In this interview, publicist Jill Lublin shares why publicity is essential for building trust, credibility, and revenue for any business. She explains how aligning a brand’s message with current news trends makes stories more news‑worthy, and she contrasts pitching tactics for short TV news segments versus longer magazine or radio features. Jill outlines the core components of her Publicity Crash Course, including templates for bios, crafting effective press releases, and proper follow‑up etiquette that respects journalists’ time. She illustrates her approach with real‑world anecdotes, such as promoting a chiropractor’s nonprofit youth‑manners program and a mix‑up involving John Densmore of The Doors. Jill also discusses leveraging books as publicity tools, describing how she secured translation deals at the Frankfurt Book Fair and expanded her workshops globally via Zoom, reaching audiences in Germany and beyond. Throughout, she emphasizes that publicity shapes perception, and that international media coverage can elevate even a local brick‑and‑mortar business’s reputation.
Chapters
So sometimes we're watching TV and we wonder, how did that person get on TV? Or we're reading a magazine and we're wondering, how did that story get told? And you know what? It all comes back to publicity. And today we are so lucky because we have Jill Lublin, who really is the queen of publicity, here in the studio with us to share with us the gift of publicity and why it's so important to pay attention to that Not only for yourself, but for your brand and for your business. So welcome, Jill.
Thank you so much.
And you know, publicity is so important. You're living the dream. You're in the studio with us right now. Tomorrow morning you're on Channel 7 News at 8 o'clock in the morning. You have your day planned doing book signings. So why don't you share some of your biggest tips on why publicity is important to us?
So any business, no matter how big or small you are, the great thing about publicity is it brings familiarity, Trust, credibility, prospects, clients, more money. The deal about publicity is that it generates business for you, but also keeps your name out. I like to call it the I've heard of her somewhere syndrome. And the more publicity you have, whether it's TV, radio, blogs, podcasts, whether it's your social media, the message you put out is so essential for others recognizing you and wanting to do business I love that.
That is so important. And I've seen you over the years do this for many, many companies and help so many people. How's it feel to do it for yourself?
Whoo! It's so exciting, number one. I have this wonderful new book out called The Profit of Kindness.
Congratulations.
Thank you so much.
And also you have other books that you've published before too. So this is your new one. You also— tell us about your other books.
Sure. It's my 4th one actually, and my first one was on publicity called Guerrilla Publicity, then Networking Magic, and Get Noticed, Get Referrals, all by driving referrals. And you know, for me now, kindness is the new happiness and the new important part of business. And interestingly enough, companies that are more kind get more publicity.
Mmhmm.
It just equals better publicity to be a kind company. And what's wonderful, and this is really a key point I wanna make, is that sometimes it's not about your product or your service, or in my case, my new book, it's about what's going on in the media where your expertise can fit in. So, when we sent out a press release for The Profit of Kindness, it was about the divided states of America.
Mm-hmm.
It wasn't necessarily about Jill's new book. So, I always want you looking for ways that you can fit into the news, what's trending, what's important, not always what you as a business owner or CEO thinks is important, but what's necessary in the news and helps others their readers, their viewers, their listeners. That's what's key.
That is very important. You're right, paying attention to what the trending topic is, connecting with that media person, and then being able to tell and share your story.
Yes.
So, tell us a little bit more about some of your favorite media stories that you've been part of.
Thank you. You know, it's fun watching the people appear in media. Like, for instance, I'm working with a chiropractor. Well, that's great, and we did a whole stress story, But his real heart story, and, you know, getting him in the heart and the gut, that works on publicity, on camera, in film, on radio. And his heart story is his nonprofit teaching young men great manners, like 13 to 18. No one trains young men how to behave anymore. And so, his Young Men Warrior Weekend is getting a tremendous amount of publicity just by helping parents be better parents. So come Mother's Day and Father's Day, guess who's in the news, right?
Right.
And so that's what we're looking for, ways to fit in, ways to be appropriate for the timeliness of the moment. And always be looking for that. Go to Google Alerts and put yourself in for whatever your topic is. But I think that's really a key. Okay, just one story though. You know, you always have to be super clear with media. I remember when I was working with John Densmore. He was the drummer for The Doors. And, um, somehow the radio station got booked. They think— they thought it was John Denver. That's what they heard. I don't know why. Anyway—
That's a little different.
