Posted by Aja on November 28th, 2011
I hope that you enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving with family and friends. As we look forward to the Christmas holiday, I would like to show my gratitude by offering a freebee instead of a Black Friday sale or Cyber Monday discount to my friends and clients.
Have you tightened up your marketing plans for the New [...]
Posted by Aja on July 11th, 2011
photo credit: Instant Vantage
It happens to everyone. You sit down to write with the best of intentions, maybe you even get started writing, and then it happens. Something lapses between your brain and your fingertips and no matter what that cursor just will not move. Before you know it an hour has gone by and you’re still sitting there looking at a blank screen and that darned cursor, struggling to find the words.
It’s called writer’s block and chances are you’ve experienced it, whether you are a professional writer, trying to write something related to your business, or just writing for fun. Fortunately, as frustrating as it can be, writer’s block is almost always a temporary hurdle, but the worst thing you can do to get past it is to sit staring at a blank computer screen. Follow some of the tips below to get those words flowing again and to get your writing back on track.
Have any tips for beating writer’s block? Share them in the comments!
Posted by Aja on March 27th, 2011
Has this ever happened to you? You’ve written a great press release without committing one of the seven deadly sins, sent it out to the media, and now you’re waiting patiently by the phone for a reporter to come calling. But it doesn’t happen. Now you believe that all of your time, effort, and maybe money in gaining visibility for your company has gone down the drain.
Don’t worry. Many press releases do not result in widespread media coverage, or even coverage at all. You may “strike-out” several times before you get a hit, but just because you don’t see a story in print doesn’t mean your efforts were worthless. Much like in advertising, your news may need to pass in front of a reporter’s eyes several times before they take notice.
In the meantime, there are many different ways that you can use your press release to give it life even if it has died in a reporter’s inbox:
Create an e-blast
You don’t need to wait for a reporter to pick up your story to spread your good news. Stick your press release into an email and send it out to your list of clients and potential customers.
Blog post
Post your press release to your business blog to get more eyes on it. Use your social media marketing channels to drive your fans and followers to your release.
Web Page
With most companies, it’s a good idea to have a section on your website featuring your news. This is especially important if you aren’t blogging, but even if you are your news will have a home that website visitors can see long after a blog post has moved off of the main page.
Media Kit
Add a copy of your press release to your print or electronic media kit. Your company’s highlights will be in one place when media, potential clients, and business partners come calling.
Submit for free distribution
Sites like PRLog submit your release to sites like Bing and Google potentially gaining attention from web surfers.
Have you found any other interesting uses for press releases? Share them!
Posted by Aja on February 4th, 2011
Tune in Tomorrow (Friday, February 4) to WEAA 88.9 FM from 7 to 8pm where I will be part of a panel on blended families. I thought the term “blended family” was pretty common these days but I’ve raised a few eyebrows when mentioning it, so in case you don’t know, a blended family is one that includes children of one or both partners from a previous relationship. I wrote an article about it on the Blackandmarriedwithkids website.
If you’re outside of the Baltimore listening area, you can listen live at www.weaa.org. This is an interesting and relevant topic so lplease tune in!