Advice about business and life often gets around to one of those 80-20 rules. As in, 80% of your business will come from 20% of your customers or activities. Heres my twist on this for publicity and marketing:

Build no more than 20% of your publicity and marketing activities around yourself.

I know. Sounds crazy. What else besides me would I showcase in my promotions? a sane person might ask.

But hear me out. Think of all the advertising and marketing messages youre barraged with all day. Do you welcome them? Do you feel, right now, like hearing from one more person, one more time, about how great their product or service is?

Well, neither does anyone else.

So theres the problem with building your whole marketing or PR campaign around your credentials, or the superb service or product you offer. Sorry to break the news, but most folks just dont care.

So the question becomes, what do they care about? And what should you build 80% of your PR around?

Heres my simple to answer. You even knew it all along, because it applies to you too. Most people care most about one thing.

Themselves.

And thats why any financial planner should build 80% of their publicity around what the prospect cares about.

Heres what I mean: Your service helps people. You help them solve a problem, or enable them to delegate a task theyd rather avoid. Every day, you share and apply the highly specialized expertise and professional knowledge youve acquired over years.

So thats what your PR should be all about 80% of it, at least. Especially your media publicity. Because in the media, information rules. Its the fuel that drives our societys vast media machine.

The media love only one thing more than information, and that's people's problems. And didnt we just say that you're an expert on solving those, too?

The formula's simple: talk to your prospects--via the media--about their needs and the problems they face. Share the information and insights you have on these topics. If you do a lot of retirement planning, send information on the latest changes in IRAs. I you specialize in mutual funds, send them information about the newest and best places for people to put their money. If you do, the media will quote or interview you on the topic. Believe it or not, reporters cant live without articulate experts to interview. Approaching them, and offering your services, is not difficult. Instantand freepublicity for you!

And finally, if and when you are compelled to mention yourself, do yourself a favor. Skip the adjectives and superlatives. All of them. Because media folks arent impressed.

The remaining 20% of your PR? Go ahead and write some press releases about the awards you won, about the new office you opened, about your great skills. It cant hurt. But dont think for a minute the media will embrace it as big news.

So remember the 80-20 rule. Give the media and your prospects useful information they need, and let them reach their own informed decision that youre a good resource. I have seen countless professionals and businesses become media successes following this route. Share your expertise and wisdom. A little bit of it, youll find, goes a long way.