Think of these “swag parties” as extravagant trade shows with the attendees being celebrities getting freebies instead of paying store owners. The main goal of attending a show like this is grabbing the heart and attention of a high profile celebrity which will then translate into media attention, increased exposure for your brand, and ultimately a spike in sales. Does that always happen? Absolutely NOT. Can it happen, YES.

I have experience with shows like this and I am happy to share a couple pointers. I was fortunate in that my strategy paid off and Glamajama added quite a few celebrity fans, features on Entertainment Tonight, Access Hollywood, Dancing with the Stars, and even a spotlight on Oprah. Was this luck? No. This was EXECUTION of a PLAN.

Let me be clear, “luck” does NOT create success- it can however create opportunities. How you handle those opportunities is what determines your success.

My Tips & Tricks:

• Select the Event Carefully: Spend time researching potential events and their hosts. Do they have a good reputation? Are they sharing pictures from past events? Proof (pictures/testimonials/magazine features/etc) of the celebrities that have attended their events? Just remember almost everyone in Hollywood is an “actress”, make sure the attendees are truly paid professionals with A or B-list status.

• Bring a Trigger Happy Friend: These events are commonly attended by the “paparazzi”. They are hired by the event hosts to take pictures for use in their marketing materials, media outreach, or to help in other promotions. The host will advertise to you that these pictures will be able for your use. And of course they are, at a price. It’s a great way for “them” to make a couple extra bucks. They know you will be desperate to get pictures of your brand with A-listers. Save money by having a friend take pictures for you. He/She will take pictures of just YOU (there is always frenzied competition for the photographers attention), you will have full access to the images, and you can use them in your pitches to the media since you will own the rights-not the paparazzi or event host.

• Don’t be Cheap: If you’re spending the money to attend an event like this, make sure you create a red carpet ready display piece for your company. Celebrities want to be associated with glamorous, exclusive, and trendy companies. If you’re display comes across as being cheap, mass market, or outdated, they won’t be tempted to stop and chat. Put your best foot forward!

My Strategy Pointers:

Attending celebrity events can be quite costly, follow these strategy pointers to help you spend your marketing dollars wisely.

• Celebrity Strategy: After deciding on an event to attend, ask for a list of invited celebrities and which are expected to attend. Once received, Google each name and create a spreadsheet with their picture, relevant info (in my case as a baby clothes designer I would note kids names and ages), current projects, and future projects.

Once you have everyone’s information handy, sort through the list to identify which celebrities will be the best fit for your product or brand. For example, if you have a “green” product, highlight celebrities known for their green efforts and target them. Create individual bags for each attendee you want to target and even consider monogramming the product if possible. It’s human nature to want to use use things that have been personalized for us and the celebrity will appreciate your additional effort.Also, target celebrities that not only have current projects, BUT projects launching in the near future. The media loves “new starlets” and they’re also usually more appreciative of all the freebies thrown at them. If you can build a relationship between them and your company during the early days, it will prove valuable as their career blossoms.

The spreadsheet you create will also come in handy for defending yourself against the celebrity parasites that ALWAYS end up in events like this. If you don’t recognize someone from the celebrity invite list don’t be afraid to ask. You can also have your trigger happy friend do the asking. If they end up being famous you can always pull the good cop/bad cop “OMG ______! You didn’t know who she was? She’s so talented…” Cheesy, yes. BUT you can lose thousands of dollars by handing out product to absolute nobodies and then end up empty handed when a real high profile celebrity stops by during the events last five minutes. I have personally seen this happen many times.

If I had a nickle for every “sister-of-the-girl-who-styles-Gwen Stefani’s-hair-during-tours-in-Canada” I’d be rich.

• Sales Strategy:

Don’t forget to ask which boutiques will be attending the event as well. These events are frequented by boutiques with celebrity clientele. Why not share with them a sample and your wholesale information? Placing your brand in a high profile boutique is a profitable way to get media attention and additional celebrity fans. This is always a top priority for me at celebrity events. Also, most exhibitors are so focused on the celebrity aspect they miss this angle all together-it’s up to YOU to seize the opportunity!

