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Answer Upon - 8 Ways to Use Local Publicity to Drive Your Business
They say TV rots your brain, but maybe sitcoms of the past serve a purpose beyond amusement after all. While most TV programs are fiction -- aside from the onslaught of reality TV, that is -- shows of the past are sometimes based on fact and can provide viewers with accurate depictions of the lives of others.Take a career in advertising, for instance. On shows like "Bewitched" and "Who's the Boss?" viewers are clued in on the lives of advertising agents at home, as well as in the office. So if you're interested in earning an advertising degree and striving for advertising careers, read on (and watch the reruns) -- you might learn something. Creativity Required in Advertising CareersWhen it comes to advertising careers, while an advertising degree is a necessity, creativity also plays a large role. As was the case with Darrin Stephens, the mortal husband advertising executive on
choose the latter, make sure that your business is somewhat
visual. Kids seeing how sheep get sheared or books get printed
makes for a good visual. A bunch of children standing in an
office looking at accounting tables doesn’t.) Craft a release
beforehand -- this one probably works best with features and
lifestyle editors. Suggest that they send a photographer down to
cover the event. Also, it wouldn’t hurt to get in touch with the
person at your local school district who handles media relations,
as they may prove very useful in drawing attention.
6) Partner with a Politician.
No matter how hungry you are for good press, I can guarantee
there’s someone even hungrier -- an elected official. If you can
team up with a local politician for a charity, educational or
public service program, chances are you won’t have to lift a
finger to get coverage. Your friendly representative, state
senator, mayor or council member will gladly work the press to
generate attention. A caveat: if you’re going to hook up wi
In an ideal world, we would never have crises. Yet in the real world we do. Managing crisis is quite a challenge, so here are some thoughts on how to make it work best for you.Crisis management is about focus, pure and simple.It's about getting into a frame of mind where you entirely focus on those things which are vital in the circumstances in which you find yourself and your business.The things that must happen - and ditching those things that don't need to do right now, until a better day.For me, customer or client focus has always been the place to start. What would those most important to your business people expect from you?They are not, quite rightly, concerned with what your problems are - they just expect to be looked after as well as ever. This is your top and if you want, only goal, on a day when everything seems to be going wrong. It's actually a great place
nice story in BusinessWeek or USA Today is something to
celebrate, there are times when you need to grab attention a bit
closer to home.
If your business draws its clientele from a specific town, city
or region, focusing your energy on getting an elusive national
publicity hit may be overkill, especially when getting publicity
where you need it -- in your home town -- is often so much
easier.
Let's look at some techniques you can use to reach potential
customers right where you live, through your local papers, radio
and TV stations.
1) Get to Know Your Business Editor.
Unless you live in a very large city, it should be fairly easy to
get in touch with the business editor at the main newspaper
covering your region. A simple call to introduce yourself and
let the editor know that you have some news to share is a good
start. Remember some of the golden rules of calling a
journalist, though: be respectful of his or her deadline (don’t
call an editor in the late afternoon as deadlines approach) and
always start with "is this a good time to talk?" before kicking
into your pitch. In smaller markets, it may even be possible to
develop a personal relationship with a business editor, by
visiting the office or taking the editor to lunch. The bottom
line is this: keeping abreast of local businesses and finding
interesting stories to tell about people in the community is the
essential part of any business editor’s job. He’ll be thrilled
to hear from you if you can provide something new and fresh in
those areas.
2) Keep the Releases Flowing.
Once you’ve built a relationship with a business editor, keep it
growing by providing a regular dose of fresh news about your
company. Won an award? Hired a new executive? Investing in some
interesting new equipment? Scored a big new contract? Let the
editor know with a well-written, hype-free release. Don’t feel
the need to pump out a release for every little thing but, if
it’s something really newsworthy, keeping the editor in the loop
will help spur coverage on a regular basis.
3) Write a Letter to the Editor or an Op-Ed Piece.
If something occurs locally (or even nationally) that relates to
your business, let your voice be heard with a letter to the
editor or a longer "op-ed" opinion piece.
As a businessperson, your opinion matters when the subject
relates to your field of expertise.
Write a Regular Column. Many smaller publications (such as weekly
newspapers) are on the lookout for ongoing, well-crafted content.
You can fill their needs - and promote your business -- by
offering a regular column. Chances are, you’ve seen features
along the lines of "Ask the Handyman" or perhaps a health column
from a local doctor. Can you create a similar feature that taps
your knowledge or expertise? If so, craft a few sample columns
and present them to the editor of a publication in your area. You
might even suggest that you don’t wish to be paid if your contact
information (your web URL, number, etc.) is included with each
column. You’ll be providing great no-cost content for the paper
and generating strong local exposure -- and credibility -- for
your business.
