Business Marketing - How To Write Press Releases That Get Published

Business Marketing - How To Write Press Releases That Get Published

Do you want to know the secret of writing a news release that will get published? Here it is:

My secret for publicity success, developed from rigorous self assessment, after having sent out over a million faxed news releases on behalf of over 2,000 clients:

'Tell me a story, give me a local news angle, touch my heart (make me laugh or cry), hit me in my pocketbook, make my stomach turn over, or grab my gonads.'

Do this as many times as possible in a one page news release in 30 seconds or less and you will succeed in getting publicity.

A few years ago I spoke at the National Public Relations Society meetings in Omaha. I found out that most publicists at most big PR firms don't have a real clue about how to write a news release to get news coverage. They write corporate fluff.

Rarely do you see them create something that makes an editor drop what he’s doing and pick up the phone and call. And yet this is what you want an editor to do.

Read more on Business Marketing - How To Write Press Releases That Get Published

For more information about website design and small business, go to:
http://www.web4business.com.au/

Search Engine Optimisation

Articles - A Down and Dirty Guide to Search Engine Optimisation

A Down and Dirty Guide to Search Engine Optimisation and Positioning

I've been asked here to sum up what everyone should know about search engine positioning.

First, two caveats:

1) Search Engine Positioning is only a tiny part of the big Internet Marketing picture. It takes time and there are other things that will pay off far more in the long run.

2) This is a gross simplification of the whole process.

With that said, let's dive in.
1. This discussion will focus on spider engines. That is, an engine that goes to your site and indexes you based on what it finds. Directories are a whole 'nother ball game (which we will address in another article). Good examples of spiders are: Infoseek, Excite, and AltaVista.

Read more about Search Engine Optimisation

Websites 4 Small Business
http://www.web4business.com.au/

Free Website Promotion

Free Website Promotion - How to Get Free Super Powerful Publicity for your Business:
by Ivana Katz

Having worked with a large number of small business owners, one common mistake I see over and over again is the obscene amounts of money they throw away on advertising. Many of them believe the more money they spend, the more business it will bring. WRONG!!! WRONG!!! WRONG!!!

So what’s a new entrepreneur to do?
It’s simple!!! Write articles.

Writing articles is an excellent way for you to get free publicity. Getting an article published is free and some publications even pay for your contributions. The publicity you receive by having your article published in a newspaper, magazine or website can be worth thousands of dollars in equivalent advertising space. Well written articles yield better results than advertisements and earn you respect from customers, who see you as an expert in your field.

Read more about Free Website Promotion

Websites 4 Small Business
http://www.web4business.com.au/

30 Ways to promote your business on a shoestring budget - Tip 30

30. Joint Ventures

A joint venture is an agreement in which two or more businesses work on a project for a set period of time. Joint ventures can be long-term or short-term. With joint venture you can:

(a) Build long lasting business relationships.
(b) Increase your credibility by teaming up with other reputable, branded businesses.
(c) Get free or discounted products and services.
(d) Set up most joint venture deals with little or no money.
(e) Gain new leads and customers.
(f) Offer your customers new products and services.
(g) Get rid of your extra inventory.
(h) Find and create new distribution channels for your products.

To learn more about Joint Ventures, visit:

www.howtowritehypnoticjointventureproposals.com

There are many excellent ebooks on internet marketing. I would strongly recommend you pick up at least one or two and start reading. For a list of some great electronic books and tools, which are available for instant download, visit:

http://www.web4business.com.au/BusinessTools.htm

Websites 4 Small Business
www.web4business.com.au

30 ways to promote your website on a shoestring budget - Part 29

29. Viral marketing

On the Internet, viral marketing is any marketing technique that induces Web sites or users to pass on a marketing message to other sites or users, creating a potentially exponential growth in the message's visibility and effect. One example of successful viral marketing is Hotmail, a company, now owned by Microsoft. Their strategy is simple:

(a) Give away free e-mail addresses and services,

(b) Attach a simple tag at the bottom of every free message sent out: "Get your private, free email at http://www.hotmail.com" and,

(c) Then stand back while people e-mail to their own network of friends and associates,

(d) Who see the message,

(e) Sign up for their own free e-mail service, and then

(f) Propel the message still wider to their own ever-increasing circles of friends and associates.

