Around 8 pm on a Tuesday, I received a call from the owner of Good Karma Studio, the aerial yoga studio I teach at. She asks, “The news is coming to the studio starting a 5:30 am tomorrow to do a segment on our kids’ classes. Do you want to be there? I’m asking all the kids’ teachers.”
Some background here, I teach 9 to 13-year-olds aerial yoga as one of five or so jobs that I currently hold as a writer, teacher, business owner, and professional busy body. My other jobs include hula hoop performer, brand ambassador, and freelance copywriter.
Many of my jobs are second shift, which means getting up for my two 8 am – 4 pm shifts here at HIPB2B HQ is a bit of a struggle.
Getting up that early isn’t usually on my radar. To make the segment that my teacher intended, I had to wake up at 5:45 am to arrive at the studio by 6:50 am. I was on air for a minute and forty seconds. Even less of that segment made it onto the replays.
You can check out my segment at around 45 seconds into this clip.
Yawn. But was it worth it?
Absolutely.
Whenever I do this sort of thing, I like to think about it in terms of marketing. I can’t help it, having written marketing content for the last four years, and worked as a brand ambassador (doing field marketing) for the previous five. And doing a segment on the news is indeed marketing for the classes I teach.
Here are some of the lessons I took away from this experience.
Do it For Free
Not every single appearance you make or piece of content you create will make you money.
There is a lot of conflict in the world of art and teaching about putting out classes and works for free.
Some people feel that all art should be paid. But if we’ve learned anything from content marketing, it’s that sometimes to make money, you need to give away something that has value for free.
I wasn’t compensated directly for my time today, but it got my name and the studio’s names out there. That short minute and a half segment is content that also looks great on a resume. It’s great content and content marketing.
Take Advantage of Free Press
The internet has changed how PR works, and if you get the opportunity to get your name out there, take it.
Even if it means putting in some extra work that you don’t get paid for. If another company, blog, or news outlet approaches you about collaborating or featuring your brand, consider it.
Determine if they speak to a relevant audience (even if it’s partially). Often, getting press these days is pay-for-play, so if you get an opportunity to get your brand’s name out there for free, take it.
It Makes Your Customers Happy to Be Featured
It’s February break for the children that were part of the television segment that I was on. That means that these kids had to wake up exceptionally early on their school break.
But one mother was saying that her child woke her up at 5 am because he was THAT excited to be on television.
That’s the same kind of feeling your customers get when you feature them on your social media platforms. Granted, it’s not quite as exciting as being on the news, but I’ve had content I’ve created shared by my favorite B2C brands and found it inspiring.
Figure out ways to share customer feedback, content, etc. Integrate their content into your content strategy. Recognizing your customers strengthens the bond you share.
Work With Enthusiastic Storytellers
I think the reporter who told the studio’s story was more excited about being in the aerial apparatus’ than the students we brought in for the segment.
At one point, we couldn’t find him or his videographer. I walk into the back studio, and they’re both laying in the aerial yoga swings, giggling and playing on their phones.
He was an enthusiastic storyteller, and that’s one of the best ways to get the word about your brand and its offering out there.
It doesn’t matter how many times I say I love Good Karma Studio (because I do). I work there, and so no matter how enthusiastic I am, it isn’t the same as having someone who isn’t paid to be there show the same enthusiasm.
Find enthusiastic storytellers, the customers and the influencers who will talk about your brand with excitement.
All in all, I got a minute and forty seconds of air time, and just a few seconds on the digital story. And while the entire effort was several hours, even that short clip was beneficial for me and my movement teaching brand.
Even tiny clips of content are worth creating (especially when someone outside your brand is participating in it).
