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 If you’re display comes across as being cheap, mass market, or outdated, they won’t be tempted to stop and chat.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.

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

1. Make A List. Check It Twice.

Look through all of your contacts and review the people you’ve met in your industry or at various conferences, local business meetings, presentations, etc. Then, make a list.

Research each of these people and see what they are doing and the status of their business:

• Are they working with partners you’d like to meet? 
• Do they have new products and services that work well with yours? 
• Are they involved in one of your favorite charities? 
• How can you help each of these people with your unique, products and services?

Write down all of the information you discover on your list.

2. Ask For Business.

Next, contact the top five people on your list via phone, e-mail, Twitter, www.twitter.com, Facebook, www.facebook.com, etc. and arrange a time to talk.

Ask them how things are going and what their needs are right now. Let them know what you have to offer and how you can help them. Then, ask for their business. You can also ask to refer you to their business associates.

If they are interested in your products and services, provide the information they need to make a decision and arrange a follow-up call. Keep in touch until you seal the deal.

3. Move On.

If you are not getting anywhere with a particular contact, try to get a “Yes” or “No” answer, and move on. Make a note in your database about their status and a reminder to follow up on a certain date. But if they are not interested, stop wasting your time, and move on to the next contact on your list.

If you don’t have any luck with your list of contacts, don’t worry. At least you’ve reminded them about your business and what you have to offer that is unique. And this is just a healthy reminder that you need to start networking and promote your business.

It’s time to attend industry events, join your local Chamber of Commerce and other business groups, get involved, and meet new people. Also, take a look at your Web site, public-relations activities and marketing materials.

Maybe it’s time to update your information or hire a professional publicist or search engine optimization copywriter to help you?

Obtaining new customers is not always an easy process, and it takes work. But once you get the momentum going and have a marketing and referral process in place, things will get easier and you’ll see sales grow.

These are just a few tips to help you take action and bring in new customers now. If you need more help boosting sales with SEO copywriting for your Web site, public relations and other marketing consultation, please let me know here or at Rembrandt Communications®, www.rembrandtwrites.com. I’m here to help!

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

“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

Well, today you’re in luck. I caught up with George Cloutier, owner of the highly successful business, American Management Services, http://www.amserv.com/, to discuss his new book, “Profits Aren’t Everything; They’re the Only Thing.”

Here’s what he had to say.

Tell us about yourself and why you wrote this book.

After graduating from Harvard Business School, I founded American Management Services in 1986 with just $42,000 in seed capital. Today, we have more than 150 employees, and tens of millions in annual revenue. 

AMS specializes in financial turnarounds and profit development for small and mid-sized companies across the nation. We’ve worked with 6000 clients across 400 industries, and we’ve implemented over a billion dollars in profits and savings. We’ve brought hundreds of businesses back from the brink of bankruptcy to profitability.

My book, Profits Aren’t Everything, They’re the Only Thing, is based on my years of experience working with troubled companies. It is a wake-up call for the 23 million small and mid-sized business owners across America. I serve up the unadulterated truth to aspiring and experienced entrepreneurs, with no apologies.

Why is Profits Aren’t Everything, They’re the Only Thing an important book for small business owners to read now?

Everyone knows that times are tough, but one of the biggest dangers of an economic downturn is the excuse it gives small business leaders to lie down and do nothing. Too many business owners are using the recession as an excuse for failure. My book shows them how to dispel that kind of self-defeating attitude and gives them specific things they should be doing right now to revitalize their businesses, even in this difficult economic environment.

How do you offer a “wake-up” call to entrepreneurs trying to get back on track due to the recession?

By forcing them to see that the success or failure of their business depends entirely on them. Recession or no, if their business is failing, it’s their fault. I don’t compromise, I don’t humor them, and I never let them off the hook. I also force them to ask themselves, “Why am I in business?  What is my goal?”  The answer should be “to make profits.” Any other answer and they shouldn’t be in business.

George, you mention some rules for small business success in your book. Can you share them with us?

Profits Aren’t Everything, They’re the Only Thing – It’s not about sales. It’s not about how many employees you have. It’s not even about your balance sheet. It’s ALL about the cash.

End Denial – Understand where the leaks are in your business and how, as the boss, it’s your fault. Look for red flags. Deal with the uncomfortable tasks you’ve been putting off.

