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BY PETER WOOD
As an eager first-time attendee during the 2007 OWAA conference in Roanoke, Va., a seminar on launching a blog got my attention. My outdoor blog was in its fourth year, and it reinforced the fact that, for writers to get noticed via the
web, this was an awesome tool. I learned early to invest in myself through training with experts who knew what I wanted to learn.
Fast forward to 2013. How do you properly promote yourself as an expert in your field — perhaps as an author, a speaker, trainer or simply a source of valuable information? I’d like to introduce you to the one-sheet. This swift tool answers questions your target audience needs to know about you and your company. And just who is your target market? Media, producers, event managers, trade show organizers, potential sponsors, seminar event planners and Web visitors.
A one-sheet is a necessary tool with two objectives. The first goal in packaging yourself as an expert speaker is to help the reader care about your message. The second is to help you get speaking gigs. To get booked by the media and event producers, a one-sheet has to quickly communicate your value at a glance, all on one single page.
The five W’s may be considered old-school reporting style, but it’s still relevant in the one-sheet. It’s up to you as a writer to make it outdoorsy and stand out from your competition.
The following elements make up a strong one-sheet.
TITLE
A hypnotic headline will capture interest using two words to describe the topic. Hypnotic copywriting is not about injecting false hype in your promotional material; it is about creating curiosity and driving your reader to dig deeper, past your headline and into your content. The ultimate goal is to create enough curiosity that your target audience wants to review your other marketing materials, visit your website, or phone and ask questions. How to, how I, what if, and I have are all good ways to start. Hopefully this will capture the reader’s interest and attention. It also informs your target audience they are in the right place, whether on a website or a trade show pamphlet.
LOGO
Your company logo is part of marketing your brand. Text and graphics or a photo all work fine. A professionally made logo will pay off over the years. Consider this a cost of doing business.
SUB-HEADLINE
WIIFM — What’s in it for me? Share a promised benefit that you can actually deliver; never promise more than you can fulfill.
OPENING VOLLEY
Demonstrate problems solved and how as an expert you earned the right to speak about the topic.
KEYNOTE TOPICS
List four to six seminar topics that you can cover as an expert.
BOOK INFORMATION
Include a book cover photo if you have one.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Provide a complete list including contact name, office phone, address, email, website, Twitter handle, LinkedIn page, etc.
PHOTO
Insert a high-resolution photo of you on a white background.
Is a one-sheet really an effective marketing tool? Let’s just say it helped my business mentor Paul Tobey earn his first million bucks as a speaker. Speaking at trade shows, outdoor clubs and local events helps me to solidify corporate contacts. Today’s outdoor writer should be repurposing content for all available markets. As I said earlier, I learned early to invest in myself through training with experts who already knew what I wanted to learn. It works — just Google “outdoor podcasts.” Once your one-sheet is finished, how do you distribute it? Apart from publishing on your website, you can email it. People don’t necessarily open attachments if they don’t know the source of the email due to fear of viruses and spyware. I would therefore suggest setting up the insert as a downloadable PDF link in your emails. Snail mail is also very effective. People don’t get much mail anymore, so they may give it fresh attention. Make certain that your one-sheet stays crisp in the delivery process and that it’s packaged well. Your cover letter should be short, sweet and to the point. Make sure it’s personalized and that your package has a strong call to action.♦
[box] To view Peter’s one-sheet, visit Ripple Outdoors at http://www.rippleoutdoors.com/peter-recommends/. You will also find a link to Paul’s one-sheet there under the “one-sheet promo offer.”[/box]
-A member since 2003, Peter Wood is the CEO of Ripple Outdoors and an award-winning outdoor communicator and speaker. He hosts “Hunt Talk” on Ripple Outdoors and is a writer and editor for Ontario Out of Doors. Contact him at peter.wood@rippleoutdoors.com.
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