Archive for Publicity
Choosing a charity
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Choose the right charity for your business
If you’re anything like me, you are constantly asked to give money and donate products for charity fundraisers both for your business and in your family life. There often isn’t enough money in your bank account to give to everyone who is asking, and the same with products.
So, what do you do?
The best thing is to choose a charity or two that are important to you and give to those. Then, next time you’re asked to donate something you can tell them that you have your chosen charity and give to them (it’s amazing how effectively this works).
The next thing is to work out which charity to support. There are so many worthy causes out there it can be hard to know what to choose.
For a business, it can be a good idea to choose something that fits with what you are doing. For example, my chosen charity is Opportunity International because they help people start up small businesses, so it fits with what I’m aiming to do with my business.
I know of some business mums who use their family history as motivation for choosing a charity. For example I know of one business mum who supports Mummy’s Wish because a close friend of hers had cancer and received support from the. And another who supports Backpacks 4 Aussie Kids because her parents had foster kids when she was growing up. These charities don’t necessarily match their business, not in any obvious way anyway.
If your business does support a charity, it’s a good idea to have a page on your site explaining why you chose this charity to support. I have seen some businesses who make a big thing about supporting a charity, however if it’s not a charity I am not passionate in supporting and I can’t see an obvious reason why they are supporting this charity, then it won’t sway me to purchase from them. However if I can see a story behind why they support this charity, it is more likely to sway me.
Some time ago, I bought a gift online. Inside the package along with the item I purchased was a sheet thanking me for buying from them and explaining why they had chosen their charity and how my purchase helped support their cause. Unfortunately I can’t remember which business it was (it was quite a while ago), but their extra bit of information has stuck in my head.
Do you have a charity your business supports? Do you let your customers know about it? Please add a comment and share your story.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------- For your daily dose of business mums websites and blogs, check out Business Mums DailyMarketing Monday - Article Marketing
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If you want to establish yourself as an expert, then article marketing is something to look in to doing. If you already write articles, then fantastic.
Article Marketing is where you write an article and submit it to magazines, websites, blogs, newspapers and so on for them to reprint. They will be on a topic of interest and have a bio or resource box at the end.
You may write exclusive articles for a publication, or produce a series of free reprint articles that anyone can publish.
In my blog travels, I came across an interesting post by Brenda Thomson called “Four Key Reasons Why Your Articles May Not Be Working For You“. If you are considering article marketing as part of your marketing mix, this blog post is well worth a read.
Once you have written articles, you can submit them to The RepOZitory, the Aussie Article Bank for free reprint. By putting your articles here, you are making them available for anyone to reproduce them on their website or blog, along with your resource box, of course.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------- For your daily dose of business mums websites and blogs, check out Business Mums DailyFriday Five - What to do after you have got publicity
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Free publicity in the media can be great for your business, and can be hard to get. It can be easy to get excited over a mention in media, whether TV, radio, newspapers, magazines, or blogs, and then get on with things.
This week, I thought I’d share 5 things to do once you’ve received some publicity. This may help you get some more!
- Say thank you - this is a tip I picked up at the first Business Mums Network conference. When you get publicity for your business, whether or not you get sales from it, send a card to the journalist to say thank you. If you have been mentioned on a blog or website and you have the contact details for the site owner, it’s a nice thing to say thank you to them too.
- Let people know - it’s exciting to get some free media, so let people know. You may want to post on your blog (for an example, look at the Your Cheeky Monkey blog), or list it on a media page, or even include the mention in your email newsletter.
- Keep a copy - create a scrapbook for yourself with news clippings. If you can, print copies of blog posts and articles in online magazines. Collect DVDs or videos of any TV appearances. These can come in handy if you are entering your business in competitions or applying for a trademark.
- Celebrate - depending on the coverage, celebrate, especially if it is unexpected and/or brings you a lot of new customers. A celebration could be as simple as enjoying a coffee with a friend, or something more elaborate. Remember to celebrate your success.
- Follow Up - is there any follow up needed for the story, or have you got something else you can add or another angle to offer? Could a similar story fit another media outlet? Not all stories will require follow up, however this is something to keep in mind. The follow up with the journalist could simply be sending a thank you card (see point 1).
These tips aim to help you make the most out of any media coverage you may get in your business. Media coverage can be great to grow your business, depending on what they say about you. If it’s unexpected, it can be a huge boost to your reputation as well as feel good.
Have you done anything after getting publicity for your business? What has it been and did it bring any results?
----------------------------------------------------------------------------- For your daily dose of business mums websites and blogs, check out Business Mums DailyStanding Out - more ideas
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Stand Out from the Crowd
Following on from yesterdays post, I thought I’d share a few more ideas how you can stand out from the crowd.
One thing I don’t have right now is business cards. Yes, I know, I should have some, however I’ve moved around a bit lately and my details changed, and I just haven’t got around to getting some new ones. At networking events I carry around back issues of the Business Mums Magazine with me. It has my contact details in the front (the phone number is out of date, but the email & URL are correct) and give those out instead.
Tania from Green Room Interiors sends out a quarterly update called Notes from the Green Room by mail. It is sent in a bright green envelope and I look forward to receiving it each time. It’s nice to get something in the mail instead of another email in my overflowing inbox.
Bernadette from The Needlework Boutique wraps all her parcels in coloured tissue paper so her customers feel they receive a gift each time they order from her.
Kids in Australia stand out from other parenting directories with their Kids Eat Free card. This is a service that is unique to them. I haven’t heard of another one like it. While parents are looking for where they can go to eat, they can browse the other listings and features on the site.
These are just a few more examples, I hope they give you some inspiration for your business.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------- For your daily dose of business mums websites and blogs, check out Business Mums DailyWhat is your story?
