End of Quarter Reports

At the end of each business quarter, the time is upon the marketing and publicity world to provide growth accounts.  I'm going to list the key topics to cover within this report to help new publicity people understand what should be included. The same goes for clients who buy PR services- you too should know what to look for.

1.  The start to finish synopsis. It is always good to refresh your clients as to where they were at prior to hiring your firm.
2. The objectives you met and the objectives you exceeded. This is where you boast about how you exceeded expectations as a publicist.
3. Key message theme reviews followed by the program components you implemented.
4. Media value that includes brand visibility measurements and social media value. Don't forget to convert your followers as media value, as well as any followers you built for the client.
5. Campaign time.  Make sure you show results in stages of goals within a time frame, not just as met or the value they produced.

Again, beautiful demographics are important, but content is key!

Velma Trayham 

Ferguson- From A PR Perspective

I know this is a touchy subject. I was so hurt- on many levels- after watching the events in Ferguson unfold last night via CNN. The way the media, people, and police handled (or lack thereof) each milestone was crass. From a PR perspective, last night was a disaster!

So, what could have been done? Well, it depends on who one would be representing in the case of last night's events. From the police standpoint, their Public Communications Officer should have pushed a Standards Guide and contact guide via social media hours before any announcement was made. Business owners should have been provided with a separate line to report looting and security incidents to. Police officers should have been assigned to protect businesses too.

Michael Brown's family should have had a publicist to help their attorney enforce statements so the 4.5 minutes of silence could have- and should have- taken place. The attorney, while he did a good job, needed to have more of a PR voice with the  media to push his initiative.

CNN- oh boy. CNN knew better and should have practiced more responsible journalism, not just covering crime. They took the concept of "if it bleeds - it leads" to a whole new level last night and in the name of ratings- not justice.

I could go on and on and on.... but I won't. We as a country need to practice how we deliver our messages and beliefs to one another in a more constructive manner.  Remember, it isn't what you say as much as how you say it. What happened last night speaks volumes but I'm not sure if the message was actually heard.

Until tomorrow,

Velma Trayham

PR Presentations... What Are You Missing

I love when I see all bells and whistles on a competitor's presentation. It helps me a lot! While anyone can hire a cheap graphic designer off of ODesk.com, not to many know about the psychology behind design and marketing. This, my friends, is very important when pitching potential clients.

A beautiful design doesn't mean anything in business. Sure, it is nice to have but decisions are made on cost vs. experience vs. if a client feels comfortable (or not) working with you. When competing companies only invest in a design that looks good, it leaves an opening for me to follow the presentation with "what are they missing" when talking to the client.

If you are pitching clients based on visuals only, know that you are making a major mistake! First, you have to make sure you have the right visuals- not just ones that you like. You have to align your thinking and presentations with the temperature of your potential client's current look and feel. Next, you have to use the AMA's set of psychologically invoking marketing concepts. Then you have to follow this with real references, solid numbers, milestones and guarantee, and a work plan. This is the part where many PR professionals fail - the numbers and the data.

This said, as we head into a week of Thanksliving, check your pitches and your presentations. Give thanks for the business you earned in the past and think about how you can polish up your presentations in the future!

Until tomorrow,

Velma Trayham of ThinkZILLA 

Is Your Logo Failing?

Here is a thought for the weekend- "What has your logo done for you?" Think about it. Think about it for you and your clients. Is your logo really a point of visibility  or an eyesore? Most think it is visibility and in reality- it is an eyesore!

A logo has to serve a purpose. It can't just "look cool". The branding has to have a short and concise title and the colors have to appeal to the masses. Plus, it has to be immediately identifiable. Think Starbucks... without the lettering, we still know the woman in green means great coffee that is over priced!

Speaking of green, what colors are you using? Certain colors mean different things from a psychological standpoint. Did you know, for example,  that the color yellow equates to childhood memories within people? If someone had a poor childhood, they will not be buying your services if you have a yellow logo. If they had a great childhood- they will be buying for life!

Uniqueness has to play a part too. Compel the viewer, don't hit him or her over the head with the obvious. AT&T doesn't have a logo as part of its logo. Instead, it has a globe. Why? Most people think of phones when the hear about AT&T.  Well, the communication company offers services all over the globe, which compels the logo viewer.

So, all this said- look at your logo this weekend. Look at the logos of your clients. Are you being too obvious? Too generic? Using the wrong colors? Chances are- all of the above is true.  And if you need a brand overhaul, don't be afraid to reach out to me.

Until Monday,

Velma Trayham

Specific PR

What is specific public relations? If you have a ground breaking product that can’t be enveloped into the mainstream media, you have to generate interest without a market. Thus, you have to specifically work harder to get media attention and convince the press that your new, revolutionary product isn’t a flash in the pan.

How do you do this? Well, there isn’t a secret recipe but I do have two fail-safe tips.

