Publicity - Cause/Effect
Mini Case Studies: Publicity Cause & Effect
Publicity Cause – A sports-focused author/reporter wants to generate attention from an established base and welcome new readers.
Publicity Challenge – Identify and present relatable story angles to media and readers that also reflect the underlying premise of the book.
Action – An author of several titles, we first revamped his website so that it featured all of them with the newest at the fore. That helped establish credibility for him as a longtime but sometimes under-the-radar book author. From there we connected and engaged with fans on socials with owned/produced media. Building an inclusive reader community is ongoing. Making fans feel part of something — that they’re not just being sold to — has made them want to share their love for the book.
Result – People talk about the book and anecdotes in it. That has led to new readers and discussions months after it dropped. The author has also gained new followers for his full-time work.
Publicity Cause – A publicity partner already enjoyed a high public profile but was often asked if he was still in a role he held years prior. That’s not the worst thing, but its focus had little to do with the relatively new niche he was building.
Publicity Challenge – Highlight expertise and current position while respecting his past success.
Action – I encourage all clients, if they don’t already have one, to build their own website or engage one of my experts to help do that. A website is YOUR storefront. With your name, book title or chosen identifier, your site is a place your fans or someone who wants to hire you can quickly learn more. We established social media pages where his fans hung out and he felt free to show his personality. He was reluctant but bought in when I told him he didn’t need to spend hours each day posting and could answer as few or many questions as he wanted.
Result – Not only is the client known for his work at the highest level (he did the heavy lifting by doing his job) but was contacted for other opportunities because of the manner he conducts himself online. He’s civil, complimentary and handles haters with kindness (!).
Publicity Cause – An author wanted to share his book’s message to a wider audience via speaking engagements and sales from which proceeds were donated to a known and accredited non-profit.
Publicity Challenge – If a person isn’t tech-savvy, how does an author best communicate his mission to readers?
Action – The author had a website, but it needed updates to make it more user-friendly and visually appealing. Budget was in play, so tweaks were made over time. We added a blog so he could express thoughts at moment’s notice. We also created social media elements. Most importantly, we included video to the strategy. Some were scripted and all share principal points from the book (without saying they’re from the book). None are longer than a minute and a half.
Result – Videos are posted, searchable and shared. The author’s information continues to be relevant. That, along with his influence, has led to speaking engagements throughout the United States and interest he may not have otherwise generated. His messages also resulted in his independently published book being picked up by a major publisher. Social media further helped him connect with local, regional and national media and readers.
Mini Case Studies: Cause & Effect
Publicity Challenge – How do you communicate how a person wants to be identified with now without minimizing past experiences?
Action – I suggest that all clients if they don’t already have one, build a website or let me engage one of my experts to do that for you. A website is your storefront and with your name, book title or chosen identifier, is a quick way for your audience to find you with a click. We also established social media pages so he had a place he could show his “human side.” He was reluctant, but bought in because I told him he didn’t need to spend hours each day posting, and he need only answer queries he wants.
Result – Not only is the client known for his work at the highest level (he did the heavy lifting by doing his job), but also was contacted for other opportunities because of the manner he conducts himself on social media. He’s civil, complimentary and handles haters with kindness (!).
Publicity Cause – Author wanted to expose his book’s message to a bigger audience via speaking engagements and sales, from which proceeds are given back to accredited non-profit.
Publicity Challenge – For a person who isn’t tech-savvy, how does an author better communicate his mission?
Action – The author had a website, however it was visually uninviting and sales pages were confusing. Budget was in play, so tweaks were made over time. We added a blog so he could express thoughts at moments’ notice. We also created social media presences where there were none, and enhanced one already established. Most importantly, we included video as part of the strategy. Some video was scripted to share key nuggets from his book, but we found the best clips – none are longer than 1:30/min – were “messages from the road.” His co-author used her iPhone during car trips and recorded the author’s thoughts about their last stop or what he learned from a recent audience. Like a drama series’ walk-and-talk, viewers say they enjoy those more.
Result – While there are still videos yet to be shot, those already posted are searchable. They have led to speaking engagements and interest in his book he may not have otherwise received. Social media has further helped him connect with local, regional and national media as well as readers.
