Rarely a day goes without journalists posting queries for tips on a range of topics. Yes, a range of topics, from generic subjects like ways to raise happier kids, foods that are healthy and quick to prepare, ideas to attract your life partner, and, well, you know. You’ve seen them.
Not only do the topics vary, the number of tips also varies. Some want whatever you’re willing to send and they will choose from among them. Others want your 10 “best.” You may also see requests for only three or even just one. You stop and you figure you’ll do it tomorrow. Only tomorrow is too late. Journalists typically run on very tight deadlines, which can easily be the end of the same day the query is posted.
Sending those tips to journalists who ask for them can lead to wonderful things for you as the expert. And it can also go nowhere if the tips you send don’t resonate with the journalist for reasons you are likely to never know.
Here are results that are definite possibilities on the plus side:
- Your tips are published in a magazine, newsletter, or blog with your name and contact info attached
- Your expertise attracts someone who wants to interview you on television or radio
- The tips trigger a book deal offer
- Your topic prompts a speaking, consulting, or webinar engagement
- Someone passes along your tips, name, web address, article to someone they know, leading to opportunities listed above and more
- You get an inquiry about products you have that a company or association can buy
- A company explores a spokesperson relationship with you
- You are invited to write an ongoing column for a blog, ezine, or print publication
- Someone approaches you to do a joint venture with them
- You gain additional subscribers to your ezine list
- Your family and friends see your tips and now have a clue of what you actually do
Those tips you continue seeing are often door-openers for the above possibilities, which, as you can appreciate, barely scratch the surface. Journalists of every media persuasion are charged with filling their space with good information, information that keeps their followers coming back for more. You and the journalists are directly helping each other by providing your tips, especially when you see specific queries requesting “tips about… ”
You can be well prepared to quickly reply to those queries by developing a file with your tips already written. In case your brain just went to “I don’t have time to write tips,” start by writing 3 or 5 or 10, one at a time. Then add a tip or two as they come to you. Before you know it, you’ll have a ton of tips!
As you look at that list of tips you wrote through different filters, Tips – We Want Your Tips you’ll realize that rather than merely having a list of tips sitting in a file on your computer hard drive, you can create a simple tips booklet from that content, and sell it! In no way does that limit using your tips to answer journalist queries.
