Tag Archives: Marketing

Kicking off December with Thanks to You

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This is a great time to say thank you for following my blog and participating in great conversations that (I hope) have helped you realize your PR goals and your business dreams.

This year has been tough for nearly every organization seeking to boost sales or increase awareness through traditional media such as print and broadcast, or word-of-mouth platforms like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

In 2011, professionals were faced with a double whammy: shrinking marketing budgets and trying to follow and adapt to an ever-changing media landscape. We’ve all had to learn a lot of new rules and tools to stay on top of social media marketing.

As my way of saying thanks, I’d like to share a few timesaving tools and resources that kept me on top of my game this year:

1.    PR Daily: A fantastic eNewsletter for PR and marketing professionals following traditional and social media trends and topics.

2.    LinkedIn’s Answers: Saves countless hours researching an infinite number of topics or challenges. Why start from scratch when you’ve got experts eager to help on any topic for any industry.

3.    Google Docs: Invaluable for collaborating on projects. Edit or create documents on a Google Doc and use Google’s chat tool for instantly discussing or improving upon your changes. It’s simple and elegant.

4.    Join.me: Share your computer desktop view with others remotely for presentations or collaboration. Others can view your desktop presentations or follow as you navigate web sites by simply clicking on a link to Join.me.

5.    Highrise Contact Management: Following-up with the reporters you pitch, or the prospects you’re trying to reach is easy with Highrise. It helps you track all emails and phone calls and sends reminders about the tasks related to those contacts. An easy way to create, organize and monitor all your customer info, emails and notes.

Give these free tools a try and tell me what you think. And if you would like to review your PR efforts this year, or want to discuss your 2012 strategy,  don’t hesitate to contact me through the form here on my blog or at michelle at michelledamico dot com.

Wishing you happiness in the Season of Giving and lasting prosperity in 2012.

Enjoy these photos as a gift from my personal collection. 

Gifts from an ice storm, by Michelle Damico

 

A visual feast is often the next best thing, by Michelle Damico

 

Your passion will take you there, by Michelle Damico

Phone calls DO matter for PR success

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Telephone

Image by plenty.r. via Flickr

Texting, posting, tweeting, liking, commenting, following, emailing. Key verbs for interacting with reporters? Yes, but what about CALLING? I still believe in the power of the phone call to get reporters’ attention. They generally discourage it and I respect that, but I rarely get a complaint when I do phone them. I also am respectful of their time and deadlines when I call.

A call, even if it’s a voicemail, can point them to your email amid the hundreds they get all day. It can entice them to check out your business or client web site, and it’s part of your brand awareness to a key audience.

In fact, today, I credit my calls in helping earn major placements for my client in:

And since the Tribune covered my client’s story, the Tribune-owned WGN-TV aired photos  during the evening news!

Without making my calls these stories may not have happened.  An email alone would have probably gotten lost in the deep dark inbox hole at the those outlets.
I always follow some important rules when phoning reporters:

  1. Ask first if they’re on deadline and say you’ll call them back if they are
  2. Know what they write about and be knowledgeable about why your pitch is news
  3. Believe in your client. It’s easier to cold call a reporter when your gut says you’ve got great news to spread.

What’s been your experiences phoning the media? Leave a comment or let me know if I can help.

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Sweet! Great PR results by simply following a blog

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Most business people I know are active on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, but the majority don’t follow blogs or write their own. “There’s no value,” they say, especially since social media already is a time drain.

What if, by subscribing to just ONE blog, and interacting with that blogger you’d get a free ad seen by tens of thousands of Chicago Tribune readers?

It happened to me today and it’s the perfect example of why every business short on PR resources should follow at least one blog. Not just any blog, mind you, but blogs about topics that interest you (that’ll keep you coming back), and that are supported by a local newspaper. Most newspapers have bloggers. Many Chicago Tribune reporters are bloggers, and the Trib also owns the ChicagoNow network of community bloggers. I follow ChicagoNow bloggers Catherine Morgan and Judy Marcus.

Besides loving PR, I also love to eat, cook and create sweet things. So when I heard about Judy’s Sugar Buzz Chicago, I became an instant follower. I subscribe to her blog and receive emails about new blog items. I send her ideas all the time, and after mentioning that  my sister opened Jam ‘n Honey, a new breakfast restaurant  in Chicago’s trendy Lincoln Park, Judy wanted to learn more.

Yes, it was wonderful having Judy blog about the restaurant, which is only weeks old and already has lines of diners waiting for tables. But here’s the icing on my cake: The blog’s parent company — the Chicago Tribune — began sprinkling links to her blog within the online version of the paper. Here is a screen capture of my sister’s restaurant  posted adjacent to a local story that attracted tens of thousands of readers today.

