7 Tips In Creating Publicity For Corporate Events

Organising corporate events can be exciting and interesting but simultaneously stressful and nerve-racking. This is especially true when corporate event managers are faced with a dilemma in balancing the need to create an enjoyable and beneficial event, and at the same time entrusted with the responsibility to create publicity for it.

Nevertheless, if the right approach is used, creating publicity for corporate events will become an easier task to manage. The following tips will provide you with an insight on some of the best practices used in creating publicity.

1. It's always a good idea to work in a team, and delegate the task of creating publicity to a particular team member. This way, you won't be caught up in the legwork, but rather be involved from an event manager perspective. Your responsibility then is to make decisions and guide others in getting things done for you.

2. Selecting the right person to delegate this task to is also an important factor in making your event a success. It is essential for this person to possess the necessary contacts with media companies, such as television stations and newspapers, way before the event kicks off.

3. Use short copywriting for direct mailers or newspaper advertisements. Good editing and good writing go hand-in-hand to create impact for your publicity pieces. Also, thick information packs are out of the question, unless specifically requested by the recipient.

4. Try not to use copywriting that may be a tad too creative or flowery. Your audience has no time trying to figure out your message, and it is best that you send them something direct and concise.

5. Although it may be common sense to include a contact number or an email address in your publicity pieces, you may be surprised that many corporate event organisers actually overlook this. Keep this in mind so that you can be contacted for further information.

6. No one wants to read outdated information. That is why your press releases should be kept as relevant and up to date as possible.

7. Always stick with the truth when you are answering questions from the media, or holding a press conference. Many corporate event managers tend to exaggerate and end up presenting an event that falls short of expectations.

Shane Williss has extensive experience in dealing with the media and creating the necessary publicity as an event manager of Chillisauce (http://www.chillisauce.co.uk), a corporate event organising company within the UK.

Want more information on creating publicity? Check out Chillisauce, a corporate event organiser within the UK and internationally.

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Digital Publicity - How to Build Your Business Fast Through Social Media Marketing and Other Tactics

Digital publicity is the arena of marketing that involves the planning and execution of publicity strategies across digital channels - particularly online media outlets.

Such online media outlets may include journalists, website publishers and editors, influential bloggers and digital content producers.

The tactics employed in digital publicity

Many tactics and methods fall under the description of digital publicity. Your choice of digital publicity strategies depends largely upon the nature of your business and your budget for digital marketing expenditures. Some of the tactics employed by digital publicity specialists include the following 6 methods.

Content Creation and Syndication

Content takes on a greater power when it is published and syndicated online. When proper search engine optimization (SEO) principles are employed to your online content publishing, you get to harness the power of search engine referrals to build your traffic and get your marketing message to a wider audience.

Most effective digital publicity campaigns utilize written, audio, graphic and video content to great effect. Video in particular has been shown to deepen engagement with a targeted audience online like no other content marketing format.

Media Write ups and Articles

Getting a write up about your business in an influential trade publication or local newspaper can be very valuable for getting new leads, generating new referrals and converting more prospects. Using such methods as online press releases and media relations, you can land the big interviews that will help your business.

Link Exchange Programs

Gaining "backlinks" from a closely related website that ranks highly at the search engines can result in a tremendous bump in traffic to your website. Taking part in a series of carefully selected link exchange arrangements can confer search engine respect to your website.

Social Media Publicity

Social media channels are particularly powerful when used in a strategic and integrated outreach campaign. In my consulting practice, we recommend that our clients who own or manage local retail establishments actively connect on websites like Meetup.com where they can connect with targeted groups of prospects.

Other social media strategies you can easily implement include a targeted "virtual blog tour" and "tele-seminar tour" in which you reach out to important influencers and offer to share some of your expertise with their audiences.

Strategic Online Marketing Alliances

Strategic alliances online include formal referral relationships in which your promotional messages become a fixed part of a partner's marketing funnel or sales funnel. Alliances can take many forms such as outright co-endorsements, ezine ad swaps or auto-responder email placements.

Online Brand Monitoring

With the increased power of the individual customer, it is as important as ever for businesses and brands to maintain a continuous monitoring of product, brand and industry keyword mentions.

In the words of Pizza restaurateur turned social media guru, Ramon DeLeon, you have to "put out social media fires with social media water". By constantly monitoring online media channels, you can quickly exploit fast-moving opportunities and prevent publicity nightmares from gaining traction.

