Hiring The Internet

As discussed before, greener business practices are possible at any office. And we know that Internet Marketing is a powerful alternative to traditional marketing practices such as posted solicitations, or as known by consumers “junk mail.” Continue reading ‘Positive Sustainable Marketing for Not-So-Green Products’

As the largest private employer in the world and the most popular grocery retailer in the nation, Wal-Mart’s success was nothing to sneeze at. In recent years, however, the corporation hit several snafus due to higher volumes of bad publicity. The makeover of Wal-Mart has been underway for several years as a response to a flurry of bad publicity coming in from all directions. Much of it was based on public criticisms from vendors, labor unions, grassroot groups, and environmental groups (we’ll address this a little later). Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price, a 2005 documentary film criticizing the company later earned a 92% “fresh” rating from RottenTomotoes.com (the online meter indicating that it has been highly praised by critics). Continue reading ‘Internet (and Green) Marketing Lessons from Wal-Mart PR Stunts’

Every business website has one. Sometimes it is terse and purely informative, and at other times, it is a philosophical work proclaiming a company’s vision or mission statement. Whatever style you may find it, the About Us page is a vital component of any business’s site, whether or not it conducts e-commerce. Continue reading ‘What Does Your About Page Do for Your Site?’

Just came across this great article in the New York Times about blogging.  These profiles are of real small businesses using blogs.  We love them and find that for the right company, a well executed blog can be a goldmine.  For most companies we find blogging to be part of a building a strong foundation for both Search Engine Optimization and online resource development.  Having a good blog shows your prospects that you’re an active company.  And there’s nothing like sending a prospect a link to a post on your blog that’s relevant to something you discussed with them.  So keep blogging!

Blogging’s a Low-Cost, High Return Marketing Tool - New York Times:

TO its true believers at small businesses, it is a low-cost, high-return tool that can handle marketing and public relations, raise the company profile and build the brand.

That tool is blogging, though small businesses with blogs are still a distinct minority. A recent American Express survey found that only 5 percent of businesses with fewer than 100 employees have blogs. Other experts put the number slightly higher.

But while blogs may be useful to many more small businesses, even blogging experts do not recommend it for the majority.

PR expert Benjamin Lewis has a new book entitled Perfecting the Pitch. He says, “Roll up your sleeves and earn the journalists’ trust. The easier you can make their job, the better it will be for you.”

Lewis offers 10 secrets & pointers:

1. Be persistent, not a pest.

2. Make an exclusive offer they can’t refuse.

3. Reposition a story to eliminate waiting.

4. Know a publication’s audience.

5. Compose emails with care.

6. Don’t send attachments in emails.

7. Don’t get carried away with promotional materials.

8. Choose an alternative to printed press kits.

9. Create the perfect five-paragraph pitch.

10. Build your relationship with journalists.

Lewis also offers 10 tips on how to build rapport:

1. Offer available sources and fact-based data.

2. Be at the right place before it’s the right time.

3. Show why the publication’s readers might be interested in your pitch.

4. Build your message using anecdotes, local aspect, variations on a general theme or expert report.

5. Don’t make overly negative or humorous remarks; assume that everything is “on the record.”

6. Read some of a reporter’s stories before pitching.

7. Give reporters sufficient time to do research; respond to emails promptly.

8. Suggest stories with unusual subject matter that has the potential to be widely adopted.

9. Avoid fishing — sending multiple stories to the same journalist in a short period of time.

10. Make sure your co-workers aren’t contacting the journalist you’re pitching at the same time.

Source: MarketingSherpa.com