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Gain Credibility by Becoming a Published Author

June 13, 2008 By Susan Young Leave a Comment

Should you Write a Book?

If you’re looking for a good way to earn the esteem of those in your prospect list, look no further than the printed page…of your new book. 
 

Community Planning Coach for cities, towns & counties

The book I helped write for my Carmel, Indiana client, Jim Dittoe of Winning Communities

I just helped one of my clients, speaker and community coach Jim Dittoe of Winning Communities, with his first book: 90 Days to a Winning Community, and we are in the process of promoting the book nationwide. He is hoping that the book will raise awareness for his work in helping revitalize cities, towns and counties, and that it will encourage more community leaders to get involved.
 
Writing a book can be a great marketing tool, especially for consultants. Start by writing industry articles and submitting them to local or trade publications or websites such as www.ezinearticles.com. Then gather previously written articles and organize around a particular theme. If you’ve already been publishing a newsletter or eNewsletter, you’re one step ahead of the game. Don’t forget to personalize it with your own anecdotes or unique personality.   
 
If the idea of publishing a book scares you, try starting with an eBook, eBooklet or eReport first. You can offer the “information product” on your website for downloading, which can provide you with an additional revenue stream. One of my clients, Maria’s Last Diet, a dieting support website and blog, has done this by offering an eReport for download as well as a longer eBooklet for sale.

When you’re ready for a printed version, self-publishing is an economical way to go. Try resources such as Author House, a Bloomington, Indiana-based self-publishing house.
 
You’d be surprised what unique knowledge you have that you can share with others through a book or information product. Use that knowledge to create awareness, capture more leads and sell more products or services.

Filed Under: Book Publicity, Business, Public Relations

How Good PR Can Help Your SEO Results

March 7, 2008 By Susan Young Leave a Comment

Have you exhausted all of your search engine optimization strategies and you’re looking for a way to boost your website’s popularity and drive additional traffic?

You may not have thought about it before, but actually public relations (PR) is a great way to increase your natural/organic search engine results. And even better news – you don’t have to be a Fortune 500 company to benefit from PR services.

With the vast amount of information published online, you too can gain valuable press, which can boost your website traffic, and eventually lead to more sales. It’s a natural next step after you’ve launched your website, performed SEO and tried other marketing methods such as pay-per-click advertising.

How it works:

First, you write a press release, educational article or case study and submit it to your list of reporters in your targeted media (or have someone like AimFire Marketing do this for you). Once you receive media coverage, the particular media outlet (newspaper, magazine, website or blog) posts the story (or a copy of your press release) on their website or online news room. These stories should (in most cases) include a link back to your website. Make sure to include a blurb at the end of your press release or article with information about your company and a link to your website.

Search engines like Google and Yahoo assign a value to the popularity of your website, so the more websites that link to you, and the more popular those websites are, the higher your website will rank. The SEO term for this is called Link Building.

So if you’re struggling with search engine optimization and wondering what other tactics you might use, give PR a try, and you might find that your search engine rankings improve.

Filed Under: Marketing-Mix, Public Relations, Search Engine Optimization, Website Development

Starting your PR Campaign

February 7, 2008 By Susan Young Leave a Comment

Many people are perplexed when they think of starting a public relations (PR) campaign. So here are some tips to get the ball rolling.

1.   Start with your PR Strategy First. What are your company’s sales or customer acquisition goals? What is your unique differentiator (see my article on building your USP for more info)? What are the trends in your industry? What are your competitors doing to market or promote their businesses? Most importantly, what information about your company or product/service might be considered newsworthy to a reporter or to readers or viewers of a specific media outlet?

2.   Build your PR Media List. This is the next logical step in your public relations planning effort. Think of all of the newspapers, magazines, e-newsletters, blogs or websites that your target audience might read. Think beyond local newspapers to regional or even international publications and trade magazines. Find a list of reporters and editors who cover your beat (subject matter). Get to know the publications and the stories they write or cover so that you can properly pitch them on your idea later.

