Author Archive
Maximize Productivity Using Social Media
Posted by: | CommentsIn this day and age, there are so many different social media sites to choose from that it can become a full time job to update and monitor each profile. To eliminate that stress, follow these 13 steps to become more productive:
1. Select the top five social networks you are interested in joining. Check out Ning.com as it offers thousands of social networks for just about any industry.
2. Use www.Twitter.com and www.Facebook.com as platforms to brand and market your company.
3. Research and contact bloggers who would be interested in your market/customer. The only thing that counts is how you can add value to their audience.
4. Use social media as an online public relations platform by announcing any relevant news.
5. Create a channel on www.Youtube.com and develop a series of videos.
6. Get involved with www.Technorati.com if you have a blog.
7. Comment on message boards and forums relevant to your industry.
8. Turn your blog into a mobile site. Make it accessible for your readers online.
9. The more ways you can spread the word of your social media efforts, the more exposure you will get. Offer RSS subscriptions.
10. There’s a chance that people on certain social networks might know one another. To make sure that you don’t offend anyone or step on anyone’s turf, make sure you are friendly, polite, and objective.
11. When you track your inbound links, contact the bloggers who mentioned your company to build relationships.
12. Never underestimate the power of video. Video interviews and podcasts are great ways to make your blog come alive.
13. Never make false claims on social networks because chances are, it will ruin your reputation.
For more information on how to develop a strategic social media plan, contact Kristin at km@marquet-communications.com.
Finally Get on TV with the Right Pitch
Posted by: | CommentsIt’s 2010 – Stop Procrastinating and Kick Your PR Plans into High Gear this Year
Getting in TV is one of the best ways of generating publicity that increases your brand awareness, your creditability as an expert, get more clients, and increases sales.
Yet, it is not easy if you don’t know how to craft a pitch that is tailored perfectly to meet the needs of the show.
Many business owners make the mistake of drafting the same pitch to various TV shows; however, that’s a no-no because no two TV shows are the same. Each pitch has to be tailored to match what the TV producers are looking for.
Furthermore, a TV pitch letter is very different from a press release. A press release generally announces news or a story that is newsworthy and it is specific toward a field. Press releases are generally sent to print publications such as magazines, newspapers, and online publications.
To draft a pitch that brings results, follow these steps:
1. When drafting your pitch, don’t make it salesy. Make it informative and entertaining. Know the TV’s market. Tell the producers how you are going to be able to help their audience. Don’t bore them with how great you are. Watch a couple segments to see what type of topics are covered. Are they looking for health experts? Are they interested in interviewing financial professionals? Does the show only book celebrities?
2. Do research and find out the correct contact person. Log onto the show’s website to see if they suggest any tips for how you can get on the show. Some shows urge you to contact to a producer while others use booking agents. Make sure you get the correct spelling of the producer’s name too.
3. Keep your pitch informative and entertaining. Don’t oversell yourself and your brand. Keep it personal and friendly. Deliver your message clearly and concisely. Keep it to the point.
3. In order to get booked on TV, you need to have the right marketing materials. You need to stand out from the rest of the crowd. Tell the TV producers why they should book you for a segment over someone else. Make yourself valuable.
4. When drafting a pitch, you must have an interesting hook or angle. You have to capture the producers’ attention with whatever you are trying to sell. Consider why people should listen to you over someone else. What can you offer that someone else can’t offer?
5. Tie your pitch into something that is current from the news.
6. Keep each pitch to one page. If you are the President of a financial company and you are interested getting on Bloomberg TV, CNBC, or CNN, your pitch should include a description of your company’s growth strategy and financial performance over the last twelve months as well as your strategy for economic survival in 2009. If you are the owner of a women’s clothing line or the Editor in Chief of a woman’s fashion publication and you are interested in getting on The Early Show to discuss spring and summer fashion trends, tailor your pitch to meet the news of that specific audience – (educated, sophisticated, female oriented).
7. Media etiquette is just as important as the pitch. You should feel comfortable talking with an interviewer in front of the camera. You have to be able to deliver your lines concisely with a flare of your personality.
National TV exposure can bring in huge sales and increase your creditability three-fold.
Essentially, drafting a TV pitch is similar to an audition, the more things you have in place, the more likely the producer will say yes to book you on the show. When you get on TV, most people will view you as an expert, or better a celebrity.
If you need assistance drafting your TV pitch, send an email to km@marquet-communications.com.
Crush Your Competition in 2010
Posted by: | CommentsYou are probably wondering how your competitors are getting write-ups and articles in newspapers, magazines and trade journals and getting interviews on TV?
You are diligent about submitting articles and press releases to the media but nothing has been published. You ask yourself why, only to find out that you have not been submitting the right information in the right format.
1. Understand that newspapers, magazines and trade journalists are not interested in providing sales content to their readers. They are interested in providing content that is newsworthy and that is going to interest their readers. For instance, if you are located in Atlanta and you are holding a food drive for local shelters during the holidays, most likely larger city newspapers like the LA Times are not going to be interested in the story because it is not local to their readers. However, if you were to pick a nationwide angle – how hunger is rampant in the USA and how local businesses can help feed the hunger in those cities, would probably be more interested in the story. Press releases, email and telephone pitches and query letters are the ways to touch base with the media. If a journalist shuns you, don’t take offense. Most media pros are bombarded with badly written pitches from annoying and self-serving business owners or obnoxious PR people.
2. Be smart and plan strategically. If you have someone on staff that understands PR and how the media works, have them take care of all PR related work. If not, then hire a PR professional to plan your PR strategy, implement and execute all objectives. If you are a clothing retailer looking to segment more affluent markets, in addition to purchasing higher quality brands, you will need to draft a PR plan that demonstrates how you will get into local and national luxury magazines such as W, Vogue, Golf Digest and get involved in more charity events.
