Successful Blog

Be Ready for Your 15 Minutes of Fame!

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A Guest Post by
Rosemary O’Neill

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“Um, Rosemary, Fox & Friends is on line one??”

It’s every entrepreneur and every small business owner’s dream, right? That phone call is awe-inspiring and exciting. But be careful what you wish for. Being in the center of a media scrum, even a friendly one, is stressful and demanding if you’re not ready for it.

Bottom line, if you’re sending out any sort of media communications (formal or informal press releases, or even company information on your website), you need to be ready in case lightning strikes.

Here are some tips for surviving your first bit of media attention.

  • Be camera ready before you do a PR campaign – you never know if your release is going to click with a TV outlet, radio, or online. If you are due for a hair coloring, go do that before you send out the release.
  • Get your talking points ready – you need to have a coherent message across numerous interviews. The best thing is to come up with two sentences that you absolutely want to get into the conversation; don’t bog yourself down, but know what you want to say to the world.

    What to say if they ask “is there anything you’d like to add” – without fail, you will be asked at the end of the interview if you have anything else to say. Make sure you do have something to add, especially if there’s something you wanted to get across that the interviewer didn’t ask you about. Sometimes this tidbit will lead to further coverage or a whole new angle for the story.

  • Be flexible – life on a media schedule is weird. With time zones, deadlines, and breaking news stories, you need to be ready to get up early (the morning shows in NYC are brutal if you’re on the West Coast), give interviews outside your son’s basketball game, or get cancelled at the last minute. That’s the way the cookie crumbles.
  • Follow up with a thank you note – this is a place where I fell down, and I wish someone had shared it with me beforehand. I was thinking that there was some taboo about thanking a journalist, because they are supposed to be impartial. Not true, they appreciate being thanked just like everyone else. You can stand out from the crowd by using your best manners.
  • Press releases are (almost) dead – the two times we received major coverage stemmed from non-press release situations. Like any other small business, we’ve been diligently putting out formal releases for years, with minimal return. Then, a dashed off, two-sentence note to a local blogger turns into two years of media attention, including NPR, Fox & Friends, CNN Headline news, etc.
  • Media coverage has long legs – a year after the initial media scrum, I was contacted by NPR to do a followup radio story. That update sparked a renewed interest by a few new outlets. The internet makes your story live forever.
  • Promote your media on your website – once you’ve gotten some media attention, you should highlight it on your own web presence. You can ask the journalist for a DVD or audio clip of the interview, and you can often find it on the web as well. Putting these on your website gives you instant credibility.
  • Find out topic and setting in advance – if you can do some advance homework for the interview, it will help. What is the topic and format? What color is the set? Who exactly will be conducting the interview?
  • Get media training if you can – we were hit out of the blue, and had no thought of becoming “media ready.” Many of our staff members bravely spoke with the journalists who visited our office, but it would have been nice to have some minimal training beforehand. If you can afford it, and you plan a major PR blitz, it would be good to invest in some basic training. At the very least, do some Googling for tips.
  • Be ready to wait – the journalists you are contacting are on their own crazy schedule. They will leave you a message saying they absolutely, must must must speak with you in the next 10 minutes, and then wait a day before returning your voice mail message. You need to be at peace with this fact, and you do need to return their call as quickly as possible.

    • These are some of the things I wish someone had told me before we got our 15 minutes. Good luck with your own media journeys, and if you have tips to add, please share in the comments!
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    Author’s Bio: Rosemary O’Neill is an insightful spirit who works for social strata — a top ten company to work for on the Internet . Check out their blog. You can find her on Twitter as @rhogroupee
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    Thank you, Rosemary!

    You’re irresistible!

    ME “Liz” Strauss

Ideas & Infographics: Is Social Media Ruining Our Minds?

