Archive for November, 2009

I was surprised to see a colleague of mine change his brand… especially since he had done it in recent memory (maybe no more than a couple of years ago).

Frankly, I’m not sure if it was a good idea. He has worked hard branding himself with his now defunct brand.  Theexplanation: we are growing and changing. I know he has a new book coming out soon, and that could be part of the reason.

But it seems that he wasted time with an old brand and now has to rebrand once again.

So how often should one change a brand? As seldom as possible, but as often as necessary.

Here are some questions to ask yourself when you are considering a brand change:

• How many years have you been using the existing name?
• Would a change alienate or confuse any existing customers?
• How much goodwill is built into your existing name?
• If you were to change your name, would you lose any revenue as a result? Estimate the dollar loss (if any) over a period of one year.

Personally I think a slow evolution rather than a brand overhaul is the best way to go. Basically, you change bits and pieces until you are where you want to be brand-wise.  This can take a few years, but is worth the effort.

If you want 2010 to be the year your business makes it big, you’re going to need to get a PR plan for the new year which will help the new year be a good one for your company.

In order to get 2010 off to a strong start, try the following New Year’s resolutions:

1) Identify your goals: before you do anything else, you need to know what it is you’re trying to achieve with your PR campaign. This could be greater brand awareness, damage control or simply trying to drive sales for your business; whatever your goals are, keep them in mind as you plan.

2) Stay on message: Decide on your angle; there’s something which will make your business a newsworthy topic – once you’ve decided how to work this, stick with it and make it the focus of your PR efforts.

3) Get a PR plan: resolve to take your goals and your message and integrate them into a campaign which works alongside your existing marketing campaigns. Make it accountable so that you can identify what works and what needs improvement – and resolve to keep at it and get the media exposure your business needs to make 2010 its best year yet.

Want to learn how to develop your own PR plan? I’m hosting a free teleseminar on December 1. For more details, and to register for the call, simply go to the Easy Publicity Plan site.

I’ve been talking to a few of my Internet business buds lately, and many are surprised to learn the next time I venture out to an event it will be to the Niche Affiliate Marketing System, fondly known as NAMS.

On the surface, it does seem odd. I don’t really ‘do’ niche marketing. And certainly am not even a small player with affiliate sales.

So why would I waste my time at an event not meant for me?

Because it’s NOT a waste of time. Not in the least. Here are my reasons:

1) I am going to network with people who I like and respect. Most of the best outcomes happen at events when people are networking. Lately, I’ve heard that many people go to other big events  because of the networking only. They knew the content was going to be light. (Why pay for the event then?)

I know this event has dear friends in attendance, including Tracy Roberts, Nicole Dean and Bob the Teacher. I’m also going to get to meet good online buddies for the first time including Lynn Terry, Jeff Herring and Denise Wakeman. Just the opportunity to be with this level of professionals had me ready and willing to pay the price of admission.

2) The content. Unlike some of the fluff-content complaints that have been happening at recent events, I know this one is considered tops. The speakers are known to give their all to help people understand not only the why, but the all-important how to do business to be successful.

And even though I am not the typical niche marketer, I want to learn to use some of the successful techniques they use to get more in my pipeline.Why avoid strategies that work all together because they don’t ‘fit’ quite right with what you are doing. The key is take the best pieces and make them your own.

3) The  fun – my first planned Tweetup outside of my comfort zone. As part of my thrill of meeting all my pals, I decided to host a tweetup (a live twitter meetup) at the hotel the evening before NAMS. I’m working with the hotel, as well as with others on dorr prizes and the like. To RSVP to the event you need to go here.

I’m doing this to make the event more interesting and more of an adventure for me personally.

If you want to get media coverage, there’s only one way to get it: a press release. Media professionals expect and require it to get their attention. But, before you can create a news release, you need something far more fundamental.

A story.

You know about the obvious stories already that are newsworthy: when you’ve accomplished something big, received an award or honor or are launching a new product, program or service.