3. Don’t try to create a market for your product or service. Find a market that is insatiable and greedy for whatever you are trying to sell. Research, research, and research more. Read trade journals and conduct surveys through online and print questionnaires.
In order to be successful, you should understand everything about your market – buying behaviors, gender, education, income, hobbies, publications read, and household income. Buy a list of names of people who have made purchases that are similar to the products or services that are you selling. If you try to make a market for what you are trying to sell, you will not be successful.
4. Positioning your brand and creating a unique selling proposition are very important when it comes to communicating with your market. Conveying the same message across the board is important as it creates consistency and breeds familiarity within your market. Your market should know what to expect from you every single time they make a purchase, visit your website, and deal with customer service. For instance, your brand should be consistent, just like McDonalds, Nordstrom, and Target. Every single time a customer visits one of these retailers, they know what to expect from the caliber of the product, service and pricing.
Remember patience and cooperation are the keys to getting publicity. Use proper media etiquette and give the media newsworthy content and see your brand go through the roof.
For more information, contact Kristin at km@marquet-communications.com
Interview with Prominent Skin care Expert and Make up Artist, Tayelor Kennedy
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Kristin: Tayelor: What is your line of business? What services do you offer? Where are you located?
Tayelor: I am a make-up artist and stylist. I service, Connecticut, New York, and Boston. I offer make-up application for brides, custom eyebrow shaping, eyebrow and eyelash tinting, custom blend foundation, and, powder, make-up bag makeover, and, cosmetic and fashion personal shopping. I currently work specifically with brides, bridesmaids, and with the mother of the bride and groom. I work with my clients to choose the right gown and make-up style that really reflects her core personality.
Kristin: Tayelor, working as a solopreneur is very interesting, especially working as a makeup artist. Why don’t you tell us about how you got involved in that line of work?
Tayelor: My interest of beauty began at home. My mother was the ultimate classic beauty. She was very adamant about skin and body care. She started me on the daily and nightly ritual of, cleansing, toning and moisturizing when I was about 10. And, I would sit and watch her dress for her nights out, watching with fascination as she applied her make-up with precision, which led me to attend Christin Valmy International in NYC to become an aesthetician. There were make-up classes included but, by then I was self taught and freelancing for various cosmetic lines.
Kristin: The female beauty market is saturated. What are you primary markets and how did you select them?
Tayelor: My primary market is brides. I choose to niche my business within the bridal industry because it’s fun, and I absolutely love dress-up! And this, is the ultimate dress-up. Seriously, being apart of making a woman look and feel like the queen she is on the most important, magical day of her life is just joyful.
Kristin: What marketing strategies have been most effective?
Tayelor: Thus far, the most effective strategies have been, word of mouth, social networking, blogging about wedding make-up and fashion trends, and being listed online where brides are seeking services.
Kristin: Being a small business owner is a very difficult, especially in this economy. How are you surviving?
Tayelor: I have a business plan and I follow it. Research the industry of interest, as well as the local and global competition. The next step is to implement the plan. Taking consistent daily action is key. What advice would you give to aspiring female entrepreneurs, especially those that are interested in working in the beauty industry? Attend the best school possible, take workshops, read, and continue to hone your craft. The beauty industry is very fast paced as consumers demand and expect artist to be well trained, highly skilled, and, very knowledgeable about not just choosing the best look and colors, consumers want to know about the products being applied to their face. They want to know what ingredients are in the products as well.
Kristin: What is your top goal for 2010?
Tayelor: To become known as the authority on bridal make-up, and, bridal fashion consulting.
Thank you so much for joining me Tayelor and best of luck in 2010.
Tayelor Kennnedy is an experienced skin care expert and make up artist in the Tri State area as well as Boston. She has written for various magazines and websites on all beauty related areas. Her areas of expertise are custom blends for brides and bridal parties, eye lash extensions and custom eye brown shaping. For more information, visit www.theeverythingbridalgirl.onsugar.com. Tayelor can be contacted at tayelorkennedy@yahoo.com.
The Four Essential Elements to Your PR Toolbox
Posted by: | CommentsEver since the revolution of the Internet, more and more brands are becoming digital. To start playing with the big brands, smaller guys have to learn Internet based PR. They have to learn the right tools and tactics to stay ahead of the curve with the rest of the digital world. To be properly equipped, you are going to need the four following tools in your PR toolkit.
Search Engine Optimization – Optimizing keywords and phrases is the top key to positioning your business as one of the top rankings on Google, Yahoo, and MSN. News content, press releases and images and videos are the primary ways to move up the ranks. Plus, the better your SEO results, the more visibility and credibility your business will get. Moreover, journalists and bloggers will see you and will want to cover feature stories on you and your business.
Social Media is vital to developing a robust PR strategy. Many audiences spend time reading and are influenced by social media. Even though updating twitter, facebook and sending out press releases takes a lot of time, it is worth its weight in gold. You have the ability to connect with potential clients, while positioning yourself as an expert in your industry. Just remember, don’t try try to sell your prospects, just educate them on how you can help better their lives.
Digital – Videos, audios, podcasts,and images could be optimized by using relevant keywords and submitted to websites such as Youtube and Flickr.
The Blog – A blog is one of the most important elements of an online PR strategy. Blogs give businesses the opportunity create and expand niche brands. Blogs are used to publish content and images, almost like a website, but it is an open forum for the business owner and consumers to interact. Blogs that are well optimized are great to generate traffic and help with SEO rankings.
If you need help creating your online PR toolkit, feel free to contact Kristin at km@marquet-communications.com
