Competition- Why Falling Stars Matter

Pepsi has Coke. Or, as they see it, Coke has Pepsi. McDonald’s has Burger King. Or, as they see it, Burger King has McDonald’s.  Regardless of what you do for a living, there is a competitor. The closer you get to inching over into their profit margin, the more your competition will start to view themselves as a falling star. So, what exactly is a falling star?

Technically speaking, a falling star is defined as follows; A meteor or “shooting star” is the passage of a meteoroid or micrometeoroid into the Earth’s atmosphere, incandescent from air friction and shedding glowing material in its wake sufficiently to create a visible streak of light.

Notice the phrases “air friction” and “shedding glowing material”. When your competition stops competing and starts sabotaging (yes, it does happen) or is consumed by jealousy they become falling stars. They hit friction and they shed their glow doing so. As a business owner, you will come across several falling stars. You are warned. It will happen.

The best advice I can give you is to stay in your lane. These are not the types of falling stars that you want to notice. Ignore them. Ignore the friction. Do not look at the shedding glowing material. Don’t buy into jealousy. Instead, continue to glow as brightly as you can so you too do not fall.

We all need healthy competition in life and in business. It is what helps us grow and drives us to be better than we were yesterday. But when our competition turns into a falling star, know that their friction and temporary glow is contagious and can also drag you back down to Earth while harming your business.

Stay positive. Stay focused. Stay bright!

Velma Trayham, ThinkZILLA

Another Word on PR & Social Media

Every remove someone from your social media accounts because they are stalking every post you write? You know the type- they “like” or “retweet” everything you say. Even worse, their own posts are nothing more than selfies, rude memes and, of course, status updates from the gym! You want followers, but you want the RIGHT followers.

Here are my tips to navigating your way through your personal social media accounts like a pro;

#1. Don’t overshare. Oversharing photos of yourself, your pets and/or your kids is called annoying. Think of yourself walking down the street and someone stopping you every two seconds with a photo from their wallet to share with you. Annoying! Don’t be this person, especially if you run a company!

#2. Don’t buy “likes”, YouTube views or Twitter followers. We all can tell when “ana zhoisf sdjkdfhss” is a fake profile and you look silly with 10,000 fake followers reading your uninteresting posts. Value who you follow and appreciate those who REALLY follow you!

#3. Have actual conversations. OMG! Yes, don’t send important information via a text or a social media post. That’s classless- especially if it is a welfare check on someone’s emotional or physical health. Be personal, 

you will intrigue more people to follow you on social media when you show you truly care about others.

Until tomorrow,

Velma Trayham

How to Kill Your PR Brand with a Selfie!

Publicists love to toot their own horns. Well, that’s why they are publicists, right?! The problem with this is social media shouldn’t be about promotion, but more about engagement. Since most newbie PR pros are not navigating social media properly, I wanted to use today’s blog to clarify how to really rule in social media from a PR perspective.

First, use Vine to make a 6 second video for any news announcements. Not sure what Vine is? You’re further behind than first thought and should click here to learn more.  https://vine.co/

Next, use all other social media accounts to write a brief announcement that should cater to how people will benefit from it- not why they will care. For example, if you are releasing a new flavor of ice-cream- don’t announce it as your company releasing a new flavor. Instead, write “Chocolate lovers united! Velma’s Ice-cream adds Chocolate Devil flav. Option. Limited time only.”  In fact, if you find yourself writing more about you and your clients versus how the audience will benefit from the alert or release, it may be best to take a PR writing or social media writing course.

Finally, engage with those who care. Go through your followers and do random giveaways for products or promotions. This is the best and most low-cost way to ensure people are engaged with your brand using the element of surprise. Plus, when your brand is mentioned- you need to respond and respond quickly.

What you don't want to do is be the selie- queen or king.  Only the great publicists know that it isn't about them, it's about their clients.  It's OK to toot your own horn if you toot that of your clients' more. If it is all about you then it can't be all about your client. Thus, follow my steps above and stay away from constant selfies. They will kill your PR Brand.

Velma Trayham

Three Common PR Mistakes

A journalist recently shared with me, via a Twitter conversation, three mistakes that drive in crazy when it comes to new publicity people. We had a great chat about it and shared some of the same frustrations.

To continue the conversation, I'm listing the three items below. Use it. Learn from it. Have me help you with it!


1. Photos, photo and more photos. Don’t rely on photos to make a brand. They have models for that.  People want substance, especially reporters. No one is simply going to cover you or your client because they have nice photos. PR doesn’t work this way. Yes, you need a photo to go with your media kit, etc. but these photos shouldn’t be the cornerstone of your campaign- even if you are an entertainer.

2.  Responding to the media via text.  This is a huge no-no, even if the media rep sent you a text. It is always better to call. Even if you get a VM, put a voice to the name and leave a message and then respond via text. 

