The Power of One Targeted Media Story

In truth, it is very rare that your marketing strategies work immediately, including PR. Why is this? Simply put sometimes the most targeted media story you can get may happen to be in a magazine, and national pubs work up to six months out. So, while you've secured the opportunity, you still have to wait six months for it to hit. This can be true for a lot of media. But then again, you realize that marketing, in general, is a long-term process that needs nurturing and requires patience.

There are those few precious times when a journalist can take interest in your story and change the face of your business overnight. The best way to explain this is to give you examples of two of our clients.

About two years ago my friend, Dr. Michele Kehrer came to me and said "I'm one of few people in the country who treats chronic dizziness and balance issues, which 90% of Americans will suffer from at one point, and doctors don't know about me". It was a great story and was immediately picked up by the local ABC affiliate's HealthBeat. They came out the next week, taped and ran the story not just once but four times over the next several days - mostly appearing late night. Her business, Lifestyle Physical Therapy & Balance Center got more than a shot in the arm - she picked up over 100 patients and it transformed her clinic, literally, overnight. Two years later she has doubled her staff, again, and is enjoying less work and more management of the business.

More recently, as in this week, our pro bono client Kendall Ciesemier of Kids Caring 4 Kids, and I, finally saw the fruits of our labor. Roughly three months ago, Channel One, a news resource for six million kids across the country that is fed directly into classrooms, called and said they were in from New York for a story and wanted to cover Kendall's interesting story - and it is interesting (read more). Her primary goal: to distribute her "i care 2" kit and encourage American kids to support AIDS orphans in Africa. It took a few months to edit (and breaking for the holidays) and finally aired January 11, 2010 on Channel One. The result - within just a few days hundreds of kits were requested, donation pages set up on her website and....to date those numbers are still growing.

Why did these work to produce so much for these two organizations? Because the story truly hit their target demographics. Other key ingredients for success are two great stories, something the public would be interested in as well as learning about, they differentiated themselves from anyone else and both are extremely passionate about what they want to accomplishment.

This is what one truly targeted story can do for your business

This isn't to say that you aren't passionate about your business, it's about locating your story, writing and presenting it in a compelling way (Make it News!) and finding the one media outlet that reaches the particular audience you desire most.

Look, there are a lot of people out there who practice the "Bowl of Spaghetti" theory to PR - take a bowl of spaghetti, throw it up on the wall and see what sticks. In this case, write a press release, SPAM it to every journalist on the list and see who shows interest. Our particular approach was hands on, meaning our clients gave us their media wish list of about 10-15 and we went out and got them interested. It was more than just "sending an email", we crafted our story to each particular media and audience and....gasp....we even called them on the phone over just distributing by email.

Yes, generating PR, and marketing in general, takes time. Valuable time out of your day when you could be doing other things to run your business, but isn't it worth it to you and your business to focus on it for a week and see what develops? It could change your business and make your dreams of becoming a successful entrepreneur come true.

In both cases, it took one person to stand out from the crowd with a great story to impart success. There is only one way to success.....go out and find your amazing story and if you're struggling, then it's worth it to find an experience news/PR professional to write it for you.

Follow me on Twitter @SmallBizPRXpert and @MyStorySource or subscribe to MyStorySource.com for FREE to pitch your story to media.

Positive PR for Great Nonprofit

In 2009, my involvement with I Should Be in The News, a nonprofit with a national network of PR people helping other nonprofits achieve positive PR, led me to Kendall Ciesemier and her organization Kids Caring 4 Kids (www.KidsCaring4Kids.com). We shared her vision and she became Cascade Communications' pro bono client for the year.

We rarely toot our own horns but this one story is a great example of what PR can do...for any organization. Her amazing story drew attention from Channel One news (about 6 million viewers in schools across the country) and resulted in the largest number of requests for her "i care 2" kit since she was on Oprah a few years ago.

http://www.channelone.com/onair/finding_strength_archive/

Kendall's story has inspired all of us to do more for AIDS orphans in Africa, and around the world - providing them with school uniforms, education, meals, bicycles and clean water. Many of these young kids walk miles to school and to get water while at the same time taking care of their younger siblings. No 11, 12, 13+ year old child should have this kind of responsibility. As a journalist and PR professional, it is these unique stories that make our jobs worthwhile and we're thrilled that the opportunity came our way.

