I’ve been on a bit of a publicity death march lately with the launch of We, so with some irony I’m late in getting to read and review Jim Kukral‘s Attention: How to Use Attention-Getting Online Marketing to Increase Your Revenue. Damn I wish I had read this a year ago before my own book launch.
What I like about Attention is the dual message that, yes, you need to do some outrageous over-the-top unique stuff to get noticed, and you need to be consistently building relationships in the media for long-term results. Some of my favorite stories from the book:
- How Jim went from idea to appearing on the six o’clock news in just 8 hours
- How Megan Megale got through to a key reporter by dropping off a Carvel cake with “Call Me” written on it…not only did she get called, she got coverage on the Today Show
- How Peter Shankman, of HARO fame, annually just reaches out to his media contacts to remind them that they can use him as a resource anytime–not for his own exposure, just on background or to tap into his rolodex
Or how about this killer idea…can’t get through to someone with your message? Make a quick, cheap video using a Flipcam or your laptops built in camera, upload it to YouTube tagged with your target’s name, then email them and say “Search for your own name on YouTube and check out the video about you. Let me know if you want to talk further about this idea.” Who wouldn’t jump right to YouTube to see what video is public and tagged with their name!
There are literally hundreds of ideas in Attention! that could help you to get attention and coverage. A fun read with immediate impact.
– Kevin
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Kevin Kruse is a NY Times bestselling author and keynote speaker. Get more success and tips from his newsletter at kevinkruse.com and check out keynote video clips. His new book, Employee Engagement 2.0, teaches managers how to turn apathetic groups into emotionally committed teams.