Forget Sweat Equity – Too many business owners think that when they’re building a business, they shouldn’t pay themselves a salary. The inability to pay yourself a full salary is a red flag that there is something wrong with your business. You’re the one who takes on all the risk, so take better care of yourself.

The Best Family Business Has One Member – More than 60% of the small businesses I work with are family-owned, and that’s where most of their problems start.

Don’t view sales as an unwanted guest. Focusing on sales is the easiest way to grow your business in good times and sustain profits in bad times.

Teamwork is Vastly Overrated – Teamwork simply doesn’t work. There is no “$” in team. It only encourages mediocrity, because your team is only as strong as its weakest link. Focus on individual performances.

What should entrepreneurs avoid doing when starting a business and why?

They need to live and die by a real plan, right from the beginning, so that inefficient systems and bad practices don’t become ingrained in the company’s culture. They need to think about where they stand on their financial and operating plan every day of the week. And they should let employees know the plan and hold them accountable.

In your experience, what has been the most successful marketing or PR activity you’ve seen that has helped your clients succeed quickly and why?

It’s about perseverance and building relationships with media contacts. Being out there all the time is key so you have to keep refreshing your story angles and pitches. A multi-platform approach is the best. You want to be in every media outlet in your space: TV, radio, print, internet, blogs. Speaking engagements are also very helpful because they get you in front of people who may be potential clients.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

If small business owners wait until the tide turns to fix their businesses, they’ll drown. They need to stop putting off the inevitable and act immediately. By doing the necessary hard work right not, they’ll be ready when the tide finally does turn. They’ll be making real money again and they’ll never have to worry about surviving another recession again.

Thanks so much for your great tips and advice!

Do you need help boosting sales, awareness and credibility for your business? Please feel free to contact me here or at www.rembrandtwrites.com for free information and assistance with SEO copywriting, public relations and social media. Thanks!  

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!

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!

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.

The nonprofit organization was founded in 1945 by Dr. Norman Vincent Peale and his wife, Ruth Stafford Peale. GUIDEPOSTS is involved in a number of activities including award-winning magazines, best-selling books, websites and outreach services such as free distribution of GUIDEPOSTS materials to hospitals, the military and families in need; comfort kits for children in hospitals; and coordination of the Knit for Kids project that has sent over 600,000 sweaters to needy children abroad.

Primarily a print medium, GUIDEPOSTS is enjoying their foray into technology and social media, which has expanded its audience and enabled direct dialogue with their customers.  

Being able to build a site that truly can and does inspire people is a great part of my job. — Philip Charles-Pierre, VP Digital Media

The biggest challenge their VP of digital media is dealing with right now is incorporating all the new technologies. Having roots in print and adding in new things (online publishing, social media can be quite the cold shower for many organizations). Charles-Pierre says that social media and online initiatives have allowed his publication to reach a broader audience.

“There are still a lot of people in our target audience that don’t quite understand why Guideposts and Guideposts.com are relevant to them. We are merely using the tools they use to let them know about relevant content,” Charles-Pierre says, including such tools as Facebook, Twitter, and widgets.

He adds that it is important to reach readers wherever they are gathering online.

Charles-Pierre enjoys the challenge of helping to reshape the business at a time when publishers are struggling. Guideposts continues to adapt its approach to ensure it is serving key audiences while attracting new pockets of readers. “We fundamentally believe our content appeals to both the devout and those who do not consider themselves spiritual, in nature. Good advice and guidance – as well as compelling content – appeals to all people, and we strive to make that case to the public at large.” 

 A little bit about the original founders: 

Dr. Norman Vincent Peale

One of the foremost motivational speakers of the 20th century, Dr. Peale wrote 46 books, including the inspirational best-seller The Power of Positive Thinking, which was on the New York Times best-seller list for 186 consecutive weeks. Still available today, the book has sold more than 20 million copies in 42 languages.

For more than five decades, Dr. Peale was the pastor of Marble Collegiate Church in New York City. He spoke to an average of 100 groups a year until he was 93, and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Ronald Reagan.

Books by Vincent Peale

Ruth Stafford Peale

The daughter of a minister, Ruth Stafford graduated from Syracuse University and taught mathematics before her marriage in 1930. Although she worked closely with her husband in all aspects of his ministry, she also established a separate identity as a religious leader, public speaker and author. She was cofounder, publisher and chairman of the board of GUIDEPOSTS and a member of the board of directors of American Bible Society, Interchurch Center, Blanton-Peale Institute and Laymen’s National Bible Committee.