Congratulations, Kendall! We hope the request for kits continue to pour in!

Do You Really Value Your Company, Customers?

In light of times like we’ve been through it’s easy to see why so many companies have been pushing major sales promotions – a. to move product and inventory to prepare for new and b. to just make the sale.

While this is not typically a bad thing, and something most businesses do regularly, it can become a problem when you do it just to make money; a quick sale. These business owners are focused on making money and lots of it, not nurturing the value of their brand, company, products and services, let alone their customers (who, I might remind you, are the reason you’re making money).

What I mean is that sometimes we can get so focused on “the money” that we fail to zero in on what is making that money. Obviously your customers, and their buying because they see value in what you’re offering. When you cheapen it with incredibly deep discounts or sales promotions that you can’t possibly fulfill just for a quick shot in the arm of cash, you are devaluing your brand, products and services.
Why do some people do this? Well, because they don’t see their own value.

When you don’t or stop seeing value in your offerings you become nothing more than annoying sales people and your customers will leave – you will always be chasing money (customers) rather than focusing on keeping existing customers happy and growing that base for real success.

Now, don’t get me wrong, a business always needs to think about its sales process, but what it can’t do is become so centered (to get tunnel vision) on that one element. It will fail you over time. Why? Because today’s consumers are smarter than they’ve ever been before. They want customer service. They want to feel valued by you and your business. They want to feel good about buying from you and part of a unique community supporting your business. Trust me, if they don’t receive any of this then they will leave and buy from your competitor.

Sometimes customer service can be the difference between you making the sale or your competitor. It’s time that we all remember who drives this economy, the consumer, and start:

• Developing customer service plans (even if it’s only one sheet)
• Planning special promotions in advance
• Stop working in “crisis” mode to making money
• Develop open and customized communications plans specifically for customers
• Focus on the long-term, keeping the customers you have and let them be part of the marketing process by giving valuable referrals
• Stop being a sales company and be good at what you really do. If you do it well and right the sales and success will come to you.

Here’s to a New Year with a new focus on how we run and grow our businesses and get back to what’s important – the customer.
Jennifer Fortney
Cascade Communications
Follow me on Twitter: @SmallBizPRXpert and @MyStorySource

The Best FREE Resources for Getting PR

In the past, as a PR professional there were a multitude of great resources we used to help generate news stories for our clients. Back then many were pay services that came by fax or even mail! Can you imagine how far ahead journalists had to plan to get a query posted on that one!

Well those days are mostly gone, thanks to the Internet and many service, while still pay are offering part of their service for free (promotionally) and others are just FREE.

Now my cohorts would ask me why I’m giving these away, but the reality is that if you really wanted to find them online, you will and I would rather have you visit Small Business Daily and save yourself some serious time.

Help a Reporter Out – sign up to receive this free email distribution three times daily with the latest queries from journalists looking for sources. Be ware. Participation has rules so best to read them before you get booted from the list.

Pitch Rate – also an email distribution that’s focus is on industry experts

Reporter’s Source – free email distribution with leads but you don’t have the chance to pitch the reporter yourself. Actually, you send in your pitch, it’s evaluated by the publishers and they pitch it for you. If the journalist is interested they put you in touch.

My Story Source – just launched. Free email distribution to media that allows you to pitch your news in the email and journalists contact you at their convenience. Also a good place to build community with other small businesses and nonprofits.

The Publicity Hound – a great place to get tips on improving your ability to generate positive PR for your organization.

Toilet Paper Entrepreneur – another great resource for entrepreneurs of every shape and size. A wealth of knowledge and information. Read the blog daily!

Jennifer Fortney
Cascade Communciations

Follow me on Twitter @SmallBizPRXpert

Benefits of PR - Couldn't Have Said It Better Myself

It's rare that I actually post something from another public relations professional, but hey, we're all on the same team, right? I came across this on Twitter today and thought...."I couldn't have said it better myself!" So, Jenna, this could be the start of a beautiful friendship.

