Business Strategies Articles For Entrepreneurs & Small Business OwnersUsing 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 [...] The Benefits Of Public RelationsIf you have not considered a PR plan as part of your business strategy we have included a few key benefits for your consideration. Make a commitment that this year will be a growth year. Pick one or two important goals and execute. Spend at least one hour per week working ON your business not [...] Television Coverage – It’s Not as Hard as You Think!Do you often watch your favorite news program and think, “I have a great idea for a news story – but I have no idea how to reach the media or get it covered in the news?” Have you tried to send email or telephone pitches and media releases, but think they might be ignoring [...] Story Ideas That Will Interest The MediaAh. the story idea, the lifeblood of PR companies. But as PR professionals we are paid (in part) to dig deep for those ideas that the media will find interesting and newsworthy. What do small businesses do to find those ideas? Here are a few things you can do to find the story idea that [...] So You Want To Talk About Branding?Does every company have a brand? Does every company need a brand? What do you think of when you hear the name of a company? Does it conjure up positive feelings or negative ones? What is a brand? What makes a good brand? How do I get a good brand name when I don’t have [...] Q Is For Quick And Easy Ways To Get Customers FastWhen you’re frustrated with marketing and you just need customers fast, here are some simple and quick things you can do to bring new customers in. 1. Talk to your past clients – Have you kept in touch with your past clients? Maybe they’re looking for your products and services right now. Drop them a [...] The Up-Comers – The 3rd Billion Will Influence All the Rest“Life as a priestess to the virgin goddess Hestia isn’t all that hard, the most important rule is to know who you are.” – Leah (Xena Warrior Princess, TV Series) Thanks to the one billion (each) consumers in China and India, the world economy is bouncing back. Good, but … We tend to overlook the [...] What Does it Really Feel Like to Sell Your BusinessYou are thinking about selling your business. You may have uncertainty, angst, worries, trepidation, fear, unknowns, and sleeplessness nights. I believe you are not alone. My approach as a business broker in Florida is from a perspective of a former long term business owner. I truly feel some of the feelings I experienced as a [...] Starting Your Public Relations PlanStarting your PR Plan When is the right time to start a PR Plan? The answer is NOW. It doesn’t matter if you are “Joe’s Bike Shop” or a multi-national conglomerate – almost every business has a story to tell. It is never too early to start a PR Plan. If you realize that there [...] Pitching The MediaWhen pitching a story idea to a reporter, remember that they don’t really care. Your job is to make them care. A well thought-out, concise pitch will ensure you don’t strike out. Give them a great story that is unique, timely and will help make their job easier! Understand that reporters are contacted by PR [...] Landing Pages – How They Can Help Your CompanyWhat is a landing page? Sometimes known as a lead capture page it is used for online marketing. It is a web page a visitor reaches after clicking an online ad or link. It is a way to convert web clicks into clients. The page will contain detailed content of the product or service mentioned. [...] M Is For Marketing StrategyDo you have a marketing strategy in place? No, by this I don’t mean a marketing plan (although that’s great if you have one of these). I mean a marketing strategy – something that tells you end to end where each of your marketing fits in. When I talk to small business owners they usually [...] Startups … Being There at the Beginning“Get in on the ground floor, put in a rough year or two and retire a millionaire.””We’re open to new and innovative compensation options.””Play a key role in tomorrow’s Amazon…FaceBook…oh heck, Apple!!” You’ve heard these pitches. You watched with amazement at the “ease” of funding, the fantastic company multiples thrown around and how “immediately” ordinary [...] Increase Your Professional Presence1. You’re on stage. When you’re on the phone with a client, you’re playing the roles of a good-will ambassador, problem solver, public relations representative, and more. Whether you are having a good day or a bad day, your telephone call is a performance that should leave your client feeling positive about you. 2. Put [...] Meeting Check-Lists For Sales ProfessionalsThe devil is in the details – Preparation for customer meetings is critical. Here are a few items to consider before you visit your prospect. • Re-Confirm Date, Time, Place, # of attendees 24 hours prior to visit • Ensure you have an agenda for the meeting • Know how much time you have • [...] Time Management TipsDo you ever wonder where your workday goes? Well, here are some interesting statistics on the use of time. See how you compare. According to research, the average person gets one interruption every eight minutes or approximately seven an hour. The average interruption takes five minutes, totaling about four hours, or 50 percent of the [...] Should All CEO’s BlogThe simple answer is, it depends.One factor to consider is the purpose of the blog.Is it to communicate with: Staff Partners Prospects Clients Shareholders If you are a public company CEO, you need to be very diligent as to what you write. You cannot comment on things that may move the stock. Is it to [...] PR Strategies – 7 Reasons Why You Need One Right Now1. Just Getting It Done Without a strategy, PR does have an annoying habit of getting pushed to the bottom of a to-do list. After all, it’s rare that journalists actively contact you (unless you are a member of our club perhaps!). Every PR campaign has to be self-motivated and maintained. Having a PR strategy [...] The Tie That Binds … Mobile Ads To In-Store Signage Messages“All that I desire to point out is the general principle that Life imitates Art far more than Art imitates Life.” –Oscar Wilde After a few weeks spent in meetings and airplanes our wife thought a quiet weekend at home as in order, just cocooning. Her selections were innocent enough since we rather like sci-fi [...] J Is For Joint VenturesJoint Ventures is a concept that has probably been around for a long time, but only seems to have become mainstream over the last few years. Joint ventures can work in several different ways, but essentially means that two or more businesses will have an arrangement whereby they’ll promote each other’s businesses and profit from [...] |
|