Some viral marketing strategies work better than others. Below are basic elements you should try to include in your strategy.

(a) Give away products or servicesMost viral marketing programs give away valuable products or services to attract attention. Free e-mail services, free information, free "cool" buttons, free software programs etc

(b) Provide for effortless transfer to othersThe medium that carries your marketing message must be easy to transfer and replicate: e-mail, website, graphic, software download. From a marketing standpoint, you must simplify your marketing message so it can be transmitted easily and without degradation. Short is better.

(c) Scale easily from small to very largeTo spread like wildfire the transmission method must be rapidly scalable from small to very large. Ensure you have enough resources, such as mail servers and staff that will be able to handle the increase in business.

(d) Exploit common motivations and behaviorsClever viral marketing plans take advantage of common human motivations such as greed, the desire to be cool, hunger to be popular, loved, and understood.

(e) Utilize existing communication networksEach person has a network of 8 to 12 people in their close network of friends, family, and associates. A person's broader network may consist of hundreds or thousands of people. People on the Internet develop networks of relationships, too. They collect e-mail addresses and favourite website URLs. Affiliate programs exploit such networks, as do permission e-mail lists. Learn to place your message into existing communications between people, and you rapidly multiply its dispersion.

(f) Take advantage of others' resourcesThe most creative viral marketing plans use others' resources to get the word out. For example, affiliate programs place text or graphic links on others' websites, authors give away free articles, news release can be picked up by a large number of publications as they form the basis of articles seen by hundreds of thousands of readers.

Ivana Katz
Websites 4 Small Business
www.web4business.com.au

30 ways to promote your website on a shoestring budget - Part 28

28. eBay

If you sell products (as opposed to services) in your business, one of the best marketing tools you can use is eBay. eBay is a community where individuals and businesses can buy and sell a vast range of new and used items at fair market prices.

The main reasons why you should sell on eBay include:
- You can sell little or lot of practically anything from antiques to cars.
- Gain access to the millions of eBay buyers worldwide.
- Feel safe with policies and protections of the Community.
- Sell as an individual, small business, enterprise, and more!

For more information visit: www.ebay.com for selling globally or www.ebay.com.au for selling within Australia.

Ivana Katz
Websites 4 Small Business
http://www.web4business.com.au/

Recommended Reading - The Big Book of Small Business

The Big Book of Small Business

In The Big Book of Small Business, Tom shares his hard-earned lessons on how to become an enlightened, effective leader, and on how to do the small things right so the big decisions work. This all-in-one toolbox for small businesses is jammed with warm-hearted, tough-minded practices and street-smart tips, covering every aspect of a growing business:

Starting, funding, and getting your new business off the ground
Crafting a mission and growing a corporate culture that works
Hiring the best people and maximizing their potential
Communicating and negotiating with your employees, customers, and suppliers
Creating processes for continuous innovation and growth
Protecting your business from unforeseen dangers
Planning for growth
And much more . . .

As thorough as a textbook and as lively as a news magazine, The Big Book of Small Business is the most comprehensive and practical book on how to take a small business to the next level, and an indispensable slingshot for the million.

To order this book in Australia, click hereTo order this book in USA, click here

Ivana Katz
Websites 4 Small Business

30 ways to promote your website on a shoestring budget - Part 27

27. Word of mouth / Testimonials

Word-of-mouth marketing truly is one of the best ways to promote your business. The three most important things you can do to start the process of increasing your business through word-of-mouth include:

(a) Diversify your networks by becoming visible and active in the community. Participate in various networking groups and/or professional associations.

