Category Archives: Marketing

Branding, networking & promoting your business

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Press Kit Recipe

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Public Relations experts say that creating a good press kit is as essential as creating a good website.  Both items reflect your brand and are important marketing tools for your business.  Make your press kit one-stop shopping for a busy journalist,  prospective customer or potential referral source who would like information about you and the products and services that your business provides.  PR pros say that a useful press kit contains the following ingredients:

Company overview    AKA the “one sheet” gives a thumbnail sketch of your business: company name,  year formed,  contact info,  name and contact info of the company’s media spokesperson if the business is not a single person entity,  a succinct description of the products and services provided and two or three key benefits,  value addeds or outcomes derived.

FAQs    Differentiate your company from the competition and provide helpful information with a Frequently Asked Questions page,  if you desire.  Use as a guide questions that prospective clients ask when you meet to discuss doing business.

Bio   The founders,  principals,  C-level executives and major investors should submit a one page bio for the press kit.  The qualifications of the leadership team should be made known.  Lou Hammond,  of the public relations firm Hammond and Associates,  recommends that three paragraphs is the ideal length of a bio.

Testimonials    Customer testimonials allow those who have done business with you to sing your praises and add loads of credibility to your professional capability.  Invite your three best customers to write a sentence or two and extol your virtues.  Again,  keep the testimonial segment to one page.

Press releases    Include three or four recent press releases,  so that the press kit recipient will know what you are saying about your business activity: new product or service launches,  business partnership,  speaking engagements,  webinar presentations or participation in a local charity event,  for example.

Article links     Formerly known as press clippings,  include links to articles in which your business has been mentioned to let interested parties know that you’ve garnered press coverage.

Photos    Invest in a session with a professional photographer and get an attractive head shot of yourself and each leadership team member.

Audiovisuals    A link to a short video clip of you or a leadership team member speaking at a prestige event,  accepting an award and/or demonstrating a product can be included.  Customer testimonials can also be presented in this format.

Press kits are usually compiled and distributed electronically.  Nevertheless,  there can be reasons to have ready hard copy to present to select individuals on the spot.   A physical press kit represents another opportunity to communicate good things about your brand.  Create an attractive and informative package.  Enclose the information in a portfolio folder in your company’s signature color.  Attach a pre-printed label that contains your company name and logo.  Print documents on good quality paper stock.  Remember to include your business card.

Despite the rise of social media,  the relevance of traditional media outlets,  whether print or online,  has not diminished.  No matter how many social media followers you may have,  mention of your name in the business section of a legitimate publication gives real credibility to you and your business.  Invest the time and money necessary to create an informative and attractive press kit and update its contents each year.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

Administrative, Marketing , , 1 Comment

The 21st Century Business Card

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I’ve become a lot more selective about who receives my business card.   I never hand over my card unsolicited,  unless I feel that follow-up with the intended receiver is a must and that the feeling appears to be mutual.   I’ve found that the traditionally employed are annoyingly promiscuous with business cards.   They hand them out at a furious pace,  mostly to folks they have no intention to interact with ever again.   Maybe it’s because they don’t pay for their cards?  Or maybe it’s because they are often not deal-makers or sales professionals,  so follow-up and relationship building are not tied to their success at work?

Over the years,  I’ve come to respect my business card.   I now realize that my business card is much more than a 2″ x 3 1/2″ piece of paper.   My card is my most ubiquitous marketing tool.  My card represents my brand when its recipient and I are no longer face to face.   My business card portrays me as a trustworthy and competent professional who will meet and exceed expectations through its text,  font style,  color scheme,   printing process and card stock.

The business card is a communication tool and is therefore part of your marketing plan.  See to it that its message aligns with all other marketing materials,  including the look of your website.  There is room for some creativity in its design,  so be authentic and allow your card to reflect your personality.

You may choose a vertical,  rather than the standard horizontal,  lay-out.  You may have a two-sided card,  or a 4″ x 7″ folded card,  both of which will allow you to include more information.  Real estate professionals have for several years included a photo of themselves on their card and you may choose that option as well.

