In This Issue
• Intro: Direct From Jen • Lifestyle: Get Your Name Out There! • In The Media: Are You Ready for the Spotlight? • Gadgets & Gizmos: Publicity is Going to the Dogs! • How To: Event Planning on a Budget

Direct From Jen

How do you get someone’s attention?

It’s a question often asked by entrepreneurs, event organizers, small business owners, consultants, nonprofits, inventors, artists or anyone with something to promote. You could have the most revolutionary idea, product, event or business ever created but if the public doesn’t pick up on it, your success will be limited.

Publicity comes in all forms, from word of mouth marketing to multi-city press junkets to getting a celebrity to endorse your product. With the internet, sometimes all it takes is a video on YouTube or one blogger to sing your praises and you’re set for stardom! Here at YSN, we understand the power of the people. From television, radio and public appearances to hiring marketing strategists and publicists to joining the “blogosphere,” we are constantly finding new ways to garner more public attention about YSN.com and the company’s mission.

In this week’s newsletter, we are going to cover a few different ways of making people sit up, take notice and believe in what you’re doing. We’ll tell you how to gain recognition as an expert and help build your first media kit. We will also give you 10 ways to host a promotional event on a budget and tell you how FREE publicity is just a click away. For starters though, be sure to check out the YS Weekly archives to read about my experience at the 2006 National Publicity Summit and get some very useful media tips I received directly from producers, journalists, and publicists!

Until next time, remember: Your Ideal Life Starts Here!

Jen

P.S. People are definitely talking on our blog Waste Time Wisely! And who could blame them? In addition to our regular and guest bloggers, check out our weekly lineup. And if you want to be featured as a guest blogger on Waste Time Wisely, send an e-mail to newsletter@ysn.com! 

Monday MANday: when we get the male perspective of life and career.

Tuesday’s Weekly Roll Call: We ask a question and YOU answer!

Wednesday’s Ask Jen: Jennifer Kushell dishes out career advice. If you have a question for Jen, send an e-mail to askjen@ysn.com. 

P.P.S. In last week’s Secrets podcast, we gave you the first three steps for meeting anyone, so let’s continue with the rest and get you ready to make an impression.

NOTE: Please don't forget to add newsletter@ysn.com to your address book to ensure you receive our weekly updates. And feel free to forward YSN to your most ambitious friends, while you're at it!

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Lifestyle: Get Your Name Out There!

When it comes to advancing your career, business or organization, developing expertise can sometimes lead you to extraordinary success. Not only will others turn to you for the latest news, but you will likely edge out the competition by being more substantive during meetings, interviews and networking events. It will also help you understand, fulfill and predict client or consumer demands. Here are a few things you can do to become the go-to guy or gal about a certain topic!

Know the Issues: Developing expertise is more than just learning about something; immerse yourself in the subject’s past, present and future. Expertise can be about your industry, specialty or field, or even something social or cultural. Stay on top of today’s news but research the subject’s history, analyze its evolution and try to predict its relevance over time.

Incorporate it into your life: Join associations, unions, charities or organizations, and attend events, seminars, conferences and networking opportunities. Find a mentor and become a mentor when you are ready.

Join or Start the Discussion: Share your expertise with coworkers, friends, colleagues and even strangers at events or parties. Collect business cards and contact them if you hear or read anything exciting or new.

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In the Media: Are You Ready for the Spotlight?

As soon as you start dealing with journalists, research assistants and editors, people are going to start asking you for press releases, media kits and company information in formats that you've probably never heard of or worked with. Don't panic. To give you a quick idea as to what you should be sending to your media contacts, follow these guidelines:

Media Kit: Your media kit is usually a presentation folder, packed with information on your company, along with a few items of interest to the media. If you are asked for information, a media kit is usually the best thing to send. A well packaged media kit should include:

• A cover letter
• Your business card
• A press release
• Company literature (brochures, flyers, photos)
• A biography on the founders
• A client list (if available, and impressive)
• Copies of other articles that have been written
• If your product is small or you have a prototype that can fit into a large envelope (pictures are just as good) include it as well.

Press Release: A press release is the most recognizable, widely accepted (and expected) way to send information to the press. Your press release should be about one page, telling the journalist what they most want to know: facts. Who, what, when, where and how are at the top of the list. Be brief and to the point. Any statistics, quotes or industry information that you can include is always appreciated.

