5 Strategies to Streeetch Your Good Press

In the following story Toronto Star columnist and lifelong Catholic, Kathy Shaidle, whose website tweaks confining religious and spiritual notions, talks about how she's been gathering steam to publicize her site. Shaidle's irreverent commentary spares no one. She dispenses her thoughts on everything from renting a married priest to buying enlightenment. What better way to provoke controversy than to challenge the sacred cow of people's spiritual and religious beliefs? Visit Kathy's site http://www.relapsedcatholic.com/ and see for yourself what makes for good arguing.

*Where the religious rubber meets the pop culture road*

That's the motto at RelapsedCatholic.com, my daily weblog of faith & culture news. On March 27, 2001, my site was singled out for praise by the Site-A-Day newsletter.

1. Send out a press release about your good press to your niche market

I IMMEDIATELY sent out a short, punchy email press release (quoting Site-A-Day's rave review) to my list of religion editors (in print and online), book reviewers (I'm also an award-winning author) and other Best of the Web sites.

The day the brief piece about RelapsedCatholic ran in the Ottawa Citizen, I logged my busiest single day ever, with more than 300 hits. I was recently interviewed by the Catholic Register, too, and expect a similar spike when that piece runs. RelapsedCatholic was also singled out for special mention in recent articles about blogging, in both Internet Business Forum and E-Zine Tips.

MY NOTE: Notice Kathy sent her press release to a VERY targeted market (religion editors) that she had previously contacted. Often times you must contact an editor a number of times with different ideas before he/she will write about you.

2. Email thank you notes and begin a correspondence with journalists

I gained some valuable new relationships and helped cement established ones. I've been asked to write and speak on subjects related to religion and pop culture. I feel this kind of exposure increases my visibility and credibility with the press. Sending thank you emails after even a small mention has sparked continuing correspondence with some writers and editors. I may be better able to pitch other stories to them in the future. I recently got a fan email from the man who runs the ChristianityToday.com weblog, considered the best of its/our genre. He says he checks out RelapsedCatholic every day now.

MY NOTE: Thanking someone sincerely opens lines of communication.

3. Write press releases that can be printed verbatim

Best of all, the Ottawa Citizen printed my press release, practically word-for-word, in their Sunday color section. RelapsedCatholic's hits that day were higher than they were for the whole first month I was online!

MY NOTE: Write your press releases in the same format journalists use to write their pieces and you'll stand a better chance they'll use your words instead of struggling to capture your ideas by paraphrasing -- which can lead to a different interpretation than you intended.

4. Network with the press at your speaking engagements

I was asked to sit on a Periodical Association of Canada panel, Writing about Religion for the Secular Press. I also held a book signing during BookExpo Canada. Networking after the panel discussion led to new friendships with other writers/editors. And again, a spike in page views. Hits to the webpage have remained fairly high, increasing four-fold since the site's inception in November 2000. My logs show an increasing number of regular return visitors since the press release went out. Hits went from about 300/month in November to more than 2000 in April, and have remained steady since. I anticipate May's hits will be about the same due to upcoming story in Catholic Register, and continued mention in the by-line of my Toronto Star column.

MY NOTE: Writers and editors are more likely to listen to you once you've spoken on a panel (or at a keynote or workshop). You've established yourself as an expert -- someone who has expertise and is worth speaking with.

5. Continue sharing your news with the right targeted media

MY NOTE: Once you get the publicity ball rolling, keep it in motion by following any leads that could bring you more readers, recognition and sales.

Kathy sent me her story and now has opened another avenue to more publicity for her one mention. Excellent work, Kathy!

Learn more about getting good press and self-promotion to gain publicity for your business, product or cause in *Sell Yourself Without Selling Your Soul*(HarperCollins). Go to http://www.prsecrets.com for your free excerpts today.

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