Not only does every writer need to have a website or blog, but every writer trying to build a platform or publicize a book also needs a website that showcases himself or herself as an author. This website specifically serves as a landing spot for the media. When a radio or television show host coming looking for you, they find you – and everything they need to know about you and your book – on the pages of this website.
To tell you more about how to create an author showcase website specifically for the media, Annie Jennings has written another blog for Write Nonfiction in November. If you recall, Annie serves as a national publicist through her company Annie Jennings PR, and she is known as “America’s leading publicity intelligence expert.” Annie’s vision and insight has revolutionized the publicity industry as many of the publicity techniques, tools and strategies in widespread use throughout the industry today have been developed by Annie Jennings PR. The media website represents one of her innovations.
Create an Author Showcase Website the Media Will Love
by Annie Jennings
National Publicist
If you are a book author, expert or wish to brand yourself to the media and are in pursuit of media placements, I recommend you develop a media site, or author/expert showcase site developed especially for the media.
Naming Your Media Website
Choose a name that is easy to type and does not have any unusual spelling in it. You want to keep the site simple and easy to use plus limit or eliminate any challenges the media might have so the first step is the name the site in a way that makes it easy and obvious.
A great example of the name of your media site is www.YourName.com or www.YourNameCredentials.com (www.yournamePHD.com).
Or if www.yourname.com is not available by the .TV extension, meaning you would buy the www.yourname.tv.
By naming the site after yourself, the media assumes they are going to the site to find out about you, the expert or author, and of course, they are right.
It is certainly okay to have more than one website; in fact, I recommend it. Each site should have a specific strategy, that is, what do you want the visitor to do? This is also called a “conversion strategy.”
- With a media site, you want the media to be able to get all the info they need to book you for the media opportunity.
- With a business site, you want the visitor to find out all about your business and hire your business.
- And with an e-commerce site you want the visitor to find out all about your products or services and buy them.
So you see, all three types of sites have a unique strategy and the media website should not be combined with any other type of site especially with an e-commerce or sales site as it seems odd that you would want the media to buy your products or services, right?
Contact Info
Each page should have a header area containing the essential information about you. This should include a short list of topics or a broad category name, such as “Relationships” and your contact info.
I advise against using email as the only way to get in touch with you. Why? It is not instant and does not leave the media with certainty that you will respond. How do they know you will even get the email?
So, they must continue their search for the perfect expert and you will most likely lose the media placement.
Certainly, never use info@, as that seems like it goes to an unmanned inbox, but you can use your real email address, since that might sound a little more convincing, and be sure the email goes directly to your blackberry. You can even let the media know that the email goes directly to your blackberry and you will respond shortly.
But ALWAYS give out a telephone number if you want media placements. You can use a cell phone or even an answering service that contacts you the second the media calls them. The best choice is the most direct route to you!
Your Bio Page
If you have credentials, let the media know right away. The more credentials and accomplishments you have in your area of expertise, the better your chances are of being chosen by the media for the placement.
Also, include all of the topics you can discuss.
Be sure to lead with a great color picture of you – one that is engaging, well-groomed and offers the viewers a glimpse of your personality. Do not use your driver’s license picture!
Your bio page should be conversational in nature and not a copy and paste of your C.V. or resume. The idea is that you want your bio to tell a story about you, your expertise, who you are and in the end, answer the one question the media has, which is: Are you the perfect expert for them?
Your Media Appearances Page
Include the following three items:
- A demo:a short video of previous author or expert media appearances.Sending your demo DVD overnight just takes too long!No kidding.Create a short DVD as a starter demo with clips of your BEST MOMENTS.Don’t have the long version of each segment as the first demo the media sees.They can always look at the rest if they like the first starter demo enough to want to know more about you.
- An audio clip:Let the media hear you in action, but first be sure to map out what they are going to hear.Start fast, engage fast and deliver some awesome talking points.
- I highly recommend hiring a pro to help you develop and record a high-powered, blockbuster short audio especially for the media filled with what they need to hear to choose you, including a great engaging personality, an action-packed pace and lots of great information.
- Your Print and Online Placements:Include a list of your most prestigious placements, including the month and issue date of the article.If the original article is online, then by all means link to the article.
Your Topics and Areas Of Expertise Page
Your topic page should include a list of the topics you can discuss along with titles of tips sheets or links to tips sheets or articles you have written.
The reason why you want to actually link to tips sheets and articles (such as “Ten Smart Career Moves” or “Why You Should Never Ask Your Boss For A Raise On A Business Trip”) is because this gives you the chance to showcase your knowledge in a variety of areas.
The idea is to present yourself and your experience in the most powerful way possible creating certainty for the media that they are making an excellent choice in choosing you!
About Annie Jennings and Annie Jennings PR
The National PR firm Annie Jennings PR specializes in promoting authors and experts to the media and boasts of having over 35,000 authors experts as clients. Annie Jennings has been an invited guest lecturer for NYU’s Publishing Program and for the American Society Of Journalists & Authors. Annie Jennings PR has provided over 500 smash hit publicity teleseminars for consistent standing room audiences, reaching hundreds of thousands of author and experts. Annie is the premier publicity expert in the country with her knowledge sought out by professionals and organizations everywhere. Annie created the concepts of media websites and online press kits, defined how to create a powerful platform, and developed the most advanced branding concepts known to the industry, created the HOT 35! & HOT 50! Radio campaigns where you are only booked on top shows in major big city markets and on regional and nationally syndicated shows and crafted the revolutionary Pay For Placement Publicity Program that has helped thousands of authors and experts build powerful platforms and land six-figure book advances. Annie has made it her practice to freely share her publicity strategies with authors and experts so everyone can have access to PR strategies, both the basics and advanced PR thought, so they can share their messages with millions for the betterment of all.
To learn more about the world of publicity, listen LIVE to Annie Jennings PR’s teleseminars at http://www.anniejenningspr.com/publicitypro.htm.
To learn more about the world of publicity, listen live to Annie Jennings PR’s teleseminars at www.anniejenningspr.com/publicitypro.htm.
Annie Jennings PR
http://www.anniejenningspr.com/
908-281-6201
Counting down folks…keep writing! Just over a week left. Will you finish? Let me know. And by the way, tell me what you’ve been writing this month.
Leave a Reply