Marcie told me, "I've tried sending out a few press
releases to the newspaper, but they never print them."
Here's why. Newspaper editors look for press releases
that are "newsworthy." Newsworthy simply means that the
story is one that lots of readers will find interesting.
I asked a newspaper editor what she looked for and here
are some of the guidelines she gave:
Editors like stories where people overcome adversity or
perform acts of kindness.
Editors like stories that appeal to a wider audience and
transcend your neighborhood or industry.
Editors like stories that give the reader some kind of
emotion: happy, mad, afraid, proud.
Keep in mind that news must be new. An event that
happened months ago will not be of interest to the
newspaper. Of course, if something new happens that
closely relates to an event months ago, the old event could
become news again.
Don't get discouraged if your first press releases don't
get into the paper. Look over them and think what you
could do differently next time. Newsworthy-ness is the key.
More and more small business people are discovering the
Internet as a wonderful marketing tool. Whereas other
forms of big media--like TV and local newspapers--are
often too expensive, the Internet is practically free.
Juno.com offers a free e-mail account to anyone with a
computer and modem. If you've got an e-mail address,
tripod.com will give you a free web site.
You're business is on the Internet and you haven't spent
a dime! You can access your website free at a school
or library.
Now comes the hard part. With millions of people
shouting their messages on the Net, you've got to figure out
a way to get prospects to pay attention to you.
It's not hard if you keep this simple rule in mind.
The Internet is about information. People go on-line to get
information. They want it fast. They want it clear.
And they want it FREE.
In other words, give people quick and helpful information
and they'll soon come to think of you as someone to do
business with.
Cram your website with lots of info. Details about your
business. Tips to make the readers life easier, more
interesting, and more profitable. Offer a free report with
more useful information.
Ugh! It's invoice time! That anguished cry goes up in
most offices at least once a month. Of course, you can also
think of sending out invoices as the necessary step to
getting paid. That makes all that folding and licking seem
not so bad.
Also think of sending invoices as a golden opportunity to
market your business to your best prospects--people who
have already bought from you.
If your stamp is going on an envelope that only has a one or
two-page invoice in it, you've got room for several more
pages.
Add a monthly newsletter. It doesn't have to be fancy.
Just a simple one-page sheet of info printed out on your
computer. Tell customers about new products and services,
or how to make better use of ones they already have.
George always ads a page of his favorite jokes.
Customers, who know George as a jovial guy, don't feel
the sting of the bill as much when they have his latest
jokes to read.
Bring customers back to buy more by adding a coupon
along with the invoice. Give them a discount to step up to
a higher level product or service. Most businesses feel that
repeat business is where the profits are.
In the small town where I grew up, there was a woman
who miraculously remembered everyone's birthday.
It was her hobby to send out dozens of birthday cards
every week.
She was renowned for it. She was loved for.
Mrs. Pepper became one of the town's favorite
personalities.
Why couldn't a business do the same thing?
When someone buys from you, ask "When's your
birthday? We'll send you a card."
Most people will be caught off guard at your personal
touch. Only a die-hard curmudgeon would not feel just a
little bit special. (And that's what survey after survey
shows--people buy from businesses that make them
feel special.)
You don't need to make your birthday card project
expensive or time consuming. If you have lots
of customers to keep track of, keep their birthdays
on computer files that can be printed out on labels along
with the birthday date.
One day each week, pop the week's birthday labels
on post cards and send them out. Offer the customer some
small free thing. (Don't require a purchase. Birthday gifts
aren't supposed to come with strings attached.)
You've seen them in stores. Take-one boxes.
It's a little open box with a stack of cards or fliers
inside. And it's an excellent (although often over-looked)
way to market a business of any size.
The average retail outlet has over 2,000 customers
passing through each month. This is a remarkable number
of people you can reach nearly for free.
Find a store or office that relates in some way to your
business. Show the manager how your take-ones will be a
value to her customers.
Most other kinds of advertising suffer from an intrusion
factor. People are a little put off by ads in their newspaper,
commercials on their radio, junk mail, telemarketing,
and unsolicited e-mail.
