Valerie Agosta of Boise, Idaho writes:
“More than two years ago, Spy Moms (consisting of two previous stay-at-home moms) had a flood of publicity on local and national TV, radio and newspapers for our
undercover service.
“We work the mean streets of Boise, Idaho and anywhere else we are asked to go. We do most types of investigative work that does not appear outright dangerous: infidelity, lost loves, child custody, insurance fraud, elder abuse and background checks.
“We are so grateful for the publicity we received from the ‘Today’ show, MSNBC, Good Housekeeping and More Magazine, as well as local newspapers. It did generate a lot of individual business. But now the ride has stopped. We need some inspiration about how to capture more clients, especially more businesses and attorneys. Spy Moms, also known as Hanady Investigations, esperately need help from your Hounds.”
I think there are tons of timely ways to continue getting the word out about this business. For starters, we’re always hearing about Hollywood celebs who cheat (think Jude Law), and since infidelity is a part of your business, I would recommend putting together a tip sheet on how to know if your spouse is cheating. I would then look to the other areas of your investigative work to create tip sheets as well. For example, what about a tip sheet on the pros and cons of tracking down and reuniting with a lost love? Could you accompany that tip sheet with a quick profile of a happily-ever-after couple that you recently reunited? I’m sure you can find a treasure trove of good PR ideas right under your nose.
Hi Super Sleuth Sisters!
Don’t overlook community/public access television. In Idaho, I believe you have two outlets:
1. Boise Treasure Valley Public Access Television, Inc.
2. Community Access TV – Vision Channel 12, “TV 4-U BY-U.”
Imagine the possibilities: re-dramatizing some interesting cases that you have worked on, or offering a reality kind of spin and giving viewers a moment-to-moment account of some of your current cases. (Identities, of course, protected.) Who knows maybe a bigger network will pick it up.
Happy spying!
Stacy Lytwyn Maxwell
http://www.cattalespress.com
Valerie, congratulations on your early PR success. Here are a couple of ideas of how to regain that attention.
First, if you can be the local angle on a national story or if you see a local story such as babysitters who are accused of abusing the children they’re supposed to be watching, you can offer your expertise on what parents can do beyond “nanny cams,” such as how to do a background check, when to suspect abuse and so forth.
Or, if you hear a story about a celebrity’s divorce because someone allegedly got caught for infidelity (think along the lines of Heather Locklear allegedly finding e-mails to her husband from a supposed lover), you can talk about how spouses can check on their spouse if there is a suspicion of infidelity or what are the warning signs.
Or, in the case of insurance frauds, you can contact stations in cities that were hit with a natural disaster and talk about how people try to defraud insurance companies. Or, for that matter, you can go to insurance industry events as a speaker to discuss insurance fraud.
Most major conferences generally have an online website with a “call for presentations.” Some will pay you, some won’t, but if you can plant yourself as an authority in front of your target client, working for free might be worth the investment.
You also can offer your services as speakers at conventions or meetings of attorneys or the local Kiwanis or other types of small business associations or other targeted client groups on subjects like employee fraud, proving claims on sexual harrassment, and so forth.
Writing articles for publications that target your audience is another way to get your name out there. In fact, there is a publishing company that does a variety of publications aimed at your target audience. You can find them at http://meetingsnet.com/contact/.
Finally, I know that SpyMoms.com is already taken but if you can find a variation of that name (or buy it from the present owner), it would be a much more memorable name than HanadyInvestigations.com.
Hope that helps!
The Spy Moms should branch out and write some articles and a book now. Some “how to’s” for what to look for yourself in different situation, how to hire the right investigaor, and a book about interesting situations in which they’ve been involved (of course changing names and other revealing information which would be inappropriate to publicize). This would give them some fresh media with the articles and a fresh approach for interviews with other media.
Invite a journalist along on one of your forays.
Looks like a great time to send out a press release with a headline like “Why Boise Needs Spies” or “What do Spies Do All Day in Boise, Idaho?”
BTW, of all the hundreds of press releases I’ve written for clients, my very favorite is the one that put a spy-like twist on a book on electronic privacy: “It’s 10 O’Clock: Do You Know Where Your Credit History Is?”
