This started out as a single post, but I ended up with way more material than I originally intended. I’m also home sick today with a stomach thing. So I had time to kill in between trying … and failing miserably … to keep anything in said stomach. As a result, I’m going to chop it up into another one of our nifty BoDo series.

Publicity is simply using tools and resources to help get your business’ moniker in print, or on the airwaves, and getting the word out there about you and your business. It’s about building buzz. It’s also about tapping into techniques that help to position you as an expert in your field.

Media coverage, for my buck and a quarter, is significantly better than advertising for a couple of reasons. First, it’s simply more believable. Let’s say you see a half page color ad for a local dental practice. Then, you read a warm, fuzzy story about a local dentist who donated his time and resources to fill the cavities for a bunch of underprivilaged kids. What would you find more believable, memorable and possibly persude you to take some action – the ad or the heart warming story of the kind dentist? If you’re like me, the next time your back molar has you seeing stars, you’re calling Dr. Altruistic.

Second, public relations, when managed right, can also be a whole lot less costly than advertising.

Ironcially, the truth be told, much of what you read in newspapers and magazines, hear on the radio or watch on television is there with the help of a public relations firm or publicist. You may not have a pricey p.r. firm tooting your horn to editors, but with a little effort you can do it yourself and have a lot of fun along the way.

First things first, though. It’s critical to adopt a p.r. mindset. If you’re like most people, you likely feel that talking about the glories of you is a wee bit impolite, if not down right egotistical. Get over it. Your publicity helps potential clients find you so you can help them. Plus, it helps to add a lot of credibility to your services and abilities.

Getting your name in print, both online and off can be a huge shot in the arm for the growth of your business. But, it’s usually not going to happen on it’s own and it’s not going to happen overnight. It requires careful planning and consistent implementation. It requires you to create your story – your unique message and spin.

Next up, we’ll talk a bit about various places where you can get yourself some 15 minutes of fame … and hopefully much more.

Until the next
Marketing Minute
all the best,
nt

In my last post, I wrote about targeting and market segmentation. Once you have those nailed, it’s time to start getting chummy with your audience. But, you’ll need to lay the groundwork first.

Here’s the hardcore reality. The better known you are, the more work will come your way … even if the guy or gal down the block is a better designer than you, but not as well-known. Scary? Sure, but unfortunately true.

I was recently reading a report by the folks over at RainToday.com (Great site, by the way). In it, they cite, “65% of well known companies report being good or excellent at lead generation whereas only 44% of the not well known companies report being good or excellent. If you are well known, whatever lead generation tactics you employ are likely to work better.”

What all this means is that it’s important to build your name recognition. This is especially important because, quite frankly, most designers’ name recognition isn’t all that hot. Ideally, every time a prospect turns around, they should see or hear your name. And this, my friends, is what we call “building buzz.”

So, how does one go about building buzz? Well, you can peruse Marketing Minute, here on BoDo to get some ideas. P.R. tactics, like news releases and writing articles, are good. But, other tactics include posting on high traffic blogs and sites with blog-style articles. Inc.com comes to mind. Other tactics might include giving a seminar or workshop, speaking at various business club meetings, [winning] awards, hooking up with high profile movers and shakers in your target audience, etc. You get the idea.

As you work your marketing and public relations, things tend to take on a synergistic effect. An article gets you a call for an interview. The interview spawns a news release. The news release gets you a new client. That project becomes a case study in the form of an article. Then, the cycle starts all over again.

Pick and choose your activities carefully. Be consistent. Effective and successful marketing takes time. It doesn’t happen overnight. Give an activity enough time to produce some results.

After a while, your name starts to show up all over the place. For example, lets say you send out a postcard campaign. Mr. Prospect receives it. He files it for future reference. A while later, he’s reading the newspaper and sees one of your releases. Down the road a bit, he finds one of your articles in his industry’s major trade journal. Perhaps he also sees an ad for a workshop your presenting. He goes to his Rotary Club lunch and guess what? You’re the speaker. When it comes time for Mr. Prospect to need what you’re selling who do you think will come to mind?

And there you have it. Plan your work and work your plan. If you hang in there, you might just find yourself a little famous. Well, a little famous in your target niche, and that ain’t too bad.

Until the next
Marketing Minute
all the best,
nt