3.   Develop your press release and/or story idea. The next step in the PR process is to determine your method of publicity. Most people start with a press release. Keep your press release simple and to the point, trying to avoid technical jargon if possible. Create a compelling headline and remember the inverted pyramid rule – put the most important information toward the top. Don’t forget to close with your boilerplate “About XYZ Company” paragraph with a link to your website and media contact information (whether it’s your PR firm or a marketing person within your organization). 

4.   Create the PR pitch. Now it’s time to pitch your story idea to the reporters you have chosen for the various media outlets. For my clients, I find that email usually works best for the first pitch. Create a short synopsis of your story idea in an email draft. Use this to personalize the pitch to each media contact. Always paste your press release or story below the pitch paragraph, and never as an email attachment (reporters hate attachments and your email will get banned to the spam filters). If you address the reporter by name and try to show that you have done your homework (read the publication and know the reporter’s beat), you’ll have a greater chance of getting the reporter’s attention.

5.   Follow up with your media contacts. Although you may get some responses right away, in most cases it will take some prodding to hear back from any of the reporters. Some will flat out tell you they are not interested, and that’s okay. There may come a time in the future when your information will be of interest to them, so don’t write them off your list. The important thing to remember is to not become a pest by calling and emailing the reporters nonstop. They receive a lot of emails and calls every day and simply cannot respond to all of them. Be respectful of their time and understand that your story idea may not be a good fit, but it’s not a personal insult to you. Just continue to build good relationships with the media and eventually your efforts will pay off.

6.   Develop an online news room. My clients find it useful to build an online media or news room section of their websites. This is a great place to post your press releases, articles, case studies or other information such as company brochures for downloading or headshots or product photos. When you receive media coverage, you can also post formatted versions of the articles in this section. Not only are you portraying to your prospects and customers that you are a well-recognized company, the media may also discover you when doing their story research, so this merely adds to your credibility.

7.   Keep your name out there. Even if your first attempt at PR doesn’t go over so well, keep trying. The next time you send out a press release, you might just find yourself landing a cover story in your industry’s major trade publication. Keep submitting articles, case studies or press releases on a regular basis, and keep updating your online news rooms. The initial effort will most likely pay off in the end. If you don’t have the time, hire a PR agency to help.

Filed Under: Marketing Strategy, Public Relations, Website Development

Why Consistent Marketing Can be a Key to your Success

August 29, 2007 By Susan Young Leave a Comment

Have you ever gone to the gym on a Monday and quit going on Friday because you hadn’t seen the results on the scale? You need to give it more time, right? It’s the same with our marketing activities.

PR: If you get one media placement, you might get more. Or, if you haven’t yet landed that front page story, keep on pitching, and someday you will.

Email: People save/read my email newsletters for months and even years sometimes, but may not call me unless they have a specific need. But sending them communication anyway keeps my name top-of-mind when they do have a need.

Websites: Links stay online for a long time. The efforts you make now / articles you post on your blog or website now may result in a great web lead months later from a web keyword search. So keep adding content and keeping things fresh.

Advertisements: The more exposure your brand/name gets in the marketplace, and the more repetition, the more awareness you’ll get and the more likely you’ll get a response.

These were just a few ideas. The bottom line is that the more you do in the way of marketing, the more lasting impact you’ll have for your business. Just because you think one tactic doesn’t work, keep on marketing. You never know what will be in store for you in the future.

Filed Under: Advertising, Marketing, Marketing Strategy, Public Relations, Website Development

DQ Encourages Fun, Consumption & Word-of-Mouth Marketing

July 5, 2007 By Susan Young Leave a Comment

So I admit, I subscribe to special offer emails from Dairy Queen. I like to find out the flavor of the month, and occasionally they send me a buy-one-get one Blizzard coupon (my husband’s favorite is a medium M&M Blizzard; mine is Reeces Pieces or cookie dough).

