New Media Mavens

7 Simple Tips to Build Relationships Online

We all know how important it is to build relationships with prospects and customers. Online it is imperative. If you want to keep in touch, here are five simple tips to build and sustain those important relationships.

1. Offer a freebie on your Web site in exchange for email addresses


2. Create and send a monthly or bi-weekly ezine


3. Blog consistently


4. Make comments on other blogs as well as forums in your field


5. Create an e-mail signature file


6. Experiment with social networking sites such as my.space.com, facebook.com, squidoo.com and more.


7. Follow-up. Everytime someone purchases from you or inquire about your product or service

Even though it may seem daunting, it's well worth it by the increased traffic to your site as well as building a relationship with your prospect and customer.

Regards,

Lena Claxton
The Marketing Maven

What to Say in a Press Release

Many would have you believe there's a magic formula to get the press banging down your door. Here's the truth: there's no secret. But you need to be:

• Brief


• Memorable


• Tell a story

Don't waste time with flowery language such as:

In the beginning of time, starting with the wheel, and then the motor car, man has found he's moved himself and others through travel. But one problem begets another. With automation followed more problems than could be imagined. One major problem is air pollution. But what to do about it? One company based in Jacksonville, N.C. thinks it has the answer.

Instead start off strong such as, "A North Carolina company has discovered a critical process to reduce emissions in the nation's vehicles - a crucial component in fighting air pollution."

Always try to break news or link to a current news story in the first sentence. Most press releases that don't have a strong first line get tossed in the trash by the second sentence. Don't let that happen to you.

Next week: When to send your press release to get maximum coverage

Alison Woo
Chief Media Maven

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Marketing With New Media - The Book!

My co-author, Alison Woo and I have been working on a new marketing book: Marketing With New Media - A Guide to Communicating with Your Web site, Ezine, Blog & Podcasts. Hooray! We've polished it and sent it off to our publisher. It should be on the shelves sometime next summer.

After completing this mammoth project, here are three things we know for sure :

1. Commitment and persistence pay. Believe in what you do and hang in there.


2. Collaboration can bring magic and lends credence to the saying "WE are all smarter than any ONE of us."


3. Action counts, not necessarily perfection. When we consistently move forward in the direction that we want to go - good stuff happens! We can always tweak and refine as we go along.

Stay tuned for further details on our forthcoming book.

Regards,

Lena Claxton
The Marketing Maven

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Market Your Book With New Media

Last week I attended a literary festival. After speaking with a few authors I was amazed at how few are harnessing the power of the Internet to market their businesses. Comments included:

1. It's too overwhelming and I get confused


2. Don't have any clue where to start


3. The Internet is not my strength


4. Don't have the time.

After the festival I checked out the Web sites and some did not have enough information about their books. Nonfiction books never explained the benefits to the reader and no sales page for the book.

I strongly advocate that you feature your book prominently on your home page with a clickable link for more information/reader benefits as well as to order through Amazon.

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Lena Claxton
Contact me about using New Media tools to promote your book!

5 Essential Steps: Planning Your Podcast

So you've decided to 'reach out and touch' your target audience with your voice? Congratulations! Podcasting is a great new media strategy to get your business known. But before you plug in that microphone consider the following:

1. Research. Visit iTunes and listen to what people are talking about in your field and how they are doing it.


2. Content. Brainstorm and make a plan -- for at least a month in advance and follow it. What topics are you going to talk about? Vary the content. You don't have to do all the talking, sometimes you can interview people who will be of interest to your audience.


3. Value. Deliver useful insights or tips on your topic -- information your audience will want to listen to while driving in their cars or jogging around the track. So do a mind map or create a list of all the categories in your business and all its related offshoots. I'll bet you'll find tons of things that your audience will want to hear about.


4. Hosting. You need a place to host your podcasts (your mp3 files) so that it's accessible on the World Wide Web. Check with your Web hosting company like GoDaddy or investigate others such as audioblog.


5. Deliverability. Now you're ready as Sinatra say to, 'start spreading the news.' How is your podcast going to be delivered to people who want to hear it? Sign up with Feedburner or Feedblitz. How will readers find you? Try iPodderX, Odeo, Podcast Alley Digital Podcast, iTunes. Do an Internet search to find more podcast directories.

When you do these five essentials you will truly be ready to host your own Internet radio talk show!

Regards,

Lena Claxton
The Marketing Maven

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Attracting Media Attention: The Ultimate Press Release

Step one: Who will you send your press release to?

You don't need to hire a PR firm to write a press release. With a little practice, you can write great ones that have the media clamoring for you.

First question you have to ask yourself:

• What kind of media attention are you looking for? Do you want to gain the respect of your peers? Then you want to target media at business or trade outlets.


• Are you looking to get the word out to your customers about your business? Then you need to determine where does your target audience get their information. What kind of newspapers or magazines do they read? What shows do they watch on television or on the radio? Once you narrow that down you will pare down what kind of information you'll need to provide.

Is your idea best described in print? Is it highly technical? Then perhaps print is the best medium for it.

Do you have stunning visuals? If so, then television might be the best thing.

Do you have great spokespeople or customers who want to share incredible stories? If so, then radio might be the best fit.

Now that you've figured out who you're going to send it to, next week we'll talk about what you'll want to say.

Alison

The Media Maven

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