Archive for September, 2008

Hi

I thought you might enjoy my latest article on?marketing.? With today’s economy we need to do everything we can to generate business.? Hope this helps!?

Marketing Success Begins with a New Business Image

Many of you are already established in business with your website in place, your business cards tucked away securely awaiting the next networking opportunity, and your promotional materials printed and filed away. You are set — Or are you??

Think back, when was the last time you revisited this area?? When was the last time you recreated your promotional materials and added a new image?? Have you actually read your website lately from the prospective of a potential client? If so, did it portray you in the best light and did it convince you to utilize your services?? Did it have all your latest PR successes and latest services?? If not, it’s time to jumpstart your marketing.? The results, more clients and a new and improved you.

Here are just a few ideas:

Your Web Site

When doing your website or reviewing your website, take your time. This isn’t a race to the finish.? Take it a page at a time and give it your all.? Ask yourself:

Would it hold their interest?? You need to make sure they aren’t bored with long paragraphs or unnecessary long wordy descriptions.? They want to find what they came for quickly.?

Is it personalized?? When people come to your site, do they get to know you and your business or do they hear the same ole’ same ole’ that’s on all the websites in your Industry.? It’s important to have you in there.

Get to the point.? Go back and cut out unnecessary words, paragraphs, graphics, anything that just isn’t essential to the bottom line of providing the benefits of what you provide.?

Is it understandable?? Sounds simple, right?? Go back over your site and make sure that you’ve clearly spelled out what you do.? You know you’re the best, but have you adequately described this to your potential clients?

Can you add a few new graphics or colors or something to jazz it up?? A change of your website’s theme colors can make a big difference in adding to a fresh new look.?

Press Releases & Articles

How often do you write a press release and submit it out?? Or better yet, when was the last time you did send one out?? Ouch-that long.? If you want to fine tune and bump up your marketing, then you absolutely need to write a good press release and get it out there. The main point in that sentence is — write a good one.? How do you do that?? Easy, make it something that informs and inspires.? Make it newsworthy.? Tie it into what is happening in today’s times and then connect your business to how you can make a difference.? Did you remember the “call to action” paragraph, where you are telling them what you want them to do? And finally, just having a release isn’t enough. You need to actively submit it out and post it on your website, blogs, social networking sites, etc.? Email us at diana@virtualwordpublishing.com for our free PR informational package for tips and places you can submit your press release for free.?
Social Networking

You need to do this.? Actually you will want to do this.? Once you get started you’ll love it too.? So go ahead and do it.? Most businesses will tell you that doing this makes a considerable difference in their business.? Don’t have time to, hire a virtual assistant to do it for you.

Now, find the sites that interest you and get active and involved.? Remember to succeed you need to be committed.? You can’t just show up once every few months and expect it to work.?

Your Promotional Materials

Just think how impressed your clients or even more important, those potential new clients, will be when they receive a letter on your new letterhead, with your new business card, a matching brochure, and maybe even a matching magnet with your business information on it.? It’s time to jazz it up a bit and recreate a new image.? You have so many more years experience in your business, let it show with your new promotions.

How about changing your slogan?? When you think about it, it goes out with every e-mail, it’s on your website, all your marketing, etc.? My slogan has always been “Virtual Assisting At Its Best.”? I recently changed it to, “Our Commitment to Excellence is Our Finest Achievement.”? My clients noticed the difference right away.

Your clients have probably seen your slogan over and over and over—Give Them Something New.

?You’ll see how great you’ll feel with your new marketing image. Make it a goal to do this often.? You and your pocketbook will be glad you did.

?***************************************
Diana Ennen specializes in publicity and marketing and helping businesses get the most out of their publicity efforts.? She’s the President of Virtual Word Publishing, http://www.virtualwordpublishing.com and author of numerous books including Virtual Assistant the Series:? Become a Highly Successful, Sought After VA.? Stop by for free information on starting a virtual assistant business and our free PR Informational package.? Article is free to be reprinted as long as bio remains intact.

Hits:

http://www.mommieswithstyle.com/mtblog/

http://www.shapesofsuccess.com/L_HaywoodSuccess.html

http://www.hautehomestyle.com/home.php

http://www.womensonlinemagazine.com/article.cfm?articleID=2092

Good morning everyone! Just as a reminder, I put the “hits” up every week not so much for shameless self promotion (although I’m not above that) but to tell you who takes time out of their schedule to support me. Please visit the sites of these wonderful people and leave comments if you like something they have to say, or if their site interests you, sign up for their newsletter, or put them in your favorites or whatever you wish to do, but please make note of these wonderful people who believe in me as you do.