Yet, those stories are rare for most business owners. So how do you get media coverage the remainder of the time, when nothing big is occurring?

To get the exposure, you need to develop the story. Savvy publicity-seekers use some of the ideas below to get media coverage:

1. Tie it into a charity. Hold a fundraiser, make a donation for each sale of a particular item, sponsor someone who’s doing something unusual for charity, create a product specifically to sell as a fundraiser. Charity tie-ins are a staple of the news business. Be creative, try to find a charity that relates to your business.

2. Create a ‘thon’. The media loves marathon events. Think about the media coverage that happens when there’s an event when people have to do something crazy to win: having to all dance to Elmo’s Song continuously to win the latest Elmo doll?  The wackier the better, and a combining it with a charity event helps as well.

3. Don’t forget the kids. Kids and puppies not only appeal to most people, but to journalists as well. Bring kids on board to help you make decisions for the day. Have area children design the window layout of your store or paint a mural on a wall.  Hold a contest where children to help design a webpage or contribute to your ezine.

4. Be a record breaker. What kind of event can you assemble that features the most people ever doing something? Every year in Seattle, organizers try to break their own record for the most guitarists playing “Louie, Louie” at one time. Every year, the media gleefully covers the event. Then there’s the world’s largest hugging event. That got national and international coverage as well.

5. Get celebrity status with a celebrity naming. In 1993, the citizens of Steamboat Springs, Colorado held a vote and officially renamed a local bridge “The James Brown Soul Center of the Universe Bridge”. The Godfather of Soul himself showed up at the naming ceremony which resulting in the sponsors getting lots of media coverage. Other clever restaurant owners have names sandwiches and meals after celebrities with much success. (Who wouldn’t want to take a bite of  Tom Cruise – the sandwich?)

6. Choose a holiday and celebrate. Think of original ways to celebrate holidays – and not just the typical ones. Share pointers with the media on National Fraud Awareness Day.  Have a hot dog eating contest for employees on National Hot Dog Day. Find a holiday that can relate to your business, and show why your joining in to get media coverage.

Piggybacking on holidays is an easy way to get publicity when you use Penny Pinching Publicity.

Every month there’s a fill-in the blank press release, that usually focuses on a holiday for you to use to get media coverage.

Lucky me. My girls brought the swine flu home. And although the H1N1 virus wasn’t a welcomed guest here, I did learn a few things as a result of having it.

1. Planning is essential. As soon as we all started getting various symptoms, Matt & I realized that we needed a plan to make sure everything and everyone was taken care of. For us, since we have no family close enough to help out, it meant taking turns sleeping in our guest room to get some rest, as the other one got the fun job of coping with two little sick little ones while feverish ourselves. (Hey, at least one night of rest every other day is better than none.) It’s the same for your business: failing to plan means you’re planning to fail. Sometimes things pop up and you don;t have a plan for it. Take the time right then to make a plan. The time you spend will be worthwhile.
2. Don’t over do it. As Matt & I started feeling better, we decided to get some things done we had neglected. We overextended ourselves, and as a result the fever came back with a vengeance. In business, sometimes we work too hard at something, only to take one step forward, two steps back. Sometimes less is really the best course.
3. Write it down. I have a really good memory. But since this virus has taken over I don’t recall my great ideas I’ve had for clients and for myself. Now I’m using my iPhone to record the ideas as they pop up. It’s probably something I should have been doing for some time now, and you should too. If you don;t have a way to record then, bring a notebook with you and write them down.
4. Ask for help! One of the things that is hard for me to do was asking for help. But when we were all down for the count, it was great to be able to ask a neighbor to pick up a few things when we need them. In business, we tend to run our company on an island. Reach out for a hand… it will be there for you I promise.

Ok…I’m off for a nap now.

PS – Want to read more about my H1N1 adventures? Check out this week’s Be Heard! ezine for an interesting take on all the cartoons we have been watching with the girls.