Take-one boxes have none of these problems. It is the
prospect's own choice to take one. You've already
overcome one of the major obstacles to selling.
Keep your take-one items small. A half or one-third page
flier is fine. Give your take-one a headline that gets attention
and promises a benefit to the reader.
Add a drawing or photo to create visual interest. Use
colored paper or card stock.
Ads are great! Not only do they inform customers and
prospects about your business, they also lend a little
prestige. There's something special about being promoted
in the media.
When your business is advertised in newspapers, on the
radio, or on billboards (just a few examples) it makes your
business look bigger and more important.
Although most of us would like to plaster the world with
our ads, the expense is out of the question.
Here's an excellent alternative.
When you have an ad run in the paper or on the Internet,
make copies to send to prospects, leave on counters,
fax to associates, or include in marketing packages.
Most publications won't mind that you are making extra
use of your ad.
Some savvy business owners do the same thing with their
radio commercials. You can have a commercial cassette
dubbing house make hundreds of inexpensive copies of
your radio ad. Pass them around.
Here's another variation. Write an article of useful
information and get it published in a trade magazine or
neighborhood paper. Make copies and include them in
all your marketing materials. You'll look like an expert.
Some of the best advertising you can get is FREE. You can't buy it for any price. It's FREE media publicity. Get media coverage when you follow these simple guidelines.
The other day a woman told me, "I don't think you can get on media unless you know somebody." Nothing could be further from the truth. Radio, TV, newspapers, magazines, newsletters, tabloids--all need a steady stream of good stories to present to their readers, listeners, and viewers. If the interesting, informative, funny stories suddenly dried up, media would be forced to go out of business.
You can get media coverage when you supply media managers with the stories they need. What is there about your business that would interest your local TV news director or newspaper reporter?
Perhaps you're a real success story that other people would want to copy. Maybe you've uncovered a time or money saving tip. Is your business involved in a public controversy or community improvement project? TV loves visually exciting events. Stage an event and make a call to the news room.
Bottom Line: Make a media person's job easier, and you will get free media coverage.
Sales letters are one of the most effective forms of direct marketing. Many people are using email sales letters to reach their customer list. Here are some tried-and-true formulas that always get the customer's attention.
Tell a story. Letters have long been a very personal form of communication. Starting your sales letter with a story hooks the reader.
Ask a question. The reader answers your question in her mind. She gets mentally involved in your offer. You're on your way!
Point out a problem. This is an advertising classic. Tell the reader about a problem he has. Make the problem seem worse than he realized. Of course, you are ready to sell him the solution to his problem.
Offer something FREE. People love a free sample of your product or service. It gets them hooked on you so that they come back to buy again and again. (Call or write me and ask for my free special report on marketing!)
Most sales letters have a response rate of 1% to 3%--although I have seen some get as high as 30% response. Still, this is a much better response rate than you get from most other types of advertising.
Try writing your own sales letter using one of the formulas above.
Advertising that doesn't work almost always has one thing in common. It's not client-centered. Here is a quick tip that will dramatically increase your sales.
"Client-centered" means marketing from the viewpoint of the customer. Your marketing has to speak to the concerns of the person you're trying to interest.
What are customers interested in? They want to know what your product or service will do for them. Will it save them time, make them money, make them happier, less stressed, more attractive, more powerful or popular? Decide on one or two key benefits your product or service will give to a customer. Then hit that benefit over and over again in your advertising.
Make sure you link the features of your product or service to the benefits that they will bring. Don't just tell your customer about the Gizmo 200's special chrome fenders, let him know how those chrome fenders will improve his life.
Even if the connection between features and benefits seems obvious to you, don't expect the prospect to figure it out for himself. Stress, stress, stress the benefits of using what you're selling.
Look out! Here comes the biggest change in media history. Cable TV is switching tonew digital technology. Within a year, cable TV systems in major cities will be offering100 channels. In two years cable systems will jump to 500 channels!