Since we last spoke I have been feverishly revving up the PR machine for the October 1st launch of The Pink Collection. I have sent out more Press Releases then I can count, I have called upon my blogger friends out there in cyber space to make mention of the launch, I have contacted many of the “morning shows” across the county, all in hopes of really blowing this out of the water. This collection means a lot to me… as you know “This time it’s personal”. I did get an email back from a morning show in Madison WI this morning wanting me to do a segment. Not sure how that will work… I’ll keep you posted. I’m also sitting here waiting by the phone for The Today Show to call hee hee…. Wouldn’t THAT be something!! I’ve submitted my stuff to Ellen

http://ellen.warnerbros.com/show/

so I’m waiting for that call also…. (I hope you guys know I’m kidding right????) Yes, of course, I did submit my story to all these places, but those kind of media hits are 1 in a million. I always just keep trying though. I do think that all the work I have put in to make the launch a success will pay off. We’ll see what happens next week. Talk to you then!

Leslie Haywood, Founder and President of Charmed Life Products, Inventor of Grill Charmsâ„¢ www.grillcharms.com

Thankfully Hanna was nothing, but Ike on the other hand, walloped
Texas and my heart and thoughts go out to you guys over there.? As many of you know, I won a contest to have Orca Communications do a PR campaign for me for 3 months and the results are in.? ?

The girls over at Orca were incredible to work with and they really did work their butts off!? I have no reservations about recommending Orca.? That being said, (I know, I’ve said it before and I can not stress it enough)? PR is no magic bullet or golden ticket. You need to decide what your goals are and what you expect a PR company to do for you. ?Do not go into it thinking a few good hits and you’ll be a millionaire.? It just isn’t like that.? If your goal is to get in the media, get your product out there, get some product recognition and build your brand, then it is WELL worth the money!!!? If you want to make millions right NOW, you better get on that phone and start making some sales calls!? Here are the final results of the campaign:

Coolest Gadgets.com (online media) Featured GrillCharms on 7/8. Link: http://www.coolest-gadgets.com/20080708/grill-charms-to-the-fore/

CNET(online media) Reviewed GrillCharms on 8/7. Link: http://blogs.cnet.com/8301-13553_1-10010265-32.html

Thisnext.com (online media) Featured GrillCharms on? 8/7. Link: http://www.thisnext.com/item/F07102FA/FE2A1B69/Grill-Charms-Determine-Whose?

JoshSpear.com (online media) Featured GrillCharms on 8/8. Link: http://www.joshspear.com/item/grill-charms/

The Green Head (online media) Featured Grill Charms on 8/27. Link: http://www.thegreenhead.com/2008/08/grill-charms-collections.php?

Taste Magazine
Cincinnati (23,000) Featured Grillcharms n New Food Finds on 7/10. Link: http://tastecincinnati-food.blogspot.com/2008/07/new-food-finds.html

Fancy Food & Culinary Products Magazine (48,663) Featured Grillcharms Release date: August, 2008?The
Cincinnati Enquirer (792,275) Featured GrillCharms in their Life Section 7/24. Link: http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/

The Anniston Star Food Blog featured Grill Charms on Tuesday, 6/24 Link: http://annistonstarbite.blogspot.com/2008/06/adding-some-charm-to-grill.html

LA Splash Magazine (online media) Grill Charms™ in their Father’s Day Gift Guide. Link: http://www.lasplash.com/publish/cat_index_Food_and_Wine/Father_s_Day_Food_and_Beverage_Gift_Guide_-_2008.php

Inventor’s Spot Website (online media) Featured Grill Charms on 5/27. Link: http://inventorspot.com/articles/the_whos_whose_of_grilling_with_grill_charms_13920?

KPNX-TV (NBC,
Phoenix, AZ, Market #13) Featured GrillCharms product roundup in Summer Beach Segment on 5/23.Then there is a section of the report called Scheduled:? (Now I don’t believe anything it happens, but this is what is “scheduled”)

The Canton Repository (258,217) Will feature GrillCharms in September Date: TBD.

Southern Living Magazine (2,802,858 ) Will feature The GrillCharms next spring. Release date: TBD*Please note, this magazine usually schedules a year in advance and they definitely want to include The Grill Charms in the Spring.????