(b) Set up a contact list of businesses that are complementary and non-competitive to you. For example: a lawyer, an accountant, a financial planner and a banker. All of them have clients with overlapping similar needs. They can all work with and refer each other easily. Another good example is a florist, a photographer, a travel agent and a jeweler. A referral for one of them becomes a referral for all of them.

(c) Building your business through word-of-mouth is about cultivating relationships with people who get to know you and trust you. People do business with people they have confidence in. It's not what you know, or whom you know, it's how well you know them that counts. If you go into this process understanding this one key point, you will have a better opportunity to build your business through word-of-mouth.

Ivana Katz
Websites 4 Small Business
http://www.web4business.com.au/

30 ways to promote your website on a shoestring budget - Part 26

26. Postcards

If looking to target potential customers, don’t overlook postcard marketing. Postcards achieve almost a 100% readership, while being simple to use and inexpensive.

Postcards:
- keep your name in front of customers - generate a high return on investment - are flexible, informative and creative - have high impact and low cost

Postcards can be used to:
- generate website traffic and sales leads - promote new specials or company awareness - announce new products, websites, store locations - thank customers - use as a discount offer /coupon

Repetition is the key to effective marketing efforts and postcards offer an inexpensive way of doing it.

Ivana Katz
Websites 4 Small Business
www.web4business.com.au

30 ways to promote your website on a shoestring budget - Part 25

25. Print advertising

Writing the Copy

When it comes to print advertising, you have to get to the point—fast. Your headlines should motivate readers to want to read on to learn more about your product, price and offer. Effective headlines address a pressing customer need or desire. The reality is that people care more about themselves—and what you can do for them—than about your business. You'll get a much higher response rate when your headline quickly answers the question, "What's in it for me?"
In the body of your copy, offer an incentive for the reader to call you or come to your store. You may want to offer a discount or a free giveaway

Placing the Ad

Newspaper ads are very effective for businesses that market their products and services locally. Not only can you reach a large number of people in a specific metropolitan location, but you can also target prospects via their interests (in the sports, lifestyle and business sections, for example).
Advertising costs depend on a number of factors, including the size of the ad, where it's placed, the day it runs and so on. Call and request a media kit from the newspaper or magazine so you can determine what advertising steps you can take that will fit with your marketing budget.
Consider placing print advertisements in local publications, national publications, industry publications, target market specific publications, yellow pages, local directories, special catalogues

Ivana Katz
Websites 4 Small Business
http://www.web4business.com.au/

30 ways to promote your website on a shoestring budget - Part 24

24. Radio advertising

You may have shied away from radio advertising, thinking the cost would be well over your budget and it may very well be if you were to advertise on commercial radio stations. But have you considered community radio stations? There are hundreds of them around and the great thing is that they will reach your local market. For community radio stations in your area, visit your local yellow pages or search on the internet.

Ivana Katz
Websites 4 Small Business
http://www.web4business.com.au/

30 ways to promote your website on a shoestring budget - Part 23

23. Media Releases

Having a story written about you and your business will not only bring you lots of new customers (at no cost to you), but will also provide you massive credibility. Stories about you in the media are far more believable, powerful and attractive than any ads you could possibly run. People will trust and respect you instantly.

A media release (also called press or news releases) should provide enough details to be informative, but it should leave out just enough information to be tantalizing that the media person calls you to find out more.

Your media release should feature the following:

(a) The Headline This is 90% of your release. Your headline will do almost all of the work in attracting attention to you.

(b) The Summary This is the first part of the media release and should tell your story briefly.

(c) Credentials & Quotations Insert quotes from other people and include the person’s credentials

(d) Call to Action What do you want the person reading this release to do? You want them to call you for an interview. So provide your contact details and write a very brief outline of why you would be an interesting person to interview.