Whatever style you choose,  take care not to overload your card with text.  Keep it simple and easy to read.  Include your name,  business name,  title,  telephone number,  email address and web address.   Providing your physical address is in many instances no longer necessary.   If you have a company logo,  absolutely include it and if there is space,  you may include social media contact info.

I was excited to learn that my little card can now become a 21st century interactive mobile marketing tool and include a Quick Response  (QR)  code.  Card recipients can scan the QR code with an Android,  iPhone or other camera-enabled smart phones  and be taken to my website,  LinkedIn profile,  or a specially formatted landing page.

Be mindful that whatever data is linked to the QR code must be optimized for smart phones and enable a friction-less experience for the user.   Add value to the mobile marketing experience by creating a special landing page as a one-sheet that describes three or four of your primary services and offers a free 30 minute consultation to prospective clients.  It is possible to get a free QR code through sites like http://delivr.com and http://qrstuff.com and as far as I know,  they work.

There are numerous reasonably priced options available to produce good quality cards for you.   Business card templates are available through companies such as Vista Print.  I hired a Freelance graphic artist friend to design my card.   Sir Speedy did the printing and recommended just the right card stock  (Sir Speedy also has business card templates available).

Your business card is the on-the-ground embodiment of your marketing plan.  It reflects your personal brand and makes as much of an impression as the suits you wear and the brief case you carry.  Design a card that is appropriate for your business,  industry and personal style and communicate to prospects and colleagues that doing business with you is good business.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

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Social Media Strategy for Solopreneurs

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Participation in one or more social media platforms is now a given in both the professional and personal spheres.  Nearly every Freelance solopreneur has a presence on at least one social media platform,  even if participation is not active.  Social media have the potential to provide benefits to business owners,  the self-employed and the traditionally employed,  but in order to reap those benefits,  one needs to understand how social media can best function for you.

The first question to consider is,  who’s listening? Do those you want to reach participate in social media for their organization’s needs or just for their own career? That answer will determine which platform you choose.  The second question is,  what is your business?  The third question is,  will social media function for you as a sales tool,  a marketing tool,  or PR?

If you produce a product that potential customers want to see, e.g.,  landscaping,  photography or fancy cakes,  then Facebook Fan Page,  Google + Business and maybe Pinterest are your social media best bets.  These platforms give you a place to post photos of your lovely creations.  Musicians,  artists and dancers use these platforms to display performance photos and videos.  LinkedIn Professional Portfolio also allows photos,  slide shows  and videos to be posted to the profile.  However,  LinkedIn has a “corporate”  image and prospective customers will not automatically search that platform when checking you out.

Foursquare is ideal for a bricks and mortar business.  First,  the platform specializes in geolocation,  so you’ll ensure that potential customers will find your business and second,  you can initiate dialogue between your business and customers.  Your customers may have already entered your business and created a page for you.  Links to Facebook and Twitter are available.  To track your advertising reach and evaluate the platform’s ROI,  offer exclusive  Foursquare specials and product updates.

Regarding dialogue,  Twitter is the king of all social media when having conversations about your business or industry is the goal.  Tweet the announcement of the class you’ll teach,  the conference you’ll attend and your thoughts on the presentation you just heard at that conference.   Store owners tweet the arrival of new merchandise;  restaurant owners tweet the daily specials;  musicians tweet the dates of upcoming performances.

LinkedIn is the social media platform of choice for the traditionally employed and Freelancers who offer business services.  I think of LinkedIn as my adjunct website,  where I can announce professional victories,  post a Power Point presentation that gives an overview of my services on Slide Share and link this blog and supply updates of new posts to my connections.  LinkedIn Groups lets me interact with peers in my industry by reading and participating in discussion threads.  Recruiters looking to fill jobs troll this platform in search of qualified candidates to interview.

Finally,  define how social media can function for you,  based on the business you’re in and the way your customers use social media.  If prospective customers like the look of the landscapes you design or the sound of your jazz combo and feel comfortable judging the value you provide online,  then social media directly impacts the sales process and is for you a sales tool .

