MAKE YOUR MESSAGES AND INFORMATION MATCH

Imagine this: We are sitting at our desks with a carefully cultivated list of reporters in front of us, along with a book we plan to pitch them. If we are lucky enough to catch them live, on the telephone, or even on email (our first words, by the way, are “Have I caught you on deadline?”), the first thing that a reporter will do is search online for the book, the author, the product, or the company we’re promoting. It is crucial that said author/book/company/product have a web presence. Better still if the information we come bearing (current protocol demands written pitches of ninety words or less; verbal ones must be even shorter) matches the message they find online. Today’s overtaxed reporters haven’t the time or energy to dig for the story. The message and its relevance must be clear and easily visible in the digital arena. If we’re telling a journalist that an author is an expert on terrorism, while the reporter’s online search for a bio (generally conducted while we are talking to them) says nothing about terrorism or anything remotely related, we have a mission-critical problem. The conversation and the effort to get coverage for our client is over.

This scenario offers a painful but important lesson for those crafting personalities in cyberspace. Tell the world who you are, be compelling and clear about your background and experience, and make sure the messages you showcase in the digital world mirror those you want amplified by the media. Confusion carries a high price tag in this arena, as journalists simply move on when they can’t easily discern if something matches their needs. If you aren’t sure how to manage your online presence, we’re going to talk much more about this in Chapter 6 as we walk you through an online brand audit.