Now that the holidays are over and 2009 has officially begun, here are six things you can do this week to jump-start your public relations and marketing efforts for the year:
Review Collateral Materials. Take a hard look at the way you present yourself to the public, from your your letterhead, envelopes and business cards to sales brochures to your website. Is the message you are sending consistent with your strengths? Can the public get a sense of who you are just by seeing your marketing material? If not, it’s time to bring in a designer who can make sure your brand stays on message.
Sweat the Small Details. Review items such as your email signature, voice mail message, invoices, checks, shipping labels, and signs. Is everything still accurate? Do they have a consistent look and feel?
Network. Make a promise to attend at least one networking event per month. Check the local chamber of commerce for business card exchanges and mixers. Colleges and universities often hold seminars for small businesses. Pick one that sounds useful and attend as much for the contest as the networking opportunity.
Review Media Contacts. With the media in such flux these days, editors and reporters are on the move. Make sure you know who is making key decisions about coverage.
Social Media. Take advantage of the opportunities presented by Facebook, Linkedin, MySpace, Twitter and any number of social media. Make sure your profile and contact information are accurate.
Become an Expert. Pick a topic or two that you feel comfortable speaking about and let the media know you are willing to serve as a source in stories. Launch a blog or contribute posts or comments to a blog that covers your areas of expertise.
Some of these suggestions will take a few minutes; others will require more time to produce results. But as you prepare to make 2009 a year to remember, they will help you get off to a good start.
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I’ve been trying to figure out just how effective Twitter can be as a marketing tool. After all, how much mileage can you get out of 140-character tweets?