If potential customers use Twitter memes to discuss industry developments,  then marketing is your social media strategy.  Use the platform to establish your bona fides as an up-to-date,  in-the-know thought leader.  Promote your expertise and develop a following by sharing a steady stream of relevant information  (content)  that will benefit prospects.  Tell,  don’t sell.

Google + Business Hang Outs,  which allow you to conduct a video call with up to 10 customers who may be located anywhere in the world,  make it possible to have an online face-to-face meet-up or meeting,  depending on your agenda.  Marketing as expressed through customer engagement,  market research and customer service is the social media function.

Peer-to-peer PR is the function of LinkedIn.  Stay abreast with what colleagues are doing professionally and announce your achievements.  Make recommendations and endorsements for those with whom you’ve worked,  in either a paid or volunteer position and receive commendations in return.  Those looking to hire employees or Freelance consultants always peruse the LinkedIn profiles of candidates,  so keep your profile current and complete.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

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Case Study and Client Success Story

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It is cause for celebration when your Freelance consulting expertise helps a client to achieve important objectives.  In previous postings I’ve recommended that you add to your website,  LinkedIn or Google +  sites case studies,  which are client success stories,  to demonstrate how you work with clients and the excellent outcomes that are realized when you arrive on the scene.

Business strategy development,  facilitation of business strategy meetings and marketing campaign development  (that is sometimes the result of a business strategy meeting that I’ve facilitated)  are my consulting specialties.  Special event and conference planning,  along with event marketing PR,  is an important niche market.  Also,  I develop curriculum and present workshops in business plan writing,  sales skills training and networking skills training.   My client list consists of small and medium-sized for-profit and not-for-profit organizations and except for teaching,  I connect with clients through referrals and personal introductions.

"Cooling Water"

“Cooling Water”

In November 2011,  a friend introduced me to the artist.  She is mixed-media collage painter and occasionally,  she sculpts brightly colored decorative bowls.  Her work had been featured in a small local museum that is far from the tourist areas and in solo or group shows in modest art galleries.  Over the years,  the artist had received several opportunities to enhance her career,  but she was often unable to follow-up and many slipped through her fingers.  Members of the creative class tend to have little energy available for business strategy and marketing.

She sold a few original paintings and her prints and decorative bowls sold reasonably well,  as did the greeting cards that featured images of her paintings.  The artist had recently earned a career victory,  when she was named the coordinator for a community arts initiative that is based at her alma mater.  She asked to meet with me.

We discussed her primary goal,  identified potentially promising opportunities and made a list of objectives that would serve as milestones.  Solo and group shows at more prestigious galleries,  an exciting offer to illustrate a children’s book published by a small local house and the formal launch of the arts project of which is coordinator were the defining objectives.

A business strategy and marketing campaign that would guide her choice of projects to accept or pursue,  to advance the primary goal of upgrading her brand and attracting higher-end collectors,  was developed and implemented.  Integral to the campaign was a revised marketing message and PR communications strategy.

The ArtMobile encourages local children to be creative

The ArtMobile encourages children’s creativity

Good results came quickly and serendipitous fortune appeared.  The university agreed to sponsor a big launch party for the arts project.  Outreach to the local cable television network led to the artist’s appearance on a talk show.  Two gallery shows were scheduled and offers for two more came in,  when gallerists who had been acquainted with her work,  but had not been moved to offer her a show,  learned of her affiliation with the community arts project.

One of those galleries is located in Martha’s Vineyard,  in the town where the President and First Lady,  who are known to be art lovers,  vacation.  The artist’s paintings sold well in Summer 2012 and she was invited to show her work there again this summer.  We have our fingers crossed and hope that the Obamas visit the gallery.

To review and evaluate the book illustration contract,  I referred to the artist an acquaintance of mine who is an intellectual property attorney and he gave the thumbs-up.  Because the book is based on a historical figure,  the artist felt that period research would be essential to her creative process.