4) Conduct a No-Cost Seminar.
Financial planners and real estate pros have known for years that
free seminars are a great way to drum up business and get local
publicity. Try developing a one or two hour seminar in your
field of expertise and offer it to the public. Make it meaty --
it can’t simply be a promo pitch. Here's some ideas to get your
creative juices flowing:
* Remodeling company: "Remodeling projects that do the most to
increase your home’s value"
* Doctor: "The latest research on extending your life-span --
explained and simplified"
* Stockbroker: "How to retire rich"
Promote your seminar by sending releases to the local media.
Keep your release entirely non-promotional. Highlight your
seminar as a public service, not as a commercial event. (Tip:
have someone videotape your seminar and offer the tape as a free
gift for future potential customers!)
5) Connect with Kids.
Local media outlets always enjoy stories that involve schoolkids.
Offer to visit a local school and talk to the students about an
important topic connected with your business or, better yet,
invite a class to come and visit your place of business. (If you
choose the latter, make sure that your business is somewhat
visual. Kids seeing how sheep get sheared or books get printed
makes for a good visual. A bunch of children standing in an
office looking at accounting tables doesn’t.) Craft a release
beforehand -- this one probably works best with features and
lifestyle editors. Suggest that they send a photographer down to
cover the event. Also, it wouldn’t hurt to get in touch with the
person at your local school district who handles media relations,
as they may prove very useful in drawing attention.
6) Partner with a Politician.
No matter how hungry you are for good press, I can guarantee
there’s someone even hungrier -- an elected official. If you can
team up with a local politician for a charity, educational or
public service program, chances are you won’t have to lift a
finger to get coverage. Your friendly representative, state
senator, mayor or council member will gladly work the press to
generate attention. A caveat: if you’re going to hook up wit
Trends in Small Business Management SkillsNew data has shown that the majority of business owner-operators neglect their personal needs and have no plan to exit their business upon retirement. The survey indicates that only 37% of owner-operators have planned for their own exit from the business and only 38% have any form of personal development plan to ensure ongoing career development and satisfaction.64% of SME owners work more than a 40-hour week and only 45% take four weeks holiday each year. While many business owners consider they’re in business for lifestyle reasons, this is clearly not their reality.These insights have emerged from a sample of more than 300 Small to Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) in 32 industries. Respondents have gone to http://www.eyeswideopen.com.au/pages/Quiz where they have completed a 22-point questionnaire that provides them with a snapshot of thei
into your pitch. In smaller markets, it may even be possible to
develop a personal relationship with a business editor, by
visiting the office or taking the editor to lunch. The bottom
line is this: keeping abreast of local businesses and finding
interesting stories to tell about people in the community is the
essential part of any business editor’s job. He’ll be thrilled
to hear from you if you can provide something new and fresh in
those areas.
2) Keep the Releases Flowing.
Once you’ve built a relationship with a business editor, keep it
growing by providing a regular dose of fresh news about your
company. Won an award? Hired a new executive? Investing in some
interesting new equipment? Scored a big new contract? Let the
editor know with a well-written, hype-free release. Don’t feel
the need to pump out a release for every little thing but, if
it’s something really newsworthy, keeping the editor in the loop
will help spur coverage on a regular basis.
3) Write a Letter to the Editor or an Op-Ed Piece.
If something occurs locally (or even nationally) that relates to
your business, let your voice be heard with a letter to the
editor or a longer "op-ed" opinion piece.
As a businessperson, your opinion matters when the subject
relates to your field of expertise.
Write a Regular Column. Many smaller publications (such as weekly
newspapers) are on the lookout for ongoing, well-crafted content.
You can fill their needs - and promote your business -- by
offering a regular column. Chances are, you’ve seen features
along the lines of "Ask the Handyman" or perhaps a health column
from a local doctor. Can you create a similar feature that taps
your knowledge or expertise? If so, craft a few sample columns
and present them to the editor of a publication in your area. You
might even suggest that you don’t wish to be paid if your contact
information (your web URL, number, etc.) is included with each
column. You’ll be providing great no-cost content for the paper
and generating strong local exposure -- and credibility -- for
your business.
4) Conduct a No-Cost Seminar.
Financial planners and real estate pros have known for years that
free seminars are a great way to drum up business and get local
publicity. Try developing a one or two hour seminar in your
field of expertise and offer it to the public. Make it meaty --
it can’t simply be a promo pitch. Here's some ideas to get your
creative juices flowing:
* Remodeling company: "Remodeling projects that do the most to
increase your home’s value"
* Doctor: "The latest research on extending your life-span --
explained and simplified"
* Stockbroker: "How to retire rich"
Promote your seminar by sending releases to the local media.