What will this mean for small and home-based businesses wanting to advertise on TV?
They'll be able to do it, advertise as much as they want, at unheard of low prices.
When asked who would be on TV next year, one media expert replied, "Everybody!"
Watch for small bedroom TV studios to start popping up everywhere. People will be producing TV shows and commercials with some of the small, cheap cameras and editors now available.
One man asked me if there would be a place for Multi-Level-Marketing in cable TV's future. You bet. I would imagine that major network marketing groups will have their own channels, complete with commercials, information, and seminars for their downline folks.
Do you have a specialty that would make a good cable show?
Keep your ears to the ground for cable TV changes happening in your community. TV will no longer be only for the big boys with deep pockets, but for all of us to use, profit, and enjoy.
Radio is one of the small business person's best marketing buys. It's inexpensive, it allows you to carefully target your customers, and it's big time media.
But did you know that you can get on radio for FREE? Your local radio stations have to generate a non-stop flow of information and entertainment 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Radio never closes and never rests. That's great news for you.
If you can supply your favorite DJ, newsperson, or talk show host with interesting or helpful information--you get on the air for free.
If you can call a popular morning show and tell them a funny joke--you get on the air for free.
If you can drop by the studios with a hot box of donuts, and feed their underpaid mouths with free food--you get on the air for free.
Radio people have big egos (and they won't mind you saying that either). Compliment them on their work. Tell them how much you like their radio station. Fans get on the air for free.
If at first you don't succeed, try again with different stations and personnel. I was a radio DJ for many years--and believe me, this works!
Just about every kind of business uses brochures. Brochures say to the world that you are in business and serious about what you're doing. In some fields, the brochure is a door opener. Clients won't even consider doing business unless you first present them with your brochure.
Brochures can also be excellent selling tools and a great way to give your customers more information. Here is a simple way to logically structure your brochure so that it works well.
The standard and most common brochure is the six-panel design. Get it by folding a standard sheet of paper three times. People will look at the front panel first, then read the back panel, then thumb through the inside panels.
Use the front panel to announce the name of your company along with a very brief idea of what you do. Use the back panel to urge the customer to contact you--provide phone numbers, address, and hours of operation. The inside panels can explain in more detail the features and benefits of your product or service.
Your neighborhood copy shop can print and fold brochures cheaply. Ask for samples of their work before you buy.
Striking 900# Gold
900 numbers have become a billion dollar industry. With a little inside information you can tap into this remarkable income source.
They are an excellent way to sell information or entertainment. Many people, especially those under 30, will call a 900 number that provides them with up-to-the-minute information on a subject that is always changing. This can include anything from weather, to sports scores, to traffic problems.
The 900 number phenomenon began in the early 90s. Like most new forms of media, it got its share of hucksters and bad press in the beginning. Things have changed. 900 numbers are now a respectable option for all kinds of businesses and professionals.
As a 900 number beginner, your best bet is to use services provided by your phone company. They will collect user fees for you-- a huge help when you consider the paper work involved with keeping up with the hundreds or thousands of people who call your 900 number or numbers.
Collections are much easier as charges for calls to your 900 number will be listed on the customer's phone bill.
Think of how you could use a 900 number--either live or pre-recorded--in your business. It's one more way to provide service.
Looking for a super cheap and effective way to get more customers? One of the best methods I can think of is also one of the oldest. I'm not talking about TV or newspapers, but good old fashioned public speaking.
"Me? Speak to a crowd?" I hear you say. It's a lot easier than it sounds. There are many groups in your area who would love to have a speaker for one of their meetings. If you have some kind of useful information to offer, you are just who they're looking for.
Check your local library for lists of groups, organizations, and associations in your area.
I was surprised to find over 100 of these groups in my medium-sized city.
Contact the chairperson of the group, either by phone or letter. Express your desire to provide them with a short 20-minute talk. Offer to tailor your talk to their specific interest.
