Creating Your PR Image to Bring Your Dreams to Reality 

January 7, 2011 Leave a comment

Your business is unique because you’re the one who is rerunning it and you’re the only you that there is.  How can your business reflect your uniqueness? By integrating who you are with what you do. To accomplish this, you need to understand how to capitalize on your unique abilities and perspective in order to organically grow your business and differentiate it from your competitors.

Often businesses are arbitrarily put together. Someone comes up with an idea, starts a company and a business is born.  The downside is that without some thought, planning and guidance, a company can grow on its own without a focus or direction.  It grows wild, untended.  That’s not the approach you want to take.  View your business as a living, breathing entity. You gave it life and it needs guidance and structure. Determine where you want the business to go, how you want it to look, feel and grow; start defining your business, as opposed to simply letting the business wander aimlessly. Do you want to attract as wide a market as possible, or appeal to a more limited, special niche market?  How do you want your business to be viewed or perceived?  What do you see as your brand?

Define your company, your image, and what makes your business specifically yours.  An effective image does not just happen; it has to be conceived, designed and worked. Review all aspects of your business. If you have a storefront, is it inviting? Does it welcome customers? If you’ve grown to the point that you have a staff, do they know your values? Do they make clients or customers feel welcome and comfortable, both in person and on the phone?

If you sell a product, is your packaging and sales material clear and attractive? Again, does the look and feel reflect both you and your business? Do you and your staff inspire confidence? Does the way you dress and carry yourself reflect your image?  Is the business an organic extension of you and your vision?

Many businesses need only minor makeovers; essentially some fine-tuning. But you’d be surprised at the difference those slight changes can make.  They can give your business a whole new lease on life. Real success comes when you integrate yourself with your business, when you and your company, product or service are moving in one unified direction.

Take some time to define your business and your message. Scrutinize it from top to bottom.  If it’s time for a new look, create one. Give you and your business a makeover. Once you’ve accomplished those objectives, you’ll be ready for center stage; ready to take your story to the public and bring your dreams fully to reality.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2010

 

Filed under business, Media Relations, Public Relations, publicity, small business, social media Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The DOs and DON’Ts Of A Successful Interview

September 17, 2010 Leave a comment

Whether you’re presenting a product, a company, your artwork or yourself, the words you chose, your tone, your delivery and how you carry yourself all play a part in how your message will be received.  Although an interview on CNN or the Wall Street Journal is different than an interview for a new job, in essence the basics of effective communication remain the same.  The following are some dos and don’ts to keep in mind before going on any interview:

Know your message and how to articulate it.  Plan this.  You might have the best product or service; you could be the number one expert in your field, or you could be the perfect candidate for a particular job, but if you don’t know how to articulate your message, you’re in trouble.

Learning effective interview skills is not only important for business owners who are trying to effectively present their company to the public via TV, print and radio interview;  it’s also a necessary skill for anyone who is going on a job interview, or hoping to move up the ladder within a company.

DON’T decide to go to an interview and wing it.  DO: Prepare.  Review two or three primary points that you want to get across during the interview and practice your delivery.

DON’T anticipate questions.   DO: Wait until the question is asked and then respond.

DON’T approach an interview as a string of facts.  DO: Listen.

DON’T try and force the information.   DO: Weave your main points into the interview.  Make it a conversation, not a monologue

DON’T slouch. DO be aware of how you are sitting or standing.

DON’T wait to bring up important information.  DO:  Lead with your most important information.  Job interviews and media interviews can both be very short.  If you don’t lead with what’s truly important, you could miss your chance.

DON’T tense up.  DO:  Relax; smile; breathe. People have a tendency to hold their breath when nervous; so remember to breathe.

DON’T answer a question you don’t understand.  DO INSTEAD:  ask an interviewer to clarify a question if you’re unsure about what’s been asked.  The last thing you want to do is give an answer to a question you don’t fully understand.

DON’T ramble and get off point.  DO:  Keep your information short, concise, and to the point.