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Tell me a story
Everyone has a story. What is yours?
In business, there are many different areas where you have a story. It could be:
- The story behind your business name
- Why you started your business
- A creative way you have grown your business
- The story behind a special item on your desk
- Why you created a particular product
There are so many stories you can tell.
Why am I writing this? Simple, because I love stories. I love hearing the stories behind a business. Also, this is to give you some ideas for your About Us page, your blog, or anywhere else you need information.
There are many places you can share your story. These include:
- blog posts
- email newsletter
- description of products in your online shop
- About Us page on your website
You can also write the story down in a notebook ready in case you find a media call looking for a story such as yours. Your story will be written and ready.
So, what is your story?
----------------------------------------------------------------------------- For your daily dose of business mums websites and blogs, check out Business Mums DailyMarketing Monday - TEEs Me, Please!
Posted by: | CommentsThis is another great marketing idea I found on Facebook. One clever Mum has started a business called TEEs Me, Please! where she will wear a t-shirt or other promotional item to promote your business.
The idea came about because Bronwyn, the founder, read a newspaper article about a guy in the US who was paid to wear t-shirts.
As well as wearing the t-shirt around in her daily work, she also posts a photograph or video on her site as well as on Facebook, exposing your business to new people online as well.
As well as being a fun idea for a business, it is also a fun way to get the word out there about your business. If you don’t have a t-shirt, never fear, you can pick one up from Vista Print relatively cheaply.
If you get in quickly, you will be able to nominate how much you pay for a day! (conditions apply)
Go to http://teesmeplease.net/ for more details, and to book in a day for promoting your business.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------- For your daily dose of business mums websites and blogs, check out Business Mums DailyStories behind your business
Posted by: | CommentsEveryone has a story to tell, business mums have many stories they can tell about their business including:
- how they started their business
- stories behind products or services
- day to day happenings of running a business with kids around
- and many, many more
On my surfing around different websites and blogs, I have found myself reading stories about business mums. For most sites, I read the About Us page first, then check out their blog. A few posts recently have caught my eye.
On the Recipe Blocks blog, Clare and Kerrie shared photographs of when their books arrived from the printer. You can see their post here. It was great to see the boxes all piled up, and the kids “helping” unpack the truck, or was that making sure the little ones stayed out of the way?
Monique over at Your Cheeky Monkey recently shared the story behind one of her great products, her Heirloom Baby Wraps. The most fascinating thing in this story was her first wrap was created for her children out of a wrap her mum had made for her!
Katerina from Twinkle Lily has also started sharing her story on her blog. Be sure to check out the photos of all the fabric she has recently had delivered. She reports she has started pre washing the wool and her house smells like a sheep farm!
Sharing the story behind your business helps your customers connect with you, especially if you are a purely online business, and gives them an emotional connection to your business. It also gives you great topics to blog about and can inspire others to either buy your products, start a business, or both.
If you are looking for a great story, check out Lara Solomon’s book, Brand New Day. Lara shares the story of the first few years of Mocks. This book is an easy read and can give you some great business tips.
Marketing Monday - is your 2010 plan ready?
Posted by: | CommentsIn this time between Christmas and New Year, most businesses have a quiet time. This is a great time to work ON rather than IN your business, especially if you can take advantage of all the new toys the kids received at Christmas and are still happy to play with…
One thing that is good to do is your marketing plan.
Get a calendar with the months of the year. Mark on it any special days, such as Mother’s Day and Christmas, and plan your marketing activities around them. Do you want to introduce a new product for Mother’s Day, or have a special on stocking stuffers for Christmas? Do you want to send Christmas cards with a gift voucher to your best customers? Mark all these things on your calendar at the relevant time.
When you have done this, you are ready for the year! You can then work on the budget for each activity, know when you need to send emails or get new products in. Depending on how you go, you can even schedule blog posts at the same time!
Depending on what activities you are planning, you can also plan any media releases you will need written and where to send them.
Creating a plan like this will help you keep on track with your marketing message and keep you going for the year.
If you need help with your plan, get a set of Childsplay Marketing cards. They are a fantastic brainstorming tool and one that I’ve been using quite a bit lately.
Marketing Monday - Open House
Posted by: | CommentsIf you sell a product, you may want to consider having an Open House for your customers. An Open House is where you open your home, or another venue, for your customers to come, view your products and do some shopping.
On Saturday, I went to the annual Open House for Elena of EP Designs. She had her shop set up in her garage and invited her customers to come and shop.
Also on Saturday, Bernadette from The Needlework Boutique had her monthly Open House. She sets hers up in the bungalow behind her house.
Whether you want to set up a regular time for an Open House or just do one occasionally, it’s up to you. If you don’t have a garage or bungalow you can use, and you’d prefer your customers don’t come to your home, see if there is a hall somewhere you can use. You may have to pay a hall hire cost, however if you join forces with another business mum, you can share this cost between you, as well as introducing your customers to another, complimentary business.
If you are doing something regularly at home, check the council regulations as you may have to register with them and comply to guidelines to make your home safe for customers.
Marketing Monday - Media Page
Posted by: | CommentsHave you received publicity for your business in the media? You have, do you have a media page?
One thing I have found with publicity, is that publicity often brings more publicity. So, promoting any media appearances you have had, can help you get in the media even more.
It also helps gain trust with customers, especially if yours is an online business. People tend to trust editorial in the media more than an advertisement.
Your media page doesn’t have to be elaborate. Having images of covers and articles is a great idea. Be careful about copyright, however. It’s a good idea to ask permission of the publication before reprinting articles. Some publications are happy to give you a PDF or image of the article for you to use.
A few examples of media pages can be found below:
Do you have a media page yet?
