Archive for Online Business
Breaking the “Instant Response” Cycle
Posted by: | CommentsPerhaps it’s because of women’s hard won reputation as excellent multitaskers. Or perhaps its because we all panic that if we don’t put in our two cents instantly, we’ll be ignored. But whatever the reason, too many of us have gotten into the nasty habit of being “overly responsive.”
As soon as our Blackberrys vibrate or we hear the ping of a new email arriving in our inbox (the tiny envelope icon lingering in the bottom right corner of the computer monitor, taunting us), most of us drop whatever we’re doing and check it out – eager to respond first, or at least to have the option to be the first to weigh in.
But, I’m here to tell you that it’s time to stop. Sure, there are times when major projects are reaching completion or you’re waiting to hear back about an important issue with one of your clients, so you need to be instantly accessible. But, most of the time, you don’t need to drop everything at the first sign of an email communication. In fact, waiting might actually help you.
Here are five reasons to wait before checking your email for the twentieth time this hour:
1. Your productivity suffers
Sure, you’re a great multi-tasker. That’s how you got to where you are today. But, more and more studies are showing that each time you take a break from your work (especially if you’re working on something mentally intensive, like writing a report or creating a presentation) it takes you much longer than the ten second email break to get your brain back into work mode. That’s why sometimes things that should take you an hour wind up taking three. So, I like to institute no-email blocks in the day where I’m doing my most intense writing. Then everything gets done faster and better.
2. Sometimes, time can actually help you
Have you ever stepped away from your desk for an hour, only to come back and see a huge chain of emails between a few of your staffers? You read through the chain thinking, “uh oh, what did I miss?” only to discover that a minor problem both appeared and was resolved in the time that you were away? I think we all want to think that our input is needed (most of the time it is, of course!), but if something truly urgent happens, I guarantee you’ll get a call if you need to weigh in. Otherwise, let your staffers figure out problems on their own, it’s how they learn.
3. The quick answer isn’t always the best answer
The pressure to respond instantly to emails can definitely be intense, especially when a heated debate is rapidly unfolding in cyber-space. But, like above, sometimes it’s best to wait until clearer heads prevail. If it looks like a fight is beginning to emerge, the last thing you want to do is hop in and fire off an angry email that could haunt you for days. Step away from the computer and wait until cooler heads prevail. You’ll be glad you did. In fact, since people are often more likely to be agressive via email than in person (it’s easier to hide behind the screen), you might be better off not responding at all and just setting up a meeting to talk the issue through.
4. It sets a precedent that you can’t escape from
In a lot of ways, email can be a trap. Once people get used to you responding to everything within minutes, that cycle can be hard to break. And, that’s how we get into situations where you spend your vacation with the Blackberry strapped to your ear or find yourself waking up in the middle of the night to check your email. I find that the best way to handle this is to be honest about when you will respond. Tell people how available you’ll be (or won’t be) during vacations and be clear about who can handle issues in your absence. And, as for every day, set aside a few times during the day when you’ll check/respond to email. There’s no reason that anyone needs to be kept waiting more than an hour or two and this still gives you solid blocks of time to do the “real” work.
5. It can give the image that your time isn’t as important as someone else’s
Think about it. If you can take the time out of your day to respond instantly to every single little issue that comes up, what else are you doing? Anyone who’s ever been frustrated because their boss took a day or two to respond to an email knows that the reason that they’re frustrated is because the person their waiting on is “more important” than they are. Remember how much your time is worth, and allocate your work accordingly.
Read more from contributing writer Jennifer Lee Johnson on her personal finance blog, The Next Rich Girl, or follow her on twitter.
Pitching the Media Correctly
Posted by: | CommentsPart 1 of 7
It doesn’t matter whether you’re a seasoned PR professional or a newbie, you’ll need to know how to pitch the media correctly if you want to get publicity, interviews, articles and write ups about your business.
With all the bad pitches and PR spamming, it is time to teach you how to do it the right way. By pitching the media correctly, you will see your name in ink in no time. Trust me, when I first started, I hadn’t a clue as to how to draft a pitch, but now I’ve become a media professional.
- The first and most important things you need to have are patience and persistence. The media gets flooded with millions of pitches per day.
- You must know your story inside out and backwards before you even attempt to build a media list. Get every angel of the story covered by conducting interviews with the people involved, industry professionals, and any other research you can find. Pursue the story as the same way a journalist would.