Benefits of Public Relations
By: Jenna (Gruhala) Oltersdorf

It’s no secret that both public relations (PR) and advertising offer unique benefits when employed correctly. And, when working together, the two practices can build awareness, boost brand value and drive sales. Some of our most successful campaigns stem from a strong relationship between our PR team and advertising agency partners.

To contrast the two, PR earns media coverage through strategic outreach to journalists while advertising is a controlled message placed in paid-for space. Both practices work to influence the behavior of consumers by swaying opinion, calling consumers to action, etc., but the tactics used to gain results and meet goals couldn’t be more different.

Unfortunately, PR tends to be overlooked during the planning stages of some marketing campaigns because many don’t fully understand the benefits. And, if PR isn’t overlooked all together, many times key decision makers don’t quite understand how it works or worse, don’t understand how to measure a PR campaign’s success (common measurements include impressions, number of placements and types of placements).

The primary goal of any PR campaign, no matter how large or small, is to build relationships. Through these relationships, we’re able to secure stories, build momentum and create opportunities for brands, be it a person, organization, product or service. Before launching any PR campaign, it’s important to outline measures of success to fairly evaluate the benefits as well as manage expectations both internally and externally.

So what sort of benefits can you expect from a well-planned PR campaign?

Read more....

Pitch to Editors Should Cross Mediums

Score Multiple Hits Per Pitch: Chicago Tribune Critic Daley Suggests Writing Pitches Adaptable for Print, Online, Radio and Social Media

Jim Bucci (jbucci@bulldogreporter.com) Issue Date: Daily 'Dog - August 19, 2009 "Pitches need to be adaptable to multiple platforms and multiple adaptations," says Bill Daley, a food and wine critic for the Chicago Tribune. "I need to be able to write something for the newspaper, rewrite it into a radio script and also do it as a tweet. For example, I once took research for one story and repackaged it seven ways for the different media types. Pitches have to be focused and laser sharp. Fewer journalists mean fewer of us doing more things." His additional tips for scoring more coverage per pitch: Read more...

Business Week: Time to Change Course?

I will say it again, today's small businesses have a real opportunity to grow their business by thinking outside of the box; getting creative and maybe even finally forcing your business in a new direction, which you've been delaying.

Moreover, these changes can create opportunities for public relations for your business, further setting you apart from competitors. Here is a great article from Business Week Small Business.....


Is It Time for Your Business to Change Course? By Ann Field Business Week

In an economy like this, it may take more than tinkering to turn you company around. But big changes carry big risks

Kim Matheson Shedrick had spent 16 years growing New York-based Natural Resources into a 15-person, $1 million company that advises developers of high-end spas. But in late 2008 no one was building much of anything, never mind pricey spas selling hot seashell massages and lavender-oil body scrubs. Matheson Shedrick decided the time was ripe for an idea she'd been kicking around since 2001—mySpaShop.com, which would offer products and wellness advice for less affluent spa aficionados. "I looked at how I could use all the contacts I have in the industry to target the customer who can't spend $500 visiting a spa," says Matheson Shedrick, who now makes $10,000 a month through the site. She also expanded the B-to-B side of her company, charging spa owners a monthly fee for advice on how to boost revenue. She expects the new line of work to bring in about 15% of her overall sales by the end of the year.

Sometimes, when business is bad, you can't just tinker at the edges—you have to make fundamental changes to your company. That might mean selling to a new market or changing your offerings. It might mean strategic changes in distribution or marketing.

Read more....

10 Ways to Generate PR for Ongoing Media Coverage

Today, I'm going to let you in on a little secret that Fortune 500 companies and larger "small" businesses caught on to a long time ago: To grow a successful business you have to continue "branding" it in the minds of your audience. Okay, in layman's terms this means that you need to engage in a steady flow of marketing for the lifetime of your business to ensure ongoing growth and long-term success.

Yes, as a small business owner myself, I clearly recognize that funding an integrated marketing campaign year after year can be a real challenge for a cash-strapped small business, so let's just focus on the many ways you can build an ongoing PR program.