3. Never, ever say anything bad about anyone to the media.  This will be the first thing quoted out of context at a later date. It is the same rule as liquor. If you are photographed with liquor and arrested years later, guess what photo the media will run. So, stay away from anything negative- even when responding in crisis communication mode.

Velma Trayham

Why Businesses Fail

Want to know the top two reasons why businesses fail? Well, you're in luck as I am listing them below.

#1. Relying on a concept and not a product. I can’t tell you the number of times I speak to people, especially in the PR business, who want to be famous or gain their idea notoriety. The problem with this is one of sustainability. You can only skate by on talking big for so long. Don’t rely on concepts to grow your brand. Instead, rely on real products that can be sold before your company can grow. Know where you’re at when it comes to concept vs. actual product and then start taking steps to get to the actual product or services delivered portion.

#2. Cash. Yes, cash is the number two reasons businesses fail. It isn’t a lack of cash that holds a company back, either. It is how it is spent. Don’t throw millions or even thousands of dollars into an ad campaign when you don’t have your product or services perfected. Instead, use the money to perfect the products and/or services. Strategic spending is a big problem for many new business owners.

Need more advise? Of course you do! Please contact me so I can provide you with comprehensive consulting services and more.

Velma Trayham 

Holiday Cards... Are They Worth It?

There is a lost art within our business. Believe it or not, that art is writing! In the last few years I have noticed that people just don't send handwritten holiday cards to their peers or their clients anymore. Why? I think it is sad. A publicist has to rely on relationships to make their clients successful, yet we are too tired or too cheap to buy holiday cards and write a short, personal note.

I can't say how many times within the last two years that I have received an eCard. And while the thought does count, it just seems to impersonal. I know that little effort was put into the task and that it probably was an automated CRM cue that notified the sender that I was either due for a holiday card or a birthday message.

I understand tight budgets, but relationships are worth more than the two dollar card and fifty cent stamp. If you're on the fence about sending out actual holiday cards this year- please consider that a personalized card says something about your attention to detail and shows that you truly do care about the relationship. eCards, while easy to send, make people feel like a number more than communicating a feeling of appreciation.

We work in a business that is personal. Why not back up this sentiment with a personalized "Happy Holidays" note from yourself? It is something to think about this week.

Until tomorrow,

Velma Trayaham of ThinkZILLA

Wendy Feldman Is Wrong!

I read an article earlier today that really upset me. Why? Well, a well-known crisis management publicist attacked her former client on Twitter. There is a line of respect that should navigate your professional as a publicist- even when you are upset with a client or former client. I always tell up and coming PR professionals to handle unruly clients in court. It is the easiest way to stop them in their tracks- I mean by hitting them in their pocket book.
But I'm not so sure the crisis management publicists, Wendy Feldman, meant to hurt her client when she went on the attack. After all, she is a publicist and in launching the attack, her Twitter followers grew and so did her company's brand. So, was this a strategic move at the former client's expense? I think so!

Among other celebrities, Wendy Feldman formally represented Teresa Giudice of the Real Housewives of New Jersey.  She fired Giudice and then she took to Twitter and spoke with several media resources on the firing.  She conveniently told Page Six, "“This relationship was filled with more problems than usual clients have because of the constant refusal of Teresa to accept responsibility for the smallest thing. This may be due to poor prior advice and so a coping mechanism or just plain denial. In any event, federal prison is no joke and must be navigated with extreme care. In the end that wasn’t done and so the relationship had to take a new direction.”

Clients and publicists will have disagreements. They may even have to terminate the relationship. But, dirty laundry should never be aired. Period.

Until tomorrow,
Velma Trayham

The psychology of marketing and graphic design

Today I would like to discuss the importance of branding and graphic design when it comes to the psychology of color. The American Marketing Association has published study after study dedicated to this subject. While many people are able to create stunning graphic design using home-based software programs, like Adobe Photoshop, not all people are well – versed ineffective graphic design. There is a significant and underlining strategy when it comes to graphic design and appealing to existing and potential customers. All of these items come into play when utilizing an experienced, and creative graphic designer.

The message of your graphic should do more than just tell a story for exposed compelling content. Your design needs to incorporate colors that provoke an action from the desired demographic. For example; the color blue will not sell products. Using blue and product sales has been proven to be ineffective. However, using shades of blue and graphic design when trying to build a brand that is identifiable with people seeking advice, or self-help services, is highly-effective. That is why you see many religious figures, dating websites, and self-help groups incorporating elements of blue and their branding and graphic design efforts. Using red and yellow as the primary colors for sales buttons or menu boxes is more effective than using blue. In fact, red is considered an action color and automatically considered as a tool when seeking for individuals to take notice.

While this is just the tip of the graphic design – psychology of color iceberg; it is important for you to understand the subject matter when moving forward with your own branding opportunities in order to execute not only a stunning graphic design, but what is effective and can drive business. If you need help with your branding efforts, I am available to consult and even have my own team draft of compelling designs backed by proven studies on the color of psychology.

Until tomorrow,

Coco the CEO