I contacted a local college that has a well-regarded library and information science master’s degree program.  Within two weeks,  I was able to speak with four potential candidates who both concentrate on that period and have an interest in art.  I sent them to the artist for interviews and she hired two: one to perform research for the book and the other to catalogue her archive of paintings.

On the evening of July 3,  the artist hosted a large opening reception and birthday party at a restaurant that is now displaying several of her prints.  I contacted a pastry chef and asked him to create a special cake for the occasion,  a cake that depicted one of the artist’s paintings in butter cream frosting.  He chose to portray  “Never Walk Alone”.  A local newspaper was contacted and the editor sent a photographer.  Guests were wowed by the cake.  It was beautiful to behold and delicious!

The artist and the pastry chef

The artist, the pastry chef and the cake

The crowning milestone achievement was reached on July 16, 2013,  when the artist was sworn in as a committee member of the Boston Arts Commission,  a 123-year-old agency that chooses the art that will be displayed on City of Boston property.  This prestigious honor is a 5 year appointment.  The artist was nominated for the appointment by the arts association in the neighborhood where she has lived since childhood.  She leads art walk tours that highlight the distinctive architecture,  cultural institutions and public art in her neighborhood.

Swearing-in at the Boston Arts Commission

Swearing-in at the Boston Arts Commission

Signing appointment documents

Signing her appointment documents

Thanks for reading,

Kim

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Plan Now to Make More Money

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At last,  Summer is officially here.  Bright sunshine and abundant flowers do wonders for my mood,  yet the season does my wallet no favors.  Clients wrap up projects by June 30 and teaching opportunities grow scarce.  When it comes to paying bills, well…..But rather than grind my teeth,  I’ve learned that it is far more productive to make use of the down time.  Two activities headline my Summer to-do list:

1.  Professional development:  Sign up for a course or webinar,  attend a symposium,  read a business book or two

2.  Position myself to make more money:  Examine my client list,  marketing strategies and pricing structure and figure out which of those factors needs tweaking.  Meet with a prospect I’ve had my eye on over the past few months.

If you’ve been trying to meet up with a certain prospect,  Summer is usually the time to try to get to him/her,  because so many of us are less busy at this time of year.  Do what you can to make contact with that person.  If you have identified this person as a good prospect but you haven’t met,  you may know or surmise where he/she goes for business networking.  Get on the list and get your body in the door.  If possible,  recruit someone who commands respect to make an introduction,  so you will have a good endorsement and look more trustworthy.  If you’ve already made contact,  ring up your prospect and schedule lunch or coffee.  People are often more relaxed in Summer,  so you’re likely to have your best opportunity to build a relationship that leads to doing business.

While you’re thinking about prospective clients,  revisit your marketing strategy and confirm that you are reaching those who have both motive and money to hire you.  The essence of your marketing strategy is to know how to portray yourself favorably to the clients on your wish list.  That sounds so obvious it’s ridiculous,  but many Freelancers do not know who has the greatest potential to become their best clients or how to make themselves known to those in that group.  According to the 2012 Freelance Industry Report,  only 28%  of Freelancers who spend less than 2 hours/week on marketing bill at $70.00 + per hour,  while 41%  of Freelancers who spend 20+ hours/week on marketing bill at $70.00 + per hour.

Considering that a 2010 survey by the Freelancers Union revealed that 29%  of Freelance consultants earned less than $25,000.00 a year and 58%  earned less than $50.000.00 a year,  one can assume that not many are billing at $70.00 + per hour and if they are,  they’re receiving rather few hours.  Therefore,  consistently spending even two hours/week on marketing can reap tangible benefits,  since it has been demonstrated to have a direct correlation to your billable hourly rate,  if not the number of hours one is able to bill out.  (I wonder who has 20 hours/week to spend on marketing? )

Furthermore the busier you become,  the less attractive it is to keep low-paying and/or difficult clients on your roster,  because you will be unable to afford to keep them there.  Scarce time will also make you feel confident enough to ask current clients for a price increase as well.  Make time to do more marketing by dropping any difficult or low-rent clients and use that space to perfect and execute your marketing strategy.