The one thing I continue telling my clients is that they have a real opportunity to leap frog over their competitors by being flexible and creative - you don't have the red tape and paper pushing through various departments to deal with. You can, literally, decide today that you want to hold a promotion in three weeks and make it happen.

To generate ongoing public relations for your business you simply have to keep thinking outside of the box.

First of all, everyone wants a business feature on their organization, but after you get it media aren't going to do it again, for at least five years, unless you grow at lightening speed or sign a serious client.

Here are 10 ways you can generate more PR for your business:

1. HR announcements
2. Business wins/partnerships
3. Sales/promotions
4. New product introductions
5. Expert advice & tips
6. Events
7. Charity tie-ins
8. Office Move - say into a larger facility, bringing jobs
9. Pro bono
10. Recipes/food

There are other things that you can pursue and each industry has its niches. This is just a handful of my top suggestions. For instance, trend stories that you can comment on from either a national or industry perspective - just don't get caught in the clutter of everyone else attempting to do the same thing.

To be successful at achieving ongoing PR you must clearly differentiate yourself from competitors.

At the end of the day, public relations is a credibility builder. The more people see your name or that of your business in the news, the more likely they will view it as a credible resource, and see you as someone they should do business with.

Public relations doesn't stop with the business announcement. Be different, be creative and generate more press to position you positively in your community and industry, and....you will GROW!

Follow me on Twitter @SmallBizPRXpert for daily SMB PR Tips, or become a PR expert for your business by joining www.SmallBizPRMadeEasy.com for inexpensive weekly lessons, templates, tips, advice, expertise, media interviews and more!

GrowSmartBiz Wants Your Story

Small Business Success Stories Wanted! Winners Attend GrowSmartBiz Conference for FREE!
August 4th, 2009 :: Steven Fisher

Every small business owner has a story, and we want to hear yours! As a small business owner, you put your heart and soul into your work, but that effort often goes largely unnoticed. This is your chance to tell everyone about your company and what you have done to make it a success.

Tell us your story! From August 11 through September 22, Network Solutions will select one small business success story from the entries each week to publish on the GrowSmartBusiness Blog, a site dedicated to furthering small business growth. Additionally, each of the eight winners will receive FREE admission to the GrowSmartBiz Conference – a premier educational and networking event designed to help small business owners successfully grow their enterprises – hosted on September 29, 2009 at the Renaissance Hotel in Washington, D.C.

Read more....

Magazine Sales Decline: Want PR, Subscribe Now

Everyday someone asks me what the most important element to a successful PR campaign is and everyday I give them the same answer: "Know the media. Understand how they work and what journalists are writing about". It's really quite simple, except that there are so many media outlets out there now. How does one keep up with all of it?

As a publicist the answer is not so easy for me, but it is quite a bit simpler and easier to do for small business. Just select those publications/media you want to be in and read, listen and watch each day, week, month. Sure you can get the latest news online, but it's worth it to subscribe....especially if you want to be in that publication any time in the next few years.

This week's news revealed bad news for the nation's magazines. It is our reality. However, even as circulations decline the demand for my clients and other small businesses to be in those magazines is not ceasing. Everyone believes that if they can only make into "O" that their lives and businesses will become a mad success. And that's why I say "If you want to be in it, buy it!"

Remember that while a magazine is a great way for you to promote your business, others rely on advertising in them, and others....well it puts food on their table. So before you cut subscriptions to your fav mags and those that could be your meal ticket, read this article and think again.

First Half Circ Data Reveals Bad Newsstand Dropoff
Aug 2, 2009
-By Lucia Moses for MediaWeek

Single-copy sales for many magazines tumbled in the first half of 2009, when consumers pinched pennies and delivery snafus kept many stores from getting product.

The Audit Bureau of Circulations’ first-half magazine report isn’t due out until Aug. 31, but filings of publishers’ estimates to the ABC’s Rapid Report paint a grim picture of single-copy sales, roughly a third of the industry’s paid circulation revenue.

Early this year, some publishers suspended deliveries to wholesalers over their demand for higher per-copy delivery fees. One of them, Anderson News, went out of business as a result of the kerfuffle. Read more...

