We made the paper, now what?

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Permalink Reply by Sausan on September 30, 2008 at 10:27pm

Hi,

I'm experiencing low traffic right now. Press release? Media outlets? Can you give me some examples? I could use some publicity.....

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Permalink Reply by Norbert Marrale on October 1, 2008 at 12:40am

Hi Sausan,

Since you have been in business since 1999, repeat guests would be my #1 source to tap if I were in your shoes. You were a pole dancer (both N and S) - why not make a one-time comeback as an Equatorial one? Isn't the belly button the center of a person's body?

Whatever you do, make it fun and turn it into an event - then it may become newsworthy and be picked up by your local media.

Before you move on it, identify people who can help you get more attention and the reasons why they might be interested in what you're up to. Package it so that they can easily fit it into "their thing" - try to understand their angle!

Compare the "buzz" you get with 7,000 year-old tradition and Academy of Egyptian Dance vs. OMG WTF made us sit on pillowz on flor lolz eat w/ handz and crazy old lady saving to dance in quatar or whatever tipped her good.

Academia is only 1% of your customer base - get over it! Put some pictures of people getting drunkhaving fun on your website. For some ideas, watch the Sundance channel and see how they're co-opting "being green" - you have to co-opt "being ethnic"

Good luck!

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Permalink Reply by Sausan on October 2, 2008 at 4:38pm

Hi....

Thanks for your input. Had to read the "pole dancer" paragraph twice before I got THAT one. LOL

I understand what you are saying. I'm asking what exactly is the "local media"? Is it the newspapers? website? Do I send out actual hard copies of press releases or do I use the email function on the websites....or both?

I guess I'm back in 1995. I haven't really been up to the times since I left the business and went to open a dance academy. But since my partner passed away, I've had to come back and handle the restaurant and put my dance academy on the back burner.

Just a little in the dark is all.

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Permalink Reply by Norbert Marrale on October 2, 2008 at 6:51pm

Local media can be anything from a student or neighborhood newspaper to a website that lists events and things to do in your area.

As I said: package it so that they can easily fit it into "their thing" - that includes the format you use to send the release. In general, people -including journo's- are lazy: why retype when you can cut-n-paste? Hand-pick the audience you want to target, and find out what they prefer - this only takes you a few phone calls, and also gives you a chance to introduce yourself...

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