Enjoy your day, moms. We know it has NOT been an easy ride – this roller coaster called parenting has seen the fastest spins and the quickest up-side-down maneuvers that any life could lead.
Press Release: Write Often
A University of Wisconsin study found that daily newspapers discarded 72% of press releases. If your release is guilty of these common flaws, it might be time to learn how to write your wrongs.
6 Things Not To Write
The number one reason for press release fatalities was “limited interest to readers,” followed closely by “no reader interest at all.” According to the study, no real news in the release, poorly written material, and inaccuracies or duplication are no-no’s that keep your information from getting into the right hands, or in front of the right eyes.
On the other hand, there are some things you can do to get your story picked up.
Where Do You Stand on That?
I bet if you were hanging out with your friends or family and a controversial subject came up, whether you voiced it or not – you’d probably have an opinion about it. Conversationally, it’s a plus to be able to debate opinions or discuss facts in a give and take manner. Some folks can’t do that. But if you’re the entrepreneur who generally reads our blogs, you can probably hang with the best.
If you have ideas for business – something not agreeable in the mainstream – instead of sitting there with your opinion safely tucked inside your head in a box labeled, “not politically correct,” I want to encourage you to take action. Take a risk by doing or saying something out of the norm that can be useful to others. It could be the thing that makes your business stand out. [Read more…] about Where Do You Stand on That?
Is There a Right or Wrong Way to Read Business Brochures?
The simple answer is, “No.” Still, you’ll get conflicting opinions when it comes to how you should be reading a barrel roll trifold brochure. Accordion-fold brochures are much easier to figure out, but when faced with two panels at the same time, like the barrel-fold allows, you’re left wondering what the brochure creator’s intention was. The first two panels are a no-brainer, right? Front cover, inside front cover … then what does a reader do? Open the flap to reveal the inside of the brochure to continue reading panels left to right? Or read inside the cover, then the folded flap, then the inside?
OH, brother … [Read more…] about Is There a Right or Wrong Way to Read Business Brochures?
Are You Paying For Great Content?
Do you write your own Web site and blog content? Your own articles? If you are paying to have your content written, consider the source.
There’s an old saying that still holds true – you get what you pay for. If you purchase from freelance writing boards and only offer low-ball pay, you may end up with regurgitated content that was previously written for someone else, or student work.
Not that you can’t find good writers on a freelance job board, of course you can. But some writers who are willing to work for less may not believe your project is worth their best effort. If you do hire off of a job board, offer a decent rate of pay for the job to be done. This benefits everyone and gets you closer to the writer who knows what good content is worth and is willing to do a great job if paid fairly. This is a business.
How Much DO You Spend on Marketing?
If you’re a smaller residential service company, chances are you create your own fliers and marketing materials. It’s likely you create your own business cards and order your invoices and time cards from a company that also offers t-shirts, baseball caps, and embroidered name tag button-down shirts. It’s affordable. You get to have the appearance of a legitimate company and no one selling you pricey services and telling you how your message needs to sound to your clients. Certainly, these things are important for you to stay in control of your costs and your reputation.
Or is it? [Read more…] about How Much DO You Spend on Marketing?