If you want more success with greater ease as a DIY publicist, you need to use fabulous and often free or very affordable resources to get the job done. About a year ago, I signed up for ProfNet so I could take this fee media query service for a spin. I heard great things about it from publicists I like, trust, and respect. I took action to see what magic ProfNet could manifest for me and my clients with consistent, inspired use of the service every day. ProfNet delivers plenty of fabulous, well targeted media queries that make it easy for me to respond and earn recognition for my clients and my own products and services. I’ve earned scores of equally fabulous media placements as a direct result of using this service this year.
Sometime later in 2008, I learned about Help a Reporter Out and signed up for this free service. It is much like ProfNet. The media queries flow to my in-box every day. I scan them to find the ones most appropriate to serve my clients, and I reply with cogent, compelling, and concise emails that invite media attention. I’ve earned scores of fabulous media placements as a direct result of using this service.
What is the difference between the two services, aside from the fact that one is fee-based and the other is free? My sense is that the leads from ProfNet are a bit less quirky and more mainstream in nature. But that’s just a gut feeling.
From time to time, I have observed some duplication of leads between the two services. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing from my perspective. After all, isn’t it true that we don’t always act the first time we see an opportunity? Getting the message a second time from time to time is a good thing, especially if the opportunity is right for your message.
I’ve used both services to post queries of my own, and both reader communities have been very generous in sharing their ideas and perspectives to add value to projects in progress. If you haven’t yet tried posting a query to either service, make plans to do so in the New Year. Whether you are writing an article, a book, a blog post, or an information product, you’ll find a ready resource of generous contributors to add value to your efforts.
Here’s the big idea from where I sit as a publicist working in the trenches every day. Good replies to either service most definitely deliver meaningful media results for me and my clients. I’ve renewed my membership to ProfNet for 2009. My HARO membership is free and ongoing. Both services are well used and much appreciated tools in my publicity seeking tool chest.
Dan Janal, founder of PR Leads, is a qualified reseller of ProfNet services. If you are a business owner, consultant, speaker, or independent entrepreneur who is hungry to have your voice carry and your story told in the media, you owe it to yourself to check out this service. It delivers more publicity success with greater ease without a doubt. The modest investment to enjoy the service is well worth it for the results you’ll earn through your consistent, inspired pitching efforts every day.
If you are serious about earning good PR for your products, services, ideas, or cause, use PR Leads and HARO both. You have little to lose and much to gain in awareness for your products, services, ideas or cause. In today’s demanding economy, everyone is evaluating the fees they invest in outside services. If you are going to commit to a paid service like ProfNet or PR Leads, be sure to make an inspired commitment to use it and get the greatest value from it. And make sure every move you make delivers value for your time and effort, no matter what services you elect to use.
Visit “The N List” at my blog for the link to PR Leads and all the other products and services that I think are just great, based on personal experience and powerful results. I don’t just recommend these products and services. I buy them, use them, and I know they are good. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have any credibility in recommending them. If you use them, you will benefit, too.