The headlines lured readers to a news story and then drew them to valuable real estate about Jam ‘n Honey Restaurant. How long did that info remain on the news page? Maybe about eight hours today (the ChicagoNow promos interchange regularly online). But hey, eight hours of free PR hours is far better than zero hours of free PR!

By having fun and by staying in touch with people who write about my favorite things, this local restaurant received valuable exposure to thousands of readers!  PR doesn’t get any sweeter than this!

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Farmers and Facebook – One Nudge at a Time!

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For many farmers, the hardest part about social media is taking  the plunge. So maybe you just need a little shove, a few small steps to get you started? That was the topic we covered today on RFD Now, a program produced by the Illinois Farm Bureau and carried on 70 radio stations in the Midwest. I was joined by Chris Klein, the owner of Klein’s Farm and Market out of western Illinois. Chris’ farm has had a Facebook presence for about a month, and she launched it immediately following one of my social media workshops for farmers.  We talked with RFD Radio hosts Julie Root and Allan Jarand. (You can hear a recording of the segment at http://www.farmweeknow.com/radio.aspx).

If you’re not on Facebook and eventually hope to establish a business presence, here are a few things you should do now:

  1. Sign up and get a personal account so you can have access to Facebook and see what other farmers are doing.
  2. Go to other farms and businesses in your community and begin Liking them to see how they’re using Facebook.
  3. Find your friends and relatives and begin friending them. You’ll turn to those friends when you establish your Facebook business presence.
  4. After you see what others are doing, identify your own business goals for Facebook? Get 100 likers by Labor Day? Boost sales at your market or farm? Increase sales of a specific item?
  5. Identify how you’ll achieve that goal. Will you simply generate awareness about the farm? Promote special produce? Provide helpful growing tips for the back yard vegetable garden? Advice for how to prepare the produce you grow? Maybe you just want to establish a face on farming, so your customers understand the hard work involved in getting food to their tables?

As a newbie on Facebook, it can still be overwhelming. So make it easy to transition into social media:

  1. Your first month, just interact with other farms or businesses. See how they respond when you post items on their wall. You’ll find many businesses don’t reply at all. I call that anti-social media. If you are not going to have a dialogue on Facebook, why bother being on it at all? Your “Likers” don’t want to hear about your sales or promotions. They want to know who YOU ARE. Provide them with something valuable — your expertise. And have  a conversation. Take advantage of this marvelous network!
  2. Also, If you have a smart phone, download a free Facebook app and start taking photos and uploading them onto your Facebook page. It’s very easy once you try.
  3. Once you have a comfort level, you can use your existing account to set up a Facebook page for your business.
  4. Be sure you take advantage of the business info tab to give the fullest description about what you do and how you help your customers. Provide complete address and contact information. And be sure you use key words so if Facebook user are searching for a strawberry farmer in Udina Illinois, you’ll drive them directly to your Facebook page.

 

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DIY PR? Sure, you can!

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Yes, you can be your own PR agent.

If you’re like many entrepreneurs launching a small business, a budget for PR is often last on the priority list. That’s unfortunate, because we’re all news providers these days, hungry for great news content for our own Facebook page, YouTube Channel, Twitter feed and other social media platforms. Having your story told through word-of-mouth marketing or in traditional media such as newspapers, radio, and TV is one of the most effective ways to attract new customers and build your business.

 

While it does require effort and learning, it’s possible to wear another hat and become your own PR rep. Like anything, you need to keep at it, even if you don’t see instant results.

I recently was interviewed about DIY PR for business people by Catherine Morgan, Transition and Entrepreneur Coach from Point A to Point B Transitions. Please take a listen and let me know if I can help you get started. Email me: michelle at michelledamico dot com!

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Tell me what you do (in a minute or less)!

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So tell me, what do you do?

When customers and prospects visit your website, Facebook or other digital properties, do they see a memorable message about  your business and how it helps people or other businesses? In an elevator or at a cocktail party would someone understand your business value proposition in a minute or less?

If “NO” is the answer to both questions, you should consider creating or simplifying your business message or starting from scratch with a message framework.

It sounds easier than it is. Creating one short soundbite explaining what you do and why it matters to your target audience takes time, perspective and a willingness to dig beyond your mission statement and product/service description.

It also requires a kind of objectivity that’s difficult to practice when your business is your baby. The message development process can take hours, days or weeks, depending on your own and your customers’ experiences. My approach is to take it in baby steps; the first three are fact-finding steps.