Anyway, I was intrigued by the latest social media marketing campaign DQ has going this summer, called Freeze, Click &Win. Basically, DQ is encouraging customers to go out and snap photos of themselves or others enjoying a DQ treat, and then upload them to the special promo website. Each day, DQ awards someone with the winning photo 500 bucks. On the website, folks log in to rate or add comments to each photo entry. They even have a link for you to invite your friends. The latest ad campaigns also mention the website and contest to encourage entries, and I’m sure the individual stores have signage about the promotion as well.

So why do I like this campaign so much? It’s genius because:

  • It promotes viral/word-of-mouth marketing
  • It encourages product consumption — yum
  • It utilizes new technologies (the Web, digital photography, email)
  • It gets people excited about their product (smiling babies and cats enjoying DQ soft serve)
  • It promotes general goodwill about the brand, Dairy Queen

Now what can you do to make your product/service exciting, encourage word-of-mouth marketing through social media or the Web and create a positive brand image?

Filed Under: Marketing Strategy, Public Relations Ideas, Social Media Marketing, Word of Mouth Marketing

Bring Your Marketing Outdoors

April 30, 2007 By Susan Young Leave a Comment

Spring is in the air and it’s the time of year to begin taking advantage of the great outdoors. But Spring Fever isn’t just tied to your home or personal activities. In what ways can your business branch out and bring its marketing efforts outdoors? Here are some tactics to bring your marketing efforts outside and get your company some exposure at the same time:

  • Putting up retail signage or yard signs outside your place of business (on the door, flags flying above, miniature blimps or the like, with your logo or advertising a sale)
  • Sponsoring a hole at an association or industry golf outing
  • Sponsoring a charity walk-a-thon, bike-a-thon or other athletic event
  • Hosting a picnic, cookout, or outdoor open house for your vendors, partners, prospects and/or employees
  • Scheduling an outdoor, fun “outing” for the above (racetrack or go-carting, miniature or regular golf, trip to a local zoo, concert or other outdoor event)
  • Maximizing corporate vehicles with new or updated vehicle signage
  • Putting your advertisement or logo on a bus, train or truck
  • Considering billboard advertising if your message would benefit with visibility from drive-by traffic
  • Hire a person to stand outside your office with a sandwich board or in a themed costume with your company name/message to attract attention (think Halloween costumed people in October or the Uncle Sam standing on the corner at tax time).
  • Sending outdoor marketing promotional items to prospects in the mail or at tradeshows or events (such as golf accessories, gardening items, picnic tools or other outdoor toys with your logo, phone and/or website on them)
  • Tying your marketing messages, discounts and promotions and publicity efforts into spring- or outdoor-related themes.

These are just a few examples of what you could do, but the possibilities are endless. Take advantage of the Spring season and maybe you’ll just maximize the return on your marketing investment!

Filed Under: Advertising, Budget Marketing, Marketing, Public Relations, Seasonal Marketing

The Marketing Mix: Are you Limiting Yourself with your Current Marketing Strategy?

February 2, 2007 By Susan Young Leave a Comment

Does your marketing strategy consist of only one or two tactics? I can’t count the number of times I have read a business profile online or in the newspaper where the business owner is asked, “how do you market your business?” The number one response is usually, “Well, we rely mostly on word of mouth or customer referrals.”

While I’m not discounting the value of word of mouth marketing (it can be very effective), relying solely on this to drive your business forward is very dangerous.

What about those of you who would respond, “Well, we have a website and do some search engine keyword advertising, and sometimes we send out an eNewsletter or printed newsletter.” Or what about, “We make some sales calls and do some networking.” Shame on you!

Some companies are lucky and can survive on a few marketing tactics alone, but they are drastically limiting their potential revenue opportunities. Why not utilize as many tactics into your marketing plan as you can?

Not all marketing activities cost money. Many of them only require a few hours of your time or a few additional dollars (you’d be surprised). And don’t tell me you can’t find 30 minutes a day to devote toward marketing your business. Surely you owe it to yourself and your business to try something new. Quit making excuses!

