4/18/2008
Journalists,Are One Target Market You Can't Forget
 We all know that a great way to make more sales, grow your business and gain name recognition is through having your company or service featured in an article that appears in a well-read publication. The first step towards having your article appear in one of these publications is to become known by the journalist. Are you wondering how to go about doing that? The easiest way, is to target journalists the same way you would target customers. It may sound odd, but you want to sell the journalist on your service or product, just as much as your target market. If the journalist doesn’t know your product or service, how are they going to write about it? Here is what to do: 1. Gather a list of journalists and determine which would be most meaningful for your business. 2. Read what those targeted journalists write. Get to know what they like and how they like to see it. They may even have a blog you can frequent and comment on, as well as reference within your blog. 3. Start a plan and schedule to send them information about you and your business. Don’t push for articles, just try to build a real relationship with them. 4. NETWORK. (I know it appears twice…because it is VERY important). Invite them for a sandwich or a cup of coffee. Labels: P.R., public relations, publicity |
9/12/2007
The Public Relations Mistake Nobody Talks About
| by guest blogger Margie Fisher, President, Zable Fisher Public Relations Chances are, it's happened to all of us at one time or another. But it's a mistake that can have long-term P.R. repercussions. What triggered this was a recent conversation with a small business owner who happened to mention that she didn’t rush to do work for a certain person because that person doesn't pay her on time. That was a wake-up call -- an important reminder about the power of public relations relative to paying vendors on time. Many small business owners are often tempted to postpone paying other small business owners -- in the mistaken belief that the repercussions will be less than if they don't pay bills from bigger vendors (such as American Express). But we forget some very important factors: Small businesses need the money in a more timely manner than bigger vendors, because they do not have the "float" available to larger companies. It's only human nature that small business owners will not rush to do work for those who don't pay them on time (which may be the reason why your computer guy stops giving the prompt service you'd been accustomed to). Remember -- it's a small world -- and small business people may tell many others about customers who do not pay on time (and really, this is bad public relations). So, the next time you're tempted to hold off on paying a small business vendor, think again. You could be creating a lot of negative public relations for yourself and your business. Be aware that the check that is "bounced" or "lost in the mail" can cost you far more than you realize. Better to sign up with your bank for overdraft protection. Or, if things are really tight, be up front and honest with your vendor, and make every effort to make payment as soon as possible. By doing the right thing, you're maintaining your business integrity and your good name -- and you'll get to the front of the line as a preferred customer! Labels: P.R., public relations, small business |
7/23/2007
Small budget, big plans
| Many small businesses, especially those with entrepreneurial dreams and leaders, are looking to do the most with the least. We do not always have big budgets and big payrolls, but we do have big dreams. I just read a great post (thank you, Chris Tynski) on Marketing Sherpa.com with the title: How to Get Tons of Publicity on a Tiny Budget. The article is set up like a case study and basically includes these specific steps that the small business in question took: 1. Revamped its homepage 2. Started an email newsletter 3. Asked for book reviews from other bloggers (gave the book away in return for a review) 4. Used Google's free alert service to monitor mentions and reviews Read the full article here. (Hurry, because I do not know how long Marketing Sherpa keeps this stuff up.) Labels: P.R., publicity, small business marketing |