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by Mihaela Lica

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Social Networkers and Social Conversations Everywhere

Social media is going stronger than ever, Google + now seizing the forefront of all our frontal lobes, or at least resting on the minds of networkers everywhere online. The power of that so called “conversation” we all adopted as a fact of life though, does not come without a price. Along with the profound positive effects Facebook, Twitter, and g+ afford us, there appear to be some “less than positive” effects you may not be aware of.Scientists now believe social media may impact cognitive function and development negatively. From multitasking to other focus oriented skills, it appears a sort of transformative process is occurring – in short, our brains may be adjusting. The infographic courtesy Assisted Living Today below is demonstrative of this theory. You may want to investigate this.

[Click the image to see the isolated infograph and again to see it full size.]

Let’s Move Some Ideas at a Human Pace

As you can see, How Social Media is Ruining Our Minds opens up a bit of a can of worms where knowing what’s good for you on the web goes.

What?

Did we all assume pecking away at our keyboards, smacking those barriers with a slingshot and Angry Birds, endless hours of looking at crazy or not so crazy video would have no effect? The bigger question is, “Just how rewired have you become?” Our attention spans have become so short (perhaps) that soon a friend will have to get even the most “fuzzy” feelings across in microseconds. I don’t know about you, but I like my kindness and consideration delivered at a leisurely pace. That goes for absorbing other wonderful things on and off the web. Of course, those pesky “scientists” don’t know everything yet. Let’s hope so anyway.

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Author’s Bio:

Mihaela “Mig” Lica founded Pamil Visions in 2005 where she uses her hard won journalistic, SEO and public relations skills toward helping small companies navigate the digital realm with influence and success.

You can find Mig on Twitter as @PamilVisions

Thanks, Mig! Thank you, too, to Assisted Living Today!

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz on your business!!

Ideas & Infographs: How to Build a New Age Marketing Machine

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by Mihaela Lica

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The Right Balance of Human & Machine Outreach

Human powered search engines to artificial intelligence (AI), technology not only astounds us, but at times confounds us as to its proper uses. The same holds true for PR, marketing, advertising, even yelling at your next door neighbors for their dog barking. How and what you use to convey your messages is a crucial part of success, no matter what your goal. SPAMMING current or potential clients is only one negative where mechanized marketing is concerned, the “who” of method is just as crucial. How the message is received, this is the rub for all corporate, business, or personal community.

The infographic below reveals a good balance and some insight into how a new age marketing machine should be built. Using the right proportion of personable and technological (mechanical) power can work wonders for your business outreach. Conversely, the wrong mix will lose conversions, make some angry, and become an overall burden on your personal and business brand. You can’t grow your business to its potential, without thinking of how your message is perceived, adopted, and reverberated.

[Click the image to see the isolated infograph and again to see it full size.]

Understanding Marketing Automation

Marketing mechanization is then, in a real sense, just an extension of a good, standard communications strategy. Even “brick and mortar” PR & marketing firms do not SPAM their constituents with post office clutter, the balance is still crucial. Ask any great communicator today about chosing the right mix, and you will invartiably get the simple answers presented in the graphic above. Of course the long tail of overall communications strategies is complex, and for in depth professionals to implement, but you see the value.

Even in your personal mailbox, you can see the wisdom of correlating what you enjoy looking at, versus what really turns you off about newsletters and other communique. For the expert that comes up with the best balance? Well, the sky is the limit, wouldn’t you say? We hope you enjoyed the data above, and please let us know your views on best practices too.

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Author’s Bio:

Mihaela “Mig” Lica founded Pamil Visions in 2005 where she uses her hard won journalistic, SEO and public relations skills toward helping small companies navigate the digital realm with influence and success.

You can find Mig on Twitter as @PamilVisions

Thanks, Mig!

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz on your business!!

What Makes A Successful Infographic?

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A Guest Post by
Ryan Bayron

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5 Traits of Great Infographics

The blogosphere makes it very clear that some people love infographics, and others hate them. These days, it seems that anyone with a rudimentary knowledge of basic vector graphics software believes that they can and should contribute to the ever-growing number of infographics floating around the internet. After flipping through hundreds of infographics and trying my hand at a few of my own, I’ve discovered some common characteristics of those that succeed, and of those that fail.