Then there is a section called:

NEW INTEREST

KPNX-TV (Phoenix/Market #13 )Requested images and information on GrillCharms for possible September Tailgating Segment.

Then there is a section called

Previous interest:

Real Simple Magazine (1,986,605) Requested samples of GrillCharms, UPDATE: Samples have been received, they will contact me if interested.
Hawaii in Style TV/Hawaii Bride and Groom (regional) Requested samples of Grillcharms

Southern Living Magazine (different editor) (2,802,858) Requested more information GrillCharms UPDATE: Wants to feature GrillCharms in the spring.

North County Times (88,677) Requested samples, images and pricing info on Grillcharms for their bi-weekly food column.

The Macomb Daily (42,045) Requested images of GrillCharms. UPDATE: Feature ran

KAZT-TV’s A.M. Arizona (Phoenix, Market #13) Will be doing a segment on Backyard Barbequing which will feature a round-up on Grillcharms (Date TBD) UPDATE: The Segment is still a go but has been bumped to September, exact date still TBD

The Senior Food Editor at Delicious Living Magazine (408,266) Requested images of Grillcharms. UPDATE: Still considering, will be in touch

Food Network (New York, Market #1) Editor requested samples Grill Charmsâ„¢ for possible inclusion in their holiday gift guide. Follow up continues.?

I am very pleased with the results and they truly were fantastic to work with.? Another little recognized cost of a PR campaign that you must consider is the cost of samples.? About 90% of the people that are considering doing a story on your product, want a sample.? That can add up, so you need to factor that into your cost of the campaign.?

On other news, since I last wrote I received a PO for my biggest order yet.? It’s from a great catalog and the only reason I’m actually mentioning it, is because I really really have the
PO in hand!!? YAHOOO!!!!?? Have a great week, and I’ll chat with ya soon!?

Leslie Haywood, Founder and President of Charmed Life Products, Inventor of Grill Charmsâ„¢? www.grillcharms.com

Hits for the week: ?

http://chickylounge.blogspot.com/2008/08/unique-gifts-for-budget-conscious-diva.html?

http://www.iliketotallyloveit.com/gadgets/grill-charms-1/?

http://richshome.typepad.com/blog/2008/09/grilling-and-food-restrictions.html?

?

This week I was going to blog about Orca.? My 3 month campaign is now over and the final results are in… BUT instead, today I’m finding myself preparing for Tropical Storm Hanna, so it might be a good time to go over some things we should do as business owners during a potential natural disaster.? I’ll get to Orca next week!? On a side note, I have met a gal who also does marketing and PR.? She did a press release for me for the October launch of the Pink Collection and it is FABULOUS!? Check her out.?

Julie Bonn Heath
Marketing & Public Relations
http://www.juliebonnheath.com?

Okay, onto the topic at hand… having a plan in place in case of emergencies.? The best time to think about natural disasters is WAY before there is any threat of a natural disaster.? Do you have enough insurance for your home and business?? Is it the right kind of insurance for your home and business?? (Most policies do not cover water damage from flood, that is a separate policy)? Do you have the money to live should your business be interrupted for an extended period of time?? If not, you might want to look into “Loss of Revenue” insurance.? Do you have alternate sources of communication and power?? What is your emergency plan for having the phone answered and customers taken care of?? The world of business doesn’t stop just because you and your company are the path of a storm, fire or earthquake.? That being said, make sure you keep your vendors, customers and suppliers informed.? Do you have enough cash on hand to operate for a few days?? Make sure everything you have on your computer is backed up remotely or at least on a drive you can take with you.? Have important papers in safe place.? ?

For more information, FEMA has a how-to business series which includes information on protecting businessrecords and inventory, installing a generator for emergency power, anchoring largeEquipment properly, dry flood proofing your building, flood-resistant materials, and much much more.These publications are available at http://www.fema.gov/library/viewRecord.do?id=1705 or by calling1-800-480-2520.You might also consider getting your hands on a copy of FEMA’s Emergency Management Guide forBusiness and Industry, 8-0628, FEMA 141. Available by calling 1-800-480-2520.?

Well, that’s about all for today!? Its 10:07 AM, I’m going to run my backups, get my paperwork in order and start moving the patio furniture!?

Leslie Haywood, Founder and President of Charmed Life Products, Inventor of Grill Charmsâ„¢? www.grillcharms.com