Whether you’re going on a media interview, or trying to land that perfect job, keep these points in mind, prepare, relax, have fun – and nail it.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2010

Filed under business, Marketing, Media, news, PR, PR Campaign, Public Relations Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

How To Create A Niche Market For Your Business

September 8, 2010 1 Comment

It’s tempting to think that your product is perfect for… everyone.  Now, there is a broad market sector.  Generally when a company markets to everyone it’s listened to by no one.

Not only that, if you want to market to everyone, that means your marketing has to be everywhere, which generally means you need to invest millions in your campaign.

There are times where your product or service will define your market for you.  For example, if you produce golf clubs you have a pretty good idea of who to market to, although even within such a defined market you can generally drill down quite a bit and define a variety of different markets within the overall target audience.  Let’s get a little more general, let’s say you develop a line of lipstick.  You’re primary market is female, that is somewhat safe to say, but that still leaves you a rather large terrain.  Is your primary market teenage girls, women in their 20s to early 30s, women over 40?  Are you focusing on women who shop at Wal-Mart, Nordstrom’s, or trendy boutiques? These are just a few of the questions that you’d need to answer before you launched your line of lipstick.

Let’s broaden the scope even more.  Let’s say you’re selling a new brand of bottled water. Everyone drinks water.  Your market is infinite, right?  Wrong.  What you need to discover is who drinks your brand of bottled water.  Are you targeting men, women, teens, seniors, athletes, moms, who are your customers?

Finding a niche market does not mean that you will only focus in that arena, it means you will create a following a loyal group of buyers who know and trust your product or service.  Once you establish yourself in a niche market, you can then branch out and develop customers in other arenas.  By targeting your approach, your odds of success are also much greater and your risks are reduced.

But how do you know what your market is?  First and foremost know your product or service.  What does it offer? What problems does it solve? Whose life does it make easier?  If you truly know and understand your business it will lead you to your customers.  Be honest with yourself. Don’t develop a product that is perfect for college students that are on a budget and then market it to private jet owners.  That is an exaggeration, but I’ve seen companies who refuse to see their true customer base because they had a preconceived idea of the market they wanted to capture.

To start, you need to be sold on and passionate about your product or service.  If you don’t believe in it, don’t expect anyone else to.  Know your business.  As I mentioned, if you truly know your product or service it will help define your market for you.  Take some time to research that there is a need for your product.  Don’t create a business solely because it interests you.  A hobby is not always a business.  In some cases it can be, but make sure you have researched the need and demand for your business.

Now if the demand is there, you’re onto something.  Create the best product or service that you can and go forward.  Figure out exactly who your potential customers are.  Where do they buy?  What magazines or newspapers do they read?  What TV shows do they watch? What sites would they visit on the internet? Once you have that information, you have your direction.

If you’re working on a limited budget start with a targeted PR campaign combined with a social media/blogging campaign.  If you have the funds hire a public relations firm, otherwise, do some homework, learn the basics and start by launching your own targeted niche marketing campaign.  You can broaden your scope and target other markets as you grow, but to start, find a niche, develop your marketing and media relations campaign and grow your business.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2010

Filed under business, internet marketing, Marketing, Media, PR, PR Campaign Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Market First!

August 30, 2010 Leave a comment

So many entrepreneurs, whether they are fashion designers, filmmakers, attorneys, or  diligently working to get everything done and in place so they can then consider launching a marketing campaign.  Bad idea.  Market first.  I know it seems counterintuitive, one of those cart before the horse type of approaches, but if you’re truly set to launch your business or company and it’s not simply a daydream, start generating interest and creating a buzz now.  Your initial steps are to:

Define your business

Define your target market

Develop and launch a marketing campaign. 

Prepare your business launch while your public relations and marketing campaign is in process.

This doesn’t mean you try to land a national TV spot or magazine article before you’re ready, it means you start to generate interest – now.  Over the years I’ve had so many clients come to me who have created and have given no thought as to how they’re going to reach their market.   Too many entrepreneurs get their business in place and then sit and stare with a confused look, wondering what the next step is.  Do not make that mistake. Before you finish your film, or mix your CD, or launch your product line, begin your marketing; design and implement a strategic traditional and online PR campaign.  Starting a buzz via the media and online you can pave your way to success. 

