Branding Articles For Entrepreneurs & Small Business OwnersFinding the Right PR / Marketing FirmEngaging the right public relations, marketing and / or advertising agency is not always as simple a task as it appears. When companies venture out to find marketing representation, they often do what most people do when searching for a new business relationship — ask someone who has worked with a PR consultant for a recommendation. […] Business to Business PREvery business owner knows that public relations is a subset of marketing and marketing is a subset of sales. The “bottom line”, to use an overused term, is what it’s all about. Whether a company is selling a product or service, making the sale is the goal. So it’s often fascinating when a company says, […] Beware of Hidden Costs of Hiring a PR FirmPerhaps the most often asked question companies ask when hiring a public relations firm is, “what does it cost?” Interestingly, this is also a question many PR firms have difficulty answering. There are three basic ways that firms charge. First, and perhaps the most common, is the monthly fee. A PR firm will give thought […] Marketing in Tough Economic TimesWhen the economy slows, and companies are faced with belt-tightening, often the first function to be cut back is marketing, advertising and public relations. The reason is simple. A company believes it can get along without running ads and having a strong public relations program in place. On the other hand, they need employees, legal […] How to Hire a PR FirmSo you’ve made the decision to retain a public relations company to create and implement a PR campaign on your behalf. But how do you know which firm is right for your company, organization or nonprofit? How do you go about deciding which of the thousands of PR/marketing firms out there will help you achieve […] How to Protect your Franchise BrandYour franchise brand can be its most single valuable asset. It takes years to build a reputation and a name that is identified with your business. AllBusiness.com has provided some tips on protecting your franchise brand. What does all this mean for your franchise brand? A strong business brand is particularly important in a franchised network […] What Should Your Free Giveaway Be?It’s very interesting how opinions have changed over the last few years in marketing about what your free giveaway should be. I don’t mean the format it should take (i.e report, e-book, newsletter etc), but what the topic should be and the type of people it should attract. I know I’ve certainly changed my opinion. […] What Can We Learn From Prezzo?The other night (after a very long week I hasten to add) my husband and I went to Prezzo, the Italian Restaurant Chain. Prezzo is a company that I really admire in terms of marketing, because they really have it spot on. Granted they have a huge marketing team and probably a large budget to boot, […] Should You Bother Marketing During The Summer?Why should you bother doing any marketing during July and August? After all, most people are away on holiday aren’t they? No one is really around so there doesn’t seem to be much point in doing a lot of marketing. You might as well just have some time off and take things a little bit […] The PR How-To BibleSynopsis: It’s said that you can’t find the right answers until you ask the right questions. So with that in mind if you are thinking of hiring a public relations firm or of launching a media relations campaign for yourself, the following is a list of how to points to ask yourself before moving forward. […] Why You Absolutely Do Need PR To SucceedPublic relations is the most effective and least expensive way to build your brand, grow your business and establish you as a go-to expert in your field. Whether or not you should launch a media relations campaign should not be the question, because the answer to that is a no-brainer; yes you should. The real […] 16 Points To Consider When Hiring A Graphic Designer1. Got Ego? Not yours… the designer’s. Most doctors have lousy handwriting. All politicians promise you the world. Many designers are divas. Great designers check their ego at the door. It’s not about them, it’s about you and making you look good. If a designer insists on telling you what they have accomplished instead of […] Why Your Brand Is Your FortuneYou may think Nike sells shoes and Apple sells Macs and iPhones, but you’re wrong. They sell their brand. Developing a powerful brand can spell the difference between struggling to make ends meet and achieving real success. Why is developing a successful brand so important? Take a Nike shoe or an iPhone and replace the […] John Jacobson & The Double Dream Hands YouTube / Social Media PhenomenaIt’s pretty amazing what a video on YouTube can do. For example, when a video of John Jacobson’s educational choreography “Planet Rock” was posted on YouTube, and renamed “Double Dream Hands” (DDH), no one could have foreseen the phenomena that would ensue. In a short three-month period, the video garnered over 2.39 million hits on […] The Truth About Your Brand“When the truth is found to be lies, and all the hope within you dies.” Yes the Don’t you want some Brands to Love? Don’t you need some Brands to Love? You gotta find some Brands to Love. Coen brothers got the classic Jefferson Airplane lyric a little wrong, but let’s (hint) hope that brand […] Keep It RealWhen you are trying to build your company brand online authenticity is important. We have seen many poor practices promoting businesses in the social sphere which actually have a negative effect on the brand. Social media is not social advertising. Yes, of course you can advertise on sites like Facebook and Linkedin, but as a web user […] Get Tweeted, Not Chirped – The UnCool FactorTwitter trends are changing all the time… some we love and some we hate. I asked my tweeps (twitter followers) for ‘uncool’ twitter actions. List below of mine + suggestions. Uncool: 1. Auto-following. Grow your tweeps organically! Just so much cooler. Follow people through friends, by keywords & content. Go for quality, not quantity. Quantity […] Using Social Media To Build Your BrandSocial media is the fastest growing medium to market your product and communicate with your audience. And when it comes to branding your product it just might be the simplest and cheapest way to create awareness to potential clients. Marketing is changing and it’s not always about selling something, at the end of the day […] The Importance Of Case Studies For Your PR ProgramIf you search for information on Case Studies on the Internet you will find quite an array of different types, from academic proofs of concept to legal case studies. For the purposes of Media Relations we will define it this way: “A short (500 word) description of the application of your product or service with […] Using Trade Shows as a PR OpportunityTrade shows are a wonderful opportunity to enhance your brand. Every chance you get to be in front of your target audience and/or the media is a great opportunity. Trade shows help level the playing field for smaller firms – even small companies can usually afford attractive displays. With creative marketing and booth design, small […] |
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