Mobile Web Americas conference, Orlando: The Entertainer

Rating: top five publicity tips

by Annie Turner

Pete Shankman, CEO of The Geek Factory, did easily the funniest and most original session of the day - Noticed: Getting The Media To Take You Seriously. Just think better looking version of Jerry Seinfeld who talks at twice to eight times the speed and you’ve got it. Here are his top tips for getting in the media:

1. Don’t send out press releases, they are a waste of time and money.
2. Most big gun PR agencies are a waste of time and money.
3. Befriend reporters, and not just because you want something from them, don’t be fake.
4. You only have to be 1% better/more original than your competitors at all this because most people are really, really bad at it.
5. Read/watch and understand the audience of the publications/programmes you want to be involved in.

As a highly experienced and somewhat unorthodox media trainer, I’d like to add two more. Make sure you engage your brain before opening mouth or tapping a keypad. Don’t talk in platitudes and generalities - they do NOT constitute a story. You need to provide detail as part of demonstrating that what you say is not rubbish. Detail is what makes stories compelling and convincing. And I could go on, but I’m sitting on the stairs at 1am because my room here at the Regal Sun Hotel hasn’t got WiFi. GRRRRRR.

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