Rembrandt’s Blog

John Jantsch, author of “Duct Tape Marketing” and well-known marketing speaker, took a few minutes to share his thoughts on small business PR with me.

Here are his comments:

In your book, “Duct Tape Marketing,” you mention that PR is a “primary plank of your overall lead generation foundation.” Why do you think PR is so important to small business owners?

The fact is that some prospects find an article about your firm in a magazine much more compelling than an ad in the same publication. The third-party endorsement is big. In addition, it really helps resell your existing customers.

How do marketing efforts work with publicity campaigns to build business sales?

A good publicity strategy takes two tactics. Find and develop stories that support the firm’s core marketing messages and support specific initiatives like a sales promotion that partners with a non-profit organization.

How can small business owners develop good stories for the media to help increase positive awareness and credibility?

Understand that journalists don’t care about your business. They care about what their readers care about. Pitch stories that can help their readers get more of what they want. Usually, short of true, earth-shattering news, stories exist not in what you do, but how you do it. Your college reimbursement policy might be an interesting story. Your new product launch may not.

How can new entrepreneurs become good story-sources for reporters?

Read, contribute and be a resource. You probably get more specific information about your industry than a reporter cares to read. Send good content, comment on stories and point out data. Think in terms of giving before you ever try to pitch the big story. Use RSS tools to get a quick view of everything that your targeted journalists are writing about.

What RSS and PR tools do you recommend small business owners use in their publicity efforts?

Google News using the RSS subscribe, Bloglines to subscribe to and read RSS feeds, MySyndicaat to mash together lots of feeds into one custom feed, and FeedBurnerto enhance and easily republish feeds on your web site.

What tips can you provide small business owners who are new to talking to reporters?

Think of them as a target market. They must come to know, like and trust you before you will make much headway. They are often underpaid and overworked. How can you make their job easier? Prove you are a resource – not a pain in the butt.

What marketing tools do you think work best with PR efforts to increase sales cost-effectively?

Make sure you are using all the online PR tools in conjunction with your more traditional outreach. Links back from PR distribution sites can add valuable Google juice.

What action steps can people take now to start their public relations efforts?

Build a media list that makes sense. Don’t forget to include outreach to organizations, associations and school alumni newsletters. These publications are desperate for content and starting small is often the best way to get some PR momentum

What other tips and inspiration can you offer small business owners regarding their marketing and PR activities?

Write a one-page press release at least once a month and send it to your media list AND your customer and key prospects. You’ll be surprised what these extra touches will do for you.

You can read more about John and his book at Duct Tape Marketing. And if you need publicity help, have questions or would like to provide feedback, please contact me at info@rembrandtwrites.com. I’d love to hear from you! Thanks!

(original interview posted at my Nielsen Small Business Resource Center Blog)

Memorial Day is finally here, and it’s time to relax. As a small business owner like me, you probably work many hours and are always thinking of innovative ways to serve your customers and increase sales.

Do yourself a favor, and try not to think about work this weekend.

We all need a moment away from our hectic lives. Plus, many studies have shown that you will think more clearly and contribute more to your business by taking a break on a regular basis.

I know. For many of you, your business is your life. You enjoy it and spend most of your time thinking about it. 

If this sounds like you, here are a few simple steps to walk away from your business this long weekend:

• Turn off your computer and don’t get near it or your office!
• Plan some fun activities with family and friends.
• Try a new hobby that you just haven’t had time to start.
• Enjoy nature. And if the weather doesn’t cooperate, visit a museum or cultural event. You’ll get a breath of fresh air in more ways than one. 
• Visit a bookstore and find something interesting to read that is outside of the business, finance or management section.
• Just veg in front of the television. When was the last time you did absolutely nothing?

Personally, I will be in the ocean scuba diving. No phones, e-mail or negativity. Just my dive buddy and the sounds of shrimp talking!

Hopefully, you will enjoy your weekend and not think about work until Tuesday morning. Then, you will be refreshed and ready to go with a new zeal for life and a passion for making your dreams a reality!

Melanie

Recently, I spoke with Andy Sernovitz, marketing expert and author of “Word of Mouth Marketing – How Smart Companies Get People Talking.” He provided some great insights for small business owners:

Briefly, what is word-of-mouth marketing and why is it important to small business owners?

Word of mouth marketing is: 1) giving people a reason to talk about your stuff, and 2) making it easier for the conversation to take place. It’s about doing remarkable things and earning that great recommendation.

How does public relations fit into word-of-mouth marketing?

Great PR people are great word-of-mouth marketers. It’s a very similar process:

1) Find the right people to talk about you;
2) Build a relationship based on trust;
3) Give them something genuinely great to talk about. 

If you get 1, 2, and 3 right, other people tell your story for you. For PR, it’s reporters and a great pitch. For word-of-mouth, it’s consumers and a great experience.

In your opinion, how can new business owners use publicity to increase sales without spending a lot of money?

Be unique. Being good isn’t good enough — We assume all businesses should be good. You need to do better … to have a story worth telling. If you’ve backed that into your brand, conversations will start, and the press and public will talk about you.

In your book, you mention that “online tools spark conversations that may begin on the Internet but don’t necessarily end there.” What are the top three ways you think entrepreneurs can use the Internet to effectively spread the word about their new products and services?

The two essential tools are a great blog and a great e-mail newsletter. These are the tools you need to tell your story, and they are the platforms that your fans use to repeat your story. A great blog is fun, fascinating, and a good read. A great newsletter is one “Aha!” idea each week. Get those right, and people will pass them on forever. (Blogs and e-mail are unique in the marketing arsenal — They are the only forms of marketing that consumers voluntarily read.)

What are some other tips you can offer small business owners who want to increase sales and awareness via word-of-mouth?

Today I was featured in the ‘How to Make Money Doing What You Love Carnival – Issue 4‘, hosted by Paul Piotrowski over at InspiredMoneyMaker.com.