Wow! If that doesn’t scream reality TV, I don’t know what does! Start contacting cable channel programming departments: CourtTV, Discovery, A&E, and Oxygen! Oxygen is looking for atypical programming that empowers women!
It seems that your national publicity has been more in consumer broadcast and publications. If you want to get to businesses and lawyers, go where they hang out.
Offer to speak at local and state trade association meetings for attorneys. You might be able to find trade groups within a trade (e.g. Attorneys>Divorce>Criminal).
Write articles, tip sheets and press releases for your target market and submit them to trade publications.
Develop a column and pitch it to the trade publications.
Pitch “A Day in the Life of a SpyMom” where a journalist spends a day with you.
What’s big in the news now? Child predators. Kids being violated online. Missing women and children. Domestic violence. Write a letter to the editor commenting on what’s happening in the news now.
Start blogging about what you do, your industry, what’s happening in the world around us, etc. When you launch your blog, announce it.
Start writing briefs, one of the very best ways to get into national magazines. Since broadcasters get many of their story ideas from magazines, you may get two hits for the price of one. Briefs include surveys Q&As, Top 10 lists, tip sheets, how-to advice, resource boxes, etc. Talk about trends you’re seeing, and if you can tie them into
celebrities in the news, do so.
You can learn more about writing briefs at http://tinyurl.com/d74h7
As an attorney, I get loads of stuff in the mail from businesses who want my business. I look twice at the stuff that has an eyecatching title or that includes a cute, related “gimme”. Why not a tip sheet for lawyers on how to track down non-paying clients who have moved. Or send lawyers your tip sheet on clues to a straying lover. Or affix a tiny magnifying glass to your mailed flyer.
Many attorneys would prefer that you call their office manager or support staff and make an appointment with staff to explain how your services work. Takes a lot of legwork, but they want to be reassured of confidentiality, etc.
Joe Dunphy for Poor Richard’s Shoebox on VoiceAmerica.com saw this query from the Spymoms and invited them to be part a mini-series on divorce in which he discusses kids issues. Specifically, he wanted them to talk about some of the issues that arise in investigating child custody.
One of the moms was his guest on Monday March 29. Joseph says the audience is an estimated 170,000 listeners.
Here’s what he wrote:
“Just a quick follow-up. The interview with Spymoms as part of our coverage of the divorce issue is now on the archives at http://www.VoiceAmerica.com, and the spokeswoman made a good guest. Estimated airtime about 25 minutes, and the areas she covered were the kinds of things we wanted to cover anyway, we just needed an expert to talk on those subject areas. In addition, the live show is being videotaped, as part of William Paterson University’s community outreach program, which just started filming the show three weeks ago. So Spymoms gets a double-play in terms of publicity.”
I’m so happy when I can help a reader solve a publicity problem. I’m even happier when I can help get them publicity in the process!
>I just forwarded your email to her, and called her to let her know
>about your invitation. She (Valerie) is thrilled.
>
>Joan
>
>—–Original Message—–
>From: Joseph F. Dunphy M.B.A. [mailto:jfdunphy@verizon.net]
>Sent: Tuesday, March 21, 2006 10:38 PM
>To: jstewart@publicityhound.com
>Cc: jfdunphy@verizon.net
>Subject: Re: Spymoms
>
>Joan:
> Joe Dunphy here, of Poor Richard’s Shoebox on VoiceAmerica.com
>Saw your latest newsletter, and the item on spymoms caught my
>eye. I am doing a mini-series on divorce, and have a segment
>coming up focusing on kids issues. So if Spymoms can talk about
>some of the issues that arise in investigating child custody, I
>could have them on next Monday March 29th. Again, our focus is
>on helping people get better organized in their financial
>lives, and anything that illustrates how people can lose
>thousands of dollars by not doing things right the first time
>is grist for our mill. Normally, we have people on for 20
>minutes of so, but if the material is compelling it could go
>longer.
> We are now broadcasting live from the high-tech E*Trade
>financial center at William Paterson University, in Wayne, NJ.
>Please forward this to them, as the show is coming up soon.
> FYI, we have added some new listeners, including investment
>clubs in South Africa, and an internet connection effort to
>high schools in the Phillipines. Our last audited audience was
>170,000 monthly, but it has to be higher than that now, based
>on some of the feedback I’m getting.
> Best, Joe Dunphy for Poor Richard’s Shoebox.