Are You “NEWS Worthy”? 4 Tips For Successful Press Releases

Like it or not, editors and reporters are asking that question every time they read your press release. So, here are 4 steps to making your next release NEWSworthy:

1. Get Active In Your Community

By becoming visible in your community you can generate positive press for the organization you volunteer for, and for your business.

2. Become A Speaker

Lots of organizations in your area are looking for interesting speakers.  If you gave it some thought, there are lots of things people would come to hear you speak about – trends in your business, what you’ve done to stay competitive, what’s happening in your industry, and on and on. Just don’t make it a sales pitch.

3. Write a story or letter to the editor

By providing your thoughts on a subject related to your business you reinforce that you are a credible expert while generating positive awareness of your business.

4. So, what’s new?

Have you received an award, hired a new employee, promoted an employee, or are offering new products or services?  These are all valid reasons to send out press releases that project a positive image of your business.

Remember, whenever you need any help with your business marketing, public relations or social media, Tenbrook Associates is ready to help you.  For more information on our firm visit www.tenbrook.us or call 305-597-0055.

The Highly Competitive World Is Getting Even More Competitive

The economic meltdown has resulted in a contraction of the number of business serving your customers. You might think that’s a good thing. Less competition. But you would be wrong.

While there may be fewer competitors crowding your field, the ones that fell by the wayside were your weakest competition. It’s survival of fittest. Your remaining competitors are stronger, faster and more adaptable to the changing environment. And they will take advantage of every competitive advantage they can to survive. Will you?

We entered the marketing business before companies had desktop computers. If we wanted an advertisement, the graphic artist would have to design the piece, order type from a typography house, create a paste up, stop by our office to show us, and hope we didn’t make too many changes, each of which would require another design, another trip to the typography house, and another paste up. Computers eliminated all that, but not all graphic artists were willing to embrace the computer. Those who did, continued to prosper. Those who didn’t were forced out of the business.

It does each of us well to consider ways in which we may not be embracing the changes that are sweeping the business world at this very moment. Are there resources for success that we consider too confusing, or annoying, or better left to another generation?  If so, we need to get with the game, or we will soon be out of the game.

Of course, this is where we pitch Tenbrook Associates.  But whether you use us or do it on your own, don’t be left behind by the new paradigm that is transforming marketing, public relations and social media. It’s very effective, low-cost and actually fun.

Four Surefire Ways To Waste Your Marketing Dollars

Since our bread and butter is marketing & public relations we can’t help but critique everything we see. As a result, we’ve noticed we keep seeing the same mistakes being made over and over again by companies big and small.

Today everyone is maximizing their dollars. That means all of your marketing must ultimately lead to a sale.  Basically, measurable ROI!

Avoid these four pitfalls and you will see greater results.

First Mistake – No Compelling Reason to Buy from You

Let’s face it, we’d all love to have everyone instantly recognize our logo and know what we do. Nike spent millions of dollars to accomplish that feat.  Most businesses don’t have unlimited budgets for brand recognition. So it’s critical that every one of your marketing materials present solid reasons why we should by from you!

Second Mistake – Being So Bland That No One Cares

You are so worried about not offending anyone with your marketing that it comes across as the newest cure for insomnia. Avoid “jargon” and “corporate speak”. Talk with passion about your business and you will be pleasantly surprised at the results!

Third Mistake –  Offering A “Free Consultation” Will Not Make Your Phone Ring

We are all a bit self-centered so cut to the chase and let us know WIIFM (What’s In It For Me). In most cases your offer is already a great one — you just have to tweak it a bit to give it “sex appeal”.

Fourth Mistake – Treating Everyone The Same

Some people love to read, others love to chat, and still others just want the facts.  What does that tell you? You need to market using all the tools at your disposal — emarketing, social media, direct mail, etc. And make sure you track the results to learn which methods work best for you.

Are You LinkedIn?

In our conversations we have discovered that while many professionals and small business owners know about Facebook and Twitter, many have never heard about LinkedIn.  Even more troubling, many job seekers are not part of this business networking site that is often the first stop for human resource professionals looking to research a job applicant.

Here are some facts:

• LinkedIn has over 60 million members in over 200 countries
• A new member joins LinkedIn approximately every second
• Executives from all Fortune 500 companies are LinkedIn members.

LinkedIn is basically an interconnected network of professionals. When you join, you create a profile that summarizes your professional expertise and accomplishments. You can then form connections by inviting trusted contacts to join LinkedIn, if they are not already a member, and connect to you. Your network consists of your connections, your connections’ connections, and the people they know, linking you to a vast number of qualified professionals and experts.

Through your network you can:

• Manage your online professional profile
• Find and be introduced to potential clients, service providers, and subject experts
• Collaborate on projects
• Be found for business opportunities and job offers
• Gain new insights from discussions with professionals in private group settings
• Discover inside connections that can help you land jobs and close deals
• Post and distribute job listings to find the best talent for your company
• Reconnect with past colleagues and business associates

LinkedIn is free to join, but it does take some effort to create a decent profile, and seek out the people you want to be part of your network. If you are not currently a member of LinkedIn, and would like to join, let us know. We help set you up and get you started.