Keep your release entirely non-promotional. Highlight your
seminar as a public service, not as a commercial event. (Tip:
have someone videotape your seminar and offer the tape as a free
gift for future potential customers!)
5) Connect with Kids.
Local media outlets always enjoy stories that involve schoolkids.
Offer to visit a local school and talk to the students about an
important topic connected with your business or, better yet,
invite a class to come and visit your place of business. (If you
choose the latter, make sure that your business is somewhat
visual. Kids seeing how sheep get sheared or books get printed
makes for a good visual. A bunch of children standing in an
office looking at accounting tables doesn’t.) Craft a release
beforehand -- this one probably works best with features and
lifestyle editors. Suggest that they send a photographer down to
cover the event. Also, it wouldn’t hurt to get in touch with the
person at your local school district who handles media relations,
as they may prove very useful in drawing attention.
6) Partner with a Politician.
No matter how hungry you are for good press, I can guarantee
there’s someone even hungrier -- an elected official. If you can
team up with a local politician for a charity, educational or
public service program, chances are you won’t have to lift a
finger to get coverage. Your friendly representative, state
senator, mayor or council member will gladly work the press to
generate attention. A caveat: if you’re going to hook up wi
In this modern world of logistics, technology and big business, crate rental has become an important and useful factor to provide easy packaging, handling, shipping and logistics of industries, businesses and sectors. Using crates supplies a no fuss, efficient, convenient and generally secure method of transportation for almost any thing. No longer are business and personal items being packed into undersized cardboard boxes, which usually fall apart after time. Now consumers and businesses can benefit from companies providing the useful method of transportation of items – crates.There are reputable crate rental companies to choose from, choose a company with plenty of experience; this will ensure you receive fast, efficient and reliable services. A professional crate rental company will ensure customer satisfaction and will generally strive to deliver comprehensive solutions to their clients. Choos
your business, let your voice be heard with a letter to the
editor or a longer "op-ed" opinion piece.
As a businessperson, your opinion matters when the subject
relates to your field of expertise.
Write a Regular Column. Many smaller publications (such as weekly
newspapers) are on the lookout for ongoing, well-crafted content.
You can fill their needs - and promote your business -- by
offering a regular column. Chances are, you’ve seen features
along the lines of "Ask the Handyman" or perhaps a health column
from a local doctor. Can you create a similar feature that taps
your knowledge or expertise? If so, craft a few sample columns
and present them to the editor of a publication in your area. You
might even suggest that you don’t wish to be paid if your contact
information (your web URL, number, etc.) is included with each
column. You’ll be providing great no-cost content for the paper
and generating strong local exposure -- and credibility -- for
your business.
4) Conduct a No-Cost Seminar.
Financial planners and real estate pros have known for years that
free seminars are a great way to drum up business and get local
publicity. Try developing a one or two hour seminar in your
field of expertise and offer it to the public. Make it meaty --
it can’t simply be a promo pitch. Here's some ideas to get your
creative juices flowing:
* Remodeling company: "Remodeling projects that do the most to
increase your home’s value"
* Doctor: "The latest research on extending your life-span --
explained and simplified"
* Stockbroker: "How to retire rich"
Promote your seminar by sending releases to the local media.
Keep your release entirely non-promotional. Highlight your
seminar as a public service, not as a commercial event. (Tip:
have someone videotape your seminar and offer the tape as a free
gift for future potential customers!)
5) Connect with Kids.
Local media outlets always enjoy stories that involve schoolkids.
Offer to visit a local school and talk to the students about an
important topic connected with your business or, better yet,
invite a class to come and visit your place of business. (If you
choose the latter, make sure that your business is somewhat
visual. Kids seeing how sheep get sheared or books get printed
makes for a good visual. A bunch of children standing in an
office looking at accounting tables doesn’t.) Craft a release
beforehand -- this one probably works best with features and
lifestyle editors. Suggest that they send a photographer down to
cover the event. Also, it wouldn’t hurt to get in touch with the
person at your local school district who handles media relations,
as they may prove very useful in drawing attention.
6) Partner with a Politician.