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Gadgets & Gizmos: Publicity is Going to the Dogs!

Are you craving publicity and media attention for your product, company, cause or project but lack the funds? Then check out The Publicity Hound, a website that gives you tips, tricks and tools for getting free publicity! The website has an array of resources, including a daily blog and free links to articles like “How to Know When You Need to Hire a Publicist,” “Let Bloggers Create Publicity for You” and “Six Tips for Small Businesses.” It also offers publicity mentoring services, eBooks, tip booklets on recruiting and retaining employees and more.   

The Publicity Hound was founded by Joan Stewart, a media relations consultant and professional speaker who shows people how to attract media attention and use it to their advantage.  

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How To: Event Planning on a Budget

Hosting promotional events is one of the best ways to market and generate publicity for your organization. Events can be used to build or change your image, introduce new products or services and create goodwill between your company and its surrounding community. However, events can be costly, and startup or growing companies may not even include them in a marketing budget. The following are ten tips for creating events which will allow you to gain exposure and goodwill for your business without breaking your bank account:

• Volunteer your company's services to help with a local, newsworthy event. Be particularly conscious of the media involved, because you may have a chance for a free "plug" on the air or in the newspaper. By investing your time in return for access to such exposure, you have the opportunity to publicize your company's services to your community, region or state. In addition, you can capture the attention of your local leaders who are, more often than not, willing to refer you if you've contributed to their organization's efforts. Again, try to be a part of an activity that is highly newsworthy and offer a unique skill or service that will capture the attention of a reporter.

• Find out if a local organization (Lion's Club, church, community center, etc.) will offer you the use of its facilities. As the rental of a site is often the biggest expense of an event, you will save a great deal of money by using donated space.

• Become friendly with your local caterers. Food is another huge expense in staging an event, but is necessary - people love to gather in a group and nosh. Remember, the caterers in your community need exposure just as much as you do, and will likely be happy to offer you a discounted menu for the exposure they may gain at an event. Feature the new caterer in your mailings with a word of thanks.

• Talk to a local restaurant owner and ask him/her if you can reserve a few tables on a night that isn't very busy (Monday or Tuesday is usually best, but note that many restaurants are closed on Mondays). Send out flyers to publicize your mixer, and charge a minimal cover ($5) to cover your food costs. Buy a few plates of hors d'oeuvres and some pitchers of soda. Have a cash bar, and be sure to invite enough people to recover most of your costs! Remember though, events are a cost of doing business, and you may not always recover your expenses, so be sure that the publicity you will receive is well worth a few dollars. If you are staging something unique, such as a winter luau, be sure to invite the press.

• Coordinate with other young entrepreneurs and stage an event as a group (e.g. an end-of-summer picnic). This will allow each participant to contribute to costs and labor.

• If you can only afford to invite and feed a small number of people, make sure you fill the event with friends, family and anyone else who will be willing to stay for a few hours in order to create the image of a large attendance. (Make sure they eat before they come if you are really tight on funds, so special guests can enjoy the food! It's a lot to ask, but if they're your friends and family, most likely they'll make the sacrifice for you.)

• Offer to stage an event with a portion of the proceeds going to a local charity or organization. Be sure to stage activities which are somehow related to your company. For example, if you run a day-care operation, hold a parent-child picnic with a cover charge of $20, with $5 going toward the purchase of books for the local children's library or the March of Dimes. This is a win-win-win situation, as it will allow you to create goodwill in your community, funding for the organization and exposure among the press. Additionally, as organization executives will be thankful for your efforts, they will be more than happy to refer you to others.

• If you wish to be involved in a trade show, barter your services for a booth space. (for example, you may be able to help with set-up or mailings). This may not work if the show is large, so be prepared to negotiate. No one has to know you are doing these activities - keep in mind that your primary objective is a spot on the floor, and sometimes there is sacrifice involved. Do what you must to get exposure. Besides, it will provide you with a good story for later on.

• If you can't pay, barter. This can't be stressed enough. Bartering is a mode of survival for many small businesses. If done well, and if your time donation is large enough, you may even be considered a sponsor of the event.

• Once you commit to an event, be sure to tell people about it in enough time to get the crowd you're looking for. There is nothing worse than an empty event! Try to get listed in your local newspaper's calendar of events (sometimes requires a lead time of a few weeks), post on the web, through online meet-up boards, and tell all your friends and colleagues to tell their friends and colleagues. Word of mouth helps!

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