• Media Strategy:

You can bet this event will be attended by the celebrity scoop weeklies such as Us Weekly, Ok! Magazine, and more. TV shows such as Entertainment Tonight, Access Hollywood, E! entertainment, and others are common attendees. Before the event, reach out to these outlets and introduce yourself. While they might not respond, it still helps YOU stand out in the crowd since they will recognize your brand or product. The “media” are people just like me and you. They can be overwhelmed with the chaos and everyone crowding them for attention. They’ll appreciate a friendly face.

Also, be sure you pack a “media kit” that includes your press kit, a sample, and info where they can download 300 dpi pictures for publication. Let them know if you have any pictures of celebrities with your products from the event and that YOU have the rights to them. People usually choose the path of least resistance. Take advantage of this by positioning yourself as the easiest brand to feature. Grab their business card or ask for an email address so you can follow up with them as well.

I hope these tips get you started in the right direction and feel free to ask any questions you might have. Also, never forget to have a GOOD TIME!!! Enthusiasm and passion are contagious and will draw in the crowds, don’t forget to let it shine-you’re a STAR too!

Need help with your business? Want me to develop a strategy for YOUR success? I have plenty more tips I’d be happy to share! Hire me here.

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I can’t help but laugh since I was asked those exact same questions when I launched Glamajama. People thought I was crazy when I admitted to wanting to do more than just local craft shows. I guess I couldn’t blame them. After all, I had no experience, no support, and no financial resources. All I had was my hopes, dreams, and a fierce desire to fulfill my passion.

Seven years later, Glamajama is a leader in the childrens industry with national distribution in retailers such as Target and JCPenney. I’ve received thank you letters from Halle Berry, seen our clothes grace countless magazines, watched the hosts of the Today Show excitedly introduce the line on live TV, and helped the design team of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition build a house on primetime.

I could go on for hours with all the amazing things I’ve been able to see, share, and accomplish as the CEO of Glamajama, but I won’t. What I will say, however, is that all those things were possible because of my PASSION. Nothing more, nothing less.

I never had a silver platter, rich Uncle, or even a clue at a few critical moments along that journey. What I did have, however, was a vision for my ideal personal and professional life. Instead of focusing on what I couldn’t do to make it happen, I focused on what I could. I may have gotten knocked down, discouraged, and even doubted my sanity at times (many times), but that’s natural. At the end of the day…

It’s not how many times you get knocked down that count, it’s how many times you get up that matter.

I’m reminding myself of this today as I hear the doubts in people’s voices when I talk about FitandFearLESS, miss my “video view counts” goal for the day, or fail to get a response from a media pitch. The best things in life aren’t easy and it just makes winning that much sweeter. The joy is always in the journey, not the end.

So what does all this really mean? Does passion pay? I say YES. Our passions might not always pay dividends to our bank accounts, but they will always pay dividends to our heart and soul.

Are you losing HOPE in your small business? Hire me. I will FIGHT for your company’s success. Click here to learn more.

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One in particular is Microsoft’s launch of its WebsiteSpark program.  The program is geared toward small web design firms of ten or less employees and allows them to tap into the full resources of Microsoft for a mere $100 exit fee after program completion.  Website Spark not only puts you in touch with Microsoft’s network of partners and experts for training and sales leads, but it also gives you the opportunity to showcase your work in their marketing and networking events.  The real beauty of the program, however, is the free access and training for their full-featured software such as Expression, Silverlight, SQL Server, Windows Server, and Visual Studio.  That alone is a goldmine to any cash deprived start-up.

While Microsoft’s new effort certainly isn’t completely altruistic, it is well received.  They are looking to build brand loyalty that will translate into lifelong Microsoft customers and who could blame them.  I commend their efforts supporting the web design and development community and I can’t wait to see how the WebsiteSpark program graduates fair in the real world.  A new era of David and Goliath has been born.

(click to watch video)

Have your heard of any other tales of big business’ helping small business? If so, I’d love to hear them!  Just comment below or email me heather@glamajama.com

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Aronado Placencia, host of the popular web show StartupLucky, sat down with Amy “Queen of the Twitch” Cosper, Editor in Chief of Entrepreneur Magazine and asked just that.  Amy was incredibly generous with her time and schooled us all in the art of getting buzz from Entrepreneur Magazine.  Make sure you have your pad and pencil ready, there’s lots to learn.