  1. A successful infographic is targeted. The creator knows what the content is about, who will care about that content, and what they want to see. A successful infographic with medical statistics, geared toward physical therapists will look drastically different than one about fast food that’s geared toward soccer moms. Successful infographics are not one-size-fits-all. ( This is good. | This is not so good. )
  2. A successful infographic is accurate. At the bottom of all infographics is (or should be) a list of sources from whence the author gathered the information. When this list contains links to .gov and .edu sites instead of Wikipedia articles and TMZ articles, it makes a difference. People notice that kind of thing. Successful infographics are painstakingly researched, citing public domain scientific journals, published research documents and statistics reports from research agencies. ( This is good | This is not so good. )
  3. A successful infographic is navigable. A person never just looks at the entire Mona Lisa. Studies show that they always start at her face, then move down her arms to her impressively detailed hands. The point is that when we look at an image, our eyes move through it, one thing at a time. Successful infographics provide a clear path and discernible cues to show the viewer what to look at next. ( This is good | This is not so good. )
  4. A successful infographic is novel. It’s not enough just to be informative anymore. Infographics that get shared have a sense of novelty to them – something their readers haven’t seen anywhere else. Whether it’s infographics, online videos, blog posts or flash games, novelty always boosts shareability. Successful infographics are designed to transcend the mere combination of graphics and text. (This is good | This is not so good )
  5. A successful infographic is simple. If someone is overwhelmed by colors, massive text blocks, giant diagrams and in-your-face pie charts, they’ll bounce before they finish reading the title. Simple is not always boring. Successful infographics don’t get in their own way – they make the information easy to find and easier to read, and the graphics are a supplement to the info, not the other way around. (This is good | This is not so good. )

At the end of the day, a successful infographic is just like any other piece of quality content. It must be relevant, accurate, fresh, engaging and unique. In a world where people spend hours on end scouring the internet for things to share on their Facebook walls and Twitter feeds, a successful infographic is a powerful tool for building links, engaging users, spreading information and promoting your brand. The key is to take time to hash out the details and make sure it’s truly worth sharing.

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Author bio:
Ryan Bayron is the owner, author of The Line Theory blog. His website is Byron.org. You can find him on Twitter as @BayronDotOrg

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Thank you, Ryan! Successful infographics can really add to a site’s appeal.

Be irresistible!
–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz on your business!!

Are Your Customers Embedded?

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A Guest Post by
Rosemary ONeill

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Last week, my husband and I went out to eat at a new restaurant. It was obviously a family-owned affair. While we were waiting for our food, a guy appeared out of the kitchen hoisting aloft a plate of hot wings. He said, “these are for anyone who wants to try them.” Of course, I had to try them, and they were excellent.

I asked the guy what they were called. He said, “I don’t know, they don’t have a name yet, what do you suggest?” I laughingly said, “call them Rosemary’s Wings!” He said, “we just might do that.”

Do you think I might be curious to revisit that restaurant to see whether my wings are on the menu? You bet. And if they are, do you think I’m likely to return again and again? Yessiree.

That restaurant has the same opportunity all business owners have—to literally embed customers in the business. At my company, we’ve had a long-standing tradition of making little gestures that weave customers into our daily work; naming features after them, using their names on documentation, hiding “Easter Eggs” in the code, and thanking them for suggestions that lead to new software features.

Once a customer has been “embedded,” they have a feeling of investment that is very hard to break, as if your business is their personal project.

What are you doing to make it personal? Is there a small crazy gesture you can make that will earn you a customer-for-life?

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Author’s Bio: Rosemary O’Neill is an insightful spirit who works for social strata — a top ten company to work on the Internet. Check out their blog. You can find her on Twitter as @rhogroupee

How Do You Get the First Client? Five Critical Steps

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No Tells Us That

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As I talk to new entrepreneurs, I find that one burning problem is their biggest frustration.
The problem cuts to the basics of growing a thriving business. It applies every business online and offline. It’s the most important question and the one that least often gets mentioned.