Gogo Erekosima, The Small Business Digital Coach is the CEO and Lead strategist at Denver Digital Marketing Firm, Idea Age Consulting.

He recommends the resources at www.TurnAttentionIntoDollars.com for small businesses (and professionals) seeking to leverage the internet to attract clients, build profitable email lists, generate internet traffic, win influential partners and grow sales in record time.

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Link Building With Publicity Stunts

Link baiting with web content can really just come down to the good old fashioned publicity stunt.

When properly planned, targeted, and executed, publicity sought for publicity's sake can be an incredible force. It can turn an idea into a business and give a fading star a fresh chance to brave the media glare.

From Howard's Stern's Union Square give-away of 500 free satellite radios to commemorate his switch to Sirius, to the Britney and Madonna kiss at the MTV Music Awards, to the Janet Jackson "wardrobe malfunction," publicity stunts create attention.

But stunts are hard to control, and sometimes the after-effects can be mixed or downright nasty. Here's an example of an engineered maneuver that had the exact opposite effect from what was intended.

Elvis Presley laid the groundwork for the modern celebrity publicity stunt by joining the U.S. Army on March 24, 1958. It wasn't his stunt, though. Despite the lack of a war, he was drafted for a two year tour of duty in Germany until he was honorably discharged in 1960.

Presley's peacetime draft was a conservative political move to protect the country from the corrupting influence of his music, and it had exactly the opposite effect. Here's how Alan Levy's book Operation Elvis describes the move:

By pretending he was just like anybody else, the Army had demonstrated to the world The Importance of Being Elvis.

Thanks to a political miscalculation, Elvis became more famous than ever, and publicists ever since have worked this angle to amplify the importance of being [insert celebrity client name here]. The irony is, before leaving for Germany, Elvis had already agreed to make nearly ten years of really bad movies, which would help send his career -- all decked out in bejeweled white jumpsuits -- on a one-way trip to Vegas.

What can Elvis teach you about link building?

Brian Clark is the founder of http://www.tubetorial.com which provides free Internet Marketing video tutorials for effective online business. He also writes about online copywriting techniques at his blog Copyblogger.com

Copyright 2006 Brian Clark

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5 Prep Steps to Creating an Awesome Audio Publicity Clip

Including an audio clip on your website today is as essential as providing an email address used to be. Without one your website is outdated: You are viewed as behind-the-times.

Your audio clip should be 2-10 minutes long, jam-packed with action that keeps the listener involved, and should clearly display your ability to communicate about your favorite topic.

Hiring a pro, like Wayne Kelly is a great idea if you can afford it: An experience DJ will lend credibility and polish to your promo clip. However, if you can't afford $300, or don't want to go that route, try to think of someone you know who is articulate, has an outgoing personality and has a great voice. The two of you can literally create an audio clip over the phone for under $5.

I always use freeconference.com. Two people can call into an 800# and talk for up to 25 minutes for about $5. Now that's cheap advertising! Remember, 10 minutes maximum: so, if you don't have audio editing equipment, just keep the entire session under 10 minutes.

Once you understand your options, here are the steps that will insure your success:

1. Find the voice that motivates you. Remember the joke-telling principle that says, "Tell only those jokes which you think are hysterically funny"? Well, when cutting a promo audio, select only the voice that you think is a perfect match for your message. Choose a voice that energizes you personally.

2. Write a smash-hit introductory bio. You've got 10 seconds. If you grab their attention in the first 10, then they'll give you another 10, and so on. Learn the keys to writing a super intro: http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Marnie_Swedberg.

3. Provide your interviewer with talking points. Select three to seven key points that you want to discuss. Make sure that each point addresses a topic or aspect of a topic that ignites your passion big-time. Be sure that you are doing your promo audio for you're A#1 best topic.

4. Practice your delivery. This is not the time to be passé! You need energy, enthusiasm and excellent content. Smile as you speak. Practice, practice, practice. Try to figure out in advance every question or angle an interviewer may address your topic. Craft 10-30 second "sound bite" answers that will leave your listeners eager to hear more from you.