To give yourself some inspiration check out free webinars,  if you’re unable to afford a course or a conference.  Those of you with teaching or speaking experience might even be invited to become a presenter.  I presented the webinar  “A Business Plan for Your Nonprofit”  on April 24 through Nonprofit Webinars  http://nonprofitwebinars.com/past_webinars/a-business-plan-for-your-nonprofit  .  Marketing strategies will be different for every category of service,  but robust marketing must be on the calendar of every Freelancer if we expect to connect with clients who are willing to pay us what we are worth.

Thanks for reading.  Have a happy 4th of July holiday.

Kim

 

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The Millennial Client

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The Millennial Generation has arrived and they are hotly pursued.  Millennials represent the future and everyone wants a piece of the 21 – 35 year-old market segment.  While prospecting,  you may have encountered a Millennial gatekeeper,  the boss’s young assistant.  Those in their early thirties will also be decision-makers,  so it’s time to make sure that your marketing message and sales strategy are appropriately tailored.

Millennials have been even more heavily chased by Corporate America than Baby Boomers.  They grew up in the age of product tie-ins to books and movies,  video games,  24 hour television,  music videos,  social media and cell phones.  They have been on the receiving end of 360 degree media bombardment for their entire lives.  As a result,  they excel at picking apart a marketing message.  They respond to what they feel is an authentic story about a product and they do not want a slick marketing message.

Michele Serro,  former associate partner at IDEO,  a design and innovation firm and founder of Doorsteps,  a New York City-based online tool for prospective homeowners that targets Millennials,  has done extensive research on this generation.  Serro found that for Millennials,  the marketing message is nearly inseparable from the product itself.

She found that to influence this cohort,  a holistic marketing approach is necessary and authenticity is essential.  “Millennials can sense when they’re being marketed to or told a story”,  Serro says,  “and they are extremely impatient with irrelevant information.”  A  “canned”  sales spiel will get you nowhere with Millennial decision-makers.  If they feel that your message is false,  you will be labeled as untrustworthy and that will be a deal breaker.

Your sales pitch should be the story of your product: a believable narrative that explains what your product does,  who your service is meant to benefit and how what you’re selling will help your Millennial decision-maker resolve or avoid a problem,  make the organization look good,  or service their organizations’ customers more effectively.

Because they’ve been forever immersed in social media,  Millennials are accustomed to interacting directly with the purveyors of the products and services that they use.  Facilitate that expectation of engagement:

1.  Make the text on your website read like a conversation and design your ads to reflect the content marketing style,  which is also conversational in tone.  Your message will be somewhat personal and casual.  It will allow your Millennial client to connect with,  understand and trust what you’re selling.

2.  Respect their intelligence and never dumb-down your message.  Millennials are ambitious,  as evidenced by their heroes Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg.  Present your information in a fast-paced way that has some whimsy.  You can be sincere or you can be clever.

3.  Work with their short attention spans and spread your message via tweets,  a constantly updated interactive website,  regularly updated blog posts,  YouTube and podcasts and content marketing type ads.  Make all postings smart phone friendly.

4.  Give them the opportunity to engage with your brand.  Start a dialogue that facilitates a conversation and set the stage for product loyalty.  Ask questions they’ll want to answer.  Create meaningful content that focuses on building community.  Not everything should be a sales pitch.

Nancy Robinson,  Vice President at Iconoculture,  a Minneapolis consumer research and advisory firm,  says that Millennials can become your loyal clients. “They’re loyal,  but that loyalty has to be earned and renewed.  They expect customer service,  they expect the product to be good,  they expect the product to work.”

Thanks for reading,

Kim

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Adding to Your Value-Added

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If you want to bill clients at premium prices,  you need to establish and present a brand that communicates your value-added as perceived by prospective clients.  In plain English,  you must make clients feel that you are worth the money.

A good brand is very seductive.  Brand loyalty leads people to pay $5.00 for coffee when they could buy perhaps higher-quality brew for $2.00.  It makes women covet $1000.00 + handbags so they can flash a certain designer label,  when handbags of similar quality and attractiveness,  but without the logo,  are available at less than half  that price.