 Generating interest prior to your launch can:

 1) Position you in the marketplace

2) Interest possible investors

3) Start bringing clients and customers your way

4) Help you find new and different distribution channels

5) Begin to establish you as an expert in your field

Make your marketing a strategic approach.  Don’t simply launch a Facebook page, or send out press releases.  Think the process out.  Consider all of the marketing and promotional options including advertising, direct marketing, public relations, email marketing, Adwords, social media, blogging, etc.  Now develop a plan that reaches your market, fits your needs and offers you the most bang for the buck. 

Develop compelling story ideas; come up with photos and video that you can utilize online.  Utilize the tenants of traditional PR and meld those with social media, blogging and online marketing.  Start getting the word out there about you and your product or company.  Don’t wait until you have a warehouse, or even a garage filled with product before you give thought to how you’re going to market.  Do it now.  It is an integral step on the way to success that you owe to your self and your company. 

 Copyright © Anthony Mora 2010

Filed under business, Marketing, Tiger Woods Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Demonstrating Your Value to Your Prospects

August 20, 2010 Leave a comment

You know what your company’s value is.  You understand why your products or service are so important to your target market.  You understand what makes you unique, what separates you from the others in your field.  You can explain exactly what makes you and your company so amazing.  The sad truth is that your customers don’t really care about your bio, how great you are, how long you’ve been around, etc.  What your clients and customers care about is what you can do for them; how you can make their life easier, how you can save them time, money, help grow their business.  What they want to know is how they’ll be better off by buying your product, or using your service, or working with your company.

It’s important to know what your prospective client’s needs are and how you can meet them.  Focus on how you can solve their problems not on singing the praises of your company.  This sounds easy, but it can be tricky.  The confusing part is that your prospects aren’t always exactly sure what they want.  Often if you don’t ask, they won’t tell you.  If you misjudge their needs you might give a great pitch but it will fall on deaf ears.  Your job is to determine what your prospects needs and wants are and then illustrate how you can meet those.  As I mentioned, this can be a bit of a mind field.  If you’re giving a one-on-one pitch, you have the luxury of asking specific questions, but in your marketing, advertising or public relations efforts, you need to make sure you are addressing the specific needs of your target market.  Often a company can address several needs or issues, and different clients will be looking for solutions to different individual needs.

Each business meets different needs.  There are times when a business is meeting needs that the business owner is not even aware of.  For example you might think you’re selling someone a car as a means of transportation.  In fact transportation could just be an afterthought, what some clients are buying is style, or comfort, or security.  Let’s take my business for example.  Our focus is PR, media relations, blogging and social media.   Clients come to us for various reasons.

Through a PR campaign, they want to:

1. Reach their target market via the press and the media.

2. Sell more products.

3. Land more clients and/or business opportunities.

4. Position themselves via the media in front of investors

5. Introduce a new product or service to the marketplace.

6. Establish themselves as experts in their field.

7. Establish themselves as a professional at the top of their field.

8. Gain credibility and validation by being featured in the news.

9. Save marketing and advertising dollars via a PR campaign.

Those are the main reasons clients come to us, but each client has his or her main reason.  One might be focused on building sales, another might be looking to entice investors, and still another might be looking strictly to position herself as an expert in her field.  For some clients the bottom line is the primary issue, for others it’s the credibility and validation factors.  These are all values, but what is valuable to one client, might not be that important to another.  We’ve worked with clients who can’t possibly take more clients for months.  That is not their concern.  But they do want to be viewed as the best in their field and being featured in top tier media can accomplish that aim.  We work with others who want to build their business, sell more products, and land more clients.  Those are their primary goals and that is the value we offer to them.

So, make a list of the value that you offer your clients.  Make this a stretching exercise.  Move a bit beyond your comfort zone.  Are there emotional values you offer that you’ve never considered?  Once you’ve developed your list, take a look at your marketing, PR and advertising efforts.  Does your marketing address your accomplishments or your client’s needs? Once you answer that question, you’ll know what changes you need to make.  Focus on your clients, and you’ll never go wrong.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2010

Filed under business, Media, PR, PR Campaign, traditional media, TV Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Why PR Is Such An Effective Marketing Tool: Expecting The Unexpected

May 14, 2010 Leave a comment

What makes public relations so fascinating is the unexpected. You develop a campaign, write a press release, develop a media list and have specific objectives that you want to achieve.  But one of the more interesting aspects of a media relations campaign is that it can result in totally surprising and unanticipated results.

