Archive for the ‘PR/Marketing’ Category

Wednesday, October 21st, 2009

Zuplo Can Enhance Your Email

Zuplo is a site that allows you to customize your email with graphic images. You can choose from over 7000 email stationery designs or you can create new designs, using your own photos or graphic images. The Zuplo site steps you through the photo upload process.

Envelope
 

Incorporating the image into your email is pretty easy. You just copy the stationery (image) from the Zuplo site and paste into your email. There is also a tutorial, which I suggest watching.

Zuplo works with most email programs, but unfortunately there is only a PC version at the moment. Also, you must be using Internet Explorer or Firefox as your browser. In addition to the free version, they also offer an upgraded version for $8.95/year.

The free version of the Zuplo software gives you access to your top five saved favorites. The premium version gives you access to an unlimited number of saved favorites. Log on and look around.

I think customizing your email with your company logo or product image is a nice idea, but keep in mind that it should not be distracting or intrusive in any way. Of course, you can also use this for personal emails, and they can be as obnoxious as you want them to be.  Zuplo.com

Tuesday, October 6th, 2009

Marketing With Knowledge Genie

I came across this great site, MyKnowledgeGenie.com It is a site that allows you to “package” things you know in a way that guides the viewer through specific steps. You can use your Genie in whatever way best serves your needs. You can educate employees, market new products, reinforce employee training, catalog documents or provide customers with the information they need. You can also use Knowledge Genie to make some money from what you know.

Aladin lamp

The instructions for building your Genie are very clear. There is also a tutorial, which I highly recommend watching. As with so many service sites these days, there is a free plan, or you can upgrade to a paid plan. Start with the free plan. As you see how it works you may come up with your own ideas of how to put Knowledge Genie to work for you.

The free plan has no monthly fee and is capable of creating one Genie, but you can not incorporate the Google or PayPal options on the profile page (you can’t get paid for your one Knowledge Genie). But you can use it for any other purpose. It’s a good way to see if it’s something that has marketing or earning potential for you.

The Starter Plan is $24/month, you can create two Genies and you can add Google or PayPal account buttons to your profile page to collect payments. There are additional plans that allow for the creation of more Genies, but you get the idea.

Even if you don’t think this would be of use to you, check it out. I believe it could be a very effective marketing tool. If you do end up creating a Knowledge Genie, let me know so I can tell everyone about it. Knowledge Genie

Wednesday, September 16th, 2009

Give Your DIY PR Efforts A Boost With The Pitchy Chicks

Although I believe there is a DIY yourself option for everything, there are some things that are best handled by professionals. I think you should farm out the things you can’t stand doing and/or the things you’re really bad at. For instance, I don’t do anything “techie”. If I dedicated enough time and energy, I could figure it out, but I would be hating life. And I don’t believe in torturing myself (or those around me).

Another thing I don’t like doing is writing about myself. I can write about things I like, other people, and upcoming events until the cows come home. But I get writer’s block when it comes to writing about me and what I’m doing. This is why I’ll be contacting the Pitchy Chicks when I need a media pitch.

Chick

Their specialty is writing the perfect email pitch for you and your product, a pitch that will help you get the media attention you want. They have decades of PR experience between them and they will use that to your advantage, for a very affordable price. Here are a few things they offer:

Basic Pitch Edit ($200):
Email your pitch to them and they will send it back within a week, reworked to give your business the best chance for maximum media exposure.

In-Depth Pitch Edit (varies):
If your pitch requires a major reworking, they will let you know immediately, and work with you to come up with an affordable attack plan.

Social Media Tips ($400):
If you want guidance with your blog, tips to receive online reviews, offer giveaways, etc… Basically anything to do with online marketing.

You can waste a lot of time and money trying to get the attention your business needs, just to end up lost in a pile of other pitches. If you can afford it, spend a little up front to avoid some of the frustration. It’s a great semi-DIY option that I think you should check out. The Pitchy Chicks

Friday, September 11th, 2009

The Body Patisserie Redux

At the beginning of the summer I wrote about The Body Patisserie (previous post) The founder, Shermaine Davis, suffers from eczema, and even the scented “for sensitive skin” products irritated her skin. She started testing natural products for herself, and developed a line of pastry scented bath gels and lotions.

Bodypatisserie

Over the summer, Shermaine has been very busy with some DIY marketing and PR and I wanted to share her success with you. It is inspiring and is a great example of persistence and ingenuity paying off.

One of the things she did was search online for events that were hosting gifting suites and offering gift bags (before Wednesday’s email list existed). She then determined who the directors of the gifting events were, and sent them requests to have her product included. This trolling expedition paid off and her product is being included in the celebrity gift bags at the Palm Springs Film Festival in January 2010. This is an enormous opportunity for exposure. This goes to show that if you want something, ask. Sometimes you’ll get a yes.

She then went to the Ft. Lauderdale Gift Show, as an attendee, saving the expense of getting a booth. She brought samples and press kits and did her marketing on foot. The response was amazing, and she received orders from several boutiques. Additionally, Shermaine writes a blog related to her products and sends out a monthly newsletter. Both of these are filled with health tips and skin care information.

Because of her tremendous DIY marketing efforts, Shermaine has created a buzz about her products. She was recently invited to be a speaker at the 2010 Georgia Spring Fling (A Celebration of Soap and Candle Making) regarding the importance of product packaging.