You can speak on anything you know about that others would find interesting or helpful. Auto repair, financial advice, arts & crafts, gardening, politics, sports--all are excellent topics for a public talk. I talk to groups about how to publicize their organization or businesses. It's always a hit. Be sure to focus your talk on helpful information. Save your sales pitch for the end. Have a one-sheet on you and your business ready for them totake home afterward.
Big changes are coming to television. The industry has not seen anything like it in 50years. Washington DC has mandated that TV stations switch from old-fashioned analog broadcasting to the newer digital systems.
This change will mean that your local TV station will be able to split their one channel into six..or even twelve..new channels. The new rules give stations 15 years to make thecomplete transition, but you can expect some changes to take place right away.
What does this mean for small business? Plenty. TV managers are worrying about what they'll put on all these new channels. They are also well aware that commercial prices will drop through the floor when the number of TV channels is multiplied by six or more.
That's right. TV commercials could become affordable even for businesses with very limited marketing budgets.
And if that isn't enough, new technology will allow cable TV systems to grow to 100 channels by next year, and 500 hundred channels in two years! Who will be on television?
EVERONE!
Keep an eye on changes happening in your town. Strike an occasional conversation with a salesperson at a TV station. Also watch for articles in Broadcasting Magazine at
your library.
TV is changing, and you will want to be the early bird who catches super cheap ads!
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People always ask me, "How can I get commercials or ads that get me more customers?" They usually tell about a sad situation where they spent hard-earned cash on advertising that just didn't work. Here's a quick tip that will put a lot more punch into your marketing. Remember these four little letters: A. I. D. A.
They stand for:
Attention.
Interest.
Desire.
Action.
Those are the four mental steps you must lead a prospect through before he or she will buy your product or service. Before any selling can happen, you must get the prospect's attention. With so much advertising swirling around our heads these days, getting someone's attention can be a challenge. Keep your message simple, to the point, and exciting.
Get the prospect's interest by talking about what your product or service will do to make his or her life better. Nothing gets interest like time savers.
Build desire by repeating your ad over and over. Consistency works. Finally, make sure the prospect knows how to find you. Include phone numbers, address, email address, and URLs.
Finding inexpensive ways to market a small or home-based business can be a real challenge. Advertising in big newspapers or on radio can put you in the poor house in a hurry.
For a great many businesses, fliers and small signs make a wonderful (and very cheap) marketing tool. A professional flier can be put together on any word processing program. Include a to-the-point headline emphasizing the benefits of your product or service.
Many copy shops now have photocopiers that make very clean copies--almost as good as offset. You can often get 1000 quality fliers for $20 or less. To make small signs, print your message on yellow paper and laminate it to stand up to weather. Be sure to include your phone number big enough to be seen at a distance. Follow community rules when you distribute them.
Some people think that fliers and small signs are too tacky to be effective. That depends entirely on the kind of business you have. Many small and home-based businesses generate all their new customers from fliers and signs.
How many times have you purchased after finding a flier or seeing a sign that offered just what you needed?
Trade for Ads
What do you do when you want to advertise, but you don't have the cash? Trade!
Many radio stations, newspapers, newsletters, and television stations need services and products that your business can provide.
I have a friend who owns several large radio stations. He's never forgotten his early days when he was scraping to make payroll. Recently, when he needed several new storage buildings to be built behind the station, he saved his cash. Instead, he traded valuable commercials to a small contractor. My friend got his new buildings, and the contractor got lots of free commercials.
A newspaper editor I talked with last week advised that circulation departments are always looking to trade ads for items they can give their paper boys and girls for incentives.
When Joan started her new donut shop, she gave boxes of donuts to radio stations to give away as prizes and use in staff meetings. Radio personnel loved her donuts and talked
about them in glowing terms on the air. Great free advertising! Joan's donut shop is booming and she's never spent a dime on marketing.
How can you trade with media to boost your business?
Kevin Nunley helps small and mid-sized businesses build effective marketing. Reach him at DrNunley@aol.com or at (801)253-4536. Ask for his free marketing report and list of Special Reports and Tapes that make you a marketing whiz in dozens of areas. Also ask how he can help you build your on-line presence.
