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How to Succeed in Business With a Little Help From Oprah, Time, USA Today…

Written by: Anthony Mora

Article Overview: Imagine picking up Newsweek or People or The Wall Street Journal and reading an article on YOU or your company, or turning on the Today Show, or CNN, or Oprah and seeing a segment profiling you and your product or service - that is PR.

How to Succeed in Business With a Little Help From Oprah, Time, USA Today…

Let's say you have the essentials: you love your business, and are passionate about taking it to the next level; you have a basic business plan (it could be just a handwritten page), you believe you can succeed and you have surrounded yourself with supportive people. Now what? How do you expect to spread the word about your business? Look around you. Your greatest marketing tools are sitting in your living room or bedroom, lying on the coffee table and resting on your night stand - your TV magazines, newspapers, radio and the Internet. How do you utilize those tools? Effective PR, public relations, is the single most effective marketing tool available.
Imagine picking up Newsweek or People or The Wall Street Journal and reading an article on YOU or your company, or turning on the Today Show, or CNN, or Oprah and seeing a segment profiling you and your product or service - that is effective media placement. There is no more powerful single business tool available to you than the media. Through the media, you can validate your business, establish yourself as an expert in your field and watch your dream grow - that is the magic of media.

We all know that the cornerstone of any business is positive referrals, or word-of-mouth. TV appearances and magazine interviews are some of the most amazing forms of referrals available. Hundreds, thousands and potentially millions of people will learn about and talk about you. You become known as an expert in your field. Appearing in the media not only spreads the word to your target market, it can keep you going when times are tough. Print, TV or radio exposure helps bring in more business, but it also helps by giving you positive reinforcement and the confidence to believe that you are succeeding. It fortifies your belief in yourself.

First, define your business or service. Next define what makes your business or career special, interesting and newsworthy. Now define your target market. Finally put it all together and start focusing on your media campaign. Write your initial press release; build your first media list. If you can afford it, hire a PR firm. Their job is to make you successful. If you’re working on a shoestring, try some inexpensive PR services that can help you get started. If you have no budget, get started on your own, write a release, contact the media start the ball rolling. You’ll be surprised where a little creativity, effort and know-how will take you.
Copyright © Anthony Mora 2008

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Article Tags: business tool, cnn, coffee table, effective marketing, greatest marketing, hundreds thousands, magazine interviews, marketing tool, marketing tools, newsweek, next level, positive reinforcement, pr public relations, radio exposure, target market, today show, tv appearances, tv magazines, wall street journal, word of mouth



Related Forum Posts
My entry - 1. The Best Business Books Ever: The 100 Most Influential Business Books You'll Never Have Time to Read - this is a fascinating book about the history of Business theory, and I'd recommend it to anybody. 2. The Big Book of Small Business: You Don't Have to Run Your Business by the Seat of Your Pants, by Tom Gegax. Ditto. 3. PADI: The Business of Diving Book Okay, so this book won't be of use to anyone who doesn't want to start a scuba store, but I did, and this book was of course invaluable to me in reaching that goal.
Oprah - Just an FYI - Suze Orman met Oprah years ago when she became one of Oprah's dream team of consultants. Just like Dr. Phil, Suze became a big hit after Oprah promoted her books and expertise. I doubt Oprah gets paid endorsement dollars per say but I do know that her production company has equity positions in a variety of programs and experts. I will look back through my files for more specific information. I recall a past Oprah staffer who know consults with people on how to get on Oprah. I'll pass it along! Good luck Shri. I think you can write a letter, or contact a series of the big names in order to get endorsements. you have to be professional, but persistent! It is said that Jack Canfield gets over 500 such requests each week. Cheers Jude
Re: Get on Oprah, make a fortune! - Suze Orman is very passionate about her work so I'm not surprised she got noticed by Oprah, however it came to be. (I've heard of people sending their books to Oprah's staff so they can filter information for Oprah to consider.) I personally have really enjoyed listening to Suze when she's been on Larry King Live. She has great tips and advice. She has also openly shared her passion for helping women achieve financial success as well. I guess the inspiration is that if you have something to offer that you believe can make a difference to many, then attempt to pull at Oprah's heart strings and see what happens. I remember reading in one of Marianne Williamson's books how being on Oprah instantly changed her life and she became a so-called overnight success. Being on Oprah isn't a dream of mine, but if it's yours, I cheer you on!
Re: Get on Oprah, make a fortune! - [quote="OmnivoreInk":3pr8ilfu]That's the thing, of course. If you're not a "big name" or don't have some kind of a pull with Oprah, there's no way you get on her show.[/quote:3pr8ilfu] Well what about those book authors that Oprah brings into the spotlight from obscurity? I was under the impression that "Oprah's Picks" were always titles that she discovered on her own and wanted to share with the public. Or is that a shame? Is Oprah just paid to endorse those books by wealthy publishers or were those books already bestsellers? How does it work?
Re: reframe what you want to accomplish - [quote="TheRainmaker":3a9wv4jy]it is said that if you help other people to reach their goals, you too will reach yours. Find out what Oprah is trying to accomplish over the next few months and pitch a link to a topic. Recently she is really motivated by the Eckard Tolle, A New Earth and the awakening of the human spirit. i will check out your stuff. good luck[/quote:3a9wv4jy] Another suggestion might be to specifically write a new book on what interests Oprah. If you can't control what Oprah is looking for, then control what you produce.


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