The problem came up in a conversation I had at SOBCon NW in Portland. The conversation went like this …

Me: Did you get a chance to talk to AJ about his business?
New Entrepreneur: Yes.
Me: So, it seems like what he’s doing correlates well to where you want to be.
New: Yeah. True. He told me a lot about where I want to be, but what I want to know know is …

What did he do in the first six months? How did he get his first client?

5 Critical Steps to Getting Your First Client

We can know we’re good at something, but not believe it. We can know our expertise, but not have the previous clients to show that we can deliver. That gap can seem like the difference between hugely succeeding and falling into the abyss in which our rent goes unpaid and we find ourselves looking in the mirror wondering what were we thinking?

People say a leap of faith and a lot of passion will get you there, but we’ve all seen faith filled passionate action go crashing. Here are the five critical steps to making that first client happen with less risk and exponentially more chance of success.

  1. Decide on a job description that fits you. Rather than reconfigure yourself to fit a pothole or a problem, figure out what you’re most suited to be going. Your past successes will tell you what you’re good at. look for the crossroads of your [expertise, experience, talent and skillsets] and your [favorite ideas, people, enchantments, and work-like things that you find fun.]

    I see and connect things differently and with great speed. I tear ideas apart and put them together in old ways and new ways and adjust them faster, easier, and more meaningfully for any audience you put in front of me. My successes all included leveraging opportunity, traditional teaching, innovative thinking, strategy, business growth, strong networks, branding, marketing, and community building and I loved doing all of it.

    Job description: I use opportunity thinking and relationship strategies to connect businesses with their customers in irresistible ways. [No, I never actually say that. Who actually recites their job description? Still it’s good to know it.]

  2. Define at least one clear, concrete offer that you know in your bones you can deliver — in case someone asks you. A job description or even an elevator pitch is not an offer. An offer is a defined, discrete, reasonable, work transaction that can be presented for acceptance.

    An offer: I offer a 2.5 hour workshop called, “Who’s Talking about You?” In the ideal scenario, it’s three parts:

    1. 45 minute presentation with Q&A
    2. 30 minutes of teamwork to immediately explore the information and set it to action
    3. 30 minutes of building on what the teams have recommended to give feedback and apply the concepts teams have been exploring even more deeply
  3. Identify the people who already have an interest in you and the kinds of things you do. Reach the reachable. The goal is one first client.

    4. Value their attention. Listen to what they’re saying.
    Value the time they spend. Get to know what they invest their time in.
    Value their time when they listen to what you’re saying. With that in mind …

  4. Don’t ask how you can help! That question makes the conversation about you not them. When someone I’ve never worked with asks, “How can I help?” the best answer I can give is “I don’t know.” The question itself puts the burden of thinking on the person being asked. That person has to scan and sort:
    • all of the possible places he or she could use help.
    • what possible expertise, talents, and experience you have
    • how the two might fit together efficiently.
    • the risks, rewards, and possible outcomes of trying it out.
  5. Instead, ask “What are your goals for the next 2 quarters?” Make the conversation about them not you. Then listen actively — ask clarifying questions as you do — until you can visualize and articulate exactly where the potential client wants to go and how he or she is thinking about getting there.

    6. Keep listening and asking questions until you can say with credibility, “Here’s how I can help you get there faster, easier, and more meaningfully.” Then suggest one small bit you might do to show him or her what you mean.

Most offers — first or hundredth — don’t work because the size of the offer is too big for the amount of trust that exists.

What that first client wants is what the 100th client wants — a professional who considers it their mission to be mission critical to the client’s goals. Proving that you can listen long enough to hear exactly where the client wants to go also proves that you’ll listen when you work together on a project that the client wants to get done.

In a conversation, you demonstrate how you can work together with professional ease. Now you can offer a sample or a small first job that has a chance of success, because you’ve built trust for the offer to sit upon.

What first client stories do you know?

Be irresistible.

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz on your business!!

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