July 20, 2009
Publicity Strategies for Becoming The Go-To Expert
When you're looking for advice on a product or service you're interested in buying, it stands to reason that you'd seek out the opinions of an expert in the field. We all do this, whether consciously or unconsciously. 
For example, people hear about nutritional supplements from well known physicians and nutritionists – and by and large, these are the products which succeed in the marketplace.
See how it works? It can work for your group coaching program, too! What you need to do is to make the public aware of the expertise you possess in your field – and when you need to get noticed, publicity techniques are the way to do it.
Before you begin trying to get attention, ask yourself this: are you enough of an expert to wow people with your knowledge? No matter how prepared you think you are, there's always room for improvement.
Keep current with the latest developments in your field and do as much research as you can; there's nothing worse than ending up in a situation where someone stumps you with a question.
Don't try to fake expertise, ever. It will come back to haunt you sooner than you think. With that out of the way, let's get down to publicizing your expertise:
- Writing: Write books, website content, write editorial pieces and submit them to your local news media; write in every medium possible to get the message that you are an expert out there. Try to include useful information in your content which will make people remember your name and seek you out in the future for your group coaching program.
- Radio and Television: Make an effort to be booked as a guest on any television or radio program which has guests. You may be able to do this yourself or with the help of a publicist, but being a guest on TV or radio programs exposes you (and your expertise) to a broad audience and makes people feel as if they know a little about you.
- Public speaking: Reaching broadcast media audiences is great, but there's no substitution to speaking to people in person and having a chance to meet them face to face. Practice your public speaking skills and start getting the word to civic organizations and businesses who book guest speakers. Look for both general-interest organizations and groups whose members tend to be interested in your area of expertise. Don't forget to mention you have a group coaching program. It could led to several sign ups on the spot!
The difference between being someone who knows something and someone who is an expert really comes down to recognition. If you want to position yourself as an expert to support your group coaching program (and believe me, you do!) then you'll need to conduct an aggressive publicity strategy to get the media exposure you need to build up your reputation as an expert.
Think of your name as a brand – when people know you, they'll want to come to you when they need your products or services; you're the expert, after all!

Shannon Cherry, Publicity Expert for Group Mastery
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Shannon Cherry is the publicity/media expert for Group Mastery, and the founder of Be Heard Solutions. Known as The Power Publicist, she helps coaches, entrepreneurs, consultants and solo professionals attract more clients and customers through the power of publicity. Grab your free publicity power pack to help you start establishing your media presence at http://www.beheardsolutions.com

















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