- Create variations of the story for different media outlets, but don’t embellish. Keep each variation concise and to the point because media professionals do not have a lot of time to review your story, if it is as long as a book.
- Research each contact at each publication you think would be interested in your story. Read the journalist’s work to determine what he or she is looking for. Research and find out their writing style and contact preference. Keep a top ten list of the journalists you think would be interested in covering the story.
- Test your pitch with one or two journalists. You can email or call the journalist. Keep the pitch to three or sentences at most if you call. Keep in mind that most journalists preferred to be contacted by email.
- Offer an exclusive story to your preferred media professional. The more compelling your story, the better chance it has getting picked up.
- Most journalists get dozens of pitches per day, which is why good follow up skills are essential. You should follow up in a day or two after you sent the first pitch. It is very rare a story gets picked up with one pitch. If you haven’t heard from them, then follow up with a phone call. Don’t afraid of being annoying, just tell them you are working on a strict deadline. If they are not interested, they will tell you.
- If you did not have any luck with that journalist, let it go and re-prioritize your list. Continue moving along because the more persistent you are, the more successful you will be.
- If you want to strengthen and polish your pitching skills, start with the local media because they are more likely to work with newbies.
- Once you build a strong portfolio of press clippings for your business, you will be able to create a media kit and send it out to larger publications that may be interested in covering your story.
For assistance with developing a pitch, creating a pitch letter, and creating a media list, contact Kristin at km@marquet-communications.com,
How to Create a Squeeze Page that gets Strong Results
Posted by: | CommentsThe Internet is saturated with content, sales pitches and products. As a result, you have to make your business standout from the rest of the businesses out there. Squeeze pages are one of the best ways to do this. They are mini web pages with opt in forms to catch the name and email addresses of prospects. They are used to build email subscriber lists.
Your squeeze page should look something like this:
Use a headline (in red size 18 or larger font), a sub-headline (in black size 16 or larger font), followed by 5 to 7 bullets (in black font)
Keep your sales copy concise. The entire objective is to get the prospect to sign up through the opt in form
Use 200 to 300 words on the page
Use headline generator software to help come up with compelling headlines
Use a keyword selector tool to help pick the best keyword search phrases for SEO purposes
Use video to personalize your message. This helps you connect with prospects. (Check out www.marketingmakeovergenerator.com)
Use product or service benefits as bullet points
Use a simple opt in form from www.aweber.com, www.constantcontact.com or www.verticalresponse.com
Adding bonus products with (high perceived values) will help convert prospects
Use a privacy policy. Let prospects know that you respect their privacy and will never sell, rent, or lend out their personal information
If you’re in a market where prospects are used to filling out opt in forms, consider using a longer squeeze page. You have to sell prospects to opt-in.
Use a strong headline and sub-headline
Highlight all of the benefits of your product or service.
Answer these questions:
How can your business help your market?
Why is your business better than the rest?
What are you offering? Make sure it is something that is useful.
The Marketing Mix Made Easy to Understand and Use
Posted by: | CommentsWhile creating your annual marketing plan, using a combination of elements (4 from the marketing mix) is the key to success.
The marketing mix contains four elements. The combination of the four elements is used to satisfy consumer needs and company goals, stimulate consumer interest, and generate sales.
1. Product/Service – what are you trying to sell?
2. Price – how much will it cost in contrast to competitors in the market?
3. Place and distribution – where will it be sold and how will it be delivered?
4. Promotion - how will you deliver the message to the market – advertising, public relations, direct marketing, or online marketing?
By arranging these four elements in a variety of ways, it will help you determine the highest return on investment. You might have to use a lower price, offer a coupon, and/or give a way a free-gift with the purchase in one market, while pricing the product/service a little higher and using nicer packaging in a sophisticated market.
The key to success is to try various element combinations, because it is unlikely using only one mix will generate the results you want.
A few tips on marketing:
Test, test, and test your product/service in various market segments within your target market
Offer a coupon with the next purchase on one test and use another call to action another test to see which offer generates the best response
Make your business stand out in the crowd by making yourself accessible to prospects and existing customers because most other companies will not
Understand your market’s buying behaviors, needs, wants and give them what they want.
Make sure all marketing material messages are consistent because you don’t want to cause confusion.
Make sure the product/service’s positioning is not contradictory.
The tone of all marketing materials should be consistent.
A brand’s colors must be consistent.
Test all combinations to see which combination yields the best results.
Make the USP stand out.
If you need designing your marketing mix for your annual marketing plan, email Kristin at km@marquet-communications.com for more information.