1.       Read all the semi-related industry publications you can.  For example, if you developed a new software product then it is best to read computer magazines and technology publications.  You have to know what reporters and writers you can go after based on their reviews and past articles. If you know one reporter hates new software products, don’t waste your time pitching him or her.  Get a game plan together simply by reading all the semi-related industry publications.

2.       Don’t BS reporters or overhype your product.   You will find that journalists have excellent “bullshit detectors”. If they know you’re stretching the truth, they may wright a poor review or simply send out an email to their peers not to cover your pitches. Thus, be up front with reporters and be yourself. If you over spin something, especially with a specific pr pitch, you will burn chances.

I hope these two tips help you shape a plan and formulate a strategy for your one-of-a-kind product. Have more questions?

Connect with me on social media or book me for a consultation!

Until tomorrow,

Coco the CEO

People Like These Words, Use Them & They Will Like You!

Ever notice how people are attracted to positive people. It seems very obvious that we gravitate to people who are pleasant and upbeat. There are scientific studies that prove we, as humans, like happy, pleasant people.  So, my gift to you today – blog reading audience- is a lesson in how to use nice words to get people to like you more.

People want to hear “please” regardless of the request. It is a common courtesy often forgot in today’s demanding society. Don’t forget to use this word often. It is important to how people perceive you. Remember, it isn’t what you say but how you say it.

“We’re in this together” is another great term when addressing challenges.  Instead of dictating solutions or calling out orders to your team, try using this phrase for better results and to show you own the challenge along with your team.

“Let me get this” is a great term when you are trying to make a good impression or want to allievate stress from someone’s life. Regardless if you use the term in reference to a two dollar cup of coffee or to help out with a multi-million dollar project, the phrase is designed to nicely show someone that you care and are willing to help out.

Try inserting these three phrases into your vocabulary for the rest of May. I can ensure you the results are worth their weight in gold.

Until tomorrow,

Coco the CEO

Think Yourself Rich

If you don’t think you can think yourself rich, you’re dead wrong. A positive attitude and even more positive thinking can push you over the edge when it comes to making your first million dollars. Below are my three top tips for thinking yourself rich.

First, work like a millionaire.  Don’t rely on others to put in hard work when you are out partying. You need to be in the first one in the office and the last one to leave. This not only ups your productivity, it eliminates employees from goofing off.

Second, stop spending money and start investing it. Anyone can spend money. Anyone can save money. Not everyone invests money. This is a crucial step to developing assets that can leverage business ideas leading to your millionaire status.

Finally, don’t talk like you are poor.  In fact, talk like you are where you want to be without lying. Say ‘My next investment’ versus ‘when I have the money to invest’. It is all about attitude and hard work. If you work hard and you talk positive, you will get there.

Still have questions?

Call me to setup a consulting appointment.

Coco the CEO

Raising Money 101

Part of running any company, especially in the publicity / event circuit, is knowing how to raise money. You are either raising money by wooing investors or you are raising money for a community event, etc. Either way, you have to know how to pull cash out of the air. Do you? Not everyone can.

I want to dedicate tonight’s blog to pulling cash from the sky. Here are some tips on raising funds for any and all reasons.

First, consider a DPO if this is for a business investment or need less than a million dollars.  Typically, DPOs give away small portions of your company once it gets moving so be careful when setting up this option- but know that it is an option!

Second, understand not everyone is going to say ‘yes’. You have to prepare for the rejection and grow thick skin.  In fact, you will be told why and how you will fail when ‘no’ is stated to you. Ignore it. Carry on.  Getting frustrated and quitting is why many businesses fail.

Third, don’t be shy about asking. Business owners are pitched day in and day out for money. They know it is part of the game. It isn’t personal. So, be professional and don’t be shy.

Until next time,

Coco the CEO

Dealing with Negative People

Welcome to life. You will always have a negative person nearby no matter how hard you try to escape them. What do you do, however, if you hire or work with a negative person? Well, I have a few tried and tested tips that work!

First, try to avoid them if possible. Sure, you work with them but that doesn’t mean you need to engage with them beyond a professional level. If they hang out in a certain snacking area, bring your own food. If they show up at your desk to “talk”, excuse yourself and find some copying to do.  If they're customers that you can't avoid, stay cordial and friendly but don't get sucked into a deeper relationship. Finally, make sure you draw boundaries with these people and YOU have to stick to them because they surely will not.

You also want to avoid being too positive with them. Reverse psychology doesn’t work on negative people. In fact, it is a breeding bed of challenging encounters for them. They will feed on counter-acting your positivity with negativity. Remember to remain neutral and to not get sucked into their negativity- which is harder done than said.

Finally, changed their words around and re-present them.  Negative people use negative tones and phrases.  If client A states “well, you know, if this is the best you can do then I guess it is ok”, simply reword it back to them. This tricks them into thinking what they said is acceptable, when really it isn’t and you are putting it back in their face- politely, of course. A good example of re-presenting the example above would be to say, “You’re right. This is the best work I can do and I’m glad we see eye to eye on the final product.”  See how this worked? It is amazing what can be accomplished by simply rephrasing something, right?!