As we continue to explore strategies to expand business,  let’s give some thought to building on authenticity  (see the May 28 post),  using it to strengthen perceived value-added and power of  the brand.  Increases in perceived value are generally more profitable than increases in the quality of services delivered.  Clients are known to pay more for what they think is worth more before they’ll pay for service upgrades.

Successful Freelance consultants deliver first-rate expertise and customer service.  As a marketing strategy,  we can attempt to make ourselves appear worthwhile to prospective clients in a number of ways.  One strategy can be to package ourselves rather lavishly,  handing out expensive business cards,  renting office space in the high-rent district and paying big registration fees to attend prestige conferences.  The premise is,  in order to attract big fish clients,  one must swim in the same waters.

Alternatively,  one may choose the high visibility route and invest scads of time on social media sites,  posting frequently, earning a high Klout score and showing up in the top ten of a Google search.  The premise is,  if one’s name is all over the internet,  then prospective clients will see it and one will then be considered the obvious choice when it is time to hire,  through the power of notoriety and perceived expertise.

Teaching,  speaking engagements and visible involvement in business and professional groups are a third strategy.  The premise here is that professional expertise is demonstrated through these activities and that builds trust and gives prospective clients the incentive to not only hire,  but pay a premium for services rendered.

Whichever strategy you find most attractive,  be mindful that your perceived value will be enhanced when you establish links with individuals and organizations that are admired and respected by your clients.  If you can arrange to be photographed with the mayor or governor,  it will raise your perceived value because you will be seen in the company of movers and shakers.  Membership in certain professional associations or social clubs may also confer significant value.

Professional certifications can do the same,  which is why a Certified Public Accountant can charge two or three times what an accountant with a degree but no special piece of paper can charge for providing nearly identical services.  The CPA designation allows a trust factor to kick in and it’s worth money.   According to Martin Reimann,  professor of Psychology at University of Southern California, the “right” affiliations and relationships bolster one’s perceived value.  They are endorsements of value-added.

My parents often told me when I was growing up that we are judged by the company that we keep.  I took that admonition to heart and picked my friends with care,  especially as I got older and there was more on the line.  The advice applies equally to our professional lives.  If it appears that we have the confidence of those whom prospective clients and referral sources respect,  we are more likely to be hired or referred and better able to charge premium prices for our services.  But it all starts with being authentic.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

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Getting Good PR

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Every Freelance consultant and business owner has an eye open for good publicity opportunities.  Articles written about one’s business are far more effective than paid advertisements,  because they are considered objective opinions.  Other than word of mouth by satisfied clients who sing your praises,  there is nothing better than good PR to help build the buzz that makes you look credible and successful and worthy of still more business.  So what are the best ways to get good publicity?

If you have the kind of business that can potentially attract more than sporadic media attention,  then building relationships with editors and writers whose publications and stories focus on your category of business is a good use of your time.  Once you’ve identified good media prospects by reading their articles,  send a press release that details an event that would interest.  In your email,  reference an article or two of theirs that you’ve read.  Follow up with a telephone call.  Offer to take that person to lunch or coffee.  Even if your press release doesn’t get you any editorial space,   you may be called to provide comments as an expert when other stories are written.  Check in periodically,  to maintain the relationship.  Meeting for coffee every once in a while can pay off.

Bloggers have lots of influence and it is sometimes a challenge to reach them.  Blog Dash is a site I recently found that helps you connect with bloggers whom you can hire to spread the good word about your business.  Fifteen categories of business are represented,  from arts to travel,  and numerous bloggers within each category can be reached.  There is a free option,  which will give you no real access to bloggers  (but they will see your business and may comment),  or you can pay up to $50.00/month and be able to pitch bloggers directly and build relationships.  http://blogdash.com

Write a good press release  (see my post Press Release Primer,  3.1.11)  to encourage traditional journalists and bloggers to give your story some editorial space.   They are considered old school in some quarters,  but a press release is still the way to get the word out to journalists and bloggers,  whether or not they know you.   But you have to provide good content and 95%  of the time what a Freelancer or other business person has to say is not considered relevant.  Hint:  when one advertises,  one generally receives editorial space.