Highlights from the StartupLucky exclusive interview:

How to Get Featured:

• Amy loves “twitches”: short and sweet Twitter pitches that leave her begging for more
• Email pitches need to be bulleted, 350 words or less, with a focus on storytelling
• Feel free to bribe (cookies & wine preferred) but it doesn’t guarantee a feature

How to Reach Startup Success:

• Your business plan/model needs to be explained in 3-4 sentences.  Elevator pitch longer than that? Try again.
• Don’t be afraid to adapt to a changing market, customer base, or upgrades in technology…true entrepreneurs evaluate, adapt, and thrive
• Don’t confuse Fearlessness with Recklessness, keep yourself in check

Need help with your business marketing, social media, or branding? Contact me here: http://su.pr/2GXnYX

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“you don’t know what you don’t know.”

Those past experiences are fresh on my mind as I find myself preaching about my golden rule on nearly a daily basis. As I consult with fellow entrepreneurs teaching them how to replicate my successes with branding, social media integration, and celebrity placements, I am heartsick. I hear countless stories of companies who have learned this costly lesson too late in the game. The “killer product launch” at a tradeshow that cost $30k that no one showed up for because the owner didn’t know how to contact the media or set appointments with key buyers. The “grand opening” in small town America that didn’t even make the neighborhood newsletter. Or the Mom that licensed her invention only to find that the company shelved the product and she had unwittingly relinquished her intellectual and distribution rights. I could go on. Knowing all of this, I can’t stress my golden rule enough. Please don’t make these same mistakes.

I know it might seem like an extra check to write when your bank account is already maxed out, but it will end up saving you money and heartache in the end. The money is there, you just need to re-allocate it. Instead of focusing your efforts on making a “big splash”, maybe focus on ensuring a return on investment? A solid marketing plan to leverage your event/news/product launch?  Or making sure all the legal and accounting issues are resolved so you actually get to keep your money?  Seek the help of professionals who have been there, done that.  After all, “you don’t know what you don’t know.”

Need help with your business? Contact me here: http://su.pr/2GXnYX

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So how do you monetize social media without creating a product line specifically for it?  Dell figured it out.  They are a great example of a company who actually engaged on Twitter and sold millions of dollars worth of computers as a direct result of those efforts.  (Dell article from Entrepreneur here)  I think their success was two-fold and actually quite basic.  First, they correctly targeted their customer and simply provided them with useful information.  Next, they implemented systems to monitor, measure, and manage customer service interactions.
(Great tips for handling customer service here.) These are great starting points and should serve as the foundation for any small business looking to incorporate social media in their marketing efforts.

While those are great steps for getting started in social media, it’s important that companies don’t stop there.  The real key to your success lies in your ability to actively engage that target demographic.  I urge you to roll up your sleeves a little and try some new strategies this year to finally get some ROI from social media.  To get you started, I’ve brainstormed a couple ideas below.

• Include a playful and creative flyer in outgoing packages encouraging participation and possibly offering a reward… “Be a sweetie! (attach some candy to the card) Post a pic of you wearing this t-shirt on our Fan Page and we’ll send you a $5 gift card.”
• Create a survey on Facebook or poll on Twitter (twtpoll) asking “friends” to vote on which new products to sell/create…the winning product will be offered to survey participants first, and at a discount. (See how Modcloth does this here)
• Track down recent customers on Facebook and “friend” them with your companies Facebook page (who doesn’t want more “friends”?)
• Spend money to make money…hire a Community Manager that will actually have the time to effectively target and engage new customers and strengthen your online branding. (Not sure what a Community Manager does? Read this by Chris Brogan.)

I truly believe social media is the future for small business marketing and I hope you can find at least one of these ideas helpful in your efforts to engage online.  Always be on the lookout for innovative new ideas to reach your customers and don’t be shy.  A sincere, heartfelt, and playful “hello” to your customers will be appreciated more times than not.  Just make sure you have the infrastructure in place to monitor, measure, and manage all those new customer interactions.

Need help with your social media campaign? Contact me directly here!

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Matt Cutts of Google posted this video to help explain the importance of their new Google Social Search…

So what does this mean for small business?

If you haven’t jumped in on the social media bandwagon yet, now is the time.  Customers and clients are using their blogs, tweets, facebook status updates, and more to talk about your brand.  (Don’t believe me? Watch this.) With the birth of social search, these conversations will now be mainstream for all of Google to see.  In other words, your customers will directly effect your Google search rankings.

Will Twitter be more business friendly in 2010?

