LOGOS AT LAST

Finally.  I have become a member of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations.  Having worked for over 20 years in PR and marketing it is only in the past month that I have finally joined I am ashamed to say.  Up to now I wondered whether or not the cost of membership would be worth it for me, but at an exhibition recently a prospective client gave me a different point of view.  He asked who my work was accountable to which made me realise that the benefits of being a member of a trade organisation are not just for me but are for my clients, giving them reassurance that I know what I am doing.  The CIPR in particular wants to know about your career path and your experience before it grants membership status so clients can have confidence that its members are bona fide PR practitioners.


And I should receive a second slap on the wrist for not practising what I preach. I always stress to my clients the importance of using accreditations and memberships of trade organisations, displaying logos prominently on websites because they are another tool in reinforcing your expertise and ability to do your job well.  Anything which will boost your customers' confidence in your company has to be a good thing.


So if you are a member of any trade organisations, business groups, Chambers of Commerce etc then make sure your customers know about them.  As you will all know by now, my mantra is little and often and accreditations to business organisations are another small step in showing your clients that you are honest and are accountable. So if anyone wants me to join their organisation now is the time to ask me!


Let me know how you are getting on via the comments or email me direct at lindsay@redyellowblue.biz and don't forget to check out our website: www.redyellowblue.biz.


Lindsay

SAY CHEESE

If your customers come from close by, your reputation within the local community is going to be important to you and the local papers are a great place to start.  I know I have already done a blog post on the best way of generating coverage but I thought I would devote one just on photography as I think it deserves it!

And for me it is topical because having secured a fantastic profile piece in the business pages of the local paper for a retail client of mine, the paper sent round a photographer and my client refused to be in the shot.  She decided that the shot she wanted was just of the shop front.  Naturally the paper had written the piece about her great entrepreneurial spirit and without a shot of her the feature did not make sense.  Needless to say they didn’t run with it.  So it was also a great lesson for me in never leaving a client’s side once the press arrive.

Anyway,  it started me thinking about press shots and having worked as a journalist on local newspapers I have been on the receiving end of many terrible photos submitted with the sure fire expectation that they will be dominating page three or five in next week’s edition.  Sadly the great majority went on the spike but not because the story wasn’t good enough but because the photograph wasn’t.

So to maximise your chances of your story getting in, support it with a great photo and here are some crucial dos and don’ts:

PEOPLE, PEOPLE, PEOPLE

Papers are about people so make sure there are some in the shot.  But be choosy, readers need to see who the people are so don’t stuff it full so everyone is just a tiny spec.  Two or three is the perfect number but try not to go over six.  And always remember to add the names of the people in the shot.

READY FOR YOUR CLOSE UP

This leads on from the last point about being able to see the people in the photo.  Get nice and tight in to the top half of your subject.  Unless the story is about doing a marathon in huge clown shoes, the most interesting thing about the photograph is the people’s faces so don’t stand way back and get a full length shot.  Head and shoulders is great, but never further than the waist if you can help it.

CONTRIVED IS GOOD

If the story is about raising money, handing over a cheque or includes the subject showing something you will need to get them to hold it as close to their faces as possible.  I once did a shot for a restaurant running a chocolate morning for children.  I chose two children, asked them to kneel down at the table really close to the bowls of chocolate and asked them to pop marshmallows in their mouths.  Although it felt a bit awkward for the kids to be squashed down, the shot looked great and make the front page.

DO SOMETHING

Unless it is handing over a cheque sometimes the photograph might not be obvious and you will need to be creative which isn’t always easy.  Getting the people in the shot to be doing something to illustrate the story will help your chances of it getting picked.  For instance another client of mine runs an activity club for pre-school children and was running a healthy eating week offering fruit to the kids after the session.  Rather than just a couple of kids standing by a fruit bowl I asked one to hold up plums for his eyes and the other to hold up a banana for a smiley mouth.  It was such a cute shot and made the paper.

BE HAPPY

For heaven’s sake smile!  In most instances the story will be a happy one:  a new contract, a new position, a sponsorship, raising money for charity so make sure the people in the photo at least look like they are pleased to be there.

Good luck and don’t forget to let me know how you get on through the blog comments of via email: lindsay@redyellowblue.biz.  Don’t forget to visit our website:  www.redyellowblue.biz.

Lindsay

READ ALL ABOUT IT

Newsletters are the new black - the hot new PR and marketing trend for this business season.  But  just as there is a difference between a Primark handbag and a Gucci handbag, there is a difference between an informative newsletter and Spam.