You do not need a lot of money to get your business started. You just need a desire, a belief in yourself, and a willingness to take chances. It pays off much more often than you might guess. Shermaine’s success is proof of that. The Body Patisserie

Wednesday, September 9th, 2009

Get Your Product Into Event Gift Bags

Getting your product included in a gift bag or having a table at a gifting suite is a great way to get exposure. Besides getting your products into the hands of the recipients, there may be additional printed promotional material that includes your company info, or the event may be covered by the press.

Gift

Because the opportunity for publicity is so good, a lot of people are vying for a spot and it can be difficult to be selected. But now there is a great new service available that will deliver you a list of gift bag product requests. Peter Shankman, who started Help A Reporter Out (an email of reporter queries), has just added an additional service, emailing out gift bag product requests.

The new list is completely separate from the HARO list and will be emailed out a few times a week. It will include requests from groups producing events, auctions, charity events, and celebrity events. They will be looking for products to fill their gift bags. If you see a gift bag request that would be a good fit for your product, ask the following questions:

How many people are attending?

How much product do they need?

What kind of people will be getting the product?

Will there be media exposure?

Make sure it will be worth the time and cost for you to participate. Figure out the cost of the product and your time involved. Then determine if you’ll be getting your advertising/PR money’s worth.

Sometimes there is a fee to participate in gifting suites and gift bags, but this is a NO-FEE-ONLY list. No one from this list should ever ask for a fee to participate. If they do, forward the info to the HARO gift bag people and they’ll permanently remove them from the list.

If you sell a product, definitely sign up for this email. You have absolutely nothing to lose.

HARO Gift Bag

Tuesday, September 8th, 2009

Shine A Light – An Opportunity To Win $$$ And Marketing Support

Here is yet another opportunity for your company. The finalists and winner of the Shine A Light contest will get visibility, money, and some marketing support for their company. You can participate by nominating a company, getting someone to nominate you, or voting for a nominated story.

Light

The Shine A Light contest is sponsored by American Express, in partnership with NBC Universal. Three finalists will be selected by judges and one winner will be selected from these three based on participants’ votes. Additionally, the submitters of the three finalists receive a prize. The prizes are as follows:

The 3 finalists will each receive a $10,000 grant.

The submitters of the 3 finalists will each receive a $3,000 American Express Gift Card.

The winner will receive a $50,000 grant and $50,000 worth of marketing support.

People are encouraged to “shine a light” on inspiring businesses. To nominate a business you need to submit a story about their unique entrepreneurial spirit. Have they adopted an innovative business approach during these tough times? Do they exemplify a customer-first attitude? Do they give back to the community? How do they inspire you and other entrepreneurs? Here are the nominee requirements:

Private, independently-owned and operated business

Organized for profit and operates primarily in the U.S.

Has 100 or fewer employees, with revenues under $10 million

Accepts American Express Cards (they are sponsoring, after all)

As you know, I believe in the power of small and micro businesses. Take this opportunity to celebrate one of these companies, even if it’s yours. Shine A Light Contest

Thursday, August 20th, 2009

You Have To Get The Word Out

Get The Word Out from Beth Andrus on Vimeo.

Wednesday, August 19th, 2009

Enter the PerfectBusiness microPITCH Competition On Twitter

As a reminder, The Perfect Pitch 2009 competition is being held in conjunction with The Perfect Pitch Entrepreneur and Investor Conference. This is taking place at The Ritz-Carlton in Marina del Rey, CA on October 26, 2009. (see the previous post)

As a lead up to this event, PerfectBusiness and USA TODAY are hosting the microPITCH Competition on Twitter. This is such a cool idea and a great opportunity. You need to tweet your business idea in 140 characters or less to @perfectbusiness with the hashtag #micropitch.

Losangeles2

The winner gets airfare to Los Angeles, 2 event tickets, hotel accommodations, private coaching to turn your tweet into a business plan, and gold membership to PerfectBusiness.com – a prize package worth $2,500.

With writing, less is more, and this contest forces you to learn that. Editing and rewriting is key to arriving at a clear message, so write your short proposal and start whittling it down to the best 140 character sales pitch, ever!

Go here for all of the details. Someone’s going to win, and it could be you.  And if you don't win, at least you have the perfect 7-second pitch.

Tuesday, August 18th, 2009

Bring Extra Attention To Your Webstore

Café Handmade is a great website that acts as an online flea market for those of you that offer handmade products. It is a network that connects those who love to buy handmade goods with those who create them.

Thesisbanner  

The site is set up so that each participating seller gets a virtual booth. In this space is your shop name, your artist/shop profile, 5 product pictures (they can be changed up during your subscription period), a description of your work, links to your shop, blog and twitter, and a dedicated URL for your virtual booth for the duration of your reservation. Café Handmade offers additional marketing benefits, such as contests, and they actively promote their site.

The cost for all of this is $7 for 2 weeks, or $10 for 4 weeks. This is amazingly inexpensive for the additional exposure that you’ll get. Check them out here to see if they’re a good match for your company. Café Handmade

Friday, August 14th, 2009

I Plug My Book In Today’s Toiletpaper Entrepreneur Blog

I highly recommend adding this blog to your list - and I recommend the book (The Toiletpaper Entrepreneur)  http://tinyurl.com/q3hawb