5. On the day of the interview, relax and have fun. You have prepared, you have practiced, and you have perspired. Now it's time to play. Pretend that it's just you and the DJ over a cup of coffee. Be enthusiastic and personable. Behave as if you were telling him about the most exciting thing you've heard in years! Speak one-to-one with the DJ: Use his first name. If he is funny or insightful, mention it. Say something like, "Good question!" or "What a great idea!" The more relaxed and real you can be, the better your audio clip will serve you!

Marnie Swedberg is mentor and coach to over 500 public speakers. Visit her site at http://www.womenspeakers.com

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Get More Publicity Today - Become One of the Top Bloggers Online

The days of blogging just for fun are long gone. It has become a critical marketing tool for businesses. From large corporations to home-based businesses, speakers, coaches, etc., blogging has become a way of life. Yes, blogging has definitely become a big business. And best yet, the art of becoming a high-profile top blogger-a blogger who is well-known, well-respected and considered an expert in their field throughout the blogging community can be well worth the time, dedication and commitment it takes to get there.

We all know that blogging can expand a company's outreach to clients and consumers, increase brand recognition and let your clients and potential clients see your expertise in your industry. But did you know that recent statistics report that 35% of readers are taking blogs more seriously, with 19% saying that blogs are actually more well-written than some of the traditional media sources they are reading. That boils down to when you take the time to blog, and do it right, you are getting out there where you need to be-front and center in front of your audience.

However, to be successful you do need to do your homework, learn about acceptable formats, etiquette and even the legal aspects associated with blogging before setting out on that path. You need to also remember that the blogging world is built on relationships. The most successful bloggers can attribute their success to a combination of high-quality content and ultra-valuable blogger/business relationships.

So how do you go about becoming one of the top bloggers online? Easy! The most popular ways of starting and developing connections in blogging are through guest posts, blogger interviews, and organic PR. Before you begin your blog marketing efforts, read and apply these tips to your blogging strategy.

Organic PR - Creating Your Own Blog

Creating your own blog and maintaining it is what many do, and quite successfully. It allows you to post on current topics, add in your articles and press releases to get more traction from them, and engage with your target market, energizing them to post and get involved. Also, it can be a very effective means to get better SEO.

To be successful, it helps to work out a plan on how you are going to post so your audience knows what to expect. For example, on Mondays you can blog business tips, SEO tips on Wednesdays; Fridays post your articles and press releases, etc. Remember that you can also host contests, events, etc. The main thing it boils down to is to always add value.

Write Guest Posts on Other Blogs

Being a guest blogger can be a great way to secure a whole new audience and also take advantage of someone else's great SEO efforts and marketing. Basically what that means is that you get the opportunity to add content on an established and high-ranking site that already has SEO rankings and a dedicated audience in your industry.

And since it can be a serious time commitment, you want to make sure you find the best blogs to get involved with. Blogs cater to a wide range of people. Some focus on Fortune 500 CEOs, while others focus on entrepreneurs, business-related topics, and everything in between. You need to find those that are perfect for hearing your message.

Securing a guest post on a blog can range from something as simple as sending off an email pitch, to a more personalized approach of meeting the blogger at a conference. Remember it's important to let them know what value you can provide to their blog site. It's not about you getting more exposure (although you will), but more importantly what you can offer to them.

Securing Blogger Interviews

Much like guest posts, securing blogger interviews can be extremely valuable. Some blogs might conduct an interview via a simple phone call or a quick email, while others may require a more lengthy PR and publicity process, contracts and legal documents, and an in-person interview session. Cracking the code on the big blogs can often take more effort, but it is definitely worth the time spent.

Once you do connect, start your pitch by demonstrating your value. If their blog deals with personal finance, highlight some of your best tips and posts on the same topic. If you have experience in an area that they write about, let them know, and use that knowledge as a measure of value for yourself.

Blogger interviews are especially popular for authors who utilize these means to promote their books. Oftentimes the author can send in everything the blogger needs to post, which makes it easier for them to do. For example, they can include a Q&A, book summary, etc. The blogger then can easily add the information to their blog as if they personally interviewed the author. Also, many book authors will offer book giveaways and these can be used as contests for the blogging site. Everyone wins here. The blogger gets more content. The author gets more exposure. And those that frequent the blog get information on great books as well as a means to win a book or other giveaway.

There's never been a better time to become a top blogger. The number of blogs is constantly on the rise, as is the level of professionalism among bloggers. Keep in mind too that you don't have to do it alone in your blogging efforts. Often times you can hire virtual assistants or online support specialists to help with all your blogging needs.