Absolutely. Their real-time search collaboration is a big step in the right direction and Twitter isn’t stopping there. It has also launched a “Contributors” function (invitation only for now) which allows companies to have several authors send tweets under the same company profile. It is rumored that this may be one of the many new features in a “business class” Twitter account. These accounts would be part of an anticipated paid model launch in 2010. Also highly anticipated is the new emphasis on GeoAPI which will allow tweets to be seen with geo-location information. (Click here to read more.)

So what should you do?

Take advantage of this new opportunity to leverage social media in your favor by developing a listening strategy (read my post here for a how to), ensuring that your current web collateral can easily be shared socially (use AddThis or ShareThis buttons), and abandon spamming your marketing messages via your social networks in favor of developing mutually beneficial online relationships with key influencers in your industry.

Share your thoughts below in the comments! Are you using Twitter for Business?

Need help with your social media campaign? Contact me directly here!

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As the “royalty” status of Hollywood stars has risen, so has their effectiveness as key influencers in consumer purchasing behaviors. Celebrity product placement is considered an “influencer-marketing” approach for helping brands increase their competiveness in an increasingly crowded marketplace. Marketers and small business owners can harness that power through strategic product placement opportunities that have proven to garner national attention from the media, significantly increase sales, and provide additional revenue streams such as co-branded merchandise or licensing endorsements. I can vouch for this phenomenon from my personal experiences with marketing Glamajama. Many of our high profile media features and retailer relationships resulted soon after word of these much coveted celebrity sightings spread.

One of the great things about celebrity product placement or “product seeding” is that it is a relatively inexpensive strategy that can be implemented by anyone regardless of their company’s size. It doesn’t matter how big or small your brand is. The playing field is even. That being said, there are certainly do’s and don’ts for helping ensuring your efforts are effective.

Do’s:

• Make sure your pitch is on target: Always research to make sure you are pitching the right celebrity, the right product, and at the right time. For example, if you sell jewelry with birthstone gems search for celebrities that have worn similarly styled jewelry, have an upcoming birthday, and gift them jewelry with their birthstone. Include a personal message explaining the significance of the stone and why you selected it for them. Establishing a connection with the celebrity that resonates with them will help increase the odds they actually wear your product.
• Make it easy for celebrities to respond: Ultimately the end goal of any celebrity product placement is to receive some type of collateral that can be used in your marketing efforts. Examples of this “collateral” could be pictures, testimonials, thank you notes, video, or autographed products. When planning your celebrity outreach campaign, don’t just blindly send your product and “hope” for the best. If you want a hand written thank you note to display at your next tradeshow booth, include a self addressed/stamped thank you note for them to fill out.

Don’ts:

• A successful placement is the beginning of your marketing efforts, not the end: Don’t confuse a successful placement with successful completion of your celebrity marketing efforts. Receiving marketing collateral from a high profile celebrity isn’t nearly as important as how you leverage that placement. Ideally, once you receive a confirmation from the celebrity or perhaps a picture, send out a press release announcing the sighting, contact media outlets, and let your customers and audience know about the great news.
• Stand out so you don’t get lost in the shuffle: Celebrities are approached by hundreds of brands, companies, and services all hoping they can attract their attention. Improve your odds of being memorable by making your product stand out. This can mean sending a unique item, using creative packaging, or even including a heartfelt, sincere message. Brainstorm ways to help differentiate yourself as you strategize not only what product you send, but the delivery of that product as well. Merely sending your widget in a plain FedEx envelope with a bland “dear john” letter isn’t likely to get a second glance.

As the power of celebrity increases, product placements will become an increasingly valuable form of influencer marketing. Brands that can effectively harness that power are sure to gain an advantage in our crowded marketplace. Achieve star status for your brand by following these do’s and don’ts. For more information, visit www.celebritymarketing101.com , or feel free to email me heather@momscanlaunch.com.

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With over 70% of the economic experts expecting a last quarter uptick in the economy, now is the perfect time to start preparing for the extra business.  I am a big fan of using virtual assistants to help build out my team during peak seasons.  This is an especially useful business strategy in today’s market place.  One of the best lessons a recession can teach us is that in many circumstances variable costs beat fixed costs any day.  To survive the feast or famine rollercoaster of entrepreneurship, you need to make sure your expenses mimic those same ups and downs.