Yeah, they're calling me going, where's John Denver? I'm like, John Densmore is waiting on the phone to talk to you. And they're like, John Densmore from The Doors? Oh yeah. So they switched it and it was fine. But one thing about media is you have to be flexible, you have to be ready. And you have to say yes no matter what. No matter what they ask you. Because the truth is you can fit into whatever they ask you based on your training and a right message and, well, creating a message that works for that medium. So always, always say yes.
So is it completely different when you're pitching and working with someone in media that's writing a story for a magazine versus going on the news like you are tomorrow?
Yes, because on the news tomorrow, I got 4 minutes. You know, it passes so fast, it's gone in a flash, and you have to get to the point quickly. For magazines, newspapers, even radio, you have longer to make points. But most, you know, media interviews are 2 to 4 to 6 minutes max. For radio, for printed material, you have a little bit longer time. You have sometimes even questions in advance. It's a different approach. But always, always, in my opinion, the business owner is in charge of their approach and they must have the right message spelled out in there just like that. It just comes out so quickly they don't even have to think about it anymore.
Very smart. So, I know over the years I've seen you do publicity courses. I know that you had one in Denver. It was right after the eWomen Network, a big gigantic meeting, and you had a line of people that were going. I've seen you do them in the Bay Area. Do you want to tell us a little bit more about the tips that you share in your, in your class?
Thank you. In the Publicity Crash Course, it is— and I love doing them, by the way, because see, this is the thing about listening to what your audience needs, what your people need. So guess what? I have people who don't want to travel, and now I do it as a live Zoom class. They're still live with me. It's still fun. It's still interactive, and it's still even intimate. Um, but one thing I've really learned is that people have the opportunity to learn when they're doing. So, we follow templates and we do— get their bios done, get their message done, learn how to send out a press release that really works, um, understand who to send it to and then what to say to follow up so that it's appropriate. Because what the media hates is follow-up that just goes, did you get the press release? I mean, that's so boring.
Right.
That's not the right question. So, it's important to understand how to do publicity in systematic, correct ways that will get the media to say yes and actually makes their job easy. And that's what I'm sharing.
That is the key. They really do need help with their jobs and we can actually be the person that helps them.
Yes, and concierge approach is what I like to call it.
It's perfect. And it's a good story, it's timely, it's interesting, and it's relevant.
Yes, all the above. Yes.
I understand that another fun thing that you do, which is a great way of getting the word out there, is that you go to these book tours around the world and you get some of your clients, you get their books translated to other languages.
Yes.
I remember last year you went to one in Germany. Tell us about that experience.
Yeah, so one of the things I've been helping people do for years, because I have 4 books and I know the power of what a book does, and I'm so excited for you that you're about to experience this with your husband's book. But what's wonderful about this is the power of when you have the printed word, and it, to me, it's about leaving a legacy of great information and placing valuable content into people's hands and eyes and ears that they can continue to absorb it. So one of the things that, you know, I noticed my publisher wasn't— I mean, Guerrilla Publicity was selling really well, Mmhmm. but they didn't have it translated. So I went off to the Frankfurt Book Fair, the largest book fair in the world, and I started getting translation deals for my own book and other people's books and, and making things really happen so that people's books could be translated around the world. I think we live in a very small world now, meaning we're all so connected, and it's really important to have global impact. So when you have a good message and good information, let's get it in all the world's hands.
Absolutely. You're right, with social media Now with Zoom meetings, people can be anywhere and learn this from you.
Absolutely. In fact, when I was in Germany last time in Frankfurt, I got booked to speak at an event. And what was wonderful is many of them registered for my Zoom webinar class. So it was so fun in the next class, all these German speakers and, and actually a different cultural mentality that helped my other participants also learn. And I think that interactive, that world-class interaction that we all carry as world citizens is important, and for some of our messages, really key, no matter what you do.
Absolutely. Well, thank you for sharing that with us today. And what I've really learned to take away from this is it is a global economy in publicity as well, not just thinking about our local neighbor or our local neighborhood or just our state, is really thinking about what can we share around the world.
Yeah, and you know what's interesting about this, that you can be a local brick-and-mortar business in, you know, Oakland, California, And here's what's interesting. If you get featured in France or in Germany and then you hang that when people come into your office, do you know the kind of perception that people get because you're an internationally renowned or written about business?
Right.
So sometimes you take it from really big global and bring it narrow. And that is so powerful for reputation and perception. And the truth is it's all about perception. Publicity creates perception, which creates a very successful business, and that's what it's all about.
Absolutely. So thank you. It is truly a gift. I'm so happy we got to share this today.