It’s hard to be upbeat when you have a negative person around. Sometimes you have to deal with him or her- there is no escape. In these situations just remember my tips above.

Until tomorrow,

Coco the CEO

Content Calendars 101

The key to any great social media or PR campaign is a content calendar.  Broadcast companies have one, the media uses one (editorial calendar) and most major corporate accounts use one. Are you?

When developing your calendar make sure you are aware of industry trends. For example, if you run a gym then it is your job to know when national heart health week, national spinach day (today), and other health related milestones occur. When you are aware of important industry dates, you can trend along with the topics on your own social media and blogging accounts.

You should also consider how you are writing your content. Is it ad based? It is all about self-promotion? If so, it is a mistake. Make sure you are providing real information and value- not just a pitch to gain sales.

If you follow these two simple steps when creating your content calendar I promise your ROI will go up.

Until tomorrow,

Coco the CEO 

Why Your Business Doesn’t Have Legs!

There are many great business ideas out there. Most don’t get off the ground because the person(s) behind the idea isn’t capable of executing it. In fact, they have some pretty bad business habits that harm the business idea.

 I’ve put together a list of the top 3 reasons why businesses / ideas don’t succeed. Read the list below and ask yourself if you own one or all of these habits.

1. Your reactive not proactive. Proactive people are busy planning, doing, getting things done. Reactive people spend the majority of their time catching up, copying the ideas of others, responding to emails all day long, and really not accomplishing mush.  You have to make your product grow. This isn’t something you can delegate to others. You can delegate emails, not your business.  Be proactive, not reactive.

2. You slow down the decision making process. Not every situation is life or death in business. You should be able to make a decision fairly accurately and quickly.  Major decisions do require time and thought, but are you bottlenecking simple decisions? If so, you are stunting your growth as a company.

3. You are brand confused. Wow, this is a major issue for me with many clients. You can’t have one leg in one demographic and another leg in a different pool. In other words, make sure you are true to your own brand if you expect other people to do the same. If you are business woman, act like a business woman.  If you are a tattoo artist, act like one.

I hope this information has helped you identify how to truly get your ideas off of the ground and your business moving forward.

Coco the CEO

Two ReasonsWhy You Will Fail in Business

Not all business owners are going to make it. This is a fact of life, sorry. So, what are the top two reasons business owners fail? Well, I’ve listed them below for you to consider this weekend as you’re making plans to open or continue operating your company.

#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.

I hope this helps you really put your company into perspective this weekend.

Until Monday,

Coco the CEO

Why Your Brand Is Failing.

Everyone has something amazing to offer. However, many times the media doesn’t recognize it. Why? Well, most of the time personal branding efforts need to be amplified. I’m going to share some ways you can do improve your brand’s viability right now.

#1. Figure out what you REALLY have to offer. Let’s say you’re selling your brand as an exterminator. You have great customer reviews, won several awards, and you’re good looking to boot. The media would have a choice to cover you- right? Wrong. Stop reading right now and Google the term “exterminator with charisma.” You’re going to get a lot of results. Next, Google “expert exterminator” and you get even more results. Finally, Google “Tom Martin Orange County Exterminator.”

You see, Mr. Martin has received press and his an expert in his field. But he isn’t the only expert in his field to receive press and not on the national radar to receive a first page Google listing when it comes to a generic key word search. You have to figure out what you have to offer and then how you do it differently when compared to anyone else in your field.

#2. Identify your weaknesses. Yes, you have them. You can’t address something you’re unwilling to face so make sure you get it out of the way before promoting yourself as a brand.

Want more personalized info? Contact me and set up a business consultation today.

Coco the CEO

Is Your Website Concept Boring?

One of my business ventures is website design. I have clients who have concepts at the start of each relationship as to how their websites should look. Often, these clients are relying upon someone else’s branded design to define their own message. This is a huge no-no. I never understood why a client would want to look like their competition! 1) It shows you’re into stealing (sorry, borrowing) creative concepts and 2) It doesn’t define your own brand.

Another challenge are the clients who don’t understand that what may look nice doesn’t equate to actually being functional. A key element of this is Responsive web design (RWD), a common strategy being used today to accommodate the multiple ways a website may be accessed. It is an experienced based design that looks good on any mobile, desktop or other device.

I recently read “You need a content management system (CMS) to simplify the task of managing a website. In the old days, website content was managed by creating an HTML file on your computer and uploading it to a web server, where it was accessible to the world. The problem was that sites started to get very large, with thousands of pages. When you wanted to update something minor like the copyright date in the footer, you needed to update every file on the site. Enter the CMS.” I agree. CMS is important to every single website out there. You need to have a website that both looks great and feeds into search engines properly. There are plenty of CMS options available, some free and some not. Either way, if you don’t have one- you’re in trouble.

Boring website concepts are often the highest ranked domains on Google and alike search engines. So, ask yourself today do you want to look like your competitor or do you want to blow them away?

Coco the CEO