Benefits of Virtual Assistants

Adding virtual assistants to your workforce is a terrific way to turn a traditionally “fixed” expense, like payroll, into a more cash flow friendly variable expense.  Let me explain how it would work.  For example, most business advisers suggest that payroll expenses should average 20-30% of your sales.   This would mean that when sales are flush at $250,000/month that translates into payroll expenses of $50-75,000.  When sales hit a downturn at only $50,000/month, your payroll would then move back to a more manageable, $10-15,000.  As a business owner, how closely you adhere to this ratio means the difference between bleeding red and staying in the black.

Additional Benefits Include:

• No payroll taxes or employee benefit expenses
• No “on site” office space requirements
• No costly training programs when hiring experienced VA’s
• No long term commitment
• No morale draining lay offs during slow seasons

Understanding the Relationship

When considering virtual assistants to help manage business tasks, there are a couple considerations to keep in mind.   For starters, they are not your employee but independent contactors.  This means they will most likely have other tasks and deadlines on their schedule while they are working for you.  READ: They are on their clock- not yours.  Make sure you are respectful of time constraints and provide as much advanced notice of tasks, deadlines, and special circumstances as possible.  As with many business relationships, communication is critical.  You can’t blame a virtual assistant for not living up to your expectations if you never made those expectations clear.  In other words, don’t just say you need something “right away”, make sure you define “right away” as within two hours.

Getting Started

I also think it is wise to start slowly when building a new relationship with a virtual assistant.  For example, instead of requesting that they create a new website for you, start by having them update your blog template first.  As each task is completed satisfactorily, and communication strengthens, you can then proceed to larger and more complex tasks.  Also, be sure to discuss with potential VA’s their strengths and weaknesses to ensure the best experience possible.  If you are in the real estate field, consider searching for VA’s with backgrounds in real estate.  If you an entrepreneur looking for marketing help, be sure to search for VA’s with a background in marketing or who are currently active in social media.

Tips from an Experienced VA

For more tips, I turned to Dawn Martinello of Monday Morning VA.  As an experienced virtual assistant herself, she had some great insight to share.  She can be found at MondayMorningVA.

• Be sure to have an exit strategy.  Does your contract give you an out if you don’t mesh well?  This is especially important for first time clients.  For example, our services are non-refundable, but for first time clients we give a 7 day grace period in which they can bow out of the contract if they aren’t working well with their VA.
• When you’re considering outsourcing keep the price in mind.  My rule of thumb is that an entrepreneur shouldn’t be doing anything in their business that doesn’t earn them at least 2/3 of their regular rate.  That means if you’re a bookkeeper who charges $30.00 per hour, you should consider outsourcing anything that doesn’t earn you $20.00 per hour.  The reasoning behind this is that business people need to spend their time and energy on what generates revenue for them.  Spending 4 hours trying to update your website doesn’t earn a bookkeeper anything!

If you have never considered hiring a virtual assistant to build out your team, I strongly suggest taking a second look.  As technology continues to advance and better networking platforms are built, virtual work relationships will only become even easier.  A couple great places to start your search for virtual help include Guru.com, Freelance.com, RentACoder.com, or a simple “virtual assistant” search on Google.

Business Owners, feel free to leave any questions or experiences you would like to share in the comments. Virtual Assistants, be sure to leave any additional tips and your contact information including your area of expertise.

I’d love to hear your comments below and please be sure to follow me on www.twitter.com/glamajama! Want more DIY PR tips? Sign up here

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Image via CrunchBase

This is TERRIFIC NEWS and will undoubtedly help with SEO ranking, name recognition, and overall ease of use.  Instead of printing http://www.facebook.com/pages/Glamajama/46968453518 on your business cards to promote your social media presence on Facebook, you will now have the opportunity to use www.Facebook.com/Glamajama.  Much simpler!  This has been a popular request for Facebook connectors and I’m happy to see that the update is finally here.

The issue of name squatters has come up and Facebook is working hard to prevent any misuse.  To help businesses protect their trademarks, Facebook is allowing trademark holders to restrict use of their name by registering their requests here http://www.facebook.com/help/contact.php?show_form=username_rights .  If you don’t have your registration handy, just search http://www.uspto.gov for the number.

For more information read the Facebook Blog entry here http://blog.facebook.com/blog.php?post=90316352130

Make sure you mark your calendars and I’d love to connect with you on Facebook while you’re there!  Join me here Glamajama.

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