For more information about writing media releases visit:
PRWeb - Tell your company story to thousands!
Press Release - www.pressrelease.com.au
Elance - www.elance.com
PRNewswire - www.prnewswire.com
NewsBureau - www.newsbureau.com

Ivana Katz
Websites 4 Small Business
http://www.web4business.com.au/

Interesting reading

I like to spend my Christmas break catching up on reading and learning about new marketing techniques and ways to improve my business. This year I've come across some fabulous material. Nothing gives me a greater buzz (except for spending a day shopping ;) than when I learn something new - either something that will save me time, make me money or both. I've picked up some great tips and I will be posting them here over the upcoming months, but today I wanted to share an informative interview with Michael Cheney from AdSense Videos which I came across recently. Happy reading!!!

Ivana Katz
Websites 4 Small Business

Interview with Michael Cheney from AdSense-Videos.com

Q. So what made you get started with AdSense?
A. I was looking for a way to monetize some of my websites. AdSense is such an easy thing to get started with the eye for it would be a great way to start earning more money without actually putting into much more effort. I think as soon as you see the first earnings coming into your account you get addicted to AdSense. I know is what happened to me and since then I've just spent time working out how to earn more and more each day.

Q. How much do you make with AdSense?
A. Some days I can earn close to $1000 and others it's less than that. But it all comes down to how much time and effort you devote to creating a quality site that people like visiting. AdSense is not what my business is based on by any means - but it is a great way to earn revenue almost on autopilot.

Q. What is the biggest mistake people making with AdSense?
A. Probably the biggest mistake people make is thinking the AdSense earnings are easy to achieve. It is very easy to get started but as I learned it takes a lot of effort to increase your earnings. I got really downhearted whenever I would log in to my account to see that I had only made a few dollars. And that's when I decided to spend months and months of my time learning everything I could about
AdSense.

I basically buried myself away and devoured every single piece of AdSense information I could find. I ran thousands of AdSense tests and started to see a dramatic effect on my click through ratio and therefore on my earnings.

This is why I'd decided to record the videos - because I knew that it would help people who were in my position to also increase their earnings. I've read an absolute ton of AdSense e-book's but they take so long to go through and always seem to keep information back.

With AdSense Videos I knew that I had to tell the story exactly as it is and actually show people and lead them by the hand through the exact techniques that I use to generate large earnings from AdSense.

Q. In your videos you show people how to increase their AdSense earnings - can you
give us a taster of this advice?
A. I don't want to give away my biggest secrets as you can understand! But some of the more basic things that you can do to increase your revenues include using ads that blend in rather than stand
out from your content. Flat out the worst thing you can do with an AdSense ad is make it look like the standard Google ad. What you need to realise is that you will get more clicks if your ad
actually appears part of your site rather than something that's just been dropped into the page.

Q. What would you recommend that someone do right now to increase their AdSense
earnings?
A. I've created a totally free AdSense minicourse that people can go through to learn some of my techniques. It takes you through the four cornerstone principles that I've used to build up my AdSense empire. You can check it out, as well as all the AdSense Videos, by clicking here

30 ways to promote your website on a shoestring budget - Part 22

22. Publishing an Ezine or Newsletter

Whether you are the CEO of a multi-national corporate network or a stay-in-your-pyjamas entrepreneur, one of your primary business objectives should be to develop long-term relationships with everyone you communicate with – website visitors, prospects, customers, employees, suppliers, service providers etc. And one of the best methods of building strong relationships is through your own Ezine (electronic magazine) or Newsletter.

If you've been marketing on the Internet, then you know it may take several contacts with a prospective customer before closing a sale. What better way to make those contacts, without spamming... In addition, you can eventually make a nice income selling sponsor advertising and classified ads.

To publish an effective Ezine will take some time to develop and there are thousands of resources on the internet that will help you – simply go to your favourite search engine and type in “ezine publishing” or “ezine publishing articles”.

In the meantime, here are some tips to get you started.

(a) Give your readers quality content - not rehashed or well-worn articles that have been published hundreds of times already.

