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Doing media interviews and attracting good PR for your business is often every entrepreneur’s dream (TV interviews, radio interviews, Magazine features, Speaking gigs, Podcast Interviews you name it). I mean who doesn’t want these moments? Who doesn’t want to shine on big stages and make a bigger impact in the world? Who doesn’t want to have Media logos on their website? But the question that one can also ask is why isn’t every entrepreneur taking PR seriously if publicity is so fabulous and powerful?
I’m glad you asked, let me share three reasons below.
3 Hidden Fears that Have Stopped you from Attracting Publicity in your Business for years (And how to overcome them):
1.The Fear of Criticism and Judgement:
Many entrepreneurs are afraid of being visible, they are afraid of being seen, they are afraid of getting their messages out there into the media and the wider world due the fear of criticism, the fear of being judged, the fear of correction or even the fear of being ridiculed as a result of getting featured (or putting yourself out there in a bigger way). Many of you have watched celebrities receive the backlash that comes with fame and publicity and this has made you think “I don’t want to go through that”. So your hidden fears, blocks and limiting beliefs make you repel PR moments and media interviews like the plague.
How to Overcome this:
Write a list of every person in the media or brand (that you highly admire) that’s had incredible success and wealth as a result of high levels of publicity i.e. Oprah, J-lo, Justin Timberlake, Apple, Virgin, Bill Gates and remind yourself that if they’ve had big wins in the media and huge abundance as a result of good PR then you can have it too. If they have overcome their fears and leveraged the power of the media to make a big impact then this can happen to you also. Another thing to do is to try as much as possible to keep your fears in perspective. Know that you will face some criticism and judgment as your visibility increases and old friends, family or acquaintances will turn against you or even make up lies about you just to tarnish your image. But one thing you need to remember is this ‘If other celebrities, Influencers and inspirational figures’ have survived and bounced back from judgement, criticism and lies then you can bounce back from this too. Be thick-skinned and be unstoppable as you’ve totally got this. It’s time to let go of your fears today and go for your dreams like never before. No one stops you but you.
2.The Fear of Not Getting Anything Out of it:
Many entrepreneurs secretly fear doing media interviews and not seeing a return on their investment. Whether that’s a return on their time or money. Maybe you’ve secretly asked these type of questions inside of you: “What will PR will actually do for me?”, “What tangible results will I get if I do 5 podcast interviews or if I get featured in 3 magazines?”. And as glamorous as it seems to be on TV you secretly wonder the big “WHAT IF” (what if you are the unlucky entrepreneur that doesn’t get any opportunities or results after being on something as big as TV). One side of you knows that you’ll get amazing opportunities, more clients, more sales and more influence (if you take PR seriously in your business) but the other side of you says ‘it’s a waste of time’, ‘I’m not ready yet’, ‘It’s not gonna get me anywhere anytime soon’, ‘It’s a long term strategy’ and the list goes on. So you resist PR and doing anything but PR or media generating activities.
How to Overcome this:
Having done over 200 Media Interviews from TV interviews to podcast interviews, I can say with confidence that you totally will get good opportunities, more clients, more sales, more influence and more followers as a result of doing media interviews/being visible in the media (even if it doesn’t happen overnight). However “THE HOW IS IMPORTANT” knowing how to convert your publicity into clients, sales, influence etc is the KEY and I’ll share one tip that’s worked for me. ‘Have a strong media page on your website’. Having media logos on your website along with is one of the best ways to increase your chances of converting your publicity into gold. Leading entrepreneurs like Gary Vee, Marie Forleo and Gabby Bernstein all have Media Pages or Media kits on their website and they are all 7 or 8 figure entrepreneurs and they are always featured in the media so it’s working for them. So go out there and do the same. Start working on your media page today and update it every 2-3 months.
3) The Fear of Being Rejected:
Many entrepreneurs say that they want to be seen in ‘Forbes’, ‘Inc’, Entrepreneur’, be on ‘Oprah’, ‘Fox News’, ‘BBC’ and the list goes on. If this is you I’d love to ask you a few questions:
– How serious are you when it comes to pitching to the media and following up?
– How serious are you when it comes to working on your media essentials (such as updating your media page, updating your media kit, working on your interviews technique, creating slides for potential Speaking gigs that may arise)?
– How willing are you to work on your PR and Media game plan to skyrocket your business in 2019 and beyond?
Because if you aren’t working on at least one of these things, you are pretty much living in the land of wishful thinking. If find yourself spending 40 hours on Facebook and Instagram a week while finding it almost impossible to spend 2-4 hours a week to pitching to 10-20 media publications/responding to media enquires then something is off. You’re saying you desire one thing but you are doing the complete opposite.
How to Overcome this:
Hire a PR and Media Coach to hold you accountable, get the support and training that will take you to that next level. Or completely outsource this to a Publicist. If you are serious about being in the Media you’ve gotta start small. You can’t afford to wait for a phone call from Oprah’s team before you start getting ready to be on Oprah (get ready in advance beautiful). Pitch to smaller shows and small publications while preparing for bigger moments. Don’t be afraid to do local talks, local TV interviews, small podcast interviews as you’ll definitely attract bigger media opportunities and create a bigger buzz around your brand. If you want to get the attention of big media platforms like ABC, ITV, BBC, The Guardian and more; you’ve got to position yourself as an expert and get the PR and Media support that you need so that you’ll shine beautifully when your BIG moment finally does come.
And there you have it.
So now I’ve love to hear from you.
Which fear is holding you back the most in regards to being featured in the media?
Drop a comment below and get into the conversation.