Financial Planner Marketing - Problems Are Good (For Financial Planners Seeking Free Publicity)

A common complaint you'll hear is that the media is fixated on negative stories.

But, let's face it, that's what people watch. Jerry Springer and Maury Povich wouldn't make millions of dollars a year if people hated watching spouses fight and jilted lovers weep.

And have you ever heard of a publication or show that thrived on telling happy stories about good news?

The fact is, the media love problems. The more problems you help clients or customers deal with, the better.

People, bless their sick little hearts ? and by extension the media too ? love to hear about problems. Especially when you can discuss them intelligently. Especially when you can help them solve theirs over the media.

This leads to another of those 80/20 rules that seem to abound in the marketing field. You know, like: "80% of your business will come from 20% of your clients." There's a reason this rule has been around for so long ? because it's usually true.

Here's an 80/20 rule for publicity that I've found to be very effective.

Build 80% of your publicity messages around the needs and problems you help people solve. Devote no more than 20% to projecting yourself as the expert who knows how to best address those specific problems.

When you slice broad expertise into narrower, specific topics and stories, you are almost ready for the media folks to start listening to us! Take a look at some of my other articles to find out how best to contact them.

ned steele works with people in professional services who want to build their practice and accelerate their growth. The president of Ned Steele's MediaImpact, he is the author of ned steele To learn more visit ned steele or call 212-243-8383.

recurring housekeeping Winnetka ...
In The News:

Luxury fashion brand Dior experienced a January 2025 data breach affecting customer personal information, and notifications were sent months after the discovery.
The commercial Unitree H1 humanoid robot weighs 104 pounds with 365 pound-feet torque per joint and demonstrates dangerous potential when software glitches occur.
Americans average 10-plus hours online daily, according to recent survey, splitting time between streaming shows on TV and browsing websites on multiple devices.
Boost your smartphone privacy instantly with these security tweaks for iPhone and Android that limit ad tracking, hide notifications and prevent unauthorized access.
Platforms like Hoax Tech and JS Click Cloaker help cybercriminals bypass detection systems using machine learning to selectively display scam content to victims.
A new battery recycling technique transforms old lithium-ion batteries into high-performance components that retain 88% capacity after 500 cycles with minimal waste.
Google's Android operating system can warn users about earthquakes before the shaking even begins – and there are ways to do it on your iPhone, too.
Meta's new gesture control wristband might just be the most seamless way to control a computer yet. And no, it doesn't require surgery, a camera, or even a touchscreen. All it needs is your wrist.
Long-haul trucks are now being upgraded with a surprising twist, thanks to California-based startup Revoy. Their electric boost doesn't replace diesel but works alongside it to cut emissions and fuel costs without major disruption.
PayPal and Venmo just rolled out something big: AI-powered scam alerts for Friends and Family payments.
As data centers multiply across the United States, energy demand is increasing at a rapid pace. This has not escaped the notice of large investment firms from Wall Street.
The Unicode Consortium, the nonprofit organization that maintains the Unicode Standard to ensure emojis work across devices, has announced Unicode 17.0, which includes nine new emojis slated for release this fall, in September 2025.
OpenAI is one of the world's leading AI research labs. Founded in 2015, it's behind some of today's most talked-about tools, including GPT, DALL·E, and ChatGPT.
Ever catch your dog staring at the screen during movie night and wonder if they're actually watching? Turns out, they might be. A new scientific study from Auburn University found that many dogs really do engage with television, and not all pups react the same way.
Stop the scammers from making contact in the first place. They're getting your parents' contact information and much more personal data besides, from somewhere.
The Walker S2 robot from UBTech autonomously exchanges its batteries in just three minutes, allowing continuous operation in car factories operated by BYD, Nio and Zeekr.
The FX Super One electric MPV from Faraday Future offers flexible seating, zero-gravity recliners and an AI system that creates a personal connection between driver and vehicle.
Practical solutions for reducing unwanted charity mail, political texts and email spam by opting out of shared lists, replying "STOP" and using data removal services.
Delta's new AI pricing system eliminates static airfares for personalized rates based on individual data, raising questions about fairness while promising optimized revenue.
AI data centers are straining the power grid across 13 states, contributing to a $9 billion increase in electricity costs, and PJM customers face monthly bill increases of $25 or more.
Artificial intelligence is transforming the music industry as AI-generated bands like The Velvet Sundown earn substantial streaming revenue, prompting lawsuits from major record labels.
Microsoft phishing scams use fake security alerts and links that redirect to credential-stealing pages with warning signs, including urgent language and unusual senders.
Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.
Tesla vehicles manufactured since mid-2021 with AMD Ryzen processors can now access Grok 4, xAI's witty conversational assistant designed to make drives more engaging.
Understand how technology affects mental health through five concepts, including blue light exposure, screen time management and algorithmic bias.

Dont Use PR

?lose the confidence of your key target audiences? discourage them... Read More

Keep The Publicity Machine Rolling with Reprints

More than half of America skips the Super Bowl, the... Read More

PR Campaigns ? How To Get To Grips With The Media

If you're serious about getting great results from your PR... Read More

Prep for a Successful Trade Show

Well, autumn is upon us and with the onset of... Read More

How to Get PR

There is a process for successfully getting publicity about your... Read More

Marketing-Minded Financial Planners, the Media Wants to Give You Free Publicity

In this great country of ours, there are basically three... Read More

Managers: Can We Agree on This?

Your public relations effort really should involve more than press... Read More

10 Tips to Give Your Press Release The Edge It Needs to Make the News

Writing a press (or media) release is quite an art... Read More

Not Getting the PR Results You Want?

The reason might be this simple: as a business, non-profit... Read More

Managers: Super-Charge Your PR

Ain't a gonna happen unless business, non-profit and association managers,... Read More

A Simple Formula for Success

Leaders in the business world need public relations big time,... Read More

Dont Put Up With Junk PR

In public relations, "junk" is more about attitude and lack... Read More

How to Get $1000 worth of Advertising for $60

?2004 Jeffrey DobkinSixty dollars doesn't go a long way in... Read More

How to Take Advantage of Public Relations

Decide once and for all to do something about those... Read More

How to Write Press Releases That Work And Get Free Publicity

One study found that as many as 90% of the... Read More

Auto Detailing Public Relations; United Way Withholding

As a mobile detailing company it is important to have... Read More

PR: Focus on What Matters!

Sure, as a manager, you have a talented member of... Read More

Managers Who Tap Into PRs Value

Business, non-profit and association managers get a ton of satisfaction... Read More

Smashing the Myth of the Press Release

A musician spends years honing his craft. He writes world-class... Read More

Public Relations 8 Fix Factors

I say to business, non-profit and association managers, a key... Read More

What Kind of PR Makes Sense?

For business, non-profit and association managers, is it publicity that... Read More

Building Credibility Through Bylined Articles

As if making sure your company runs smoothly on an... Read More

Marketing-Minded Financial Planners Piggyback on Topic A to Get Free Publicity

That big story the media pursue each day is what... Read More

Etymology- How Words Change Over Time

Etymology is the study of the origins of words.As languages... Read More

Asian Media Relations: Increase Your Profile and Image in China

China's media is booming creating opportunities for marketing-savvy businesses. But... Read More

best value cleaning service Park Ridge ...