Rembrandt’s Blog

If you are currently worried about finances, you may want to review your public-relations efforts and look into getting outside help.

Think it’s too expensive? Well, you could be wasting time and money by continuing your current, publicity activities!

By hiring a PR consultant who acts as an extension of your team and actually cares about your overall success, you can save money and experience many benefits. After all, would you like to:

1. Stop wasting time on PR and writing efforts and focus on core business strategies to bring in new customers, partners and sponsors;

2. Obtain media placements and third-party credibility that are impossible to purchase via advertising;

3. Experience a snowball effect once your story hits a major press venue. This builds more awareness and media attention that costs nothing;

4. Receive individual attention, know what is going on with publicity efforts at all times and be able to work quickly and cost-effectively; and

5. Use all of your new media-clippings in your marketing efforts to build sales?

These are just a few examples of how the right publicist can help you save time, money and effort…so if you haven’t already done so, you may want to start researching potential candidates and move your PR activities up on your business priority checklist.

Got questions about your Website copy, SEO copywriting and marketing strategies? Write to me here or at www.rembrandtwrites.com. I can help!

Do you think of social media first when it comes to word-of-mouth-marketing?

Well, before you start tweeting, posting photos on Facebook and adding videos to YouTube, tell your story to the media.

After all, if your business is featured in a major news-story on radio, television, print, or online, you can build buzz while obtaining third-party credibility you simply can’t purchase.

With this in mind, here are a few activities to consider prior to posting your news via social media:

• Research specific media members.

Who will be interested in your story and reach your target market?

• Figure out a unique story angle for each press member.

Do you have a client “before-and-after” story to share?

How do your products and services relate to a current trend, holiday or industry event?

Think of a specific story idea for each media member on your list.

•  Pick up the phone.

Contact the media members on your list and pitch your story. You have nothing to lose and some free publicity to gain!

•  Write a press release.

Take your story idea and create a press release. Optimize it for the search engines with the appropriate keywords, or hire a freelance, SEO expert to do this for you.

Post your release on free, press-release sites, http://www.rembrandtwrites.com/FreePressReleasePostingSites.htm, and industry sites or use a press-release distribution service like PRWeb, www.prweb.com, or PR Newswire, www.prnewswire.com.

Also, post the release on your site, and give it a specific website address. And if you haven’t set up Google Analytics to monitor your site activity, you’ll want to do this right away at http://www.google.com/analytics/.

• Use social media.

Once you’ve pitched your story to the press and posted it online, then tell the world about your news using social media. You can provide a link to the specific website address you created for your press release and monitor the results.

Social media is a great way to build word-of-mouth, but don’t forget about public relations in the process. After all, with a simple call or press release, you may garner a feature story that catapults your business to the top of the news fast!

Do you need help with your SEO copywriting, public relations and social media activities? Please let me know here or at www.rembrandtwrites.com. I’m here to help!

Did you make a New Year’s resolution this year? How’s it going? Well, if you’re having a tough time keeping your resolution, how about creating goals instead?

I know. I know. You’ve heard it all before.

Well, I once felt the same way. But actually writing down your goals can have a significant impact on your happiness and wealth. As soon as I started writing down my goals, things happened. I finished a book, met great people, brought in more clients… the list goes on.

After all, if you don’t know where you are going, how are you going to get there?

With this in mind, here’s a quick list to help you take action:

1. Write down three big things you want to accomplish this year.

Keep it simple. Do you want to make six figures? Do you want to spend more time with your family and friends? Do you want to pursue a new hobby?

Write down what you want to happen in 2010 now.

2. What do you need to accomplish these three things?

Once you know the top three things you want to accomplish next year, think about what it’s going to take to achieve them. Maybe you’ll need 10 new clients to increase your income? Maybe you’ll need to get some training and learn new skills? Maybe you’ll need to say “no” to more projects so you have more free time?

Go through each of your goals and write down what you think it’s going to take to achieve them.

3. Get organized.

At this point, you have a good idea of the activities necessary to reach your goals. Now, break down each activity into smaller steps so you can accomplish at least one step each day.

Next, get a big calendar and write down each of these daily activities. Suddenly, your goal looks doable. Ta Da! You have an action plan! And think how great it will feel when you check off each task at the end of the day.

By following this simple process, you’ll end up reaching your goal by the end of 2010. If not, at least you’ve started on the path to success and will be that much closer to making your dreams a reality!

Do you need help reaching your business goals with SEO copywriting and publicity? Please let me know here or at www.rembrandtwrites.com. I’m here to help!