we connected. Now you have a new “friend, follower and Google Plus Pal.”
It’s power at our finger tips – just gotta learn how to leverage it for PR and branding.
Pam
http://www.socialmediaprsolutions.com
You are so right I have had more opps just based on social media. It’s how I landed the home page of Yahoo! And shot to 18,00 visitors in 3 days up from 700, and received numerous awards- This is a great post I’ll be sharing. I use many of these services and I know my followers will love it.
Wow, Lisa! That is awesome. We are the Media in today’s digital world. Thanks for the comment! And thanks for sharing!
Thanks for these tips Pam, I’m glad you shared it again on your Google+ account, if not I’d have missed it.