So how do you make sure your newsletter is designer rather than a knock off?  The key word here is interesting.  As with all successful PR and marketing activities you need to approach with the customer in mind.  A brief email rattling on about how great you are complemented by a list of services you offer is not going to make anyone read on.  Here are some Dos and Don'ts  to make your newsletter a real page turner:


DO
Make it relevant - comment on industry events, the economy, world news to demonstrate that you are a relevant and up to date business with a voice and opinions.  This is the bit that makes your newsletter interesting and unique
Give them some information - insider advice is always welcome so imagine someone has called you with a specific query and you have written down your guidance 
Tell them what's new - do you have new products on the shelves, a limited time deal
Make them an offer - a money off or free service exclusively for newsletter recipients will encourage loyalty and also make them less inclined to click the unsuscribe button
Show them what you have done - go into some detail about how you have helped a customer.  Outline the problems the customer had, the challenges you overcame and the splendid outcome complete with a lovely quote from your satisfied customer.


DON'T
Just list your services - customers can get all that information from the website 
Do just one - plan out the next six issues and if you are struggling for content it would suggest that a newsletter might not be the right vehicle for you
Make it too long - remember that your customers will be reading it from their PCs so the stories need to be succinct.  If you have more to say then include a link back to a longer story on your website


I am in the middle of practising what I preach with a newsletter for a financial services client of ours who wants to maximise revenue from his huge customer database.  I will keep you posted of our success.


In the meantime, let me know how you put together your own newsletters, what works and what doesn't.  Email me at lindsay@redyellowblue.biz or check out the website at www.redyellowblue.biz


Lindsay

WHAT NO CASH?!

I can't believe how much the last couple of weeks have whizzed by.  I went to a business lunch last week and the speaker was Saira Khan who was on the first series of The Apprentice.  She was invited to the lunch to talk about her experiences in launching Maimoo, a range of beautiful skin care products for babies.  As you can imagine she was a very dynamic speaker with lots of straight talking and down to earth advice.  I found myself nodding along vigorously at one point when she said that any small business start up needs to take control of all aspects of the business - do it yourself.  When she mentioned PR and marketing specifically I wanted to leap up from the table and throw my business cards in the air and shout:  "And here I am to help you do it!"  Thankfully I didn't so I was able to stay and listen to the rest.

She makes an important point though.  It is easy to get overwhelmed with the sheer scale of the task when your business is small or just starting up, but then that's just part of the deal.  The trick is to become organised, allocate time for all those jobs which are essential but not mission critical and put a workable action plan together which means it takes up less thinking time when you sit down to get it done.  And the key word there is workable.  With PR and marketing in particular it is very easy to get overexcited.  It is  very creative field and the possibilities seem limitless but in reality they will always be limited by the time and money you have available.  But take heart from the fact that even with only a small amount of time and no money to spend you can achieve a significant amount - think generating coverage in your local media, linking up with another like minded company for a joint promotion, a creative offer to reward existing clients and encourage them to come back.  None of these require envelopes full of tenners to implement successfully but can have really positive effects on generating sales.

So be realistic (and that means recognising that you have to put in some effort), plan activities which are achievable and take control.  Let me know how you get on via the comments or via email: lindsay@redyellowblue.biz and don't forget to check out our website: www.redyellowblue.biz.

Lindsay

EXHAUSTED AND DISORIENTATED

Exhausted, mentally drained, aching bones, disorientated.  Yes, I spent all day yesterday at an exhibition.  The minute you cross the threshold into an exhibition hall, all your usual reference points like time, daylight and weather are lost and you step into a parallel world.  It is not surprising then that many of the people manning stands yesterday looked like they were slowly losing the will to live - it is impossible to maintain enthusiasm and a happy smile in an atmosphere which seems to drain your soul through the air conditioning system.


But, the reason we all pay vast sums of money (and they are not cheap) to go to an exhibition is to tempt in new customers and to make the investment worthwhile it is vital your stand and your staff are welcoming and friendly.  Here are my exhibition Dos and Don'ts:


DO
Bring in fresh blood.  Although someone from accounts or the lady who answers the phone might not know everything about your products and services, what they lack in knowledge will be more than compensated for by their energy and will provide a welcome recovery period for your sales staff and senior managers.  Spread the load.


Catch people's eyes.  It is terribly British to be terrified of looking someone in the eye, but remember that everyone who has paid to get in is waiting to be wowed so make sure you are the people to do it.  Position yourself at the edge of your stand with a smile on your face and some leaflets in your hand.  Talk to someone.


Get their details.  Many people I spoke to yesterday reported fewer sales but more people interested in their products.  The internet means everyone is after a bargain and they will go home and scroll through websites trying to save a few quid.  Just because they don't buy now doesn't mean they won't.  Ask them for their details so you can keep them up to date with special offers.  Give them a reason with a free prize draw.  If they are interested at the Show they will be interested afterwards.


DON'T
Text.  If your job is so vital that you cannot be out of communication for a three hour stint you shouldn't be there.  There is nothing that makes me walk on past to the next stand than someone hunched over their mobile.   Put the mobile out the back and talk to a real person instead.


