The Cascade Effect, is a one-stop-guide for small businesses, startups and those who want to learn how PR can grow your business, making you a successful entrepreneur!



Wednesday, June 10, 2009

New Blog Segment - News Links of the Day

There are so many sites out there offering all kinds of helpful information to me and anyone trying to understand or generate positive public relations for their business. With this in mind, I'm starting a new blog segment of relative news stories and information you should know.

Let me know what you think. In the meantime, I'll try and come up with a better name for this segment of posts and roll it out with a red carpet-type presentation.

NBC launches TheGrio.com, a "video centric news site" aimed at the African American community

Biz owners, be smart, use online wisely or could bring negative PR

Should your business Tweet? Tweeting not for everyone


And of course if you follow me on Twitter, you will see most of these throughout the day. Just thought it might be easier to provide one posting of my so called "food for thought".

If you're not following me on Twitter....you should be! Twitter @SmallBizPRXpert

Wednesday, June 03, 2009

Why Your Business Needs a Press Kit


Your press kit is the most important tool you can have to successfully achieve public relations for your business. Why? It tells your story! You wouldn't go to a meeting or new business presentation without a materials to present and discuss, so why would you just pick up the phone and contact media and not expect them to request information?

It is the FIRST tactic I perform for all of my clients!

Developing your press kit is one of the very first things you should do before pursuing media stories. It's purpose is to be an all-inclusive package of information on your business that tells media why they should write a story.

A press kit might include:

1. Press release(s)
2. Owner bio (human interest story)
3. Company backgrounder
4. Product fact sheets
5. Tip sheets for expert positioning
6. Testimonials
7. List of story ideas
8. Product samples (as part of press kit mailing)
9. Product photos
10. Company logo and other valuable graphics

Let me re-iterate the importance of the press kit: I spend most of my time each week pitching media and when I speak to journalists by phone they always ask for an email with information (i.e. press kit materials). When I approach them via email initially I always include one or two pieces from the press kit - usually the most relevant press release and company backgrounder.

Remember that journalists receive hundreds of pieces of mail and email everyday and this is the ONE chance, first-impression you get with media. Since they don't have a great deal of time, you must include valuable information along with a well-crafted story pitch in order to catch the attention of media. If you don't they will either be interested enough to email and ask for information or....worse....they will trash the email altogether, and you miss out.

One last thing to remember is that just because you send out your story idea and materials to media doesn't mean that they're going to drop everything at that very moment to write the story - unless, of course, it is immediately timely. Offering media press kit materials allows them the opportunity to make some notes and put it on file for a future story that they may be considering your business for. Just make sure that your contact information near the top and clearly visible. No contact means no story.

For more information, read this...

Tuesday, June 02, 2009

Be Prepared for Anything When It Comes to Media Interviews


You’ve written the press release, pitched media your story and now a journalist wants to interview you. The story could be a feature on you and your business or it could be a trend story a journalist is considering including you in. Either way, much like you would for a job interview, you have to be prepared for anything when it comes to the media interview.

One great example of this is a client of mine Interview Angel founder Brent Peterson. My firm recently secured him an interview opportunity with the Wall Street Journal. The journalist had a job search/interview trend story in mind regarding crazy interview tactics (hoops candidates jump through for a job) that companies take to find the right candidate. She had a specific angle that she wanted Brent to comment on and we pitched his response to her. When she was ready to write the article she interviewed Brent who did discuss the things he’d initially responded with but also gave her another angle that was informational and generous on his behalf.

The angle Brent provided was about candidates volunteering their way to a job, which the journalist closed the article with. What was so generous was that he provided a real life anecdote of someone he hired on a volunteer basis to help create and promote the Interview Angel Sweepstakes. He not only promoted his business in the article but this young man and the sweepstakes all in one of the country’s top newspaper/online outlets. Brent followed his conversation with the journalist carefully and found a unique opportunity for his business.

Did he take a risk by going off topic? Maybe but not before making sure that he covered the specific angle the journalist was working on. All in all it benefited her story and made it that much more interesting for job seekers.

Being prepared to handle anything in an interview means knowing your business, industry and journalist’s story angle inside and out. It really truly is like interviewing for a job. You have to take time to research and prepare before any kind of interview; to be able to speak wisely on your business and industry while communicating key messages, other story angles that might be of interest and know the conversation can go in several directions. Once you’ve met the journalist’s needs you can afford to go off topic. After all, you’re just having a conversation with a journalist and as long as it’s related to the story it can go anywhere.

And practice makes perfect! Print out what you want to say – story angles, key messages – get in front of a mirror and practice, practice, practice. Most importantly, remember to speak in short, valuable soundbites that the journalist can easily use as a quote.

And…you will create media opportunities that will truly benefit your business!

Learn more with our one-of-a-kind DIY PR program SmallBizPRMadeEasy.com

Follow me on Twitter for daily SMB and SMB PR Tips @SmallBizPRXpert

Monday, June 01, 2009

Google giving small businesses local search data

June 1, 2009 1:19 PM PDT
Google giving small businesses local search data
by Tom Krazit

Google is giving local merchants the ability to access data about how Web surfers arrive at a local listing in Google Maps, in hopes of figuring out why so many people in a particular neighborhood are searching for pizza.

Google lets small businesses create a small Web listing that appears next to queries such as "pizza San Francisco," which pop up in Google Maps with a link to a business's Web site and address information, through a service called Local Business Center. Inside the center, they've been able to do things like verify their address and phone number but Google is now adding search results data to the dashboard within Local Business Center, said Carter Maslan, director of product management for local search.

For example, San Francisco pizza parlors will be able to see the zip codes from which searches originate that wind up at their listing, the keywords that searches are using to find their result, and basic stats about search activity, Maslan said. The idea is to give those businesses a set of metrics from which they can make business decisions about expanding delivery areas, advertising in certain areas, or what people are looking for in a local pizza joint.


Read more...

Join Twitter to Get Unique Daily Tips


Twitter has become a great resource for business owners and individuals over the last year. For me, personally, I've found that it's a great way to connect with small business owners and offer unique daily PR and marketing tips that will help you in growing your business.

Small Biz PR Tips ONLY offered by Jennifer Fortney
One day as I was sitting looking at Twitter I wondered how I can translate my drive to help educate small businesses through this particular social media. That's why I created "Today's SMB PR Tip" and "Today's SMB Tip". No one else offers anything close to it and many have found them quite useful, especially when I provide links to my blogs or to related stories. This really is a rare opportunity for my clients and those of you who are interested in DIY PR. You aren't going to find the kind of information and opportunities I offer anywhere else on Twitter or the Web. I'm excited to be able to communicate with small to medium-sized business owners across the country and world and encourage you all to KEEP MARKETING FOR SUCCESS!


Twitter Tips Takes Five Minutes a Day

Using Twitter smartly will give you an abundance of information and help you build new relationships in just a few minutes a day. Using it "smartly" means that you follow only those people who are truly of interest to you and provide meaningful information. In just a few minutes a day you can

1. get tips and ideas for your business
2. use the opportunity to ask me questions directly about your PR and marketing efforts (in 140 characters or less, of course!)
3. follow news outlets key to your business' PR success
4. communicate your business in a new way to new people

That's just another reason why you should follow @SmallBizPRXpert today!

See you on Twitter!