Solicitations to provide expert opinion or commentary showcase you to look like the go-to in your field.   Help a Reporter Out HARO  http://helpareporter.com and Seek or Shout  http://sos.cision.com  allow you to respond to requests for quotes on any subject,  from big data to the medical device industry.  Three or four years ago I signed up with HARO but I quickly shut this free service off.  I was nearly buried in emails and I couldn’t take it.

It is obvious that the adage  “There’s no such thing as bad publicity”  was created before the dawn of social media.  Social media can cause a minor PR hiccup,  or negative customer review made by a spiteful customer (or maybe a competitor),  to blow up out of proportion and do you some damage.  Resist the temptation to hand over your social media functions to some 22 year old.  In theory,  social media updates ought to be a great responsibility for a young person who lives this stuff anyway, understands how to get the word out and works cheap.   The problem is,  that young person may not have the wherewithal to give the right answer when something challenging is written.

Creating good buzz about your business is part of the Freelance consultant or business owner’s job.  How to get that done in the most effective manner requires a strategic approach,  like all of your other business activities.  If sporadic PR is what your business attracts,  it is best to engage in a variety of activities to ensure that you appear viable and relevant to clients and colleagues.  You may not get written up,  but you will build a good reputation.   If your business is the type that would attract more press,  then spend the time and money to advertise in the relevant publications and build relationships with journalists who cover your kind of business.   Subscribe to have the ability to reach out to bloggers and see what that does for you.  Budget for a year and then evaluate.  Learn to write a good press release  (see my post  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE,  3.19.13).

Thanks for reading,

Kim

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Presenting a Webinar

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Last Wednesday I presented my first (and perhaps only) webinar.   To prove to myself and the world that I’m capable of presenting a webinar made it a worthwhile experience,  although I suspect that there will be no tangible benefit derived.  I was not paid to present (same old story, hey?).  So far,  the only follow-up has been a guy who wrote to me looking for free advice (of course!).

Nonprofit Webinars offers free one hour presentations each week and the selection is very good.  My topic was  “A Business Plan for Your Nonprofit”.  If you’re interested,  please visit   http://nonprofitwebinars.com   and you will be able to access my presentation,  plus several others.  Maybe you can explore the possibility of presenting a webinar yourself?

Putting together the presentation text was not a huge chore,  since I teach business plan writing on a regular basis.  The challenge was editing down a 6 hour workshop to less than one hour (to allow for a Q & A session) and adapting the focus to a nonprofit,  rather than for-profit, venture.

The part I hated was creating the Power Points.  I am no graphic artist and I resent that audiences expect as much graphics works as they do content.  My feeling is that a webinar is like radio.  Content is king and graphic art is the chorus.  The mere thought of producing graphic art work caused me severe stress.  But I had to do the deed.

I found out how to get free online images and registered myself at Morguefile  http://morguefile.com ,  which has hundreds of very decent high-resolution photos available for download to your desktop.  A respectable number of them were applicable to my topic.  I chose photos that were interesting and somewhat ironic or amusing,  yet still related to my topic.

High resolution photos present a problem,  though,  because too many photos cause your file to be too “heavy” to send as an attachment.  Thank goodness a friend who is proficient in producing customized Power Points shrank some of the images and combined with text on some slides and wrote text on top of other photos.  She also used the Power Point animation feature,  which I know exists,  yet was totally unable to figure out.  As I said,  graphics work is not my forte.

On webinar day,  there were technical issues to surmount.  Go-to-Webinar refused to download in Internet Explorer,  but thank goodness I also have Firefox.  Second,  one is supposed to speak into a land line with a headset.  I had neither,  but my iPhone 4 gave good sound quality,  according to the moderator,  and it was better without the headset.

I rehearsed,  but I could have done more  (my schedule went crazy).  I got a little nervous and talked somewhat too fast.  I synched the slides,  the text and my voice over rather well.  I did my best to sound more conversational and less preachy because a webinar is radio,  with visuals.

