Marketing Tool: Your Bio Part 1

Using your personal story or bio to market a company, service or products is a smart move.

Here's one reason:

It immediately sets you apart from the competition since no one has a story like your story.

Your story, and as I wrote in a post on March 18, your reputation for service, will do far more to generate positive word-of-mouth referrals than all the time spent on social networking sites or purchasing expensive media buys.

This post is part 1 of a lesson marketing your story or bio with Gayl Murphy. You can read Part 2 here.

Learn more about using your bio to market your company among the media with Gayl Murphy, owner of Interview Tactics! If you're sitting down with a reporter or pitching your bio or personal story Gayl passed along these tips to follow:

1 You’ve got to PITCH IT TO PROMOTE IT, so you can TELL IT TO SELL IT. If you can’t tell your own story, who can? And who will…and WHY would you want them to? Only YOU can tell YOUR story!

2 Be as honest and upfront as you can with the person that’s interviewing and engaging you.

3 Relax, enjoy and have a good time. Being interviewed is supposed to be FUN. Whatever the circumstances, you get to be the star of THE ME SHOW starring ME, or in this case…YOU!

4 Keep this Interview Tactics! Report close at hand in your MEDIA BAG and refer to it often, because you’ll need it. REMEMBER: It’s the RIGHT TOOL for the right time. Why? Because you can't control the environment you'll be delivering your message in, and it's not a reporter, or decision maker’s job to show you the ropes, or help you tell it to sell it!

5 When you’re telling your story to the media, or any gatekeeper, your JOB is to capture their attention and imagination in the shortest amount of time.

The best way to do that is by using COLOR AND DETAIL. A good story is both the SIZZLE AND THE STEAK.

To set your story up, paint a picture with your words, using color and detail - and drop the other person in.

I would also add to Gayl's tips that CEOs or Executive Directors of organizations often try to sanitize their story. But I believe that people don't mind when we come across as human beings who try their hardest but also end up making mistakes.
Part 2 of Marketing Tool: Your Bio is here.

Remember, your bio is what sets you apart from everyone else in your industry and even within your company. Marketing your bio is one of the most unique marketing tools available for your use.