How to REALISTICALLY get paid media gigs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkg2eT3GYl4 Link to HuffPost interview w/ John Ferriter

Search engine optimization for entities (people, places & things)

As search engine optimization continues to evolve from focusing on keywords to contextualized entities (e.g., people, places, and things), individuals and organizations increasingly utilize Wikipedia in marketing campaigns. However, understandably, people still question Wikipedia’s accuracy and reliability. So, I’m sharing this article on the website of McGill University’s Office for Science and Society, which indicates that the open-source digital encyclopedia remains quite accurate and reliable, with 63 million articles and counting (https://lnkd.in/gxieXJa3) Note: As biographical resources, Wikipedia and IMDb are among the most commonly referenced sites used to populate the information on search engine response pages when an entity is queried (bit.ly/490vheg).

The digital climate of fame

“In this climate, the idea that someone might be famous but her face be unfamiliar seems terminally paradoxical. Visibility is fame; being on television validates one’s existence as a movie star, politician, thinker, or swallower of semitropical worms.” – Leo Braudy Celebrity was once centered on achievement, but the advent of the internet and social platforms made discerning achievement-based fame from mere exposure almost impossible. For digitally native generations, the conflation has only been deepened. Equating fame to visibility necessitates a paradigm shift for many entrepreneurs and subject-matter experts regarding how they view themselves and their profession.  It has never been more critical to welcome exposure, put humility aside, and overcome an aversion to publicity.    In The Social CEO: How Social Media Can Make You A Stronger Leader, Damian Corbet, a PR consultant, describes the growing need for socially engaged leaders who actively connect with stakeholders, including board directors, stockholders, customers, employees, and colleagues. But social media exposure is not enough. Sharon Marcus, the Dean of Humanities at Columbia University and author of The Drama of Celebrity, chronicled the life of Sarah Bernhardt, the first modern-day celebrity. In an interview about the book, she said, “Today, an Italian rapper can have 3 million Twitter followers and still be someone most people have never heard of. Sarah Bernhardt, by contrast, was a household name around the world even among those who never actually saw her perform.” “Today, an Italian rapper can have 3 million Twitter followers and still be someone most people have never heard of. Sarah Bernhardt, by contrast, was a household name around the world even among those who never actually saw her perform.” – Sharon Marcus In a competitive media market, even those uncomfortable in the spotlight or plagued with impostor syndrome must embrace attention and press coverage. Otherwise, they can be lost, if not forgotten. Performing artists have always required robust audiences. However, experts in law, medicine, and wealth management can be driven to near obscurity even with an impressive scholarly publication record and/or rave reviews from patients, clients, and customers. While expertise fosters recognition, recognition by popular demographics is now an indicator of knowledge and authority. Pursuing fame for the sake of celebrity may be egocentric, but pursuing fame for reach, recognition, and revenue is smart for business. Search engine optimization has not become a multi-billion-dollar industry for nothing. High professionals cannot simply become famous for ‘doing’ anymore; they must be receptive to being marketed by others or receptive to marketing themselves. To learn more about how subject-matter experts can embrace fame culture, follow our blog or reach out. Coming up next…… JCS Strategies: Strengthening Brand Reach & Recognition of Emerging & Established Public Figures | Dr. Jordan Schaul | Bicoastal Publicist      

Owned, earned & paid media

Marketing, PR & Advertising (Owned, Earned & Paid Media) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXIdO7KjaqM Advertising is a marketing component, whereas publicity is a public relations component. While the lines have increasingly blurred, advertising is essentially defined as paid promotion of products and services, whereas publicity is defined as unpaid promotion emphasizing serving influencer brands.  As a publicist working with celebrities/influencers and media-trained subject experts, I write, solicit, and secure press coverage through traditional broadcast and digital media outlets to curate clients’ reputations. The objective is to promote clients and keep them relevant. In Hollywood and the entertainment industry, a publicist manages the client’s image and represents them as a media liaison under all circumstances. Publicists often collaborate with talent managers and agents. A manager typically develops and curates the client’s career, and an agent is tasked with securing work for the client. However, managers and agents can connect actors directly to casting directors who have provided synopses of treatments or scripts and what roles they seek auditions for. These casting breakdowns are posted daily and accessible to industry professionals. Talent reps receive a percentage of their client’s earnings, whereas a publicist receives a monthly retainer. While emerging talent may be represented by both a manager and an agent, publicists typically work with more established performing artists. (Originally published on August 11, 2022, in Bicostal Publicist by Jordan Schaul) (Ohio State Press Books) 