Valuable SMB Reading

Just a collection of some valuable online stories that all small business owners should read. I picked up this collection through Twitter.

Three Reasons Your Business Needs a Blog

Free Apps for Monitoring Your Brand on Social Media

Six Laws of Small Business Advertising

Twitter Tips for Small Business

Why Your Business Needs a Policy and Procedures Manual


Jennifer Fortney, Cascade Communications and SmallBizPRMadeEasy.com

Follow me on Twitter @SmallBizPRXpert

Maverick Advice for Entrepreneurs

I have to say I actually didn't go out looking for this blog, but while trying to find examples of good CEO blogs for a client I stumbled across Mark Cuban's. I have to say I think this particular post is valuable to entrepreneurs, and you might find even more value if you dig further. Bookmark it!



Success & Motivation – If(Cash In < Cash Out)= You are a Consultant
Jul 8th 2009 8:52AM

Business is a very simple concept. You have to pay your bills. If you have anything left over, you get to smile and spend it as the principals of your business see fit. If you don’t have enough to pay your bills, you either have to raise money to cover the deficit, file bankruptcy and try it again, or go out of business.Simple.

There are no other options. Sure, you can sell, give or throw the business on someone else and make it their problem, but that doesn’t change the math. If(totalcashin
No matter what kind of business you have, you absolutely, positively must have a revenue strategy. No revvie, no survivee.

Read more...

How the Internet Can Help Drive PR

The Internet has done great things for our lives. Seriously, think about waking up tomorrow without it! Not only has it allowed us the opportunity to find news and information, resources and more, it’s given little stores across the world the chance to have customers around the world. We’re no longer tied to doing business in our local regions, but we have the opportunity to expand and grow our businesses in a way that’s never really been available before.

It is also giving small businesses the opportunity to attract the attention of media….that’s if they can find you.

This brings me to the key connection between SEO (search engine optimization) and generating public relations. PR strategy has always focused on the “traditional” with press releases and press kits being sent directly to journalists, follow up calls and emails sent and a proactive approach to results. Today, the Internet is giving journalists a new way to search and find small businesses, new products and companies, experts to use as story sources…but that’s only if they can find you.

Remember: When using the Internet to market your business, most people don’t know they’re looking for you and your business until they find you!

This is why SEO becomes a critical part of the marketing mix for your business, and to further your chances of generating positive PR for your business. It’s not enough to have a great website, you also need to make sure that it is built specifically for search – meaning what would the average person search for, or what terms would they use to find you? The same goes for how you write your press release and distribute it online. Like anything else, if you utilize your key search terms in your press release, the odds improve that a journalist, or new potential partner or vendor, will find you.

Crafting your story for SEO:

* Write your press release
* Write out a list of all the key search terms someone might use to locate your business
* Cut this list down to the Top 10
* Now compare your press release to this list. Where are these search terms? Are they located in the headline, sub headline or lead paragraph? Well, they should be.

This can become tricky though as the lead paragraph of your press release needs to be kept down to three-four to the point sentences. I know…tricky. If it seems impossible, then you might consider writing two kinds of press releases – one for media and one for search. Then make sure all of this is also available in your online press room, which I’ll talk about next week.

This one thing, if done correctly, will open new doors for you on the web. Whether it’s getting the attention of a journalist or finding a new partner in business offering a mutually beneficial relationship. It’s definitely worth giving it a go and seeing what happens. Use some the free release distribution sites, see what kind of return you get and then make changes in future releases.

However, the most important part of your press release, the point of it really, should never be overlooked. It’s about your story….something really, truly newsworthy. It’s not about writing a release every week and spamming it across social media networks and free distribution sites. It’s better to send them out when you really have news or something to share every now and again than each week. If the content is not valuable, after awhile, people will just ignore everything you distribute. It’s called…..crying wolf and when you do have huge news to share no one will be there to listen.

Jennifer Fortney, Cascade Communications and SmallBizPRMadeEasy.com

Follow me on Twitter @SmallBizPRXpert or join our new group on LinkedIn My Source for Stories – where we connect small businesses with the media

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

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...

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

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!