(b) Write your own articles whenever possible or hire a ghost writer to help you. Talk to your readers as you would normally talk. Be yourself and let your sense of humour and uniqueness show through in your writing.

(b) Ensure the ezine has been properly edited, you have checked your spelling, grammar and formatting. Ensure all the links are working

(c) Personalise each issue for your subscriber. If your email software allows it, include a field so that your ezine is addressed to your subscriber by their firstname.

(d) Don’t publish too many ads or too many affiliate links

(e) Ask for feedback to help you improve your ezine

(f) Stick to publishing a text ezine rather than HTML.

(g) Publish your ezine regularly and on time.

Ivana Katz
Websites 4 Small Business
http://www.web4business.com.au/

Highly recommended reading.

What do women want? Money, power, platinum credit cards. No longer are women finanially controlled by men anymore. The world is our bank and we just have to gain the skills to source that money!! Suze Orman teaches women a lot about learning to make their bank balance grow and grow. While you might have to sneak into overdraft to buy the book....you'll soon be far far from scraping the bottom of the piggybank!

To order this book in Australia, click here
To order this book in USA, click here

30 ways to promote your website on a shoestring budget - Part 21

21. Ezine Advertising

One of the best, cheapest and most targeted way to promote your product or service is through ezines (electronic magazines). Ezine ads reach people who want what you have to offer. As Ezines are generally based on a theme or particular interest and their subscribers have requested to receive them, you can be sure that they are going to be read.

Prices for advertisements vary depending on the popularity of the ezine and the actual location of your ad. Top position ads generally cost more than those found mid-way or at the bottom. Most ezine publishers will also send solo ads (advertisements about your product/service) to their subscribers. However, this is generally more costly.

To get the most of your ad, ensure you develop a killer title or headline and that the ad is straight to the point.

The best way to get started advertising in ezines would be to contact the editors of various ezines and check their rates, publication dates and number of subscribers – go to www.ezine-dir.com or www.go-ezines.com for a comprehensive listing of ezines.

Ivana Katz
Websites 4 Small Business
www.web4business.com.au

Highly recommended video to watch!

Nitro Marketing just released the first video in a series of 5 trainings based on their Nitro Blueprint System.

Video #1 is called "The New Path Video" and is available for immediate viewing.

http://www.NitroBlueprint.com/video.o/Web4Business

Watch these 5 free Nitro Blueprint videos and get 10 simple steps that creates your own full-time online income while LOVING what you do.

In these 5 videos over the next 5 days, Nitro is going to give you The Big Picture of an online business system, including not only what to do, but also WHY to do it - and just as important - how to properly THINK about your business. (The missing piece that you never hear any of the "Gurus" talking about - the Internet Business Success Mindset)

You'll see PROOF that this 10 step system works.

(The Nitro Blueprint System has been 29 months in the making based on over 8 years of REAL Internet business experience)

And you will also learn:

- The simple 10 step 90-day plan to having a lucrative online business, even if you are starting from scratch.

- How to have a business you LOVE doing.

- How to have a business that lasts for the long term.

- How to eliminate procrastionation, take focused action, and start gettng immediate results.

- The Experience Factor, Core Activity Principle, the Tile Path Theory, and The Empty Box Principle.

- They will walk you through all 10 steps that Nitro uses for every site they launch, every site they rennovate, every business they start, and every client they take on.

Special Bonus #1: The amazing true story how a green-as-the-grass newbie with no desire to "do internet business" used the Nitro Blueprint system to create $22,748 in 3 weeks, from scratch. (in a totally unrelated niche market)

Special Bonus #2: Free participation in the Nitro Blueprint Videos "Biggest Takeaways" Contest where you will be able to win cool Nitro prizes just for sharing your biggest takeaways from the videos. (including 5 DVD's given away of the private Nitro Quattro Sales Funnel)

http://www.NitroBlueprint.com/video.o/Web4Business

To your success,
Ivana Katz
http://www.web4business.com.au/

PS: When you get in on Day 1 video today, you will make sure and get all 5 videos that cover all 10 Steps of the Nitro Blueprint System as they are released over the next 5 days:

http://www.NitroBlueprint.com/video.o/Web4Business

Airing Dirty Laundry ...