Fact: The more opportunities your prospect has to see your message, the greater chance they’ll respond and take action (buy your product, contact you for more info, etc.). Experts say that it takes an average of 8 to 12 impressions in order for a prospect to notice you and respond. That’s a lot of sales calls or referrals! Why not have your message in multiple places so that you are the first thing that comes to mind when the person thinks to purchase your particular product or service?

The Marketing Mix: Here are some marketing vehicles to get you started. How many of these can you incorporate to your current strategy?

  • Search Engine Optimization
  • Search Engine Marketing (Keyword Advertising or Pay Per Click – PPC)
  • Online Advertising (banner ads, online classifieds, etc.)
  • Email Marketing 
  • Email Newsletter Advertising
  • Publicity/PR Efforts (sending out press releases, contacting reporters, etc.)
  • Article Submission
  • Print Advertising
  • Broadcast (TV/Radio) Advertising
  • Tradeshows
  • Event Sponsorship (Industry or Nonprofit)
  • Webinars/Teleseminars/Workshops
  • Live Seminars or Speaking Engagements
  • Referral or Incentive Programs
  • Directory Listings
  • Yellow Page Advertising

These are just a few ideas. Imagine the results if you added just one or two of these additional tactics to your marketing mix, rather than relying on your standard or “tried and true” methods to generate leads. Remember, if you continue to do what you’ve always done, you’ll continue to get the same results. Is that good enough for your business? If you want more than that, I think you know what to do. So get out there and do it!

Filed Under: Advertising, Budget Marketing, Marketing, Marketing Plans, Marketing Strategy, Public Relations, Search Engine Optimization

Marketing Planning for the Year Ahead: Will you have a successful year?

December 18, 2006 By Susan Young Leave a Comment

For most businesses, the end of the year is the time to begin the planning process for the following year. And for many sales and marketing professionals, you have the luxury of starting fresh with a brand new (and hopefully larger) marketing budget.

Take the time to analyze the past year’s marketing performance. Was it all that you hoped it would be or do you drastically need to do better? How can you make sure you do it right next year? Here are some suggestions:

1. Do you have a marketing plan? Has it been updated within the last year? Don’t move reactively through the year. If you do, you’re more likely to make mistakes. Take the time to:

  • Research potential advertising options and how they fit with your budget
  • Analyze what associations to join/remain involved in and what tradeshows to potentially exhibit
  • Review what competitors are up to (visit their websites, newsrooms, etc.) and note any new competitors
  • Survey customers’ needs and talk with sales representatives to determine how on-target this year’s marketing really was

2. Analyze your website: Does it need a refresh? Some things to consider when refreshing your website:

  • Is it user-friendly? 
  • Does it adequately represent all of your company’s products/services?
  • Does it do a good job of “selling” for you and moving prospects through the sales process?
  • Is it optimized for the search engines so that you come up on searches for your product, company or industry?

3. Think about your marketplace, your positioning and what trends will  shape the upcoming year. This could relate to your pricing (whether or not to lower or raise prices), your products/services (whether to add more or to narrow your focus). Make a list of trends as well as business opportunities, threats and weaknesses that you want to overcome in the next year.

4. Set some measurable objectives for your business. Whether your goals are to expand into a new industry, pump up your publicity efforts, get more involved in industry associations or update and optimize your website, write down your goals. Align your budget and your manpower next year to ensure that you achieve those goals.

Happy New Year, and good luck!

Filed Under: Business, Marketing, Marketing Plans, Marketing Strategy, Public Relations, Search Engine Optimization, Website Development

Would you, Could you, On a Cow? Unusual Advertising Spots

June 7, 2006 By Susan Young Leave a Comment

Leave it to online casino GoldenPalace.com (the company that paid $28,000 on eBay for the ‘Virgin Mary grilled cheese sandwich’) to come up with another original marketing idea: Advertising on Cows! I almost didn’t believe this when I heard it, so I had to go directly to the source. You can check out pictures of the “branded” cows (I couldn’t resist!) here.

