Recipe: Making Your Own News Online

Editors, producers, and journalists are no longer the gatekeepers they once were, allowing only certain people and stories to become “news.” With blogging and social media, you can publish or broadcast your own news and make it visible around the world in an instant. For example:

Post written stories, photos, audio, or video to your blog

Launch a regular podcast or videocast series

Record a collection of audios or videos to make available online

Host an Internet radio show

Post your written, visual, audio, or video news on your social media channels

But just because your news can be seen from anywhere with an Internet connection doesn’t mean it will be seen.

There are two components to gaining more visibility for news you publish yourself: (1) publishing useful content that informs, inspires, or entertains; and (2) building a network of people who are interested in your news.

Here in the “Filling the Pipeline” chapter, it may seem contradictory to talk about building a network being a prerequisite for attracting more prospects. But that’s exactly how the online world works. If you want more people to read your blog, you need some loyal readers who will comment on your posts and share them with others. If you want more prospects to view your videos, you need some fans who will point others to them. If you want your posts on Facebook and Twitter to get more attention, you need to build your base of followers.

This is one of the many reasons that direct contact and follow-up, and networking and referral building, continue to rank as the two most effective ways for an independent professional to market. Your first followers, fans, and readers will almost always be people you already know, personally meet, or are referred to you by those who trust you.

Once you have an initial base of contacts like this, attracting more prospects online becomes significantly easier.