Talent reps (publicists, managers & agents)

What Are the Roles of Talent Reps (Publicists, Managers & Agents) In the entertainment industry, a publicist’s role is to represent a client, manage their image, and serve as a media liaison under any and all circumstances. This can include the promotion of a new role in a film or the release of an album or handling crisis management. Historically, ‘advance agents’ and publicists were hired exclusively by established influencers, celebrities, and other public figures. Since the advent of the digital age, infinite media opportunities have become available to emerging artists, athletes, and subject experts. Commentary and consultation are needed for experienced and credentialed subject experts. Digital media coverage is particularly coveted because it boosts SEO and establishes someone as an authority. Publicists often collaborate with talent managers and agents. A manager typically develops and curates a client’s career, while an agent is responsible for securing work for the client. However, managers and agents can connect actors directly to casting directors for auditions through breakdown services. The breakdown services list synopses of treatments or scripts associated with available roles. Casting breakdowns are posted daily and accessible exclusively to industry professionals. As talent reps, managers and agents receive a percentage of their client’s earnings, whereas a publicist receives a monthly retainer. While emerging talent may be represented by both a manager and an agent, publicists typically work with more established performing artists. The client base for publicists has grown significantly because the internet has changed the media landscape. You don’t need a film or album release to secure publicity; you just need expertise, whether it is as a divorce coach or a makeup artist. (Originally published in Bicoastal Publicist by Jordan Schaul)   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCZMOooQhkcNotes: Athletes, models, musicians, actors, comedians, voiceover actors, journalists, media personalities, etc. may have agents, but categorically their representation depends on the client’s profession…For instance, actors may have managers and agents pitching (submitting) them for roles. Managers typically develop younger talent and may collaborate with agents to advance the careers of more established working actors. In contrast, musicians usually have ‘road managers’ in addition to artists and repertoire (A&R) reps who liaise with record labels. Actors and musicians may work with the publicists employed by studios. A-list talent in any profession may also have publicists on retainer. Suppose you seek broadcast radio and TV gigs or high-profile podcasts as an emerging media personality or subject matter expert. In that case, you may want someone to liaise with booking producers. A publicist may be able to get you print and broadcast coverage, but as you build your media CV, you will want an agent or entertainment attorney to represent you.

An intro to Google Knowledge Panels

Learn About Google Knowledge Panels & Google Verification https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1nd0V9_jCQ Suppose you Google an emerging or established public figure (celebrity or influencer) or even a well-recognized and distinguished person in your industry. The search query you submit will likely generate a unique page with prominently displayed boxed features containing text and images. This presentation of a subject on the Search Engine Response Page (SERP) is how Google makes the most authoritative and relevant content about an individual easily accessible. On a mobile device, the entity box will appear at the top of your screen, and on a desktop, it will appear at the top and right of your screen. Called Google Knowledge Panels, these entity boxes contain various algorithmically generated content, some static and some dynamic, but all of it is intended to provide quick facts about the subject. The static components comprise biographical facts, figures, and images sourced from personal and high-ranking websites, while images and posts from social feeds populate the dynamic components. The most developed and ‘optimized’ panels may include past and current professions, titles, current age, place of birth, relatives, schools attended, academic credentials earned, movies produced, books written, awards won, social accounts, and website links.  Many but not all panels are directly sourced from Wikipedia, IMDb, and Amazon author profiles. Still, anything available in the Google Knowledge Graph (see knowledge-based systems) can populate these entity boxes. Knowledge panels improve search engine user experiences by making verifiable information about a subject more accessible.  Note that entity boxes are different than business boxes (Google Business Profiles) because they are generated by search algorithms and not information provided by the business owner or representative.   The business panels present information about the business’s hours and location. However, if the business’s name is the same as the business owner’s, a cursory review of the panel may look similar to an individual’s Google Knowledge Panel.  Many individuals have both. Suppose your name does not generate an entity box populated by Wikipedia, IMDb, Amazon, The CIA World Factbook, or another biographical source.  A digital publicist can help develop strategies to secure one.  If you have questions about Google verification, feel free to reach out. (Updated from Jordan’s 2022 post in Bicoastal Publicist)Jordan Schaul Biographical information (e.g., age, birthplace, relatives, education, profession, etc.) presented in the Google Knowledge panels are usually sourced from high-ranking domains like Wikipedia, IMDb, and Amazon.  The images above are desktop screenshots of Google Knowledge Panels for Julia Roberts and myself.