No matter how hungry you are for good press, I can guarantee
there’s someone even hungrier -- an elected official. If you can
team up with a local politician for a charity, educational or
public service program, chances are you won’t have to lift a
finger to get coverage. Your friendly representative, state
senator, mayor or council member will gladly work the press to
generate attention. A caveat: if you’re going to hook up wi
Though various reasons are attributed for starting a business the main reason without any doubt is to make money. People who start a business know very well that they can never become rich by working for someone else all life long.To start a business and run it successfully, a range of essential entrepreneurial skills are necessary. If success is what you are after, then it stands to reason that you possess most of the essential skills or acquire them before you commence your business especially if you want to run the business yourself.The other alternative will be to take in a partner or employee who possesses a particular skill or the skills that you are deficient in.What then are the essential entrepreneurial skills the business entrepreneur should possess?1. Planning Skill.Proper planning is the fundamental first step you should undertake when you consider starting a
free seminars are a great way to drum up business and get local
publicity. Try developing a one or two hour seminar in your
field of expertise and offer it to the public. Make it meaty --
it can’t simply be a promo pitch. Here's some ideas to get your
creative juices flowing:
* Remodeling company: "Remodeling projects that do the most to
increase your home’s value"
* Doctor: "The latest research on extending your life-span --
explained and simplified"
* Stockbroker: "How to retire rich"
Promote your seminar by sending releases to the local media.
Keep your release entirely non-promotional. Highlight your
seminar as a public service, not as a commercial event. (Tip:
have someone videotape your seminar and offer the tape as a free
gift for future potential customers!)
5) Connect with Kids.
Local media outlets always enjoy stories that involve schoolkids.
Offer to visit a local school and talk to the students about an
important topic connected with your business or, better yet,
invite a class to come and visit your place of business. (If you
choose the latter, make sure that your business is somewhat
visual. Kids seeing how sheep get sheared or books get printed
makes for a good visual. A bunch of children standing in an
office looking at accounting tables doesn’t.) Craft a release
beforehand -- this one probably works best with features and
lifestyle editors. Suggest that they send a photographer down to
cover the event. Also, it wouldn’t hurt to get in touch with the
person at your local school district who handles media relations,
as they may prove very useful in drawing attention.
6) Partner with a Politician.
No matter how hungry you are for good press, I can guarantee
there’s someone even hungrier -- an elected official. If you can
team up with a local politician for a charity, educational or
public service program, chances are you won’t have to lift a
finger to get coverage. Your friendly representative, state
senator, mayor or council member will gladly work the press to
generate attention. A caveat: if you’re going to hook up wi
The idea that there are millions of dollars in grant funds – free money -- waiting for the small business owner to tap into them is true and at the same time, not true.In most cases, grant funds are not designed to start a new business. There are some specialized businesses that may qualify for start-up money, but 99.9% of the businesses in the Yellow Pages would be ineligible to receive start-up funding.Yet there are millions of dollars available to help fund existing small businesses and employment programs, particularly in the non-profit arena. The trick is to be able to research grants and find those that are most aligned with your company’s mission and/or project.Grants fall into two categories: government and corporate. They all come with strings attached and very specific requirements for those who will be awarded the funds. Funders look for businesses and organizations th
choose the latter, make sure that your business is somewhat
visual. Kids seeing how sheep get sheared or books get printed
makes for a good visual. A bunch of children standing in an
office looking at accounting tables doesn’t.) Craft a release
beforehand -- this one probably works best with features and
lifestyle editors. Suggest that they send a photographer down to
cover the event. Also, it wouldn’t hurt to get in touch with the
person at your local school district who handles media relations,
as they may prove very useful in drawing attention.
6) Partner with a Politician.
No matter how hungry you are for good press, I can guarantee
there’s someone even hungrier -- an elected official. If you can
team up with a local politician for a charity, educational or
public service program, chances are you won’t have to lift a
finger to get coverage. Your friendly representative, state
senator, mayor or council member will gladly work the press to
generate attention. A caveat: if you’re going to hook up with a
politician, it’s probably best to do it with someone who’s not
considered a highly ideological or divisive figure, and try to
keep the topic as noncontroversial as possible. Let common sense
be your guide.
7) Get on the Air.
Radio stations are an underappreciated avenue for publicity.
Spend a few days listening to all the stations that serve your
area and seek opportunities to get on the air. Look for general
interest talk shows, locally-produced news programs and community
affairs programs. When you find something that seems
appropriate, contact the station and ask for the name of the
producer for that particular show or segment. Then, give that
person a call. Tell the producer what you have to offer and why
you’d make a great guest. And here’s a bonus radio tip: offer
your products or services as on-air contest prizes for commercial
stations, or as pledge-drive premiums for public radio stations.
8) Make your Website a Local Resource.
Chances are, you’ve already got a website. Why not devote part
of it to your community? Set up a local message board to
discuss topics relating to your field. Have a local "Ask the
Expert" section where community members can get advice. Provide
local news, sports or weather. Donate part of your site to a
local organization (e.g. offer to post youth soccer scores and
news), donate part of a given day’s web-based sales to local
charity. The possibilities are endless, so be creative and, oh
yeah, be sure to tell the local media about what you’re doing!
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