I developed simple poll questions to help me know who in the audience had done business planning and strategic planning previously and I took questions at around the 15 minute mark and again at around 30 minutes.  I preferred to address a few questions as I went along,  rather than holding all until the Q & A.  The moderator handles all questions and the presenter gives the answers.  I got some very good questions and I felt good about my answers.  I conveyed my expertise,  which was the objective.

Toward the end of Q & A,  my phone connection cut off and I had to dial back in,  which was frustrating.  I handled it like a trooper and traded some relaxed banter with the moderator.

So what grade would I give myself? A solid B.  If by some miracle I do this again,  I’ll make myself rehearse more.  Other than that,  I’m happy with my performance.  If only I could get a client out of it!

Thanks for reading,

Kim

Marketing , , 9 Comments

A Winning Email Marketing Campaign

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I’ve not done many email marketing campaigns,  mostly because I dislike being on the receiving end of such campaigns,  so I made the decision to basically avoid that method of outreach.  I was remiss,  because there are times when an email marketing campaign fits the bill.  Content marketing,  or the new advertising,  is an excellent way to stay in contact with clients and cultivate prospective clients and that strategy forms the basis of email marketing campaigns.

What I needed to do was learn how to craft an effective email message,  create a catchy subject line,  avoid looking like spam and send the email to the right group of people.  In other words,  I had to learn how to do a proper email marketing campaign.  To that end,   I invite you to copy my homework.

1.   Start with a good list

Everyone on your email list should want to receive your emails.  Include a safe unsubscribe feature to allow those who would rather not receive your emails to opt out.  When collecting names,  ask if the person would like to receive email updates from you.  To track emails sent,  you may want to invest in Did They Read It  http://didtheyreadit.com, which will anonymously report to you the read rate of your emails.  Constant Contact  http://constantcontact.com ,  the email marketing platform,  will send out and track your email marketing messages and your newsletter,  too.  According to the Email Marketing Metrics Benchmark study done by the marketing firm Silverpop in 2012,  the open rate is 20%.  The click-through rate,  or the measurement of how many people clicked on a link that was embedded in your email and most of all the conversion rate,  or how many people signed up for a special offer or did business with you,  reveal the value of your email list.  Still,  the open rate is a very telling measure because nothing happens until the email is opened.

2.   Information, not sales

A few paragraphs that give newsworthy updates about the industry sectors of your principle client groups,  or info that can be used to help list members solve a common problem,  will greatly improve your email open rate.  An email marketing campaign is not the forum in which to swing for the fences and score a big sale or assignment.  Rather,  an email marketing campaign is the place to let your expertise shine and offer no-cost value to current and prospective clients.

3.   Subject line that pops

Be edgy and provocative, be witty,   be amusing,  but don’t be boring.  When your recipient opens emails and is faced with a huge stack,  make him/her want to open yours and see what you have to say.

4.   Interesting photo or video

A picture is worth 10,000 words,  so add a good photo or two to your email,  one that communicates some aspect of your message.  A short video of you speaking to a topic,  or a testimonial by one of your clients,  is also compelling.

5.   Easy call to action

Once you’ve made the case,  remember to ask the recipient to do something with the information that you’ve provided: take a survey,  sign up for a free 30 minute consultation,  sign up for your newsletter.   Resist the temptation to go for the jugular and force a sale in your email marketing campaign.  The more successful strategy is to entice the recipient to make some small contact with you that appears to have more benefit for them than it does for you.  Build trust and familiarity first and you will become the obvious choice when your services are needed.

6.   Optimize for smart phones

It has been reported that nearly half of all emails are now opened up via smart phone.  Figure out how to size and space your email and links to make it easy to read on a smart phone.

Despite numerous pronouncements to the contrary,  email marketing is alive and well,  according to a January 2013 survey conducted by the marketing services provider Experian.  Their survey indicated that correctly conceived email marketing campaigns remain the best way to draw traffic to your website and increase sales revenue.  So copy my homework and get busy creating one for your business.

Thanks for reading,

Kim