Terry L. Green is the President of BizEase Support Solutions, and with a team of qualified online support specialists she provides seamless online marketing implementation, technology and administrative support solutions to speakers and business coaches worldwide. Visit http://www.bizeasesupport.com to find out how partnering with BizEase can help you grow your business, have more time, and make more money. Article is free to be reprinted as long as bio remains intact.

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Creating Effective Internet Publicity

The internet affords an opportunity unlike anything in history to create publicity for products or services. Unfortunately most people do NOT get the results they hope to achieve. The reason for this while simple may not be so apparent.

1/2 Of One Percent
The standard return on investment, the number we've used in outbound marketing since the beginning, has always been 1/2 of 1% on outbound messages. It may be a little more, often a little less and some may argue, but this is the benchmark. Stop and think about what that means. It means if you tell 1000 people about a product or service 1/2%, or five people will likely respond. That does not mean buy - it means respond in some way.

If this number holds, and it is the generally accepted standard, this means to make five sales you will need have 1000 visitors to your website. So how many visitors do you have on a daily or weekly business basis? Write that number down and multiply by 1/2 of 1%. How many Facebook followers to you have? Do you have 1000? If so you can expect about 5 responses for a given message. How many Twitter followers to you have? Do you have 1000? If so, you can expect about 5 of them to respond to something.

Many people are really surprised when they see this number. It may not be that you're not going a good job - it may be that you're not doing enough in regards to generating the required numbers required to produce good returns.

The Wrong Way
In regards to creating Internet publicity there is a right way and a wrong way. For instance, most people use social media as a networking tool rather than as a marketing tool. They generate a larger and larger list of followers and then pitch their product to that list. This is social media networking, it is NOT social media marketing. Frankly this is somewhat un-professional, it borders on being manipulative and usually does not produce good results of all. Endlessly pitching a product to a very small group of people will usually not create good results and frankly may create the opposite effect.

What will create good results is to tell a huge number of people about a product and create word of mouth or, these days, word of mouse. This is the opportunity the Internet affords. Here we are not talking about hundreds of people - we're talking about thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of people.

The only way to generate these huge numbers is through organic traffic. Organic traffic is not the relatively small numbers of friends or followers you have - organic traffic comes from the very large numbers of interested buyers who are members of the buying PUBLIC.

The Right Way
So what is the right way? There are two key components to doing it the right way are two:

1. You must get your message in front of interested people that is those who've demonstrated an interest previously and

2. You must get it in front of huge numbers of those people.

How Can This Be Accomplished?
There are many ways this can be accomplished, but this always depends on the product or service being offered. Overall the strategy is to use search engines - especially dedicated search engines - to deliver your message to the large group of interested people.

In the old days, 'getting the word out' was accomplished through traditional media. We sent a news release to newspapers, magazines, television, and radio stations to inform them that a product existed and to ask them to consider putting OUR message in front of THEIR audience. This does not work like it used to, as traditional media has lost much of their marketing value due to the advent of the Internet. Today nearly everybody uses the Internet when doing research on which products or services they intend to buy. But the theory still holds and the Internet engines now serve the same function.

Inbound VS Outbound
Remember" people do NOT like to be sold, but they do love to FIND WHAT THEY ARE LOOKING FOR. If you try to yell, tell and sell, your message will likely be rejected. But if your pre-qualified clients FIND what they seek, they are much more likely to tell other people what they have found. Think about it - when you receive an advertisement, do you immediately send it along to your friends? When you get an unsolicited message, do you send that to your friends? Of course you do not. Yet, when you FIND something you feel is interesting you will often send it to your friends.

Their many other ways creating effective Internet publicity can be accomplished but the message is this - the singular problem that most people face in regards to creating real success on the Internet is the fact that they think too small. If you hope to compete on a regional, national or international level, a few hundred Facebook followers or a few thousand Twitter followers is simply not going to make that happen. Your Facebook page is but one of millions. You are one of millions of people on Twitter. There are millions upon millions of blogs and some say upwards of a trillion web pages. You want to consider an Internet publicity strategy that creates real awareness and the does so in sufficient numbers to produce good results. Again there are many ways to do this but the method you should be use for your product depends on your product, your target market profiles and a number of other very specific factors. There is no 'one-size-fits-all' marketing strategy.

