If you were to set out with a bow and arrow and no target you would be fine just shooting the arrow and watching where it landed. But you wouldn't have any idea if your shot was good or not. It would just be a shot, in the dark. I think you know where this is going. But I'll continue.
When you set a target first, you have something to aim for. You can create a plan based on the the type of bow, the type of arrow, the wind direction, any other weather events as well as the distance which would affect the ultimate path of the arrow itself. It is the same with marketing.
The very first thing you have to do before deciding what tools to employ is set a target. And it should have a bullseye or sweet spot as well as rings emanating from that. Once you have clearly identified what the target looks like and where it is, then you can determine how to reach it with whatever tools you might use. While this may sound simple, very often people will ask, should I use social media? Should I advertise in this magazine? Should I send direct mail? I won't be able to provide guidance until I hear a clearly defined target. It may be that one is better than another, it may be that they are all appropriate when used correctly. But before you begin with any marketing program be sure to very clearly define your target audience, once you identify the sweet spot you can figure out how to hit it.
]]>My talk was "PR in the Modern World" and wanted to share my PowerPoint presentation here. Feel free to download and explore and ask questions!
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JANUARY 25, 2012: GMG PUBLIC RELATIONS, INC. has been granted Women Owned Business Enterprise status from the New York State Department of Economic Development, Division of Minority and Women's Business Development (DMWBD). GMG Public Relations will be listed in the State's Directory of Certified Businesses with the following list of principal products and services:
"We are so proud to receive this designation after 20 years in business," states Risa Hoag, President of GMG Public Relations, Inc.
]]>We just wanted to take a moment during this Chanukah and Christmas season to wish you, your staff and your family a wonderful holiday. We hope it brings you all good things! We also hope 2012 will be a year filled with happiness, peace and prosperity.
We wanted to share an exciting bit of news! Our client Bounce! Trampoline Sports is featured on the cover of today's (12/23) Journal News/LoHud Weekend section for what to do with the kids over the holiday break. This is an outstanding feature and it is actually the third time they have been included in the Journal News since opening on November 5th. We also managed to secure a segment for them which will be featured on the Today Show this Monday, December 26th, at 10:20 am. Sara Haines and her producer and crew visited Bounce! and spent nearly 4 hours with us. It was so much fun. This is the culmination of 5 months of working with the Bounce! folks which resulted in over 12,000 people walking through their doors in the first month! We are very proud of our work with them. You can check out their website (which we designed and manage) at www.bouncetrampolinesports.com
We also want to say thank you to all our clients, friends and business colleagues who helped to make 2011 such a great year. We are looking forward to an exciting 2012!
I'm always looking for ways to partner with other organizations, link people together, power network, etc. So my recent connection seems to be a win/win for all involved. As you already know my firm is celebrating 20 years in business. A milestone by anyone's standards. I have committed to doing at least 20 random acts of kindness for 20 years. You can read more about what we've done so far here.
When I heard about an organization called the Pajama Program this holiday season I thought it was the ideal opportunity to combine a new offering by a client with raising funds for this important charity. The IMAX Theatre at Palisades Center runs pajama parties throughout the year for family oriented movies. They have been a client for over a decade. They are introducing a new VIP/Loyalty card called The IMAX Palisades Director's Club Card. The card comes with super benefits at the theatre as well as with local retailers (and we are looking to partner with more retailers as we move into 2012). My idea was to combine IMAX Palisades with the Pajama Program and give back. So, I'm donating $2.00 from every IMAX Director's Club Card sold through the end of the year to the Pajama Program. I am also encouraging others to match my donation total. You can see how this is a win/win all the way around.
What can you do in 2012 to partner with others for a win/win!?
More information on IMAX Palisades (they are the only movie theatre in the Suburban NY/NJ area that will be showing the Dark Knight Rises prologue! - awesome!)
More information on the Pajama Program.
]]>Many of my clients have been with me for many, many years, one client has been with me for all 20 years, another for 12, one for 10, another for 7, another for 3. I value those relationships and my goal is for them to feel the same way.
How do you add value?
]]>Something else we may have in common is that we used to network alot or should I say A LOT!!! I was the president of the Westchester Association of Women Business Owners (WAWBO) for several years and sat on the board for 15 years! I was also a member of a bunch of other little organizations over the years. The networking and sharing of ideas that I learned then has served me extremely well over the years. In fact I recently got a lead from someone I met over 20 years ago through WAWBO, so that investment in networking is still paying off.
However, I stopped hardcore networking a few years ago. Growing kids and feeling comfortable with my business made me feel less inclined to go out in search of new business. I was happy with the way things were going and enjoyed not having to do the rubber chicken circuit all the time.
But I'm ready for a change. How about you? I've been going to more and more meetings, networking, events, having breakfast with old clients and business connections, not so much in search of new clients, but in search of new ideas, fresh faces, innovative discussions and a reality check on the economy. It has been incredibly helpful and insightful. I have gotten new ideas at every meeting and I even found a few new clients! Wow, I wasn't even searching for them.
So the morale of the story is, get out. Go to a new meeting. Find a group to visit or join and share who you are and listen to others. If you don't find a new client, you might just find a new idea and you might get a reality check that maybe the economy isn't that bad and in fact, is turning around for many!
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