Work at Home Success By Jill Hart
Mom Laughs By Cheryl Moeller
Simplifying Motherhood By Trish Berg
Ask A Twin Mommy By Cheryl Lage
Mothering By Heart By Cheri Fuller
Jelly Mom By Lisa Barker
Family Check-up By Sheila Wray Gregoire
Parent to Parent By Jodie Lynn
Moments for Mom By Elisabeth Corcoran
Making the Most of Marriage By Paula Friedrichsen
Nine Quick Ways to Piggyback on Your Business Success
By Christine Louise Hohlbaum and Tracy Lyn Moland
Moms in business need to market their products or services. Yet a statement this simple can be very overwhelming for entrepreneurs. Marketing doesn't need to be hard. In fact, it can be very easy with a few simple tricks of the trade. You have worked so hard to get started and create success for your business so why not make your own work help ease your marketing woes?
What can you do to double your success? A few suggestions follow.
- Testimonials: Whenever you receive an e-mail from someone thanking you for your product, service, assistance, etc., ask the person if you can quote him or her on your Web site or in your marketing materials. Testimonials lend the necessary third-party credibility to your work. They are a powerful and simple tool to add to your success.
- Testimonials for others: If you purchase a product or service that works for you, consider writing a testimonial for others. Christine recently did this for a publicity newsletter whose CD brought her great success in securing a high-profile radio interview. The editor used my testimonial as an example in her next newsletter. The result? Someone else saw it and offered her a regular spot on a parenting program.
- Product/service reviews: Not only do you need products reviews for yourself, but you need to consider the power of doing them for others. So often we have offered reviews for free to Webmasters. They, in turn, featured our businesses. In offering reviews, you have created a win-win-win situation. The other business, the Webmaster, and you win!
- Offering Tips: Many people have given us incredible advice which has lead to our successes. Whenever you get a good business tip, pass the information along to other networks in which you are involved. People will begin to see you as a business expert, which you are.
- Become the Media Expert: The media is always looking for people to quote and talk to. Any time you hear of a news event or story that you feel ties into your product or service, contact local media. Send them a list of facts that will help them research the story. Offer to give information that will help their listeners understand. The more you give the more likely you are to get media exposure.
- ASK for what you want: If you don't ask the answer is always NO. Spend some time reviewing your local media outlets - newspapers, magazines, radio and television. When you find sections or segments that feature guests that seem similar to you, contact them and ask if you can send them your product or information on your service. Tell them you are a perfect match to their show or column and ask to be on it.
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- PR Begets PR: Once you have done a few media interviews, you will notice how people start to approach you to do more. Follow-up with a thank-you note to each host with whom you work. They appreciate the acknowledgment for a job well done. More than likely, you will get a testimonial from them as well. Always ask to quote the person, first.
- Press Releases: Make them work for you. You can build on the momentum of your campaign by issuing a press release whenever you have a high-profile interview in the media. Mention yourself as an expert available for comment on your area of interest. Make use of low-cost press release distribution such as PRWeb.com or OpenPress.com to spread the word about your news.
- Follow-Up: If you make an initial contact with anyone - media, another business, and there is no response, do not give up right away. Give them a call. Leave a message and send another follow-up e-mail. If after a few tries, there is still no answer, move on. Your time is better spent elsewhere. The trick to sustaining your marketing campaign is to persevere, no matter what.
© Christine Louise Hohlbaum, 2004-
Christine Louise Hohlbaum, parenting humorist and author of the world-renowned book Diary of a Mother, inspires mothers everywhere through her powerful stories. She is a frequent guest on NPR and has appeared as an expert in Boston Globe magazine, Parenting, Pregnancy, Parents, and more. Christine is available to speak at your event whether in Europe or North America. As a mother of two living near Munich, Germany, Christine publishes an entertaining ezine based upon real-life experiences. Visit diaryofamother.com or e-mail her at christine AT diaryofamother DOT com.
Search Amazon.com for more books by Christine Louise Hohlbaum
© Tracy Lyn Moland, 2004-
Tracy Lyn Moland, the best selling author of Mom Management, Managing Mom Before Everybody Else, is a popular media guest with over 300 media interviews including a 10 week series on Canadian national TV, and the expert on Mom-TaskingT and the Mom Market. From being spokesperson for a multi-national company, to working with other companies in learning to reach the Mom market, to helping entrepreneurs achieve incredible success, Tracy Lyn's expertise is highly sought after. Through her popular presentations, her consulting and coaching programs and her books; Tracy Lyn Moland provides her clients with the practical and applicable tools to create success in their homes and their businesses. Visit MomManagement.com.