As I mentioned, you always want to start with certain, specific objectives in mind.  Have a target market you want to reach and some defined objectives that you want to achieve. Meeting those goals and aims is where you put your focus.  But, because of the powerful nature of the media, I have witnessed some amazing results that neither I nor my clients envisioned.

I have seen companies and careers built in record time. I’ve had clients offered book deals, TV pilots, new business ventures, larger companies have offered buy-outs or mergers, and new avenues of financing have appeared. One client was offered complete financing on a new business venture after appearing on one talk show.

Any public relations firm would love to say that they had intentionally masterminded all, of these results, but the truth is one never knows who is going to be watching, listening or reading. That’s what makes it so fascinating. You never know where that last story or interview will lead you.

Those unexpected results are not the cake, but the icing.  The primary job of an effective PR campaign is to stay targeted and meet the campaign’s outlined objective.  Unlike advertising, direct marketing, and many forms of online marketing, public relations is a more subtle, more stealth form of marketing. You are not overtly selling a product, but telling a compelling story that is newsworthy.  You are not actively pitching like the proverbial used car salesman, but are presenting your self as an expert in your field.  You are educating, sharing useful, needed information.  Which is why, when you do receive coverage, you are positioned as a news story, not an ad or a commercial.

That’s worth repeating – you are the news! You are part of the reason that hundreds, or thousands or millions of people are watching that program, or reading that magazine. No other form of marketing can offer you that kind of legitimacy or validation, which is what makes media relations such a remarkable tool.

And it is precisely because you’re being positioned as a news story, or as an expert in your field, that other opportunities will often come your way.  People will be reading about you in planes or trains, watching you in their living rooms or bedrooms, discovering you on online media sites or in blogs and social media discussions.  Once you begin to land media coverage you never know who you’ll be reaching, or what amazing opportunities will come your way.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2010

Filed under Build Your Business, Internet, internet marketing, Marketing, Media Exposure, Media Relations, PR Campaign, Public Relations Tagged with , , , , , , , , , ,

5 Small Business Survival Secrets during Economic Hardtimes

March 21, 2009 Leave a comment

Maybe the hardest thing to overcome in a stagnant economy is inertia.  You know, when nothing’s moving, it seems like nothing’s going to move – no clients, no sales, no anything.  And the media states it’s just getting worse.  That goes beyond inertia to dark energy.  So, what is a business owner or entrepreneur to do during these economic hard times?

 

1)      Don’t give into the feeling of stagnation.  Move forward.  Devise a new business plan specifically for these times.

 

2)      Take a look and see if you can modify your product or service to fit the times.  Is there a way that you can market it as being efficient, time effective or cost-saving?

 

3)      Make sure that you’re staying in touch with your customers and your target market.  This is not a time to stop promoting, but a time to market effectively and consistently.  You owe it to yourself.  It is an investment in your company and your future.

 

4)      Study the media and see what type of stories or articles they’re running.  Make a list of stories that you can pitch to the media on you and your company.  Launch a public relations campaign that’s in step with the times.   Use stories that are relevant to the media at this time.

 

5)      Utilize the Internet to magnify your PR campaign.  Whenever you land media coverage, whether it’s a TV segment or print article, use social media to hit the largest number of people possible.  Information can travel at the speed of light on the net and you want to utilize that capability.

 

These can be difficult times to stay optimistic, but they’re also times of real opportunity.  Be proactive.  Move forward even if it feels you’re sloshing through quicksand.  You’ll make it through and realize not only was it worth it, you’ve built a stronger, more successful company than you had at the onset. 

Filed under Public Relations, Media Relations, Media, Entrepreneur PR, small business Public Relations, advertising vs. public relations, business, public relations expert, public relations specialist Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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