There's an elephant in the room that nobody is talking about. And it's beginning to stink so badly that someone has finally spoken up about it.

Yes, Nitro Marketing is airing out the "dirty laundry" of Internet Marketing in a controversial & revealing new report called:

"The Internet Marketing Dirty Laundry Report"

Why are hundreds of thousands of people who are trying to start, launch, and grow an online business - with all of the information available showing you how to do that - still frustrated,
confused, overwhelmed, and no closer to the success you desire than when you started?

(And even worse - further in debt and totally discouraged from continuing after your dream.)

Well, they are exposing exactly what the problems are and it's all revealed this special report that was just published for you which will give you some real answers, expose the real truth to
what is going on, and more importantly give you some real help you can depend on in:

"The Internet Marketing Dirty Laundry Report"

Why Following 'The Gurus' Is Leaving You Frustrated, Overwhelmed, Confused, Struggling And Broke:

http://www.NitroBlueprint.com/dl.o/Web4Business

Chapter 1:
Why People are Frustrated, Overwhelmed, Confused Struggling and Broke... Despite the Glamorous Promises Being Made to You.

Chapter 2:
The Get Rich Quick Myth – BUSTED!

Chapter 3:
The Bamboozler In Hiding

Chapter 4:
The "House Of Cards" Are Not Playing With A Full Deck

Chapter 5:
What To Look For In A True System To Follow? (And what not to touch with a ten-foot pole)

Chapter 6:
Real Value, Real Results – Given To You For Free

Chapter 7:
Does It Really Work?

Download "The Internet Marketing Dirty Laundry Report" and get the truth at:
http://www.NitroBlueprint.com/dl.o/Web4Business

To your success,
Ivana Katz
http://www.web4business.com.au/

PS: Watch out for the Bamboozler in hiding. Nitro exposes him for what he is in this report.
Some people will find what is revealed to be shocking, others will nod their head and say that makes sense...and most will do both!
http://www.NitroBlueprint.com/dl.o/Web4Business

PPS: You'll also see an explanation of life of a typical product in this marketplace. Warning: you may be seriously disgusted.

http://www.NitroBlueprint.com/dl.o/Web4Business

Recommended Reading

Make Money, Not Excuses
by Jean Chatzky

It's easy to become wealthy: Earn money, spend less than you make, invest wisely, and have a plan for financial disasters, says the TV and print financial expert. The rest are details that mean nothing if these four basic strategies are not in place. Chatzky is a refreshing and her persistence is ever present as she pushes women to accept financial responsibility.

She takes money management out of the competitive realm and encourages gentler practices, such as mindful and humanitarian spending. With encouraging warmth in her voice, she describes the internal conflicts women have about being more proactive with money and describes relationship issues that often lead women to abdicate money responsibilities to a man. T.W. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Review

Praise for Jean's Work: “Simply brilliant.” —Robert T. Kiyosaki, author of Rich Dad, Poor Dad

To order this book in Australia, click here

To order this book in USA, click here

Till next time ...

Ivana Katz

Websites 4 Small Business

http://www.web4business.com.au/

30 ways to promote your website on a shoestring budget - Part 20

20. Webrings

One of the more interesting ways to add some targeted traffic to your site is to join webrings. A webring allows visitors to surf through sites that are related in one way or another. They are free of charge to the owners, members and visitors.

Webrings deliver targeted traffic day after day and once they are set up they tend to stay set up with little further maintenance

Each webring is created and maintained by a person known as a ringmaster. This person accepts site submissions and validates that the site meets the topic of the webring. For more information visit: www.webring.org

Till next time ...
Ivana Katz
Websites 4 Small Business
http://www.web4business.com.au/