That got me thinking: what other unusual (or less traditional) places might it make sense to advertise your business? So I’ve created a list of unique advertising venues and some potential companies that might consider advertising in these places. Here goes:

Places to Advertise  | Potential Advertisers

  • On a cow  | herbicide company
  • On a park bench | bird seed company
  • On an automobile | car insurance company or auto repair shop
  • On a temporary tattoo | fitness center; health foods store
  • On a shopping cart or checkout divider stick | impulse  item (gum, batteries) or purchase (dry cleaners, car wash)
  • Movie theater screen | soft drink; nearby restaurant, coffee shop or retail establishment
  • Grocery store receipt | local retail shop or restaurant
  • Back of a baseball ticket | kids sports league; restaurant near the stadium
  • Hotel key cards | pizza delivery; tourist destination
  • Bar bathroom stall | alcoholic drink; brand of painkillers
  • Church bulletin | breakfast or brunch restaurant; Christian bookstore
  • These are just a few ideas to get you started. Obviously, if companies are advertising on cows and foreheads, the possibilities are endless!

Have you seen any unusual advertising spots lately? Tell me about it! I’ll be happy to add them to this list!

Filed Under: Advertising, Branding, Marketing-Mix, Public Relations, Unusual Advertising

Marketing Madness: Seasonal Marketing Strategies to Help your Business Stand Out

March 22, 2006 By Susan Young Leave a Comment

So I’ve got March Madness on the mind this month, even if my favorite team, the Fighting Illini, are no longer in the NCAA Men’s College Basketball tourney, and my brackets aren’t faring so well. 

What does March Madness have to do with marketing, you ask? Actually, marketing is everywhere this time of year. Here are a couple of examples of how companies have tied their marketing messages to March Madness.

Some Good March Madness Campaign Examples:

  • State Farm Insurance has been running television spots where their competitors are lined up against them in bracket format and eventually all of their competitors are crossed off/eliminated, leaving State Farm as the champion.
  • Papa John’s sent out email campaigns with special March Madness pizza offers. I also received an oversized postcard in the mail in early March with a magnet on the back so I could put it on my fridge. It consisted of an empty bracket that I could fill out and also included four pizza coupons. What a great way to incorporate the March Madness theme into a promotional campaign!

How can you utilize a popular time of year like March Madness in your marketing?

  • Incorporate ‘Madness’ Words and Themes into all of your Advertising & Communications: Even if you don’t offer a sports-related product or service, people will instantly recognize your special offers or coupons when you use the word ‘madness’ or create basketball themes in your marketing campaigns (whether it is an ad headline, article name or email subject line). 
  • Offer a Madness-Related Giveaway: You don’t have to be a national sponsor of the NCAA basketball tournaments to take advantage of basketball mania. Invite your customers to visit your business to enter to win a basketball-related product, or tickets to an upcoming sporting event.
  • Offer a Solution or Product Related to March Madness: Do you supply or sell a product that basketball fans might find interesting? Do you offer a solution to the decreased work productivity that typically occurs in the office environment this time of year, such as software that blocks certain websites or encourages worker productivity? If you can tie your PR into this theme, the News media will be more inclined to hear your story. Tip: Be sure to pitch your story idea well in advance, keeping in mind the reporter’s lead time (as deadlines are often weeks or months prior to publication date).
  • Market Entertainment Options for Basketball and Non-Basketball Fans: If you are a movie theater or other entertainment venue, there are plenty of non-basketball aficionados who are longing for something else to do besides sit in front of a television. Now is your chance to reach them. Restaurants can offer a dine-in or take-out special in honor of March Madness.  

So whether it’s a holiday like Saint Patrick’s Day, an event such as the Indy 500, or a popular trend such as Texas Hold ‘Em Poker, make your marketing message stand out from the crowd by relating it to what’s current. Do this and I promise you’ll have an instant edge on your competition.

Filed Under: Advertising, Marketing, Marketing Strategy, Public Relations, Public Relations Ideas, Seasonal Marketing, Target Marketing, Unusual Advertising
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AimFire Marketing is an Indianapolis marketing, public relations, website development, search engine optimization and social media marketing agency.