Archive for Small Business Support
PR Checklist
Posted by: | CommentsDoes the thought of writing a press release send you wishing for a route canal at the dentist? Do you have a press release and are unsure if it is optimized according to the checklist below? If you answered “yes” to these questions then it is time to hire me!
Do you need small business support regarding public relations? Do you wish you had craft business support in the area of public relations? If you answered “yes” to these questions then it is time to hire me!
I can help you integrate a press release into your marketing strategy using social media to improve your public relations.
How to use a checklist to do better PR
- what’s the main story?
- does the content map to the business intent?
- have you utilized the insights and research available to you in the course of writing?
- how is this piece fitting in the content toolkit you’re making available to customers?
- have you compared notes with all sources?
- how is the piece fitting to the editorial calendar of the people in your outreach program?
- is your language approachable? Have you taken the opportunity to simplify/educate?
- do you have the right people/quotes in the piece, and is everyone’s name
spelled correctly?
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Education-virtually
Posted by: | Comments
For USD 15 per month, users of San Francisco-based Supercool School can create real-time classes and make them available to an unlimited number of students from all around the world. The white-label platform offers streaming audio and video as well as the ability to share documents and presentations over the web. Every live class is recorded and stored, enabling thousands of students to view them afterwards. School creators can offer their classes for free or charge for them as part of a global education business that’s customizable, brandable and scalable. Professional accounts with unlimited access to Supercool School are now in invitation-only beta; in the meantime, a free version of the platform can be used to offer up to 15 classes per month.
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Nationwide Unemployment 9.7%
Posted by: | CommentsUnemployment Climbed in 30 U.S. States, Fell in Nine (Update1)
The jobless rate climbed in 30 states at the start of 2010,
today’s report showed, signaling the thawing of the labor market
is not broad-based after the loss of 8.4 million jobs since the
recession began in December 2007. Industrial states like
Michigan are benefiting as overseas demand rebounds and
companies including General Motors Co. call back some dismissed
workers.
A government report last week showed the nationwide jobless
rate held at 9.7 percent in February, compared with a projected
increase to 9.8 percent, according to the median forecast of
economists surveyed by Bloomberg News.
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How to determine if you should sell your crafts
Posted by: | CommentsThis checklist is written for entrepreneurs. It is useful guideline for a crafter to determine if you should sell your crafts.
The 2-Minute Opportunity Checklist for Entrepreneurs
Does your business idea soothe someone’s pain, discomfort, frustration, or dissatisfaction?
Are there lots of those people out there?
Do these people (or companies, or governments) have money to pay for it?
Will they be able to decide quickly to buy your product or service?
Does your idea exploit something about you that is outstanding or unique?
Are there important assets you have that no one else has? (money, access to customers, technology, leadership skills, execution, location, salesmanship, etc.)
Is there something about the idea or its implementation, that compels you to really devote yourself to it?
Can you start up without huge gobs of money?
Can you keep your fixed costs low during launch?
Does your idea lend itself to small incremental steps that can inexpensively generate valuable information as well as at least a little cash?
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Customers Bring You Customers
Posted by: | CommentsUsing Social Media to Support your Marketing Strategy
Customers will drive other customers, so use social networking as a platform to allow them to communicate with each other as well as with the company. Give your customers a voice, let them tell the world why they love your product or your service, and
The world will arrive at your door.
Link Face Space Tweet
Posted by: | CommentsUsing Social Media to Support your Marketing Strategy
After you have established traffic to your website and a following for the blog, enter into the social sites. Create a fan page on Facebook, tweet your company’s happenings or about blog updates, put a complete company profile on MySpace, network with other professionals on Linkdin. No matter how you do it, getting the word out there is crucial. Even so, keep in mind that social media is not all about talking, it is about listening too. Use this platform to hear why your customers are your customers.
They will thank you in sales.
Bring On The Blog
Posted by: | CommentsUsing Social Media to Support your Marketing Strategy
Next, get a blog. There are a ton of blogging platforms out there, and different ones offer different features. At the very basic level you will want your blog to reflect relevant content to your readers. Post information about your company a logo, and to post pictures of what is happening at your company. This is the second main tool that should be used to reach potential and current customers. Your customers are not doing business with your company, they are doing business with the people at your company; the ones answering the phones, reading emails, or packing boxes. Let your customers know who those people are and what they do for you. Even if you are a solopreneur, share, let your customers know about you and how you do business. Let your customers know where you are heading next, and how the company is evolving to help them better. Granted, this is a lot of work but well worth it;
The information that you share about your products and company can drive customers to you in droves.
Every Business Needs a Website
Posted by: | CommentsUsing Social Media to Support your Marketing Strategy
If you do not have a website, get one. Buy a domain name, find a host, and get your name and image out there. A business may survive without a website today, but it certainly is not going to dominate its market. More and more people are becoming web savvy, and
Your business needs to be there to be noticed.
Remember, even though social networks serve a valuable service most do not charge a fee to use them. Buyer beware. Your account and your content are under the discretion of the social network. If you rely solely on, for example Facebook, to build your customer base and “run” your business then Facebook decides to shut down your account, you are “SOL = So Outta Luck.” Social networks should be just that networks you use as a media outlet to focus attention on your website.
Again, you should buy a domain name and pay for web hosting.
Do You Have a Website?
Posted by: | CommentsUsing Social Media to Support your Marketing Strategy
The hardest part of being in business is marketing, especially today with websites, blogs, social sites, tweets, and posts.
Where do you start to use these tools to support the traditional marketing strategies you may already be using?
1. Do you have a website?
2. Do you have a blog?
3. Do you have a Facebook Fan Page?
4. Do you have a profile on Linked In?
5. Do you have a Twitter account?
Time To Team Up
Posted by: | CommentsUsing Social Networking for Market Research
By listening to what customers are saying about your company, a golden nugget of information is out there. Find out what they are saying by using social networking. Then tailor your marketing plan to meet their needs, their wants, and their desires. Doing so will only increase your business and customer loyalty.
Do you find “listening” via social media networks overwhelming?
Team up with me, The Data Digger! I will help you wade through the ocean of conversations out there in the cyberverse.
