Chris Hooley’s -ThinkBait-

Too bad it’s not A) my publicity -or B) my link. NY Times, how you torture me with your fickle linking ways! For a little backgrounder on why I am both proud and in complete agony at the same time, read on.

I woke up to read the following instant message waiting for me from Liana:

Liana says:

i really don’t know if you are awake or not…… but i have to share this with someone who would have a inkling as to WHY …. i’m like giddy….. the New York Time just quoted my post from SMG!!!!!

Liana says:

Click HERE!!

Chris H says:

Dude!!!!

The only word I could think of that could express my excitement… “Dude!!!”

That’s a pretty sweet reference there! I dealt with a reporter from the NY Times once, and after a week of getting information back and forth, phone interviews, and even getting pics taken from a photographer they sent out… they finally published our story. Still no link love! For those who know me, you know I’m a publicity junkie too. The evidence is even in the title of this blog (notice the “III” next to Loving Publicity).

My entire NY Times experience was blogafied here.

The SEO Gods must be smiling down atcha Li! That domain / site RARELY EVER links out and has a TON of authority, usually only referencing publically traded companies.

Way to go Search Marketing Guru Liana!

The reason I wrote an article named Loving Publicity Part I is because I found a neat quote on a pretty big site that day, and I knew another, larger article I was involved in was going to be posted in the NY Times today. I thought it was the ultimate, Tiger Woods-esque link acquisition, and I thought I would be able to see my name in a major paper.

Neither happened.  No link, no quote. :-(

The article, Dispute on Loan Consolidation, written by Jonathan Glater, was about some serious controversy currently happening in my industry.  I talked to this guy for about two weeks and gave him a bunch of great information and quotes, and politely asked him if he could just shoot a lil link in his article to NextStudent.  After all, we are the biggest student loan consolidation company (aside from major loan holders and banks), and also because we spent so much time helping him develop his story.  He said he would try.

A few days before the article was to publish, our Executive Vice President of Finance got involved with the reporter (and then stole the spotlight!).   I can understand why a reporter would rather quote and Executive Vice President than a Director, but still, it kinda stinks.  I wanted to be the in NY Times!

So that’s it in a nuttshell.  I thought I was going to get a great link from a major website and I was going to be published in print all over the world.  And now, I feel like a little kid who didn’t get the bike he wanted for Christmas.