  • Know Your Audience — pinpoint their problem, and consider all the ways that problem keeps them worried or makes them lose sleep.
  • List all the ways your product/service solves that problem. If you have a long list, put the top three in priority.
  • Describe the most important features that you offer a customer and how those features specifically address that problem.

The final fourth step has more to do with your customer’s feelings or emotions. We all establish personal connections to a business. I choose a neighborhood printer versus going online for my letterhead and business cards because the manager of the Minute Man Press in my town makes me feel important. As a small business owner, that’s a good feeling and one that will keep me coming back.

So once you’ve done all your fact-finding in steps 1, 2 and 3, consider the emotional response from your client when you do business with him/her? Does he feel more secure? Trusting? Smart that he’s spending his money wisely? Protected because you’re watching out for her business?

Navigating this process requires your own review of how you’ve helped customers and the anecdotes they’ve shared about how you made a difference. It’s also best to conduct this messaging process with the help of a third party, someone who can be objective, who doesn’t live and breathe your business, and who can provide a different perspective of your business and your audience. The anecdotes you gather become the supporting points that bolster your message. These “proof points” also serve as conversation-extenders, since prospects want to hear about other customer experiences for a better understanding of how you’ll help them.

So let’s get a conversation started — What do you do?

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Is Your Biz Missing the Social Media Boat? C’mon, Hop On!

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Description: Social Networking Source: own wor...
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The social media bandwagon is getting pretty crowded with corporate marketers and PR professionals.  Big corporate players such as Old Spice, Kraft, Coke, Skittles,  and others have been one-upping each other with creative social media initiatives over the past few years.

While there’s lots of dazzle in these campaigns, the reality of social media is that you don’t need a big fat marketing budget to experience the direct customer engagement you’ll get from  Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn, Flickr, and others.

If you walk down Main Street USA, you’ll find that many small businesses haven’t caught the social media bug. It’s easy to understand why. Small business people are the most time-stretched of all the entrepreneurs I meet. They’re often operating on a shoe string, and seek help from family and friends to keep the payroll down. It’s hard enough to consider promoting your small business brand when you’re trying keep the lights on and the doors open.

If you can relate to all I’ve just said, perhaps you might want to take a few baby steps before taking the social media plunge. Here are a few ideas that might save you time and budget.

1. Focus on Facebook. Don’t get dizzy wondering whether you should be on Facebook, YouTube or Twitter. With 500 million users and growing, Facebook is where it’s at. It may not stay the most popular social network forever, but with that many eyeballs, and with the constant media chatter about its popularity, keep your focus on its potential to let you talk directly with your customers.

2. No need for high priced experts. Look in your own backyard for help. Better yet, look in the next room. If you’ve got a kid on Facebook, see if you can capture your attention for a few minutes to show you how to set up a page for your business. Hey, maybe you can dangle an incentive such as a boost in the weekly allowance in exchange for help in creating AND completing a business page. Don’t have a teenage techno wiz available? Small business development centers all around the country are offering social media introduction classes, and often they cost next to nothing.

3. Take advantage of customer relationships. The best small business people get to know their customers through casual conversations. You’ll probably find a few marketing professionals among your customers with experience setting up social media pages and profiles for their clients. Suggest to arrange some sort of barter relationship to take advantage of their expertise.

4. Be a Google Meister! There’s a wealth of how-to information on how to use Facebook. Facebook itself has a wealth of help resources, but don’t stop there. Sites such as AllBusiness.com and Mashable.com offer up-to-date news and knowledge about the best uses of Facebook and social media trends.

5. Inspire Your Customers. Once on Facebook, let them know you too have a presence. Encourage them to find you and “Like” your business page. When they leave comments or give you the thumbs-up sign on your page, comment with a thank you or post something on their wall. Make it relevant to their lives. Offer advice.  Explain your products or how to best use them. Post photos of happy customers.  Launch Facebook-only promotions. Give them tips. Establish trust. Entice them to come back for more.

6. Scope out your neighbors. See what other stores and businesses are doing on social networks. Join a club in your community. I found more than 88 million results in a Google search of “finding social media clubs,” so go find one, you’re likely to find new customers as well!

7. Don’t be intimidated. If somebody tells you they’re a social media expert just nod and walk away. We’re all just learning this new and exciting way to market your business. So start with a healthy but realistic search for knowledge.

8. Share your experiences with others. Social media is all about developing relationships and establishing trust. Help out others who face similar challenges, and watch your network of fans and customers grow.

Have any other ideas for small businesses dipping their toes in the social networking waters? I’d love to hear them!

