Building a bigger platform for your important issue or passion project is surprisingly achievable by following the techniques outlined in “Make It Rain! How to Use Media to Revolutionize Your Business and Brand.”
The new book, penned by attorney and children’s rights advocate Areva Martin, provides practical steps to utilizing the media to raise awareness about a matter and connect with people who have common interests.
Already well known throughout the Los Angeles area for her legal and autism work, Martin’s profile catapulted in the last few years with her television appearances coast-to-coast, as an expert and commentator on legal, political, social and celebrity issues. While on this trajectory, she repeatedly encountered people who asked, “I have something that I’m really passionate about and I’d love to connect with more people. How do I do it?”
Being a person who believes in giving back to others, Martin realized she could help thousands who want to make a difference by sharing the methods she used to elevate the national conversation about developmental disabilities through her nonprofit, Special Needs Network, along with her experiences on national TV.
“The book is really about showing people how to find their voice, how to amplify their voice, how to connect with people and how to really grow their power and influence,” explained Martin.
“It is sharing my personal experiences in working in all kinds of media, not just on TV, but using the myriad of media channels that are now available to all of us to really promote things that I care about.”
In addition to detailing media promotion strategies, Martin offers tips to identify and define your message as well as how to make your voice distinguishable among the multitudes clamoring for attention.
“I talk about how you find your voice because a lot of people are confused about what is their voice. You turn on your TV, you turn on your computer, you turn on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, wherever you go, there’s so much chatter or what some people call noise,” she said.
“But your people aren’t necessarily the tens of thousands of people in Little Rock, Arkansas. The question is, ‘What is the message that you have and who are the people that you’re trying to connect with?’ So the book really takes you through that exercise of identifying who are the people you really want to connect with.”
Using her SNN organization as an example, Martin noted that her goals include raising funds for children with autism, increasing awareness around developmental disabilities for youth in underserved communities and influencing policymakers that can decide legislation that impacts children with autism.
“For my autism organization, it’s not important to me that I really talk to people who care about saving the whales because I’m not trying to save the whales. ‘Make It Rain’ is a how-to book about branding and identifying your brand clearly and once you find your brand, you connect with the people that you want to communicate with and influence,” Martin said, who added that the techniques in “Make It Rain!” can be implemented by small businesses and or applied to community initiatives.
“Everybody doesn’t need to be Barack Obama to have an impact. You can have an impact in your own community where you are. It could be your city, it could be your neighborhood, it could be your state or you may have a national profile, but it’s not imperative for everybody,” she insisted.
“This is not a book for somebody trying to be a star. This is for small business owners, entrepreneurs, activists, advocates, nonprofit leaders and everyday people who want to have an impact in their community and who want to have an impact on issues that they care about.”
Martin will celebrate the release of “Make It Rain!” at the Rainmakers’ Book Event in Beverly Hills on Friday, March 30, from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. at The District By Hannah An, 8722 West 3rd St., in
Los Angeles. On Sat., March 31, she will moderate a Rainmakers’ Boss Lady Brunch Panel at USC Marshall School of Business located in Hoffman Hall, 701 Exposition Blvd., from 11 am to 1 pm. The program will feature five female entrepreneurs in a discussion on women in business, leadership and success and will include a book signing by Martin. Both events are open to the public. To register or for information, visitarevamartin.com.