One thing is certain: if you hope to create real success, concentrating on small groups of people will not cut it today. If you hope to achieve real success, you will need to get that message where it can be found not by hundreds or thousands of people, but rather by millions of people on the worldwide stage. The question you must ask is this - Is what I am doing now producing the results I desire. If the answer is no, then something needs to change.

Don McCauley is a marketing strategist with over 30 years of experience. He helps individuals, small businesses and professionals create low cost publicity and marketing campaigns to increase sales. He demonstrates how anyone can develop a massive marketing and publicity campaign for little or no money by utilizing cutting edge strategic marketing and publicity resources. The goal is always to produce bottom line results.

Don serves as facilitator of the Free Publicity Focus Group. He is an author and currently writes for regional and national print and electronic publications. He serves as host of The Authors Show radio program, a production of eBroadcastMedia.com. He is an Inbound Marketing Certified Professional and is Web CEO University Certified.

Prior to establishing his marketing and publicity consulting business, Don spent many years as a marketing manager and trainer for several large US corporations. He has also personally built three highly successful service businesses from scratch across three different industries. He spent 8 years as marketing director of a regional corporation. During this time he was responsible for developing, implementing and managing marketing and publicity campaigns.

More information is available at http://www.freepublicitygroup.com. He can be reached by email at don@freepublicitygroup.com.

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How a Publicity Plan Can Help Businesses Survive and Thrive in a Tough Economy

Few business owners, if any, were prepared for the impact the current economic downturn would have on their bottom lines. As a result, companies of all sizes have had to cut back or close their doors completely as sales and contracts have dried up. However, with careful planning companies can leverage the power of the media to get high-impact, free publicity which could bring a burst of new business.

I am consistently amazed at how few business owners really understand how easy it is to make the media work for them. Small- to mid-sized businesses especially tend to think that having a publicity/marketing plan is too costly or too difficult. Nothing could be further from the truth.

By creating a basic publicity plan and learning a few simple media relations strategies, these same businesses can wind up featured on the cover of their local papers or getting free airtime on radio and TV which can lead to significantly more business, fast.

Most media pros will agree that good publicity is far more valuable than advertising. Therefore let me offer 5 reasons a publicity plan is vital to any business:

1. First and foremost, a plan helps you set goals.

If yours is one of the businesses which has seen a sharp decrease in sales, you may decide that launching a publicity campaign will help you reach your goal of increasing traffic by reminding your audience of the high-level of value and customer service your company provides or by giving away free iPods to loyal customers. The key is to be clear about your goals and objectives before launching a publicity plan and be realistic about the expected outcome.

2. Publicity planning also helps you identify specific journalists at specific media outlets who can most effectively help you reach your market.

In your planning, you will begin to learn the names of the journalists who cover business, consumer affairs, lifestyle, sports etc. Eventually you'll figure out exactly who to go to with your story idea. This helps you build media relationships, which could put your business at the forefront of any story that could result from that initial contact--thus, free publicity.

3. Keeping track of what media you've been in contact with is another plus to having a publicity plan.

This allows you to follow up appropriately. When you decide to launch a publicity campaign, you will be sending information directly to the writers whose articles you read and sometimes the reporters whose stories you watch on TV. They get tons of 'publicity queries' everyday, so following up with them directly is important. This dramatically increases your chances of getting free publicity.

4. Additionally, a plan shows that you value your audience and are serious about strategically delivering your message to them.

For example, you may decide to send out a news release once a month about your company's new product, service or promotional campaign. The more they see, hear and read about what you're doing the more your audience will like, know and trust you. Business 101 teaches that this strategy directly impacts sales.

5. Lastly, a publicity strategy helps you position yourself as an expert or an industry leader.

As you get more media coverage, your peers, your target market and other media outlets will begin to respect you and you will get more publicity, more brand awareness, more loyalty and ultimately more business.

Best known as a former award-winning radio talk show host on Chicago's WVON AM, Monique Caradine is currently the host of "Perspective," a weekly community affairs show which airs on WPWR TV My50 Chicago. She also runs a thriving media relations consulting company in Chicago's South Suburbs. Her clients have received high-impact publicity in numerous local and national media outlets including the New York Times, Crain's, Black Enterprise, Chicago Tribune Magazine and ESSENCE.

To get your free copy of Monique's downloadable special report entitled "How to Make Your Story Irresistible to the Media," visit http://www.JustAskMonique.com

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