Be miserable.  I know the weather is rubbish, attendance is down, sales aren't great and your future is a bleak and uncertain landscape but I have paid £15 to get in and don't want to hear you moaning.  When visitors ask how the show is going they are being polite so gloss over the bad bits and focus on the good stuff like how people have been really interested in a particular product, or that a show special is going well.  We all love to do business with successful people and I have enough bad news to cope with so keep yours to yourself.


Sit down.  A controversial one I know but I am always less likely to approach someone sitting down than if they are standing up, especially if there is two of you on the stand and you are chatting to each other.  There is so much competition at an exhibition you need to do everything to stop people walking past you so stay on your feet.


There are no simple ways to get through exhibitions and you won't be able to do every one of my Dos and Don'ts for every hour of the show, but at least if you try most of the time you should maximise the number of people who come to the stand, keep their interest, follow them up and get that sale.


Let me know how you are getting on via the reader comments or email: Lindsay@redyellowblue.biz.  Don't forget to visit our website: www.redyellowblue.biz


Lindsay

















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BUT IS IT REALLY WORTH IT?

I have yet to have a meeting with any prospective clients who remain unconvinced about the benefits of good PR and marketing.  Usually, by the time I have finished with them they are champing at the bit to get going.  So the Christmas break gave me a bit of breathing space to ponder why I hadn’t yet been asked to fill a vacant spot on Dragon’s Den looking for potential investments for my hard earned millions.

It boils down to going off the boil. Despite my best efforts prospective clients appear to still relegate PR and marketing to the bottom of their To Do list after I have gone.  It is frustrating for me because I know that targeted PR and marketing needs just small investments of time and money yet can yield big when it comes to new customers.  So,  I have spent a bit of time wading through research papers and texts to find some examples of companies who have used PR and marketing successfully and here are a couple:

Friends Reunited: Six months after launch Friends Reunited had 30,000 registered users and invested solely in PR to raise that number.  One year later the site had 5 million registered users

Tomy: Tomy just used PR to launch their new range of Micro Pets in the summer of 2002.  By the end of the year sales had topped 1 million units and were voted Best New Product of the Year 2002 by the British Association of Toy Retailers

Crafty Tales:  Crafty Tales needed to grow and generate more customers.  Through updating the website to offer regular downloadable crafts and stories, in six months the business doubled and needed to employ extra staff.

Now you can’t argue with that can you?  (That last one was one of mine by the way)  So drag PR and marketing from the bottom of the list to the top and enjoy all those extra sales.  

Let me know how you are getting on via reader comments or email me at lindsay@redyellowblue.biz.  Don’t forget to visit our website:  www.redyellowblue.biz.

Lindsay

A MONEY MAKING RESOLUTION

Go to the gym more, give up drinking, stop eating biscuits, don’t go to the shops in your pyjamas (is that one just me?)  blah, blah blah.  We all make countless New Year’s resolutions for ourselves every January, but have you made one for your company?  Growing the business, attracting new customers, generating more profit are bound to be on the list but you need to come up with ways to achieve these goals for a fighting chance of success.  Therefore developing a strong PR and marketing plan should be at the very pinnacle of your resolutions list.  Done well, with consistency and synergy PR and marketing are the most cost effective ways of bringing in new customers so start 2010 with a brilliant plan to keep that flow of clients through the door.   Here are a few pointers which will help you on your way:

-                      Set aside some time.  You can’t do any planning effectively if you have given yourself half an hour between a sales appointment and a teleconference with a feisty supplier.  Clear the diary and hold your calls for at least two hours to give your brain some breathing space

-                      Know your customers.  If you are a regular reader of my Blog you will know that one of my pet hates is the phrase:  ‘Anyone can buy our stuff’.  If you  have limited resources, then analyse your customer base to find out who spends the most and then only target them

-                      Know where your profit is coming from.  It might be that most of your profit comes from one or two big deals or it might come from lots of the smaller transactions.  If you don’t have much time or money you don’t want to be wasting them chasing business that doesn’t bring you the most return

-                      Know what you want to say.  Really focus in on the one or two most important things about your business.  Don’t try and tell everyone everything or no one will understand what you are trying to say

-                      Know your competitors.  Understand what they say about themselves and where they are investing their marketing money so you can either follow suit or do something completely different

-                      Let ‘little and often’ be your PR and marketing mantra.  You marketing messages will be understood much better if you are consistent with what you say and you say it regularly.  Choose activities which may seem low key, because they will be easier to do and a few every month will soon add up.

Two hours of planning and a little bit of time every week will result in the phone ringing or the shop bell jingling I promise you.  Let  me know how you are getting on through the reader comments or via email at lindsay@redyellowblue.biz.  Don't forget to visit our website: www.redyellowblue.biz.

Happy New Year and I hope it is a prosperous one for all of us.

Lindsay