Become a trusted expert and get paid to publicise your business
By Publicity Heaven writer Susan Connolly
The idea of being paid to publicise your business may seem like a pipe-dream, but it is possible. By marketing yourself as an expert in a particular field you can make money while gaining valuable exposure for your business and the products and services you provide.
There are several avenues that you can go down if you decide to try and get paid for your advice and opinions. Of course, you should tailor your approach so that it relates to your particular niche – while it may be entertaining to be a relationship agony aunt, it will not do much for your plumbing business.
1) Blogging
By offering tips and tricks related to the service or product you supply or answering email queries publicly you can become the first stop on the web for anyone who has a query or a problem. While some people may simply take the advice and run, for many you will be the first one they think of should they need a professional or a product.
2) Magazines & Newspapers
Check out local magazines and newspapers and see if they give out advice or tips. If they are not covering your area but you think it could be a fit for their market, get in contact with them and pitch them the idea. Explain your qualifications and why you think it would add value to the publication. If they do not answer questions, pitch them an article or series of articles on your area of expertise. Make sure to include an example of a finished article as well so that they can get an idea of your writing style and level of qualification. Soon you may find yourself with a presence in every local household as you dispense advice from the pages of the local paper.
3) Radio
Keep an ear to the local radio stations. If anything ever comes up that is related to your business area make sure to call in. Act professionally and add value to the program. If you feel it has gone well, ask to speak to the producer or researcher after the show and make your case for why you should be their go-to person for related calls or why they should even give you a dedicated slot. It may be worth your while to send out a press release pushing your expertise ahead of time so that the producer can easily contact you quickly if a call comes in and you have not heard it.
If you can manage to become a trusted expert in any of the media mentioned above, not only will you drive customers to your business, you may also get added cash in your pocket. The benefits could be well worth the small amount of effort required to put yourself out there and make contacts.
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