Summit Takes a Look at Future of PR, News Media

If you're interested in knowing how the future of journalism and PR is changing, here is a great piece and synopsis of a pros conference. It impacts small business as much as corporations, but also means that small business has the same opportunities as big business with big marketing budgets. Creativity will go a long way in marketing your business in the future.

Media Relations Summit Finale: PR Pros and Journalists Envision a Brave New Relationship in Web 3.0 Future By David Copithorne, Principal, Aquarius Advisers

Dan Abrams, MSNBC's principal legal analyst, set the tone for the final day of Bulldog Reporter's Media Relations Summit 2009 Tuesday when he told keynote attendees that the rules of the media relations game have changed for good. "These days, every business is a media business," said Abrams, who is also the founder of a new advisory service leveraging a database of 2,500 mainstream- and social-media experts to help businesses navigate the new media environment.

Reporters and editors struggling to feed the web 24-by-7 must collaborate with businesses creating their own media as digital technologies break down the old adversarial relationship between journalists and professional communicators. The result is a brave new world where best practices in PR, marketing and journalism are already being radically redefined, Abrams said.

Walls tumbling down — between old media and new media, journalists and PR people, companies and their customers, and within organizations of all sizes—was a recurring theme voiced by speakers from the ranks of both the media and PR throughout the day.

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Theory Wastes Time, Focus for SMB

There are so many ways to market your business today, mostly thanks to the Internet. Chris Nastav has made some great points on Small Business Daily about many of these online networking opportunities and, I agree, that many have become quite a fad. One that has some business owners spending hours a day simply managing their social networks and not their business.

I truly believe in face-to-face networking and have been doing it since I started my business nearly eight and half years ago. I was so intensely focused that I would be off to some kind of networking event every day, even spending some days at a breakfast, lunch and happy hour. Then came the social networking sites and everyone and their dog was all over each and every one of them. I was exhausted and took a step away from it all and what I realized was that I was taking the “bowl of spaghetti theory” to networking – this is the complete and total antithesis of what I preach about marketing.

Instead of being targeted with my time and energy by attending events and utilizing social networks that would, well, work for me, I was flinging everything I had in about 10 different directions – much like taking a bowl of spaghetti, throwing it up on the wall and seeing what sticks.

What I was doing was wasting a lot of time. Since then, I’ve knocked myself down to only attending key events with key organizations and knocked my social networking focus down to four top sites. (Seriously, who are these people who have ALL DAY to do this?)

I use the networking approach here because it’s something everyone can understand. You’re in such a hurry to drive business that you aren’t being targeted or probably even all that effective.

Networking is one of the best ways to market your business, but unfortunately so many small businesses take this same approach in their overall marketing. Small business owners think they should be advertising so they do…every where they can but fail to reach their audience and say what they need to say. This carries over to direct mail, direct email, branding, public relations and even utilization of social networks.

Here are some things to ask yourself and discover how effectively you’re marketing and running your business.

* Take a step back – make a list of everything you’re doing to market your business. Now cross off the ones that have not yielded any kind of return whatsoever.
* Define where your customers are – What networking groups/organizations are they part of? What media do they read? Make a list of who your customer is; really define them in every way. It will lead you closer to them.
* Define what it is about your business that customers should be interested in. Make a list and begin to develop brand statements that quickly and concisely communicate to your customers; create interest. These should be used in every marketing element you utilize. In public relations we call them key messages. In networking it’s your elevator pitch.
* How can you position yourself and your business utilizing 30 minutes to one hour a day and two additional hours a week on networking? Remember, you have a business to run and your time is precious.
* Finally, take hold of your marketing opportunities by outlining time each day to commit to creating interest and awareness in your business. Make sure it’s targeted, communicates your business effectively and reaches your target audience.

When you really tighten your target audience you will become much more effective in generating sales and business. Example: If I advertise or get publicity in a health-oriented publication for my (hypothetical) organic food business I’m more likely to increase sales and fast. Makes sense, doesn’t it?

Don’t stretch yourself too thin and get caught up in what you think you should be doing, or what trends seem to saying you should do. Zero in on what works for your business. Put time and energy where your customers are and they will find you. Your business will become successful because you put effort into being focused, targeted, efficient and effective.