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Gratitude from a happy telecommuter

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Traffic in Chicago, USA.
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I saw this great blog post this morning by Chris Brogan (one of my favorite social media gurus) and think it’s worth sharing. Not just because he video blogged while driving out of Boston — yes he was behind the wheel while he vlogged — but because he reminded me of how grateful I am for my current life.

I used to be on the daily commute, driving or taking the train 4 hours each day to my job in downtown Chicago or in the suburbs. I never had breakfast with my kids, rarely smelled the beautiful air in my hilly town and never met the parents of my kids’ friends. That’s all changed since I’ve become an independent contractor working for two agencies, Pipeline Media Relations and Marj Halperin Consulting.

Being in PR and marketing offers many pluses — the first of which is the ability to stay connected out of a home office. The client never knows I’m not in a downtown cubicle. During conference calls, no one knows I’m in my shorts. And after writing or editing content or analyzing research, no one knows whether the work was completed at a local Starbucks or at my desk.

Three years ago, I lost my job and that opened so many doors for me to work from home, to try new things, to learn social media, and to get connected to my community. My independent work was done out of necessity. If you’re at all thinking about following my path, don’t wait much longer because you will not regret your decision.

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The Magic of a Thank You

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Thank you *
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My family returned from a fabulous weekend trip at a friend’s lakeside country cottage this weekend in Galena, where we swam, boated, fished, swam some more, gazed at wild turkeys, cooked great meals, race walked, antique shopped, read books from an incredible home library and relaxed in a wonderfully comfortable setting. Since returning, I have considered many ways to show my appreciation…and the first and simplest action came from a suggestion in my inbox this morning! I subscribe to GasPedal from the Word of Mouth Marketing Association.

We’re convinced that if more people sent thank you notes, the world would be a better place. In about two minutes — for the cost of a postage stamp — you can create a personalized, memorable experience for a customer that they’ll tell the world about. This simple trick alone is one of the big reasons Zappos sold a billion dollars in shoes last year.

I’m embarrased to admit that my stash of thank you notes is about two years old. They should have been sent to many generous and kind friends and colleagues many moons ago. I’ve resolved this summer to use all of my thank you notes by September. Perhaps I’ll strengthen a friendship, surprise a prospective marketing and PR client,  warm the heart of my mom, husband and sisters, and put on a written display of thoughtfulness.

That means I’ll have to send about one a week. Do you have someone you know who deserves your handwritten thank you in a nice card? Do you think they’ll like/love you even more when they see how thoughtful and gracious and grateful you are? Do you think your business partners might have fonder thoughts about you upon receiving your note? Don’t you think the world would be a better place if we all wrote thank you notes and muzzled that “I just don’t have the time” excuse?

Give it a try, and let me know how it makes you feel! I feel like  a better human being just placing a stamp on the envelope and walking it to the mailbox a few minutes ago.



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Four Keys of Success in Reaching Reporters and Bloggers?

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This morning, I read a blog item from Chris Brogan about how to reach bloggers and it occured to me that most of his ideas for targeting bloggers also apply to traditional media people such as reporters and editors. So I thought it would be worthwhile to share.

These are my “Four Ps of Pitching” and I believe these rules apply, whether it’s a blogger, a newspaper reporter, a radio newscaster, a TV producer or an online columnist.
1.Persistence — it really pays. It’s easy to get frustrated and think a blogger lacks interest. Most of the time, he/she simply has too many things swirling in their universe. If you know that when you pitch a blogger, you’ll be a lot easier on yourself and keep your confidence up.
2.Patience — don’t expect instant gratification. I agree that you must build a relationship with the blogger. I’ve gotten a blogger interested in my tech client because we share similar loves of cooking and I’ve sent her recipes. We started a relationship.
3.Pushy — DON’T BE!!! If a blogger or reporter ever interviews my client, I practice the “never be pushy” rule. I don’t bother them about when their blog item or story will run. If I do want to follow up, it’s usually with a nugget that might be interesting to what they’re writing about.
4. Pressure — ANOTHER DON’T! In fact, when I make a phone pitch, I don’t even ask if they might write about something I sent them. I don’t believe in pressuring someone on the spot. Let your information sink in with them, and follow up with something that’s valuable to get a sense of their interest. Don’t seek a commitment for coverage. Bloggers and reporters work at their own pace and respond to demands of the news (or their editors).

OK. here’s a 5th item, but it’s an “R” — RESEARCH. Don’t waste your time pitching a blogger blind. I totally agree with Chris about the value of doing your homework and learning about these folks. They are people, People! They are not targets. Look at them that way, and you’ll be successful.

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